Safety at Sea Training

– by Steve Harris

Recently, a few of us were discussing the upcoming Mills Trophy Race on Lake Erie.  Some of our members are considering entering this year.  The Mills is an overnight distance race starting at the Toledo Lighthouse and ending at Put-in-Bay.  Many Lake Erie sailors consider it a “must do” each season – it’s certainly an adventure.  I’ve been fortunate to serve as Principal Race Officer for this historic event – cancelled last year due to COVID-19, 2021 will be the 97th running of this event.  Being a coastal event, there’s a lot more prep that goes into planning to race in the Mills.  One of the requirements for all crews is US Sailing’s Safety at Sea training.  Traditionally, this was conducted as a two-day, in person course, but like many trainings lately, US Sailing has made an online training option available. Further information is below….

Whether you’re planning to race an event like the Mills, looking to cruise on Lake Erie this summer, or just want to brush up on your safety knowledge and preparedness, I highly recommend taking the training and getting certified in Safety at Sea.  I recently completed the online coastal Safety at Sea Training.  It took a few hours to go through all of the modules, but it was very straightforward, easy to understand, and informative.  Yes – even on shallow Buckeye Lake bad things sometimes happen!  You can never be too prepared.