Preparation for Sea

Prerequisites

You should hold the RYA Powerboat Level 2 certificate and have the experience expected at Intermediate Powerboat level. The Course and Skipper lesson in this course gives an overview of preparation, briefing and the kill cord; this lesson turns that overview into a full working routine you can use on any boat, including one you have never seen before. The engine checks themselves are covered in detail in the Engines, Drives and Propellers lesson, and fuel planning in the Weather and Planning lesson; we refer to them here rather than repeat them.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

• Carry out a systematic check of an unfamiliar powerboat, hull to electrics, before going to sea (RYA syllabus: preparation for sea, boat checks).
• Select, check and stow the safety equipment appropriate to the boat and passage (RYA syllabus: preparation for sea, safety equipment).
• Give a clear safety briefing to crew and to passengers with no boating experience (RYA syllabus: preparation for sea, crew briefing).
• Explain the purpose of the kill cord and enforce its use (RYA syllabus: preparation for sea, kill cord).
• Stow equipment and crew so the boat is safe at planing speed in waves (RYA syllabus: preparation for sea, stowage).
• Produce a short passage plan and leave it with a shore contact, with clear overdue actions (RYA syllabus: passage planning).
• Set fuel reserves for the passage and the conditions (RYA syllabus: passage planning, fuel).

RYA Syllabus Map

Why Preparation Matters More on a Fast Boat

A fast boat compresses time. At 25 knots, you are 4 miles from the harbour in under 10 minutes. Anything you forgot is now well out of reach, and anything badly stowed is about to be thrown around by slamming. Problems that are small at 6 knots, such as a loose fuel line, an unbriefed passenger or a missing knife, become serious at planing speed.

MAIB reports on small powerboat accidents repeatedly find the same causes: kill cords not worn, people not briefed on how to hold on, no plan left ashore, too little fuel, and equipment that did not work when needed. Almost all of these are fixed before leaving the pontoon.

The skipper is responsible for all of it. Under the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002, which apply SOLAS Chapter V to pleasure craft, every skipper must plan the passage, taking account of weather, tides, the boat's limitations, the crew, navigational hazards and a contingency plan. On a small boat the plan can be simple, but it must exist.

Checking the Boat

Work through the boat in the same order every time, so you never miss an item. A useful order is: outside, inside, engine, electrics, controls.

Outside: hull, tubes and fittings

• Hull: look for damage, cracks and signs of previous groundings. On a trailer or at a low tide, look underneath too.
• RIB tubes: check pressure by pressing firmly; they should be hard. Pressure drops overnight as the air cools, and rises in sun. Listen for leaks and check the valves are closed and capped. Top up with the correct pump if needed. A soft tube reduces buoyancy and makes the boat wetter and less stable.
• Bungs: the drain bung (or bungs) must be in and secure. This is a famously common error on trailered boats.
• Transom and drives: propellers, legs, bellows on sterndrives, trim tab mounting and anodes. See the Engines, Drives and Propellers lesson.
• Cleats, towing eye and bow eye: secure and not cracked.
• Navigation lights: fitted, clean and working (switch on and walk round).

Inside: bilge, hatches and stowage

• Bilge: dry or at its normal level. Water may be rain, a leaking deck fitting, or something worse. Find out which.
• Bilge pumps: test the electric pump (switch and float switch) and check the manual pump has its handle aboard.
• Hatches and lockers: close and latch properly. A locker that flies open at speed throws its contents into the boat.
• Self-bailers and drains: open where intended to drain the deck, but know how to close them when stationary with a heavy load.

Engine and fuel

Carry out the full engine check from the Engines, Drives and Propellers lesson: water, oil, belts, fuel, leaks and electrics. Check fuel quantity by dipping, flow meter record or sight gauge, not by the gauge alone. Smell for fuel in enclosed spaces, and on petrol inboards run the bilge blower for the time the manufacturer recommends (usually 4 minutes) before starting.

Electrics and electronics

• Battery isolators on, voltage normal.
• VHF: switch on, check the volume and squelch, and make a radio check with the harbour or coastguard if permitted (using a working channel, not 16). Check the DSC radio has a GPS feed and a valid MMSI.
• Chart plotter and compass: plotter showing your position; the compass swinging freely and lit for night use.
• Horn and searchlight working.
• Handheld VHF charged, in a waterproof pouch and on the right channels.

Controls

• Steering lock to lock without stiffness.
• Throttles and gears move smoothly into ahead, neutral and astern on each engine.
• Trim and tabs move through their range.
• Kill cord attached to the switch and a spare aboard.

Unfamiliar boats

If you are taking out a boat you have not handled before, add these:

• Ask the owner or operator about known faults and quirks (a sticky gear lever, a weak bilge pump).
• Find the fuel shut-off, battery isolators, fire extinguisher locations and the fire suppression system (if fitted).
• Find out the boat's category and maximum load from the builder's plate, usually near the helm or on the transom. It states the maximum number of people and the maximum load, and the design category (such as C: inshore, waves up to 2 m, wind up to Force 6).
• Do a short, slow handling test in sheltered water before leaving the harbour.

Safety Equipment

There is no single legal list for most pleasure craft under 13.7 m, but there are clear standards. Commercially coded boats follow the relevant code (in the UK, the MCA small vessel codes), which sets out exactly what must be carried. For a pleasure boat, the RYA and MCA recommendations are a good baseline.

What to carry on a typical coastal RIB or sports boat

Checking it

• Lifejackets: check the gas cylinder is screwed tight and not corroded, the firing head is in date and indicator green (on automatic models), and that there is no damage to the bladder. Check the crotch strap and spray hood. A quick check before each trip, and a full annual service.
• Flares and EVDS: check the expiry date. Out-of-date pyrotechnics must be disposed of through an approved scheme, not set off.
• PLB: carry out the self-test the manufacturer recommends and check its registration.
• Fire extinguisher: gauge in the green, pin and tag in place.

Where it lives

Equipment that is lost or out of reach is no use. Things you need instantly, such as the knife, kill cord spare, throwing line and handheld VHF, should be at the console, secured but able to be pulled out with one hand. Anchor, paddles and towline should be secured in a known place. Flares should be dry but not buried.

Briefing Crew and Passengers

The Course and Skipper lesson describes what a good briefing covers. Here we look at structure and delivery.

Structure

Use the same order every time so you do not skip anything. One clear structure is:

1. Introduction: who you are, who is skipper, the plan for the day and expected conditions.
2. Lifejackets: fitted, adjusted and done up; crotch straps on; how they inflate; what the manual toggle does.
3. Seating and holding on: where to sit, how to brace (knees bent, both hands on a grab handle), and that nobody sits in the bow at speed in waves (MAIB Safety Bulletin 3/2023, covered in the Wave Theory and Rough-Water Driving lesson).
4. Moving about: never stand up or move when the boat is moving without asking the helm.
5. Kill cord: what it is, where it is attached, and how to restart the engine if the helm goes over the side.
6. Emergencies: man overboard (shout, point, keep pointing), the VHF and how to send a DSC distress alert, flares, first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
7. Signals: the agreed "slow down" signal, the "stop" signal, and how to attract attention over engine noise.
8. Health: ask about back problems, pregnancy, seasickness, medical conditions and swimming ability.
9. Questions: always ask for questions and check understanding.

Delivery

• Brief before leaving the berth, in a quiet place, not over engine noise.
• Show, do not just tell. Hold up the kill cord and fit it; point to the grab handles; demonstrate the brace position.
• Keep it short. Five minutes for passengers, a little longer for crew with roles.
• Check understanding. Ask one passenger to show you where the VHF distress button is.

Crew with roles

Give competent crew specific jobs: lookout, navigator, fender and line handler, or second helm. Make sure at least one other person can stop the boat, use the VHF and steer back to someone in the water. On a fast passage, appoint a navigator who keeps track on the chart or plotter, as described in the Fast Navigation lesson.

The Kill Cord

The kill cord (engine stop switch lanyard) is attached to the helm and to a switch on the engine or console. If the helm is thrown from the seat or overboard, the lanyard pulls the clip off the switch and the engine stops.

Why it matters

A boat with no one at the helm and the engine in gear can turn in a tight circle at speed. It will often run back over the person in the water. Several deaths and serious propeller injuries in UK waters, including the 2013 accident off Padstow investigated by the MAIB, involved kill cords not being worn.

The rules

• Wear it at all times when the engine is running and in gear, attached around the thigh or to a secure point on the lifejacket (not to a loose belt loop).
• Check it works at the start of every day: start the engine, pull the cord, and confirm the engine stops.
• Change helm, change cord. The new helm puts the cord on before taking control.
• Carry a spare where the crew can find it, and brief them on how to use it.
• Wireless kill cords (wireless engine stop systems) use a fob carried by the helm and sometimes the crew. If the fob goes in the water or out of range, the engine stops. They avoid the cord being snagged, but check the battery and test them in the same way.
• Replace a cord that is stretched, perished or has a weak clip. They wear out.

Stowage and Seating

At planing speed, slamming can produce several g of vertical acceleration at the bow. Anything loose becomes a projectile, and unrestrained people can be thrown out.

Stowing equipment

• Heavy items low and central: fuel tanks, anchor, spare batteries and tool kits.
• Secure everything: bags in lockers or strapped down with bungee or straps; nothing loose on the deck.
• Keep the bow light on a RIB or sports boat; weight forward makes the boat wet and prone to bow steer.
• Fuel cans: portable tanks strapped down, vents closed for stowage and open for use.
• Keep drains clear so water on deck can get out.

Seating crew and passengers

• Seat passengers aft of the console, where the motion is least.
• On jockey seats, feet in the straps or on the foot rest, knees bent.
• Balance the load side to side, adjusting with tabs where needed.
• Keep children where you can see them and where they can hold on with both hands.
• Do not exceed the maximum number of people on the builder's plate. Each extra person also reduces freeboard and performance.

A final walk round

Just before leaving, look over the boat as if you were an examiner: lines coiled, fenders in, nothing loose, everyone seated and holding on, lifejackets done up, kill cord on.

The Passage Plan and Shore Contact

What goes in a fast-boat passage plan

A plan for a day passage on a fast boat can fit on one side of a card. It should include:

• Route: departure, waypoints, destination, and the distance and course of each leg.
• Timing: departure time, expected arrival, and tidal gates (headlands, bars, sills).
• Weather: the forecast, your limits, and when you will check it again.
• Hazards: overfalls, shallow patches, traffic, firing ranges, speed-restricted zones.
• Ports of refuge: where you can go if the weather or the boat lets you down.
• Fuel: quantity aboard, planned use and reserve (see below).
• Communications: VHF working channels, the harbour channel and the phone number of your shore contact.
• Contingency: what you will do if you are delayed, have an engine failure, or the weather is worse than forecast.

The Fast Navigation lesson shows how to turn the route into a leg card for use at speed.

The shore contact

Leave a copy of the plan with a responsible person ashore who knows what to do if you are overdue. Agree:

• Who is aboard and the boat's description, colour, name and MMSI.
• Your route, ports of refuge and expected return time.
• A check-in time at which you will call, and an overdue time (perhaps an hour later) after which they call the Coastguard on 999.
• Tell them when you are back safely, every time. An unnecessary search is expensive and risks rescuers.

Using the RYA SafeTrx app

The RYA SafeTrx app records your trip, and if you do not end it by the expected time, alerts your emergency contacts. It does not alert the Coastguard automatically, but your contacts can, and HM Coastguard can view your track if they need to. It is a useful supplement to a shore contact, not a replacement for a VHF and a PLB.

Fuel Reserves

The Weather and Planning lesson covers consumption and the rule of thirds in detail, and the Engines, Drives and Propellers lesson shows how to measure your own boat's litres per mile. For preparation, the key steps are:

1. Know what is in the tank. Dip it or fill it. Do not trust the gauge.
2. Calculate the planned use from your measured litres per mile at planned speed, not from a brochure.
3. Add for conditions. Head seas, heavy loads, towing or slow running in waves can double consumption per mile.
4. Keep a reserve. As a minimum, plan to land with one third of your fuel unused. For a long passage, a night run or poor weather, keep more.
5. Plan refuelling. Know where fuel is available on the route and their opening hours. Some marinas only take cards, some only sell diesel.

Worked Example: Preparing for a Coastal Passage

You are taking a 7 m RIB, single 200 hp outboard, from your harbour 18 miles along the coast to a lunch stop, with three adult guests who have never been on a fast boat. You have used the boat before, but not this season.

Night before. You check the inshore waters forecast: west 3 to 4, occasionally 5 later, sea slight, good visibility. Your limit for this boat with novices is Force 5 against the tide. Tidal stream turns at the headland at 1200; you plan to round it at 1030 with wind and tide together on the way out, and to return after 1500 when wind and tide are again together. You write a one-page plan with waypoints, timings, ports of refuge (two harbours on the route), the forecast, the headland timing and a fuel plan.

Fuel. Measured consumption last season at 25 knots: 1.8 litres per mile. 36 miles there and back is 65 litres, plus 30 percent for a possible head sea home: 85 litres. With a one-third reserve you need about 130 litres. The tank holds 200 litres. You fill it the night before.

Shore contact. You email your plan to a friend, with the boat's description and MMSI, a check-in at 1300 from the lunch stop and an overdue time of 1730 for the return. You also start a SafeTrx trip in the morning.

At the boat. You do the boat check: tubes topped up (they had softened overnight), bungs in, bilge dry, engine checks, tell-tale strong after starting. You test the kill cord, VHF radio check with the harbour, and fit the second kill cord to the console.

Briefing. On the pontoon, you fit each guest's lifejacket with crotch straps, and brief seating behind the console on the jockey seats, how to brace, the slow-down signal, the kill cord and the VHF distress button. You ask about back problems; one guest has a sore back, so you put them in the most aft seat and agree to keep speed down in any chop.

Stowage. Bags in the console locker, cool box strapped at the base of the console, anchor stowed in the bow locker.

Departure. You leave on time and call your contact at the lunch stop. On return, you end the SafeTrx trip and text your contact that you are home.

Common Mistakes

• No bung in. Check it every time, and especially on trailered boats.
• Trusting the fuel gauge and finding the tank half empty at sea.
• Briefing on the move, over engine noise, so nobody hears it.
• Kill cord on the console, not on the helm, or clipped to a belt loop that tears off.
• Loose gear on deck that becomes a projectile at speed.
• No plan left ashore, or a shore contact who does not know when to call the Coastguard.
• Forgetting to tell the shore contact you are back, triggering a search.
• Passengers in the bow on a choppy day.
• Taking an unfamiliar boat to sea without a slow handling test.

Summary

• Preparation on a fast boat matters more because you are a long way out very quickly and everything is thrown about by slamming.
• Check the boat in a fixed order: outside, inside, engine, electrics, controls. On RIBs, check tube pressure and bungs.
• Carry and check lifejackets, kill cords, VHF, PLB, flares or EVDS, anchor, knife, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and a paper chart. Keep the critical items at the console.
• Brief everyone before leaving the berth, in a fixed order, and show rather than tell. Ask about back problems and other health issues.
• Wear the kill cord whenever the engine is in gear, test it daily and carry a spare.
• Stow heavy items low and central, secure everything, keep the bow light and seat passengers aft.
• Write a short passage plan with route, timings, weather, hazards, refuges, fuel and contingencies; leave it with a shore contact with clear overdue times.
• Keep at least a one-third fuel reserve, more for rough weather or long passages.

Check Your Understanding

1. In what order would you check an unfamiliar RIB before going to sea?

Answer: Outside (hull, tubes, bungs, drives, fittings, lights), inside (bilge, pumps, hatches), engine and fuel, electrics and electronics, then controls (steering, gears, trim, kill cord).

1. Where would you find the maximum number of people a boat may carry?

Answer: On the builder's plate, usually near the helm or on the transom. It gives the maximum number of people, maximum load and design category.

1. Which safety items should be kept within reach of the helm?

Answer: The knife, spare kill cord, throwing line, handheld VHF and the fixed VHF's DSC distress button. They need to be usable instantly with one hand.

1. Give five subjects that must be in a passenger briefing.

Answer: Lifejackets (fitting and inflation), seating and bracing (no one in the bow at speed), staying seated while moving, the kill cord and how to restart, man overboard and emergency equipment including the VHF, the slow-down signal, and health questions such as back problems or pregnancy.

1. How should a kill cord be attached, and how do you test it?

Answer: Around the thigh or to a secure point on the lifejacket, never a loose belt loop. Start the engine, pull the cord and check the engine stops. Do this at the start of every day.

1. What should your shore contact know?

Answer: Who is aboard, the boat's description, name and MMSI, the route and ports of refuge, the expected return time, a check-in time and an overdue time after which they call the Coastguard on 999.

1. Your RIB uses 1.6 litres per mile. The round trip is 40 miles and you expect a head sea home. How much fuel should you carry?

Answer: Planned use is 64 litres; adding 30 percent for the head sea gives about 83 litres. To land with a one-third reserve, carry about 83 × 1.5 = 125 litres or more.

1. Why does the SafeTrx app not replace a VHF radio or PLB?

Answer: It relies on a mobile signal and on your contacts noticing the alert and calling the Coastguard. It does not raise a distress alert itself. A VHF DSC alert or PLB alerts the rescue services directly.

Further Reading

• RYA Advanced Powerboat course syllabus
• RYA Advanced Powerboat Handbook (G108)
• RYA SafeTrx
• MCA, The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002 and the guidance on passage planning for pleasure craft
• MAIB accident reports on kill cord and passenger injury cases
• Related lessons in this course: Course and Skipper, Engines, Drives and Propellers, Weather and Planning, Fast Navigation, Wave Theory and Rough-Water Driving