The SejlSikkert (SailSafely ) campaign enjoys fair winds and is now backed by more than 300 ambassadors, says a statement from Danish Maritime Authority (DMA).
Nautical warnings are now updated daily in the SejlSikkert App (SailSafely App), it said. Six deaths, 516 reported incidents and almost 3,000 unreported incidents speak for themselves – it is still necessary to pay full attention to safety at sea.
For two years, the Danish foundation TrygFonden and the Danish Pleasure Craft Safety Board have focused fully on the safety of fishermen and yachtsmen, and at the core of the activities have been campaigns, ambassadors and the SejlSikkert App (SailSafely App).
The latter has just been thoroughly updated for the coming bathing/yachting season.
Jan Thorn, Director of Safety of Navigation, National Waters, from the Danish Maritime Authority said: "On the website of the Danish Maritime Authority, you can constantly see updated nautical information about warnings, etc. for Danish waters. Previously, the App included only the most acute nautical warnings. As something new, both nautical warnings and Notices to Mariners are now available from the SejlSikkert App so that all yachtsmen and fishermen can see quickly where they must be extraordinarily attentive at sea.”
Sten Emborg, Consultant of the Danish Pleasure Craft Safety Board said: "We now have more than 300 ambassadors, 55 shop ambassadors and 22 instructors. With so many assistants, our call for safety at sea reaches a wide audience.”
The many ambassadors are a major part of the SejlSikkert campaign. In addition to lots of information material, dialogue on social media and technological solutions, focus is on communicating with yachtsmen and fishermen in their surroundings.
The ambassadors function as contact persons for the SejlSikkert campaign in local ports and clubs. The shop ambassadors get material for display in local shops, and the instructors offer teaching in the relevant local communities.
”Our campaign is driven like a plough through the landscape, and from behind it all our ambassadors reach each individual yachtsmen or fishermen and pat him on the shoulder to say: This is also aimed at you.”
The 2017 SejlSikkert campaign will be launched today under the title "The invisible life-jacket". Everybody uses a life-jacket – 54 % of the yachtsmen wear a visible life-jacket, while 46 % of them wear the invisible one.
