Keel boats
- AALS Inspector Guidance Note
- IGN 6.04
- Review Date:
- 02/2013
- Version Number:
- 1
- Date:
- 24/02/2010
Issue: Keel Boats - specifically, open day boats with lifting keels should be regarded differently to keel boats with accommodation and / or fixed keels. Open day boats can be regarded as “big dinghies” as they can swamp if over pressed. The use of open day boats should therefore be limited in a similar way to a dinghy in terms of the type of water and remoteness from land.
- Staff:Pupil Ratio - the RYA state that for tuition purposes there should be no more than 5 students per boat. For non-tuition purposes (therefore considering safety only) the RYA would still say ideally 5 but individual providers could make local decisions on the basis of local circumstances. From the point of view of licensing, in practice this could mean say 5 or 6 bigger children, or 8 to 10 smaller, but this will be very dependent on local operating area, the conditions of wind, tide, weather, and type of pupil, plus safety cover. Such decisions should be made on a daily basis by the senior instructor on duty at the time.
- Safety Boat Cover – an assessment of the environment and conditions should be undertaken. It is very important to establish how well this class of craft can be recovered from swamping following capsize or other major ingress of water. It this cannot be established or trials reveal that the craft cannot be ‘self rescued’ then a suitable rescue craft must be in attendance. If boats cannot be recovered from a capsize and bailed out by the crew, a buddy system may be used provided that the RYA safety fleet check list is complied with.
- For more vulnerable craft that are completely open not having side decks or partial decking over the fore end and it is likely that the craft will not recover from being swamped, or if the provider does not wish to test it, then there are two realistic options:
- the craft must be accompanied by a RIB at all times; or
- the operator may wish to provide a suitable liferaft.
- Some flexibility should be applied to decisions about the operation of these craft based on their design and inherent capabilities. What is necessary in this case is that the operator assesses the capacity of the craft, based on a test and as a result is able to assess the risk associated with the outcome of the test. This will demand the application of different control measures for different craft and different operational conditions.
- On sheltered water (e.g. easy estuary or lake, good conditions) An open day boat fitted with an engine and/or a means of attracting attention (and someone available on shore to render assistance) would be capable of operating unaccompanied and independently. However it would be preferable to operate two or more boats together. In this situation it would be highly desirable that at least one boat has an engine. A separate safety boat might therefore not be essential in this situation.
- In exposed sailing (e.g. out of a harbour into potentially difficult areas) the risk assessment for “the worst case scenario” would probably require each boat to have an engine and help close at hand and someone available on shore to render aid. Reliance on emergency services to render aid to open day sailing boats on the sea would not generally be sufficient. Consideration of restrictions on the conditions for going out would also be needed.
- However, in both cases, if there is no separate safety boat, then the fleet should be set up so that the boats can support each other in the case of difficulty. For example, in the case of a capsize or severe swamping, the remaining boats should be able to recover the crew of the capsized boat and safely return to shore; and in the case of rig failure or engine failure, the remaining boats should be able to tow the disabled boat.
- Staff qualifications - if the provider is an RYA school, this discussion should be unnecessary. However, the following guidance applies:
- in charge of the fleet - RYA Senior Instructor (SI) with keelboat instructor endorsement in charge of fleet and as technical advisor. The RYA Yachtmaster qualification is not sufficient, but “Yachtmaster Instructor” would be acceptable. The RYA also approves a few people who hold keelboat instructor (but are not senior instructors) as suitable to be in charge of a school. Such approvals are done by RYA HQ on an individual basis, and the person will have a letter from HQ confirming this approval;
- depending on area of operation and support, it may not be necessary to insist on the SI being present at all times;
- the Instructors and SI can hold dinghy awards rather than keel boat awards, but should be inducted and experienced on the relevant type, and the induction should be undertaken by an experienced keel boat instructor, or someone approved by the RYA as above;
- if the senior instructor is present at all times, then: each boat should be helmed by someone holding at least the level 3 skills certificate, who has been inducted to the type of keelboat by the SI;
- if the SI is not present, then each boat should be helmed by a keel boat instructor, or dinghy instructor who has been inducted to type.
There is obviously some discretion on this, depending on the area of operation and mix of instructors etc.
- The RYA would like all dinghy senior instructors running keelboats to attend a conversion course to keel boat instructor (KI). Alternatively dayskipper practical or above would be an acceptable alternative for conversion to KI.
- On tidal water the SI should have a tidal endorsement and all staff should be inducted or converted to tidal water.
- Scenario based training - it is not necessary to conduct an actual capsize, but a swamping exercise would be a suitable scenario. With the possible exception of self-righting ones, boats should not be sailed in bad conditions or by people who may capsize. The exercise could include a simulated capsize to rehearse recovering all the participants etc. More important is kit failure (e.g. rig and engine) and top of the list is man overboard practice.
