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The day after finishing at BOSS, I had to be in London. At nine on 13 July 2024, I walked beside a lovely canal to First Class Sailing’s office for RYA First Aid.
It’s required for the RYA Yachtmaster exam. The certificate lasts three years and covers first aid and a Category C medical kit, with an emphasis on conditions at sea, helicopter evacuation and VHF communication.
Our lecturer was Spanish, with a strong accent. Twelve people attended with me. Seven hours covered the essentials:
– stopped breathing
– open and closed fractures
– hypothermia and heatstroke
– primary and secondary, or ‘dry’, drowning
– burns
– heart attacks
– allergies, diabetes and asthma
– nearly thirty more injuries and illnesses
Each topic covered what happens in the body, symptoms, and action in mild and severe cases. On dummies, we practised defibrillation, chest compressions, rescue breaths and the Heimlich manoeuvre for choking. We put each other in the recovery position. An interesting point: wrist-pressure bands, ginger sweets or a soundproof earplug in one ear can sometimes help seasickness. Stress, coffee and fatty food can trigger or worsen it.
Lunch was memorable. A woman passed a sheet round the tables: meat, cheese or meat-and-cheese options, all €10. After paying, each of us got a plate with a couple of spoonfuls of sweetcorn, five cherry tomatoes, one sliced lightly pickled gherkin, five cucumber slices, spinach with balsamic glaze, five transparent slices of ham, and a bread roll. My neighbour had a little triangle of blue cheese instead of ham. Tasty. Expensive. Small.
Emotionally, I found the day very hard. We discussed how each injury leads to death and what to do if our actions don’t help. My main takeaway: first aid is about preventing someone from dying in the last one to ten minutes of their life, even at the cost of a lung, limbs or ribs, long enough to reach resuscitation care.
Useful, of course. A lot of information. The lecturer advised repeating it every year rather than every three. I can see his point.
#training #firstclasssailing
It’s required for the RYA Yachtmaster exam. The certificate lasts three years and covers first aid and a Category C medical kit, with an emphasis on conditions at sea, helicopter evacuation and VHF communication.
Our lecturer was Spanish, with a strong accent. Twelve people attended with me. Seven hours covered the essentials:
– stopped breathing
– open and closed fractures
– hypothermia and heatstroke
– primary and secondary, or ‘dry’, drowning
– burns
– heart attacks
– allergies, diabetes and asthma
– nearly thirty more injuries and illnesses
Each topic covered what happens in the body, symptoms, and action in mild and severe cases. On dummies, we practised defibrillation, chest compressions, rescue breaths and the Heimlich manoeuvre for choking. We put each other in the recovery position. An interesting point: wrist-pressure bands, ginger sweets or a soundproof earplug in one ear can sometimes help seasickness. Stress, coffee and fatty food can trigger or worsen it.
Lunch was memorable. A woman passed a sheet round the tables: meat, cheese or meat-and-cheese options, all €10. After paying, each of us got a plate with a couple of spoonfuls of sweetcorn, five cherry tomatoes, one sliced lightly pickled gherkin, five cucumber slices, spinach with balsamic glaze, five transparent slices of ham, and a bread roll. My neighbour had a little triangle of blue cheese instead of ham. Tasty. Expensive. Small.
Emotionally, I found the day very hard. We discussed how each injury leads to death and what to do if our actions don’t help. My main takeaway: first aid is about preventing someone from dying in the last one to ten minutes of their life, even at the cost of a lung, limbs or ribs, long enough to reach resuscitation care.
Useful, of course. A lot of information. The lecturer advised repeating it every year rather than every three. I can see his point.
#training #firstclasssailing
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