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Boating column
By
Steve Johnson
 Recent
tragedy underscores need to learn the basics
The recent grounding of the cruise ship off Italy is
but one example of the vital need for maritime training, especially
in the basics. Listening to a passenger on the TV news describe
how some of the ships crew was in a panic state and not able to
help them evacuate the stricken vessel was a clear indication of the
lack of proper crew member preparation. Standards of Training,
Certification, and Watch-standing (STCW) come in different levels
and were developed to give critical education and experience to the
professional mariners that man sea going vessels. First enacted by
the International Maritime Organization in 1978, the regulation was
revised and made mandatory in 1995 for all individuals working on
commercial vessels that visit foreign ports or of a certain tonnage,
including cruise ships. The details of the tragic event will emerge
through investigation in the weeks and months to come but one thing
is for certain proper use of STCW would have made the extremely
difficult situation better for some passengers and crew, possibly
saving more lives or even averting the accident altogether.
The absolute best method for someone to effectively
learn the basic skill sets onboard is to experience first-hand what
it is like to perform firefighting, life raft survival, abandoning
ship, and other types of emergencies.
As part of the five-day course syllabus for STCW, in
addition to the classroom, students are brought to a controlled
environment in a swimming pool and have to quickly don life jackets
entering the water in the proper manner. Treading water without
buoyant apparatus, deploying a life raft, and righting it from an
upside down position before boarding also are required to be
demonstrated satisfactorily with the constant observation and
mentoring of an expert instructor.
In addition, marine firefighting at an actual fire
academy is something most students vividly remember for many years.
Correct procedures combating the fire, intense heat, and adrenaline,
closely monitored by professional firefighters, serves the trainee
extremely well in time of real emergency and distress.
Recreational boaters are not required to take STCW,
however, receiving the training would definitely have a positive
impact on situational awareness and response to a wide variety of
crisis situations. Reaction time is drastically reduced and
effectiveness greatly improved with this method of learning.
A classroom or seminar gives an outline of the basic
skills required to become proficient and is essential to boating
safety. Actual experience in a simulated environment, given by
qualified professionals is another useful aspect of instruction and
the part of education that stays with you, providing long term
benefit. There is also a three-day training seminar known as Basic
Safety Course that offers many of the valuable skills learned in the
longer STCW syllabus for increased safety and water survival at a
lower cost to the trainee.
STCW and additional information detailing the
international mariner safety training regulations can be found at
www.stcw.org or
http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/.
The best course of action and prevention is to always
be prepared. Please consider this type of training to improve your
boating skills and experience the substantial benefits of STCW.
Steve Johnson is retired from U.S. Coast Guard. To
contact:
stevejohnson@navteach.com.
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