I'm glad you enjoyed it. But it was very difficult to know where to pitch the instruction level, as we had a complete cross-section of sailors, ranging from ocean cruisers to complete beginners. So we relied entirely on the expertise of the RNLI Sea Safety advisors, who carry out similar sorts of events around the country. On the whole everyone had a good time and learnt something. PBO's team was there to find out what people thought, and the same scenarios kept cropping up. Many of the women admitted that they were not quite sure that they, or their partner, could actually lift their liferaft over the rail, and some found firing flares very difficult. Other people, new to sailing, were just unfamiliar with some of the safety equipment, but this was balanced by a large proportion of very experienced sailors – who just wanted an update from the experts.
An event like this brings home the need for everyone to get some hands-on experience but it would not have been possible without the help of dozens of volunteers and the trade who provided the demonstration equipment – THANKS!