RIRSC SAFETY LAUNCH OPERATION and PROCEDURES:
I. PURPOSE OF THE SAFETY LAUNCH
A. Provide rescue of rowers from the water.
B. Provide first aid to ill or injured rowers until medical aid can be summoned if required.
C. Assist rowers in avoiding collisions with other boats or objects.
D. Assist rowers with mechanical problems in the shells by providing hand tools from the
launch.
II. THE RIRSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS DESIGNATED THE SAFETY LAUNCH
OPERATOR AS THE SAFETY CAPTAIN FOR EACH RIRSC ROW.
A. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LAUNCH OPERATOR
1. Confer with experienced coxswains and/or experienced rowers in order to determine whether to cancel a scheduled row due to unsafe water or weather conditions.
2. Confer with coxswains concerning the route to be followed and to assure that the boats stay within rapid safety launch distance of each other. This distance will vary based upon weather conditions.
3. Act as the eyes of all RIRSC shells on the water and especially so for uncoxed shells. Do not assume that a coxswain has seen another boat or object in its path. If it appears that a rowing shell is on a collision course with another boat or object, attract the coxswains or steering person’s attention by voice or whistle blasts and move the launch to a position between the shell and the larger boat or object, if possible.The compressed air horn can be used also but since it is kept in the toolbox ,urgency may require use of the whistle.
4. When traveling in the area of the Washington State Ferries, check to assure that no ferry is ready to depart or is approaching. Stop all RIRSC shells if a ferry is approaching or has loaded and is ready to depart. It may be necessary to rapidly move ahead of the shell in order to better determine whether the RIRSC shell can safely cross the path of the ferry.
5. If it becomes necessary to warn the rowers of obstacles, approaching boats or wakes, attract the coxswain’s and/or rowers’ attention with whistle blasts or voice and advise of the danger with simple easily understood hand signals.
6. Confer with the experienced coxswains or experienced rowers to determine whether a row should be terminated due to weather conditions or approaching darkness.
7. Assure that the launch motor is operating properly and the launch equipment is present and functional prior to each row.
a. Persons Overboard
1. Remain calm and assess the situation. In any situation you must first assure that those rowers who are safe continue to stay safe.
2. If possible communicate with the crew as to your intentions and find out if there is an element to the situation that you have missed (eg. Was somebody hit in the head? Are there any complaints of chest pains,etc?).
3. If multiple rowers are in the water you must give all of them PFD’s before initiating rescue .
4.Attempt to communicate with all of the rowers in the water and advise them of your intentions.
5. Position yourself so that the swimmer comes to the bow of the launch.
6. If you approach with the motor running make sure to place the motor in neutral before beginning rescue, preferably the person should be approached by rowing the launch to them.
7. Check for any injuries and hypothermia.
8. If necessary, take steps to warm the rescued persons by positioning them out of the wind and covering them with the emergency survival blanket.
b. SWAMPING:
1. Approach the situation as you would the PERSON OVERBOARD situation.
2. Get PFD’s to all rowers .
3. If the shell can be bailed, pass out bailers to the rowers.
4. Assess whether it is better to get people out of the shell which has been swamped or out of the water and taken to shore.
5. If the shell cannot be bailed, initiate rescue procedures as you would with multiple PERSONS OVERBOARD .
6.If the shell must be abandoned,notify the Coast Guard of its location.
c. ILL ROWER
1. If a rower requires medical care due to illness or serious injury during a row, administer first aid and contact the Fire Dept. rescue boat by dialing 911 on the cell phone or if the cell phone does not function contact the coast guard on channel 16 on the VHF.the Coast Guard will alert the local Fire Dept.rescue boat.Identify yourself {RIRSC Safety Launch}, give your location and a brief description of the injury or illness.For example {a person with a head injury.Location, 400 yards south of the Boat Haven entrance or in the channel between Rat Island and Indian Island.].
9. CLEAN-UP
a. Rinse the motor with fresh water by attaching the rubber cups of the ear muff type rinsing tool over the intake openings on each side of the motor propellor shaft. Turn on the water and start the motor. Run the motor on low to medium speed for about 35 seconds. Turn off the motor.If the rinsing device is lost or misplaced.the motor can be rinsed by submerging the lower portion of the motor shaft in a large bucket of fresh water and running the engine for about 35 seconds.
10. LOG BOOK
a. Note any problems with the launch motor and missing or defective equipment in the log book with the time and date of the row.
B. LAUNCH EQUIPMENT:
1. Eleven launch jackets or PFD’s.
a. ten orange PFD’s in zippered bags.
b. one blue PFD for the launch operator.
2. Rescue devices
a. one seat cushion with coiled rope attached to the cushion and the launch.
b. one throw bag with rope attached to the launch.
3. TOOL BOX
a. First Aid kit
b. Emergency blanket or cover
c. VHF radio and cell phone
d. Plastic whistle
e. Compressed air horn
f. Pistol type flare gun
g. Tools: One phillips head and one straight head screwdriver,one adjustable wrench
and one pair of pliers
4. Two Plastic Bailing Buckets with sponges
5. Manually Operated Air Pump with hose to fit launch inflating valves
6. Two Oars
7. Ear Muff Type Rinsing Device
C. LAUNCHING the SAFETY LAUNCH
1. Check the drain plug located in the rear exterior of the launch to assure that it is securely inserted.
2. After putting the launch in the water, enter and row out to water sufficiently deep to lower the motor. The motor can be lowered to half depth or full depth by grasping the hand hold on the rear of the motor and pulling the motor toward you while simultaneously releasing the small catch lever on the lower left side of the motor. The motor should be operated in the full depth position unless shallow water requires a half depth position.
D. STARTING THE MOTOR
1. Place the gear shift in the middle or ‘N’ position. (Which is the neutral position)
2. The throttle or accelerator is located on the steering handle. Turn the handle clockwise as you face the motor to decrease the speed and counter-clockwise to increase the speed. To start the engine, turn the accelerator approximately one-fourth of a revolution.
3. Check to make sure that the red engine kill-switch is inserted in the emergency kill-switch located in the lower left of the engine front. The engine will not run with this missing and should you need to stop the engine immediately, you can either pull this device or press with heavy pressure on the kill-switch button.
4. If the engine is cold, ie has not been used for several hours, pull the choke button completely out or toward you, then pull the starting cord and if the engine starts, gradually push in the choke button until the engine runs smoothly.
5. Turn the throttle or hand accelerator completely clock-wise, ie to the lowest speed.
6. Move the gear-shift handle to the F or Forward shift position and accelerate slowly until you are familiar with the acceleration and deceleration.
E. MOTOR TROUBLE-SHOOTING
1. If the engine stops.
a. First check the fuel hose connections at the motor and at the gas tank. These can be pulled partially or completely off if the fuel hose is jerked or pulled by somebody moving about in the launch.
b. Check the air vent on the gas tank cap. It should be open one or two revolutions to avoid vapor lock.
c. If steps a. and b. do not correct the problem, squeeze the bulb on the fuel line several times and attempt to start the engine again.
