US Sailing Safety at Sea

To receive a certification you MUST have completed US Sailing’s Offshore Safety at Sea online course and provide their certificate of completion before attending. The prerequisite for most people is the “Offshore” course covering 14 topics (1-15) to receive the US Sailing International Safety at Sea with a hands-on training certificate. If you are registering for the REFRESHER seminar, you must complete units 11-15.

***Please note, you must take your hands-on course within 365 days of completing the online course to receive your International Offshore Certificate. This must be emailed to CaptainKathy@gmail.com by October 2nd.***

***REFRESHER: your certificate must not have an expiration date more than 7 years old dated October 2018 and after. This certificate & the online 11-15 course certificate must be emailed to CaptainKathy@gmail.com by October 2nd.***

The online course covers a broad range of material. There is an examination after each of the topics and at the end of the course. The included hard copy textbook that condenses the online course material will be available to be picked up when you arrive for the hands-on day.

You must complete the online course at least  21 days before the in-person part of the course so it can be available in the US Sailing database as being completed. If not, you will not be able to attend the hands-on day.  Send a copy of your certificate to CaptainKathy@Gmail.com.

Cost of online sections is not covered with the seminar at DRYC.

Hands- On Training is required for the US Sailing Sanctioned International Offshore Safety at Sea Certificate. You must attend the Saturday seminar or complete the required online modules before taking the Sunday Hands-On Training.

This course complies with ISAF Guidelines as well as World Sailing Offshore Personal Survival Course guidelines and includes a PDF version of your US SAILING certificate.

• SER Categories: 4.3.1 and 4.3.2
• World Sailing OSR Categories: 0, 1 and 2
• Certification is good for 5 years from the date of the course

Please reserve your seat now and check back often for updates as we finalize our schedule.

Day 1 Saturday – Lecture – 8 hours

• • Safety Equipment: Care & Maintenance
  • Marine Weather
  • Medical Emergencies: Cold Water
  • Storm Sailing & Heavy Weather Tactics
  • Damage Control
  • Crew Overboard: Search & Rescue Organization
  • Emergency Communication
    
    SCHEDULE UPDATED AS SPEAKERS ARE SOLIDIFIED

Day 2 Sunday – Hands-On – 8 hours

On Sunday you will be assigned to a cadre. Each cadre will experience each hands-on practice station.

• Cold water survival skills, PFD inflation, and life raft skills in the pool
• Crew overboard, LifeSling lift, Throw rope, abandon ship, damage control aboard a vessel
• PFD inspection and rearming techniques
• Flare training, firefighting and prevention
• Heavy weather techniques: storm sails, drogues, etc. a board a vessel
  
  SCHEDULE UPDATED AS SPEAKERS ARE SOLIDIFIED

• Photo ID
• Credit Card
• Refillable water bottle
• Leather Gloves for flare demo (optional)
• We will be going outside for some demos so dress for the weather
  • Sunscreen
  • Sun glasses
  • Hat
  • Light jacket

Gear to bring Sunday Only

• Inflatable PFD (REQUIRED) + rearming kit
• Be ready to gear up with all clothing you would have on during a bad weather day
  • Full foul weather gear – including boots, hat, sunglasses, gloves, etc.
  • Be prepared to get everything wet
• Towel & shower gear
• Dry bag with change of clothes
• Bag for wet clothing

IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PURCHASE YOUR PFD REARMING KIT BEFORE YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE POOL EXERCISE!!

There MAY be a possibility that we will have a few PFD’s for rent (to pay for rearming). Price will depend on the style of PDF available.

CaptainKathy@Gmail.com

Del Rey Yacht Club
13900 Palawan Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292

see the map below

On Saturday and Sunday arrive before 8 AM. There will be information on the parking situation as we approach the event.

Registration for all events will begin at 8 AM. The doors will open at 8:30 for breakfast. The lectures and hands-on exercises will begin at 9 AM.

We will break at noon for lunch and be finished with lectures and hands-on by 5:30 PM.

There will be a no host bar available both days after the event.

Event begins October 25th

• August 31st: 100% refund
• September 15th: 50% refund
• September 30th: 25% refund
• October 5th: NO REFUND unless seat is sold

Marina del Rey (and nearby Venice and LAX) offers a variety of quality hotels in the area ranging in nightly prices from approximately $150 to $500. The closest hotels to DRYC and within 10 minutes walking are the Hilton Garden Inn and Jamaica Bay Inn. Vacation rentals are also options through online platforms.

Captain Debbie Huntsman, as a product of her father’s intensive MacGyver training, embarked on a role as a boating safety education instructor in 1997. Since then she has continuously honed her seamanship skills, prioritizing safety and fun in her sailing endeavors. Huntsman has dedicated over three decades to serving the sailing community in various capacities with state, federal, and non-profit agencies. She races skippering many buoy races but loves the challenges and adventure of distance sailing. She has sailed along the Gulf Coast, most of the west coast of the U.S. and Baja Mexico and loves the splendor of offshore sailing. Huntsman worked with marine law enforcement, first responders, patrolled San Diego Harbor after the 9-11 attacks, and found her way to Safety at Sea, where she applies her sailing and training experiences.

Captain James Lee is a former member of the engineering faculty and offshore sailing instructor at the US Naval Academy. He is an ABYC Master Technician and holds a USCG Master license with sailing endorsement. Lee’s servant leadership is evidenced by his extensive involvement in the sailing community, including his current role as Commodore of King Harbor Yacht Club in Redondo Beach, CA. He actively sails his Excess 11, LA MER, and Wauquiez 40S, MARE’ZIA, serves as charter and delivery Captain and is a certified sailing and powerboat instructor. He also writes and speaks nationally about sailing in North America and Europe.

Dave Robertson has over 50 years experience as a sailboat rigger/outfitter in Marina Del Rey. The Southern Californian who has an extensive sailing pedigree has been involved in sailing safety for three decades. Dave has sailed worldwide — the Atlantic, South Pacific, competing in major international ocean racing as well as enjoying cruising. Dave humbly says about his vast experience, “I don’t know everything, but I know enough people to find out just about anything.”

Captain Leslie Washburn, raised sailing the Great Lakes, is a USCG licensed captain with a 50GTS MMC. She has accrued over 20,000 bluewater miles through cruising, chartering, and deliveries, crossing both the Atlantic from west to east and the Pacific. As a competitive sailor, she has achieved podium finishes in both buoy and distance races, including the overall Chicago NOOD Championship, Verve Cup, Mackinac Cup, and N2E. With participation in over 27 Chicago to Mac regattas, she has also secured her membership in the Old Goat Society. Her resume, however, doesn’t capture her experiences of navigating Force 10 conditions in the Atlantic with an injured crew or surviving a wreck on a South Pacific reef. With her extensive ocean experiences, Leslie is set to share tales, discuss preparations for unforeseen events and offer insights.

Brendan Huffman is a third generation sailor with extensive offshore cruising and racing experience, including ten races to Hawaii, two of which were singlehanded. He is the co-owner of UK Sailmakers’s loft near Marina del Rey and loves helping his customers and friends prepare their boats for offshore adventures. Brendan was a safety inspector for the last Transpac and Pacific Cup races. He has also worked as a sailing instructor at UCLA Marina Aquatic Center and Del Rey YC, where he volunteers to manage the club’s racing program and introduce his favorite past time to new sailors.

DOCTOR DEBBIE JUSTER

Doug Johstone is a Certified Marine Surveyor and a competitive sailor for well over 40 years. The last 20 years or so Doug has been a Navigator for many programs racing in the US as well as Europe and Australia. As such he is a continuing student of weather and a self-confessed weather nerd. Doug has logged over 75,000 coastal and offshore miles. As a long-time member of both Transpac Yacht Club and California Yacht Club, Doug also sits on the Transpacific Yacht Club Board of Directors and has been a long-term Safety Inspector. Finally, because Doug doesn’t enjoy being around boats much, he is also an official ORR/ORC measurer for US sailing Offshore.