Two Safety-at-Sea Seminars are coming up in Connecticut & New York during spring 2016.

Hands-On Safety at Sea Seminar is April 16, Bronx, NY

Suny Safey at SeaThe Storm Trysail Foundation, in cooperation with the Storm Trysail Club, will hold its fourth annual Hands-On Safety at Sea Seminar at SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler in Throggs Neck (Bronx), NY on Saturday, April 16.

© Storm Trysail Foundation

The Hands-On sessions will include fire fighting, pyrotechnics, survival swimming and life raft deployment, damage control, and actual Man Overboard drills on ocean racing yachts. “Firing flares, shooting fire extinguishers, jumping in a pool in full foul weather gear, and steering a 40-foot ocean racer is as far as you can get from sitting in a hotel ballroom for eight hours suffering from PowerPoint overload,” said Ulmer, adding, “SUNY Maritime is conveniently located for everyone in the New York City Metropolitan area. There is no need to book a hotel room to attend this seminar.”

“This certification meets a requirement for the Bermuda Race,” said Ulmer. “It is common sense for those who only venture as far as into the Sound or across the bay. The more of your crewmembers who take the course, the better your chances are of surviving a problem afloat.” For more information visit http://stormtrysailfoundation.org/.

Successful completion qualifies for an Offshore ISAF SAS certification.


Safety for Cruising Couples Seminar is May 21, 2016

CCA Cruising Couples SeminarThe Cruising Club of America (CCA) is presenting a one-day Safety for Cruising Couples Seminar at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT on Saturday, May 21. Geared to cruising couples and short-handed sailors who are taking to coastal or local waters on either sail- or powerboats, the seminar was created to build the confidence of the less-experienced member of the duo in the event of an unexpected test of their skills.

This seminar is based on the highly acclaimed “Suddenly Alone” seminars that the CCA has been running for 15 years. Co-sponsored by the CCA, New York Yacht Club, Indian Harbor Yacht Club and The North American Station, the day-long event is structured with a morning classroom session covering the fundamentals of VHF radios, the basics of navigation, engine operation, medical situations, safety equipment, and man overboard recovery. The afternoon session takes those topics a step further with on-the-water hands-on training, including chart plotter fundamentals, and a demonstration of how to use a Lifesling in a man overboard situation.

The all-volunteer CCA, founded in 1922 by like-minded sailors committed to seamanlike offshore cruising and racing, is an international organization of more than 1,200 sailors who enthusiastically share their experiential knowledge to promote cruising and racing by amateur sailors. Over 2,000 boaters across the USA have attended the Safety for Cruising Couples Seminars, with the most recent ones selling out. Tuition, $155 per couple or $85 per person, includes lunch and the course workbook. Register no later than April 30 by contacting Janet Garnier at jgarnier02@gmail.com or 508-367-3899. Additional information on the CCA and its programs may be found at cruisingclub.org.