Can you help the RNLI with feedback on SEA Check please

[m chappelow]

As simon b said earlier in the thread it could be the fact of some one going over your kit ,,,,although it is a ,,safety equipment ,,Advisory ,,check only ,

its not a hull survey ,,nor does it cover engines except for the ,,have you a spare, bungs /plugs should any hull skin fittings fail or perhaps a spare kill cord ,basic tool kit .

it could also be the fact that boaters in some areas dont all walk about in deck shoes/ salopettes have a rugby shirt with the latest all the world yacht race logo on , but have the correct basic/safety /emergency equipment and have a very well maintained boat ,,only thinking that they may get embarresed by the sea check as all the stuff they have works and is in good order but wasent of last years fashion or from the latest mail order chandler ,,, the lifejackets came from the last refit from the local ferry / trawler or that the anchor works fine but was a home made welded one .

[treerat]

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

No

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

I have

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

They've never been where I am. Nt at the slipway when recovering / launching. Dn't know if I can 'book' a slot with them or how to do this.

As it's 2 ribs that I run - mine and clubs - they are kept ashore, away from the sea and taken out to play so I guess any appoinment would need to be at a site and if the weather is horrid we won't go so wasting everybodies time.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

No

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

Yes in the offshore magazine

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

felt it was for new boaters with little experience, I didn't think i would learn much having taken boating seriously with family/others for years.


IMHO it is a good idea but needs delivering correctly to target the right people. As pointed out, those posting on here take an active interest in what they are doing. Again, anyone subscribing to offshore membership is similar, aware what the RNLI do and probably sensible and intelligent enough to do some research before launching and likely do some form of qualification. Like a car they'd research it, pass the driving test, get insurance etc etc

To stereotype, it is the new to boating boaters, (less commonly rib owners) probably with hard boats (more commonly 90's fletchers, wakeboarding maxums or jetskiers) that should be targeted. Through naivety they buy it from local paper/dealer/flea bay (respective to aforementioned boat types), hitch it to the transit/range rover sport/double cab (respective to the aforementioned source), throw it in at a jetty, turn the key and head off as if it is a car.

Best place i would guess to speak with them is at busy launch spots.

[Shaz]

I've heard of this as it was something the dive club I used to be with arranged for their SIBs. This was a couple of years ago but I think it was mostly making sure they had flares, radios etc. I found it quite interesting as it consolidated a list of what I needed to think about prior to having my own boat. For club boats its ideal as it tells you what to spend money on, otherwise you get a commitee who can't see the value of a lot of safety kit, arguing with experienced people who aren't quite sure what they need but think something would be a good idea. Presumably its still heavily advertised through BSAC ?

I've not actually had one on the SR4 as I've got lots of other things to sort first, and in all honesty I don't want to waste their time as would have thought they would be very busy with the amount of people out there who have even less of a clue than me.

I think I'm a fairly safety conscious person anyway, but once I've got everything the way I want it and working properly I might try and book one just to make sure I haven't missed anything.

Also ref the previous suggestions you need a team effort - totty to draw them in and older types to advise. Generally people 'have been doing it that way for years' and don't appreciate someone young and female telling them they might be wrong.

[Doug Stormforce]

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

Never had one

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

Yes, and i often recommend them to our customers

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

I run a fleet of commercial boats and this topic is an area of my expertise so never needed one however I think Sea Check is a brilliant initative.

I must have been living in cloud land as I am pretty shocked by the perceptions of some people on here who I thought were enlightened. "Nit picking" and "elf and safety sort of person" are far from the perception I have of the sea check personnel and the scheme.

[kerny]

I'll second Doug Stormforce, although I'm sure all partys have Maximum respect for the RNLI

[PeterM]

Spoke to the RNLI today and are expecting a call to agree a time for it .

I will let everyone know how it goes as it seems no one has had one on here.

[CJL]

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

1) No - Why compete with the Boat Safety Scheme? A Charity should not seek to duplicate the work of another charity or organisation. Supporting the larger BSS scheme would reach a much bigger audience.
2) Yes
3) Despite trying to arrange one nobody ever replied to my email - BIG TIME FAIL

[SeaSkills]

Originally Posted by CJL

1) No - Why compete with the Boat Safety Scheme? A Charity should not seek to duplicate the work of another charity or organisation. Supporting the larger BSS scheme would reach a much bigger audience.
2) Yes
3) Despite trying to arrange one nobody ever replied to my email - BIG TIME FAIL

I don't particularly want to arouse the wrath of Polwarth again by intruding with a fact in the realm of perceptions - but the Boat Safety Scheme (assuming we're talking about the same one) was established in 1997 by the Environment Agency and British Waterways to promote safety on the inland waterways.

SEA Checks are not restricted to the inland waterways, and there isn't really a conflict between them.

Not good news that nobody responded to your email though - although I am curious why you made the request in the first place when you think it's competing with something better. That's a serious question, by the way - not a dig. I would genuinely like to understand your thinking


Ian

[ianhappy]

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

Yes, when we bought our first day boat 4 years ago. We felt we were a little naive about the whole thing and that as a minimum we should make sure the boat was properly equipped (we also booked some training early on). The very nice man from the RNLI met us at Hythe slipway and was very courteous, helpful, tactful and certainly not patronising or dictatorial - his advice was practical and relevant, and offered in a respectful way. If anything, he was maybe too diffident, we might have benefitted from a bit of a fire-and-brimstone pep talk! (but I know that's not what the SEA Check is all about).
For us it was definitely worth doing, our boat was better prepared after having it done and were better informed. I acknowledge that most of you lot have way more experience than we did, for anyone starting out though I feel it is worthwhile.

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

N/A

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

N/A

[CJL]

Originally Posted by SeaSkills

I don't particularly want to arouse the wrath of Polwarth again by intruding with a fact in the realm of perceptions - but the Boat Safety Scheme (assuming we're talking about the same one) was established in 1997 by the Environment Agency and British Waterways to promote safety on the inland waterways.

SEA Checks are not restricted to the inland waterways, and there isn't really a conflict between them.

Not good news that nobody responded to your email though - although I am curious why you made the request in the first place when you think it's competing with something better. That's a serious question, by the way - not a dig. I would genuinely like to understand your thinking


Ian

Simple I made my opinion after not getting a reply from the RNLI!

Incidentally I don't have a BSS either but there are some similar objectives between the same schemes, why duplicate when you could simply extend the established one to cover coastal boats?

[m chappelow]

sorry duplicate,as below

[m chappelow]

few reasons why seacheck was set up was

1 obviously in the intrests of sea safety ,

2 cutting the costs ,,much cheaper and safer sending an adviser out and nipping things in the bud first in a freindly non pushy manor than the cost of launching a lifeboat and crew perhaps in unfaverouble conditions for the simple reason of of not having the shackle pin on the anchor moused ,or the recovery of a body because the of the ignorance bliss of not wearing a crutch strap on a lifejacket.

3 promote links to third party orgnisations eg cg66 scheme, insurance benefits, advise on training courses,

4 to coinside with objectives of the long term RNLI buisness plan

5 to build up a picture of what levels of basic/essential safety equipment and condition that is carried on board leisure craft .

6 helping with recall/ raising issues and anouncements of and to manifacturers faults or problems .

with regards to the inland boat safety scheme,which is mandatory for those that have a boat on british waterways owned or within their juristriction ,,rivers canals and ports ., in the main coverers the live aboards and concentrates on domestic gas/heating ventilation ,fire safety ,engine and fuel instalation systems along with enviromental issues sewerage /waste water polloution ect ,and the schemes certificate is not free as sea check is but is done by a commercial surveyer .

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

1. No I haven't had one

2. Yes I have heard about the check

3. When I was "New" to boating I came onto this very forum and searched threads and asked questions and visited the RNLI website. I soon had all the information I needed to fit out my RIB, but I was still intending on getting a boat safety check done by you guys. However when I thought about it, I knew I had all the First Aid kit, Flares, Lifejackets, Radio etc etc and felt that I'd have been wasting the RNLI's time.

[PeterM]

So this afternoon I had an RNLI sea check. A call came in yesterday and it was arranged for today.

A very nice chap turned up, very pleasant etc but i have to say I felt it was a little 'checklist' driven.

Ie do i have a liferaft? Do i have water on board, do i have warm clothing? And questions like this that really didn't make much sense for a rib.

Dont want to knock a good idea but i feel it really is more aimed at 100% new boaters.

if anyone wants the tick sheet i can scan and email over.

pete

[free]

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

Not had one.

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

Was aware that there was a scheme but wasn't aware of it's name, have not seen it advertised. Now I also know that there's another scheme that will cost me, I'll be examined on and will allow me to safely control my sewage when lost on a canal. I can already pick my favourite.

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?

When the boat's ready, I'll try to take up SPR's kind offer.

I too have been surprised at some of the responses here, others have just been what I've come to expect! I'll happily take advice from anyone if it saves my life, they can be the most obnoxious to55er in the world but if they spot something I've missed then I'm happy.

free

Every day's a school day.

[boristhebold]

I had my sea safety check done yesterday, Paul Glatzel from Powerboat Training in Poole carried it out. Yes a checklist was used and as a had done some research before buying my boat I had indeed kitted it out very well. However it wasn't all about a check list, By learning more about where I went and with who on my boat certain issues did come up which I found valuable input. Additionally some insight he had into safety kit was also useful.

For example did you know many kill cords are only made of plastic, when brittle they can snap leaving the part that attaches to the kill switch intact with the obvious Issue of the engine continuing to run should you go overboard, the decent kill cords have a length of wire through the core which won't snap, hence just purchased one today.

We also discussed risk profiles and as I Will be using my boat during winter and the majority of the time I'm on my own we discussed possibly purchasing a personal distress Gps device and perhaps a dry suit.

Lifejackets were checked, part dismantled and we went through what to check for.

It lasted about an hour.

I personally found it useful and while I did have most kit onboard I found it beneficial and took away some things to consider to make my boating even safer.

If you look at it as a check you will miss the value, if you look at it as a learning experience then you will get value from it.

Mark

[PeterM]

Dont get me wrong I'm not knocking the checklist or the RNLI , but I was sort of loosing faith at the question ' Do I carry signal shapes?'

I'd expect Paul to be very in touch with what is needed/ practicle on a RIB and expect his style was far more informative/conversational.

[SPR]

Originally Posted by free

When the boat's ready, I'll try to take up SPR's kind offer.

I too have been surprised at some of the responses here, others have just been what I've come to expect! I'll happily take advice from anyone if it saves my life, they can be the most obnoxious to55er in the world but if they spot something I've missed then I'm happy.

free

Every day's a school day.

Give me a PM when your ready and arrange a time that suites you...

S.

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by RNLI Sea Safety

1. Have you had an RNLI SEA Check - do you have any suggestions on how it may be improved?

2. If not, have you previously heard of RNLI SEA Check?

3. If you have heard of SEA Check but not had one, what has stopped you?




In the meantime if anyone would like to arrange a SEA Check, please let me know the location of your boat and I will PM the contact details of your nearest LSSO.

1. No

2. Yes

3. I know there are deficiencies in my safety equipment (really want to PASS the test not fail??)

Ok after reading all this I'll book on if you let me know where to get one and then come back with other feedback.