[seadog]

No such thing as to much good boat handeling advice. Also no substiute for having proper safty equip either. Life jackets should always have whistle And light or glow stick, throwable flotion device ( I like keeping A Mustang stick in addition to this) water proof portable radio also good idea. Also I'm fond of the inflatable life belts, especilly in cold weather conditions. Due to the comfort of thies belts I find people more inclinded to wear them. Last but not least portable EPRIBs have really come down in price ( pretty affordable now). Might be worth a 2ed look for a lot of boaters. There should also be a plan in place for getting some out of the water if they do fall overboard,this may not be as easy as you think. As stated before PANIC makes any bad situation worse. A calm (even fake calm) Capt. will help keep the crew at ease. Years ago I used to teach non swims in NAVY boat Camp and you would be amazed how quickly people can panic when it comes to water. The calmer they can stay the easier it is to respond safely to adverse conditions.