COMMERCE
Subscriber Services
Classified Ads
Subscribe
Advertise
NEWS
This Month
Editorial
Letters
F/V Safety
Past Issues
ABOUT US
Contact Us
Latest Issue
Subscribe
History
MORE CONTENT
CFN Archives
Links
Each month exclusively in the PRINT edition of CFN
Along the Coast
Ask the Lobster Doc
Bearin’s
Classifieds
Coming Events
Editorial
Enforcement Report
FISH SAFE
Fleet Additions
Letters
Lobster Market Report
New Boats
News Catch
Quahog Market Report
|
 A qualified Coast Guard-approved marine drill instructor, Fred Mattera is the owner/president of North East Safety Training Co. (NESTCo), which conducts fishing vessel drills and inspections and basic safety training workshops.
Mattera has been a commercial fisherman since 1972 and the owner of the Point Judith, RI-based 84' freezer trawler Travis & Natalie since 1984.
June 2010
Hypothermic victims require careful handling
Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature drops too low. It is a life-threatening danger that fishermen need to know how to recognize, treat, and prevent. ...continued
February 2010
Station bills: Talk about emergency duties
In the many conversations I’ve had with captains and crewmen while conducting drills, one in particular stands out in my mind. It was with a captain whose vessel went down who credited the survival of the entire crew to dinner conversations they had about abandoning ship. ...continued
December 2009
Seven steps to surviving in a life raft
Recently, there have been quite a few abandon-ship incidents in which crews have had to take shelter in their life rafts. What has been most shocking about these events is how little the captains and crews knew about the equipment in their life rafts and what to do to survive aboard the raft until rescued. ...continued
October 2009
Common hazards result from watch mistakes
How disturbing and distressing do you think it might be to have a crewman wake you out of a dead sleep to inform you that a steamer a half-mile away is bearing down on you? ...continued
August 2009
Watchkeeping: Know your responsibilities
Unfortunately, most fishing vessel accidents are caused by human error. These mistakes are the results of a number of factors, including lack of training, poor attitude, lack of attention, and negligence. ...continued
June 2009
Mayday calls: Consider repositioning radios
In the last year alone, I personally have lost several good friends. These men were excellent skippers, who died doing the right thing, rushing into the pilothouse during a flooding or listing situation to make the vitally important distress call. But they never made it out. ...continued
April 2009
Recognize the dangers of confined spaces
In the February 2009 CFN, we described sources, signs, and symptoms of invisible gas hazards in confined spaces. Now, let’s review precautions, multigas detectors, and six steps recommended to prevent fatalities. ...continued
February 2009
Plan your response to invisible gas hazards
In 2008, the Point Club, a mutual insurance and fishing vessel safety group of commercial fishing vessels in the Northeast, handed out free multigas detectors to all of its fishing vessel owners at its annual meeting. ...continued
October 2007
Conducting effective emergency drills; remember ‘Four Ts’
Our last article (see CFN August 2007) discussed ensuring that each individual on board who has not received instructions and/or has not participated in emergency drills receive a safety orientation. We created a new crewmember checklist and the specific duties of each new individual in an emergency drill. ...continued
August 2007
Invest a little time in vessel orientation
Who’s got time to orient a newcomer, especially one who has years of fishing experience? There’s too much to do before a trip. And why bother telling your best friend or close relative how to operate the radio? He’ll never use it. He’s just along for the ride. ...continued
June 2007
Mayday: Teach crew distress call protocols
Several years ago I was aboard the Travis & Natalie when we heard a distress call from a nearby fishing vessel. The call for assistance came from a transient crewman on channel 10. ...continued
April 2007
Power of water: Effects on stability
In this, my third article on flooding, I want to talk about factors that can influence a vessel’s stability.
By being aware of how actions affect stability, an operator can take precautionary measures to improve or maintain his vessel’s stability. ...continued
February 2007
Keeping a vessel watertight depends on you
By definition, a vessel has to be watertight. Because a fishing vessel is fitted with numerous openings above and below decks, however, its watertight integrity constantly depends upon the vigilance and competence of its crew. ...continued
December 2006
Flooding: How well are you prepared?
Flooding, foundering, and capsizing are the leading cause of the loss of fishing vessels and fishermen in the US. Just recently, a captain who participated in one of the New Bedford and Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership safety workshops notified our group of safety trainers that his vessel had experienced a serious flooding situation. ...continued
October 2006
Firefighting rules differ for smaller boats
Recently, I acted as marine safety instructor for onboard fires during free, six-hour marine safety workshops offered by the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership in Gloucester and at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. ...continued
August 2006
Effective firefighting requires coordination
In my last two articles on fires, we discussed the “box theory” of establishing boundaries, knowing where fires may start, the maintenance checks to prevent them, and the importance of protecting your survival gear if, as a last resort, it becomes necessary to abandon ship. ...continued
June 2006
Know where fires start; check engine room
In my last column (see CFN April 2006), we talked about using the “box theory” to protect your safety gear from fire and heat damage. In this second installment of our three-part series, we’ll talk about the common causes and locations of onboard fires. ...continued
April 2006
‘Box theory’ protects safety gear from fire
After reading the Fish Safe article by Ann Backus in the January issue of CFN about the devastating fire on John Sanfilippo’s dragger Giovanna and his survival, I was prompted to dedicate my next three articles to onboard fires. ...continued
February 2006
Getting MOB back on board; have device ready
This summer, I wrote an article on man overboard (MOB) procedures. Several weeks later, Capt. Aaron Williams of the Point Judith, RI-based Independence, a vessel on which I conduct drills, called excitedly to tell me that he had plucked two fishermen from the waters of Buzzards Bay. He was thrilled and the two fishermen were grateful. ...continued
|
|
Tell us what you think.
