Wednesday 13 November 2019
It is the responsibility of the parent vessel to know where their dories or tenders are at all times. Maintaining two way communications is one way to do this.
A VHF marine radio is the best way for these types of operations to stay in touch.
Installing fixed or making available portable a VHF marine radio on board all tenders allows your crew to call you when they need assistance or for urgent medical help-every second counts.
As well as marine radio, accidents and fatalities could be avoided by having the right safety gear on board. At a minimum, we suggest:
- lifejackets
- VHF radio
- registered beacon
- navigation equipment-such as AIS
- first aid kit
- flares.
You also need to familiarise your crew on how to use the equipment and what to do in an emergency. It helps for everyone to be aware of the risks and plan ahead. Run safety drills so every crew member knows what to do if they get into strife.
Key take-outs
- Installing fixed or making available portable VHF radio and registered beacons on all tenders and ensure crew wear life jackets and have the right safety gear.
- Use a parent tender vessels radar systems and/or automatic identification system (AIS) to monitor and track your dory / tender locations.
- A parent-tender operation should include in their vessel's safety management system a process of regular check-ins at scheduled times as well as scheduled return times.
