Southport Yacht Club Associates Australian & International Access Class Championships - 2009
 
Information For Volunteers
 
How to Rig an Access dinghy
  Tie a figure eight knot
  Fit a sling
  Sail an Access Dinghy

Volunteer training is on Tuesdays, it is free for volunteers wanting to learn to be skippers and they are encouraged to do so.

Tuesday is a great day to get into being a skipper on an Access dinghy. With lots of experienced sailors on hand to help you or just take a boat out on your own to work on your sailing skills..

The Salvo courses run over a period of weeks and are run when there are enough volunteers interested in learning to crew or skipper on the Salvos, if you are interested in the training course then please let one of the Salvo skippers know on a Tuesday and they will point you in the right direction.

The Salvos are raced inshore and offshore in Southport Yacht Club organised events and all volunteers are encouraged to crew or just come along for the ride.

Training is conducted at Southport Yacht Club, 1 Marina Ct, Hollywell, be sure to ring 0405 199 934 before coming to check if we are still on

 

How to Rig an Access dinghy
 



With the aid of other volunteers and the tractor take the Dinghy out of the boat shed and put onto the grass.
 



Retrieve the sails from the boat shed for the Dinghy.
The name of the boat is written on the bow (front) and an abbreviation is written on the sail.
 


  
Check that the rudder box pin is firmly seated in both of the pin guides.
 




Untie the bow line from around the front of the Dinghy trailer.
 




Loop the white tow line rope that is attached to the painter around the hole where the mast goes into.
 



Pull the ropes inside the Dinghy so that the knots will go no further on the left hand side of the boat.

 



Insert the mast into the Dinghy taking care to have the white tow rope around the mast.
Turn the mast against the knots while sliding down into the mast hole at the bottom of the Dinghy.

 




Tighten the mast locking nut, this nut must be very firmly tightened, you may need another volunteer to tighten it.
If this is the case please ask. The volunteers are all very happy to help.
 


Inserting the jib



 

 Unclip the elastic tension cord (under the seat of the dinghy)


 		 Pull the slack out


 		 Twist


 		 Flip over and lay flat


 		 Insert jib and put the ropes into the pulley chanel.




Manually unfurl the sails (one on a 2.3, two on a 303).
 




Secure the Jib lines (if the Dinghy has a jib) into the gunnels jib cleats
and tie the ends of the jib lines in a figure of eight knot.
 




Secure the main sail to the outhaul lines and pull the outhaul to check that the main sail is fully out.
To do this look to the top of the mast and see if the main sail is facing
the rear of the boat and not wrapped around the mast.
 




Check that the mainsail and outhaul lines are not fouled and in their proper place.
Another volunteer will be able to help you with this.
 

 



Under the fabric sling seat check that the lines to furl and unfurl the sails have their elastic
tensioning ropes clipped into their D clips.
 Check that the rudder control lines are not fouled and properly seated on the white pullies,
that they are under the grey portion of the joystick and that the rudder is responsive to joystick movement in both directions.
 




Furl the sails and check that the Dinghy has its bailer.

 



The volunteer driving the tractor and volunteers will then take the dinghy to the waters edge, driving the tractor parallel to the water, unhooking it from the tractor, taking it of the trailer and resting on the waters edge for the Safety boat driver and volunteer to take the dinghy to the dock.

 



 
Position the dinghy parallel to the dock and under the winch (this job will need several volunteers working together) and insert the rudder into the rudder box (curved bottom of the rudder facing the bow of the dinghy)
 



Lower the winch (taking care that the safety strap is not locked on) to attach the winch clips to the centre board
(via the two loops of wire on the centre board).
 




Raise the centre board just enough to take out the pin holding it up.
 




Lower the centre board (making sure not to catch the sails or boom) and secure with the centre board pin.
 


Although there may seem like a lot of steps, they are small steps and rigging a boat takes very little time once you have had a bit of practice and as with all Sailability activities there is always other volunteers willing to lend a hand and share their experience.
 

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How to tie a figure eight knot

                              
Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Step 4.
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    How to fit a sling    


Slings are used to load and unload Sailors who would not be able to safely get in and out of the boats by any other means. The slings are made of a canvas material and they have six loops attached to them as depicted below.
 
To fit the slings they are first placed under the sailor by the carer/family member.

If they do not use a wheelchair then one of the plastic chairs should be positioned under the winch according to the chalk marks on the dock.

It should be noted that when a sailor is about to be fitted with a sling on the pontoon or about to be winched into or out of his wheelchair/chair, the chair should be parallel to the water's edge and facing the same way the winch arm is pointing.

The sling should be positioned so that the edge E-F will be about shoulder height when the client is seated.
 


 
Once seated make sure the loops under the sailors leges do not have any twists, pass A through B.

Next pass D through B and C through A.

Loops D and C should now be in control of the two legs and the sling is ready for attachment to the winch hanger.

It is important that the two loops at the shoulders of the sailor go on the hanger first, one to each D shackle on the hanger.

Then the loops at the sailors legs go onto the winch hanger keeping the loops on the left of the body together and the same for the right.

The loops at the shoulder go on first to safeguard against these lighter loaded loops slipping off during the lift.
 

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Competency Program for Skippers

Using Access 203/303 Sailing dinghies

 

Introduction

This program is an attempt to address competency of Sailing Members of Sailability Gold Coast Inc towards compliance with Sailability safety requirements as published in the Sailability Australia Handbook, and our Risk Management Strategy.

While the following competency requirements are not exhaustive, our aim is to have adequately trained sailing instructors who are sufficiently competent to safely sail with and instruct participants in the use of Access dinghies, while not being a hazard to themselves or to others.

 

Titles and their meanings used in this document

Qualifier:

A person with current and appropriate level of yachting/boating qualifications as determined by Sailability Gold Coast Incas being suitable to verify completion of competencies.

 

Skipper:

A member, who in the opinion of Qualifiers, is sufficiently competent to safely sail with and instruct clients in the use of Access dinghies.  

 

Client:

A participant in Sailability programs.

 

Preamble

There is no definite methodology or time line as to achievement of full competency. This is left to agreements between Qualifiers and individual skippers.  However the priority for skippers, whether they are beginners or experienced sailors, should be hands on experience with plenty of practice until that person, in the opinion of Qualifiers, is confident in sailing Access 203 and 303 dinghies safely with a client, by satisfying all competencies listed. Please refer to footnote for preconditions as to particular clients’ needs.

 

Member’s Name: _______________. Qualifier:________________.

 

Skills acquired

A tick in the box indicates competency in those particular skills.

 

1. Rigging Procedures 

Be able to:                                                                                                                                ü

1.1 Identify main components of an Access dinghy including; hull, stern, bow, gunwhales, mast step, shackles, keel and keel housing, traveller, rudder and rudder case, sheets, sails, boom, furling lines.

 

1.2 Demonstrate the correct procedures for rigging and de-rigging Access dinghies including that ‘stopper knot(s)’ are of sufficient volume to prevent outhaul and main/jib sheets from pulling through blocks if disengaged from cleats, and that drain plugs are tightened.

 

 

1.3 Demonstrate the correct procedures for furling and unfurling sails

 

 

1.4 Demonstrate the correct procedures for raising/lowering/securing keel and rudder

 

 

1.5 Demonstrate the correct procedures for de-rigging prior and subsequent to recovery onto a trolley.

 

 

2. Sailing Orientation

Be able to:                                                                                                                                ü

 

2.1 Demonstrate the correct heave to position (wind abeam, sails out and not drawing wind, boat balanced).     (Very Important)

 

 

 

2.2 Identify wind direction/strength using feel of the wind and sight of wave ripples etc.

2.3 Select the best course to sail to avoid waves and spray wetting.

2.4 Gybe rather than tack to avoid wetting or when sailing at a low boat speed.

 

 

 

2.5 Sail keeping at least 2 boat lengths between each other.

2.6 Avoid collisions at all times.

2.7 Sail keeping a watch outside the boat observing nearby activity and conditions.

2.8 Identify sailing area limits.

 

 

 

 

 

2.5 Demonstrate successfully the following sailing techniques:

  • Launching a boat
  • Boarding and starting the boat from the pontoon
  • Boarding and starting a boat from a ramp or beach
  • Returning the boat to the pontoon
  • Returning a boat to the ramp or beach
  • Stop =Depower the sails.
  • Tacking, including opposite tack.
  • Sailing on a beam reach
  • Sailing close hauled
  • Safe sailing downwind, including safe gybing and prevention of unexpected gibing
  • Safe sailing when large wake approaches.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Coming alongside

Be able to:                                                                                                                                ü

3.1 Demonstrate the following techniques (including those needed to slow the boat):

  • Approach (leeward side if possible)
  • Ensure that the approach to the target is on a close hauled or close-reach course with sheets released.
  • Luff up
  • Ease the sails
Suggest practice using the rescue boat

 

 

4. Capsize and recovery with ‘man overboard’ (MOB) procedures.

Be able to:                                                                                                                                ü

4.1 Demonstrate the following capsize and recovery techniques:

  • Fall into the water with the boat (do not jump out of the boat)
  • Use flotation from the safety vest not the boat
  • Skipper and crew to stay with the boat, preferably in the heave to position.
  • Wait for safety boat to assist.

 

4.2 Demonstrate the correct MOB procedures:

  • Use best judgement for the situation including the following criteria.
  • Make sure client is not face down in the water (incapable of righting themselves)
  • Normally do not attempt to get MOB into boat. Secure alongside and keep calm
  • If MOB is out of reach from the boat, return sailing slowly to heave to position alongside so MOB is at the side opposite the sails.
  • Allow safety boat to carry out rescue.
  • In some situations the MOB may be able to climb back into the dinghy.

 

 

 

Footnote:

The precursor to all of the above competencies and on which all these competencies are judged is the confidence, comfort and safety of the client while on the water. To satisfy these conditions, members should be aware of, sensitive to and understand particular client needs (and fears) while on the water. It is the duty of the particular sailing member to seek such information from the client’s carer through the Officer of the Day. Such information could include, for example:

  • Doesn’t mind getting wet
  • Has a fear of getting wet
  • Doesn’t mind heeling etc.
  • Has a fear of heeling etc.
  • Care, use and placement of surgical aids while sailing.

More detailed information, as to ‘Sailing Techniques’ and ‘Implications for Sailing’ for particular disabilities, can be obtained from the Sailability Australia Disability Manual.

A copy of this manual should be on hand for referral, during sailing days.

 

Contributions:           Senior Members of Sailability Tin Can Bay Inc. as follows:

                                                Barry Ryan – President

                                                Mike Harrison  - Vice President and Sailing Coordinator, Qualifier

                                                Peter Raines – Appointed Qualifier

Jon Jones - Appointed Qualifier

                                                Senior Members of Sailability Branches as follows:

                                                Bob Chapel – Vice President, SGC

                                                Paul Dinnis – SGC

                                                Paul Anderson - SGC

 

Editor:                        Bob Chapel.

           

References:  Sailability Australia Safety Manual

                        Sailability Australia Disability Manual

                        Yachting Australia ‘Get into Small Boat Sailing: Basic Skills 1’

                        Yachting Australia ‘Get into Small Boat Sailing: Basic Skills 2’.

 

 

December 2008

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
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