Pre-Departure Checklist
This checklist breaks down into several logical segments. A recommendation is to delegate each major section between crew and skipper so that it can be done in parallel.
Weather, Passage Planning, and Log#
- Check weather forecast
- No gale warning or fog risk
- Wind strength and direction
- Water temperature
- Exhaustion, unconsciousness, and expected survival times from the cold water survival times table
- Passage planning
- Book the boat for use in the system and confirm bookings.
- Complete pre-departure boat log
- Date & Time
- Boat name/number
- Name of Skipper & Number of Persons total
- Contact number
- Weather
- Destination
- Expected latest return time
Crew briefing#
- Crew Safety Briefing
- First mate
- MOB and Recovery
- VHF radio use
- Personal Floatation Devices
- Other safety equipment
- Using winches
- Moving about the boat
- Clothing and shoes
- Passage plan
- Allocate roles
Boat Checks#
- Sails
- Water in the boat
- Hull damage
- Rigging
- Stays
- Shrouds
- Mast
- Boom & boom vang
- Sheets
- Halyards
- Outhaul and reefing pennant
VHF Radio#
- Handheld VHF Radio onboard
- Powered on with sufficient battery
- Configured correctly (refer to Radio Setup)
- Radio Check (refer to Radio Check)
Equipment Checks#
- Lifering/Danbuoy
- Bucket and scoops for bailing water
- Anchor/ground tackle (As safety equipment, even if you have no intention of anchoring)
- Blue safety bag onboard
- 2 red handheld flares
- 2 red parachute flares
- First-aid Kit
- Knife
- Fog horn
- Hand-bearing compass
- Paper charts
- Extra sail ties/elastics
- Screwdriver set
- Pliers
- Trash bags