This has got to be the most important piece of safety equipment onboard.

If you need to use any of the following safety equipment it will be because of a failure of this most important piece. Keep it in good condition.
It is an offence to operate a yacht under the influence of drink or drugs.
Always think about the worst possible consequence of things like standing high in the cockpit, working on the foredeck without a safety harness, sitting in the path of a boom. Most of the equipment for man over board is just to make finding the corps easier especially at the beginning of the season. Not a joke! There is no reason for anyone to end up in the water if you use this piece of kit properly.

If there is a Rollover image, move your mouse over the picture to reveal it. When a Rollover image is present we will indicate with Rollover.

You will have heard all the quotes about life rafts. Things like "You should never jump into a life raft always step up into it" I don't know I have never had to do it and I hope I never do.
However we should know how to use it if necessary.
Rollover. The life raft is designed to be deployed within a few seconds. H is a hydrostatic device that releases the life raft automatically if the the yacht was to sink suddenly. It's not a guarantee but just to give you a second chance at survival.
S is a swan neck shackle and will be covered later.
T is the painter which when yanked hard inflates the life raft, for this reason it is kept tucked away under the strap as picture. An accidental pulling of the painter would not be a good idea as once started the only outcome must be a fully inflated life raft on deck.

This special shackle is designed so that the strap holding the life raft in place can be released in an instant. The ring A is pulled up to release the shackle Rollover.

Here you can see the shackle as it opens. I am having to hold it in this position so that you can see it.
Normally it would just spring open and separate the life raft strap. Rollover.
The painter for the life raft stays tied to the yacht. After throwing it into the water you yank the painter to inflate it. The biggest and strongest crew member gets into the life raft first.
That stuff about women and children first is wrong and don't do it. A large strong fellow can pull women and children into the life raft but not the other way round.
There is everything you need in the life raft including flares, but it is always a good idea to grab the flares from under the nav seat locker if you have time.
You will find a knife in a pocket in the life raft, this is to cut the painter or the sinking yacht will take the raft with it. Don't cut it unless you have to.

This information is repeated elsewhere in the handover but it's good to be reminded.
The horse shoe buoy B on the left is the one attached to the yacht with 20 mt's of floating line. use this if Jonah is close enough to get him back on board.
C is attached to the Danbuoy and goes in with the Danbuoy if you have to leave Jonah. The danbuoy has a clip on the light that is attached to the backstay with a chord. This is to pull the clip off the light. If you need it and you have time pull it off manually. rollover for close-up.
Rollover. C is the line fixed to the backstay.
A is the light with the clip attached.
B is the danbuoy flag with the pull chord wrapped around it to keep it furled.

In the locker under the nav seat you will find.
F. The main first aid kit. This is a special one to comply with the DOT code. It contains very advanced medicines and pain killers, even instruments for operations. It is worth about £60. If you open it for a sea sickness pill we will need to take the cost of a new kit out of the deposit. There are two other first aid kits on board and we would ask you to use them in order of need. Of course if there is a real need for the kit there will be no charge. One on the book shelf, and one on the bulkhead in the salon.
A. The flare pack contains the main flares. grab this if you need to abandon the yacht. A. is a bag containing the out of date flares which are probably still perfectly OK. We leave the on board because if you use the main flares these would be better then nothing.

Top centre is the second first aid kit. The first one for minor cuts and scrapes is on the book shelf to the left under the curtain.
Fire blanket and fire extinguisher to the right of the passage to the fore peak. there is another fire extinguisher in the fore peak. Rollover.

After falling overboard, fire and gas explosion is your greatest threat.
Multinet as with any yacht is none smoking except on deck.
Matches for the gas cooker should be dropped in the sink or a container in the sink to make sure they are out before binning.