The Gifford
Family Odyssey
Lessons Learned While Cruising
By
Jamie and Behan Gifford
Priceless Cargo
Captain. Mate. Crew. Rail-meat. and professional experience. Yet they
Hood-ornament. No matter how you had the wisdom to know that a first aid
define the people onboard your boat, situation on a boat was outside of their
they are priceless cargo. You carefully expertise and so made the investment
monitor your batteries; but do you to learn more. Wouldn’t it be great to
always clean and dress that barnacle always have someone like that onboard,
The notion of
cut before it becomes infected? You can just in case?
proactively preparing
use a VHF to communicate with fellow For two other students in the same
to deal with health
boaters; such as, “slow down bonehead, course, managing a serious medical
this is a no wake channel”. But do you situation at sea became their reality
issues ranging from
have a VHF cheat-sheet displayed near just a few months later. A crew member
general well being to the radio so anyone that can read may developed an incarcerated hernia while
severe trauma can seem
broadcast an effective call for help mid-way across the Atlantic Ocean.
overwhelming, scary,
(because when that wake hit your boat, Both the diagnosis and the cure were
boring, icky, etc. Imagine
you fell and got knocked out cold!)? beyond the scope of the “students”.
You have all manuals for every gizmo However, they took the crewmember’s
how scared and helpless
onboard categorized, alphabetized, ill health seriously. They recorded vital
you’ll feel if you face a and stowed smartly. But do you have information about the patient; then
first aid situation where
an appropriate and organized first aid managed to send an email via SSB to
required professional
kit, with contents listed and medical Dr. Curtis Edwards in Olympia, our
medical help is hours
reference books? Can you manage course instructor. Dr Edwards made
a first aid situation where it will be a the diagnosis, gave them care advice
away. We found that
one-hour or more delay before you get and advised the USCG on the serious
approaching this in professional medical help? risk of intestinal perforation. All ended
smaller component
A few months before departing well after the sick crew was evacuated
pieces makes it easier.
Puget Sound on an open-ended cruise onto a freighter and then to a hospital

with our three kids, Behan and I took a in Bermuda.
weekend long medical training course; With care and luck, most cruisers
our second time taking this excellent will never experience that kind of
course. Amongst the students I was drama. Still, that’s no excuse for a lack
surprised to find a surgical nurse and of preparation or misguided priorities.
two medical doctors. Between them It’s not hard to find two sailors arguing
they had decades of medical training over anchors; or just about any piece
48° No r t h , Ma r c h 2009 Pa g e 52
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