Although the two young men I wrote about earlier this week were extremely irresponsible in setting sail without a marine VHF radio, life jackets and flares, they did at least do one thing right. They had told someone on land where they were going and that they planned to keep in touch, albeit by mobile phone.
They lodged their float plan with their parents who therefore knew:
* when they set out from Marina Del Rey
* when they expected to reach Santa Cruz
* to expect contact from the pair at least once a day
When the parents had heard nothing from the novice sailors on the Friday and Saturday, they contacted Coast Guard on the Sunday to share their concerns for the safety of the two men.
If they had not arranged to contact the parents daily and the sailboat had got into difficulties, their lack of radio and flares meant that they would not have been able to seek help.
Hopefully they now understand why there are rules covering the yacht safety equipment that must be carried on board – and why they should learn how to use it.
Tags: float plan, life jackets, marine VHF, yacht safety equipment