Hands On Safety-At-Sea – New York

About the Seminar

Building on the success of past seminars, this one day event will follow an interactive curriculum where participants will learn about damage control, fire distress rockets and flares, put out fires, set storm sails, and exercise water survival skills & use of life rafts, perform crew overboard (COB) rescue among other activities.

One of two safety at sea certifications can be earned by a combination of participation in the hands-on training seminar and completion of the US Sailing online course material. You must complete the online course material before you attend the hands-on seminar.

• US Sailing Sanctioned International Offshore Safety at Sea Course with Hands-On Training certificate by completion of the US Sailing Online Offshore Safety at Sea Course (Units 1-15) in advance of and participating in the Hands-On Training Seminar
• US Sailing Sanctioned International Offshore Safety at Sea Refresher Course (World Sailing Certificate Refresh - Taken within the last 7 years) by completion of the US Sailing Online International Offshore Refresher Safety at Sea Course (Units 11-15) in advance of and participating in the Hands-On Training Seminar

See this diagram explaining the different certification requirements from US Sailing. Once we receive your completed registration and seminar payment, you will receive information on how to access the online courses.

Seminar Curriculum

Aside from the US Sailing online course, participants must review the following STC materials on the sidebar. Please pay special attention to the COB sections of the videos. Additionally, you must study the attached Control Grid. Another great resource is the SAS Leadership and Seamanship Report.  

When onsite, participants will rotate among session stations, groups will be assigned prior to arrival:

• On water session with the latest advances in crew overboard recovery, setting storm sails & emergency steering
• A Pool session with PFD, life raft use and combating hypothermia
• This session will start with reviewing the proper wearing of your PFD and tether. You will then enter the pool with your foul weather gear and PFD to experience the inflation and use of your PFD. The STF staff will guide you in the pool in practicing cold water individual and group survival techniques. You will learn the best ways to stay afloat, work as a team, and fight hypothermia. You will practice righting, boarding, and working as a crew in a life raft.
•  Bring your inflatable personal flotation device (PFD) and tether. This is required equipment for the course. The whole point of this course is realistic hands-on training. If you don’t wear a PFD like you would offshore, it isn’t realistic.
•  Rearming your personal PFD: You will have an opportunity at registration and at the end of the day to have your PFD examined by Landfall Navigation and LRSE to ensure your PFD is properly armed.
• An outside session learning Firefighting instruction, use of flares and pyrotechnics
• A hands on session reviewing damage control, search and rescue including  emergency communication and much more

Learn more and register: https://stormtrysail.org/event/sunysas2025/