A few years ago ASA shared this story about sailing knowledge and the importance of having a capable crew along for your sailing adventure. The message is still important and we felt we would reshare the article in order to shed light on having a good grasp of sailing skills before embarking on a sailing adventure.
Recently, a news story came down the wire that involved an elderly couple who were embarking on what they projected would be a four-year circumnavigation. Four hundred miles off the coast of Barbados, and more than 2,500 miles into their voyage Stan Dabrowny, 74, slipped and fell from the boat. His wife Elizabeth, 69, saw him fall and quickly threw some life rings to him. But here’s the bad news. Mrs. Dabrowny, like many “first mates”, had zero sailing knowledge and wasn’t able to manage the boat in any way after the accident. Apparently, the steering system was intentionally locked and she had no idea how to unlock it, so the boat sailed away from Mr. Dabrowny.
So while Dabrowny floated in the sea, Elizabeth’s dramatic situation was just beginning. With no clue as to how to sail the boat, she was completely at its mercy as it sailed towards an unknown coastline. She used the sat-phone to make a broken and confusing call to her daughter who was able to put out the word that her parents were in trouble. This resulted in a coordinated rescue of Elizabeth from a passing ship, but Stan has yet to be found.
It’s obviously a terribly tragic story but also a supreme cautionary tale. Many of us know this story all too well – a partner that is happy to be part of the experience but not one that will learn how to sail. It seems logical enough – “I’ll go out in the boat with you because we like it (you especially), but I’m not going to become a ‘sailor’.”
At first, that seems more than fair, especially the part about them going out with you on the boat all the time. But the truth is, on a two-person crew, both people have to have enough knowledge to help the other in a pickle. This is the part of the story where we want to urge you to take a 101 class and get certified in 103 while you’re at it. Of course, we do, but short of that, at the very least, insist the crew-person knows how to drive the boat well enough to act appropriately in an emergency.
Here are four extremely basic skills that should be bare necessities for a non-educated crew-member with zero sailing knowledge.
- Throwables
Everyone should know where and what can be thrown into the water should someone fall overboard. Seat cushions, PFDs, life rings, whatever – they should be familiar and those items should be handy. If there is a Lifesling hooked to the transom, they should know what it’s all about. - Slowing/stopping the boat
This one is the one that really should involve some basic 101 education, but for this purpose, we will assume there is none. With that in mind, a crew person should at least know what it means to luff the sails by heading upwind and letting out the sails so the boat slows down without going into irons, tacking, jibing, or losing control. This action will at least keep the boat in proximity to the MOB. It will require a bit of practice to instill this concept but it will be practice well spent. - Motor operation
If a boat has an auxiliary motor, the crewperson should know how to start it and operate it in a basic way – forward, neutral, and reverse. It’s important that he/she has the skills to drive the boat back to the MOB and pop it in neutral without injuring anyone. That knowledge could be the most important thing anyone could ever learn. - Call for help
It sounds so simple but you’d be surprised how many people don’t even know where the VHF radio is! So, that’s the first thing – make sure everyone knows where the VHF is located. The next thing is that crew knows how to turn on the unit and that channel 16 is the place to call in an emergency. Maybe tell them about that squelch dial too…
Once again, these basics are suggested with the understanding that the crew person has zero sailing knowledge like Mrs. Dabrowny. We strongly encourage that inexperienced sailors take an ASA course or series of courses so the sailing experience can be more deeply shared and that it is as safe as it can possibly be.
Learning to Sail
- ASA 101: What You’ll Learn ASA 101 is your in troduction to Basic Keelboat Sailboat and is your key to a lifetime of sailing.
- How To Sail Sailing a boat is part art and part skill but few activities offer such a variety of pleasures as sailing. Something special occurs when you cast off the lines and leave your cares at the dock.
- 7 Tips For The Beginning Sailor There are the obvious things you need when you go sailing, sunscreen, a hat, a windbreaker, non-skid shoes, and wind. However, what do you really need to be ready to head out on the water?
- How To Learn To Sail You won’t have to buy a boat or learn a new language or buy a new wardrobe to get a taste for sailing. You can dictate how much you want to experience.
- Learning To Sail Is Just The Beginning Sailing means different things to different people. At ASA we understand that learning to sail is just the beginning of a relationship with a lifestyle that is infectious. Where will sailing take you? We have a few ideas but how you view sailing is the most important.
- What Is Your Role on a Boat? What type of sailor are you and what role do you take on the boat? Your ASA sailing education will prepare you to be a skipper on a sailing vessel and with that comes the responsibility of keeping your crew safe and ensuring the safety of the vessel you are sailing.
Responses
The mob situation: the person overboard should have been wearing a PLD and PFD esp in this situation, at the very least.
The remark of the PFD is true, but that would not have saved him. Even if the man overboard was in a raft, his chances of survival were slim. The jist of the story is that the people on the boat need to know basics to get back to the MOB.
Guys, if you want to reach the wives — that’s a whole demographic being missed. Lecturing by husband — not going to promote sailing partnership, and you know the problem is real. Teach a class for spouses to teach spouses, the how-to on those basics, emphasizing tolerance and praise of beginners (specifically based on a leadership method like Scouting that the spouse-teacher can respect, not the Navy SEALS). Provide a women’s only class with a calm mature woman instructor who tolerates the yikes-culture of older women conditioned to support and not to lead. Right now Wooden Boat School in Maine has a set of such teachers, the best of the best is Jane. They are churning out women who start at all levels and leave wanting to sail.
Ditto to everything you said. I especially appreciate your comment on the approach. That is a class I could thrive in. I will have to look into the Wooden Boat School.
And I’m heartbroken for Mrs. Dabrowny. Safe harbor, Mr. Dabrowny…
And my heart goes out to Mrs Dabrowny. She looks like a nice lady who did not deserve what happened to her. And to Mr Dabrowny, ‘Safe Harbor.’
Everyone should know the mob drill. Beam reach for 4 boat lengths. Come about , and sail downwind and come up in irons hopefully near enough to retrieve them. We did this over and over in 103.
Generaly Im agree with principals of this article, that in two person crew, both should be able to maintain and handle a boat. But, there is but to this article, becouse you are using this tragic story as exaple, without providing true information. My name is MArcin Zielinski I’m living on Saint Martin, sailor, yacht rigger and electronic specialist. But more I’m long friend of Dabrowski Family, and i help them coordinate search effort. What you can easy confirm on my FB page. First of all, you did not mention, that Stan fell over board at 0915pm, after dark. Stan noticed fell of Genaker due broken Halyard, he went on deck with safety harness and realize genaker lining side of boat in water, what can endanger a boat when tangled in rudder or prop. His wife in that time was inside cabin preparing dinner. Stan decide to go on the bow and disattach and retract genaker from water. As All expirieced Sailors, you know simple true, there is no ideal harness, and in some point you need to reconnect your self, like in this case to go on other side of genaker laying over life lines. Stan is strong person but still in age of 72, he fell over board reconnecting harness. His wife was not aware of that since he hear him screaming. This few seconds could be crucial. At night, boat is moving, so as you now you are loosing visibility very fast. When she realize what going on and apear on deck she first trow life ring to Stan, then she start engine, but she could not!!!!! motoring becouse she know sail is still in water!!!!, so first she need to cut of sail first. So now use your imagination, 68 years old woman, at night, with hi level of stress bravely going on bow and cutting off sail with success, but in that time sho lost vision over Stan position, from hi stress lvel, she did not disengage autopilot. As i know Stan, autopilot was in shadow mode, so when you are grab helm wheel you got controll over boat, in moment you left it autopilot is goin back in charge back on plotted curse. Yes it is mistake, terrible mistake, that she did not disengage autopilot. Every single time when she try to look at Stan, autopilot go back with boat, that fight was lost at begining, becouse of darkness of night. But tell me, are you sure that you in such situation will not make any mistakes, sometimes tragic, becouse that is a part of that game on sea??? Its easy Judging , Yes Elizabeth was not so expirienced like Stan, but she was not green, its not true that she was completly unable to cotrol boat, she was in extremme stressfull condition in age of 68. Think are you sure about your skills in such conditions? Rest of story you can imagine. If someone want to know more, feel free to write a message to me. Please think about what I told you, before judge. That was tragic accident, could happen to everybody. In SAR we say, bottom of the sea is full of sailors, with open zipper in pants.
Till today Stan was not founded or his body, but hope of family and friends dies last, so if you in area please keep your Eyes and Ears open
I am so sorry for them. And I do appreciate your further part of the story as it shows BOTH people need to be aware of dangers. I just sailed with an experienced sailor and the rule was NO ONE went forward without letting the other person know and have them at the helm with a watchful eye. Either way knowing the basics is best for your “mate” regardless, but being safe as the captian and having safety rules and a plan is just as important. My captain said “your job is if I fall off the boat you come get me… my job is to not fall off the boat” it’s a good rule.
My deepest condolences~!
Marcin, Thank you for your additional insight into the incident. Many of these details were not available in the sources that we read before writing this article.