What to do when the skipper falls overboard
Capt. Sue Kilborn looks out at the boat show audience and asks the unthinkable question. “What about Fred? Do you know what to do if he falls overboard or is knocked unconscious or is badly bleeding and unable to handle the boat?”
There are looks of concern and dismay among those who are the obvious first mates aboard their boats. Kilborn, who since 1990 with her husband, Rick, has run the Boatwise school for wannabe professional captains, understands all too well these feelings of inadequacy and sheer terror at the thought of being left suddenly alone.
No reason to fear, but definitely time to prepare, she says, offering basic advice on what to do if the skipper is no longer in command. Her emphasis isn’t on docking and maneuvering or being able to tie a perfect bowline. It’s about survival and common sense and the ability to get the boat home if the captain becomes incapacitated.
