223Survival Craft and Practice Injured survivors Maintain a clear airway; control bleeding. Treat injured survivors using the first aid kit. Instructions for use are included. Bail out Remove any water with bailer and dry out with sponges. Warming up If men are chilled or shivering, get everybody to huddle together but do not upset trim – the closer they get, the warmer they get. Cover with spare clothing. Sit on lifejackets as extra insulation if necessary. Loosen any constriction on feet. Keep wriggling toes and ankles to reduce chance of getting cold injuries. Change lookouts if necessary to prevent frostbite on exposed skin. Congregation of rafts Join up and secure with other craft – mutual aid. In cold weather, get maximum numbers together for warmth. Two or more craft are easier to find than one. Search for survivors, Listen for whistles: post lookouts to look for survivors, lookout signalling lights and lights of other rafts, ships or aircraft. Lookout to collect useful debris etc. Assist survivors by using the quoit and line, thereby avoiding swimming. Raft may be manoeuvred using drogue or paddle. Handbook Read the survival craft handbook for further guidance on actions to be taken etc. Morale and will to survive Cold, anxiety, hunger, thirst, effects of seasickness all work against the will to survive. Keep spirits up. Maintain confidence in rescue. Firm but understanding discipline. Keep a lookout for signs of abnormal behaviour and avoid doing things which annoy others. Delirious people. Physically restrain. Bear in mind effect on other survivors. Subsequent actions The initial and secondary actions combat the immediate threats to survivors. This section concerns subsequent actions and survival craft routine. Leader Appoint or elect a leader. Sharp objects Collect sharp objects or potential weapons. Roll call Have a roll call to muster survivors. Routine Establish a routine and allocate duties to survivors – ration keeper – lookouts – repair party – bailers etc. It is important to keep the minds of survivors occupied while avoiding unnecessary exertion. Watches One hour watches in pairs – one outside and one inside. Duties Outside – Lookout for ships, survivors, aircraft etc. – Gather useful wreckage. Inside – Maintain raft (bailing, drying, ventilation, buoyancy tubes etc.). Supervise raft management while others rest. – Attend to injured persons. – Look after equipment, valuables etc. Raft management Cold climates Protection Keep warm and dry. Adjust ventilation to minimum required. Huddle together for warmth if necessary. Carry out simple 224 Seamanship Techniques exercises to avoid cold injury: open and clench fists, stretch limbs; wriggle toes, ankles, fingers, wrists. This will maintain circulation but not waste energy. Avoid exposure – rotate lookout to avoid exposure. Hot climates Arrange ventilation. Avoid exposure (sunburn). Reduce need for water by – avoiding unnecessary exertion (no swimming) – maintain a through breeze – position of drogue? – keep outside of raft wet – wet clothing by day. Location Keep lookouts. Have location aids readily available. Keep rafts congregated. Drogues or sea anchor will reduce rate of drift from casualty area. Water/food Issue rations after first twenty-four hours at set times during the day – sunrise, midday, sunset. Method of issuing rations. Collect rainwater whenever possible. Eat fish only if plentiful supply of water available. Precautions in hot weather – see ‘Protection’. DO NOT ISSUE rations during first twenty-four hours except to injured people (if conscious). RAINWATER should be collected from the outset. Rations The rations provided in the craft are based upon the above knowledge and instructions for their use MUST BE FOLLOWED. The length of time that the rations will last will depend upon the number of occupants. However, the minimum with a full complement is 4 days. Issue of rations DO NOT ISSUE WATER DURING THE FIRST 24 HOURS. The body is already full of water – if more is put in it will be wasted in the form of urine. After 24 hours the body will be drier and will absorb any water that is drunk, just as a sponge will hold water but a wet sponge will not hold any more. Only if a man is injured is it permissible to give him a drink in the first 24 hours to replace fluid loss due to bleeding or burns and ONLY IF HE IS CONSCIOUS. After 24 hours, issue a full ration three times daily at sunrise, midday and sunset. Don’t be tempted to give more rations than necessary. Make sure the carbohydrate food is taken. In prolonged survival, wait until the fourth day before reducing the daily ration if absolutely necessary and then only by half. It is essential to supplement rations with rainwater from the outset. Supplement rations Supplement the basic supply of water whenever you can. Rainwater should be retained. Condensation is a possible supply. Seawater/urine DO NOT DRINK SEAWATER OR URINE. Madness or death follow rapidly upon the drinking of seawater or urine. Fish flesh DO NOT EAT FISH FLESH unless you have an abundant supply of water. Protein foods such as fish tend to consume vital body fluids. Acknowledgment: The author would like to thank the Merchant Navy Training Board for their permission to reproduce part of the Basic Sea Survival Course Instructors Manual. 225Survival Craft and Practice MARINE EVACUATION SYSTEM (MES) Designed initially to provide an effective means of evacuating passengers and crew from high freeboard vessels of the ferry/passenger class into life rafts, the system consists of a double track inflatable slide with an integral boarding platform, mounted in a deck stowage container. The life rafts drop into the water adjacent to the platform (see Figure 8.11). Each life raft can carry up to forty-five persons, and two are packed in a weathertight container made of glass reinforced plastic (GRP). These rafts are inflated from the boarding platform at the end of the slide, then linked to the platform by bowsing in lines to facilitate safe boarding. The operation starts with the removal of a cover in order to release an outboard door, which is unlocked from inside the ship, and the slide and platform are pushed away from the ship causing them both to inflate (see Figure 8.12). The inflating agent is a supply of nitrogen stored in cylinders in the deck-mounted container. The boarding platform varies in diameter and is normally manned by crew members, who will secure the rafts to the sides of the platform before embarkation. The number of life rafts that the system can use may be adapted to the passenger-carrying capacity of the parent vessel. In extreme emergency an inflated slide and platform can be released from the vessel to serve as an additional floatation aid for survivors. Each vessel is equipped with two systems, one on each side. New tonnage under construction is presently being fitted out with four systems, two each side. Regulations stipulate that total evacuation must take place within 30 minutes of the alarm being raised, and this system should more than meet these requirements. EVACUATION-SLIDE LAUNCHING AND EMBARKATION Every evacuation-slide system should conform to the general requirements for launching appliances, and in addition: (a) the evacuation slide shall be capable of being deployed by one person at the embarkation station; (b) the evacuation slide shall be capable of being used in high winds and in a seaway. This is probably the latest innovation in sea survival techniques, being based on the rapid escape systems applicable to aircraft. The system which has been approved by the Department of Trade and Industry (Figure 8.11) becomes operational by activating a slide out from the ships side. This slide is variable in length and runs onto a landing platform, the platform being an integral part of the slide. Evacuation from the parent vessel takes place by persons sliding down the double trackway down to the landing platform, then embarking into 42/45 man life rafts. The slide unit makes an angle of approximately 35° to the horizontal and is stowed in a box unit 8 ft × ft × 3 ft, weighing 8000 lbs. The compact unit is stowed at deck level and the number of life rafts will be 226 Seamanship Techniques 1 Pull off cover A B 3 B A Replace lever Unlock door Figure 8.11 Marine excavation system. Figure 8.12 Operation of Marine escape system. 2 Pull handle fully downward to release outboard door 4 Push door flat 227Survival Craft and Practice variable depending on the passenger carrying capacity of the vessel using the system. RIGHTING CAPSIZED LIFE RAFT In the event of the life raft inflating in a capsized condition the mariner’s priorities are to turn it the right way up and stream the sea anchor (drogue) as soon as practical to prevent sea conditions causing another capsize. The procedure for one man is first to turn the raft into the wind and then climb over the gas bottle on to the base of the raft (Figure 8.13). It will be seen that a righting strap passes directly under the base of the raft and runs across the full diameter. The mariner should take hold of the righting strap and endeavour to climb up over the base of the raft. Once he has gained enough height, he should lean backwards, dragging the raft over by the strap virtually on top of himself, in the water. If the raft has been turned into the wind, then the wind will assist the motion of righting the raft, acting on the area of the raft as on a sail. Should the raft initially inflate in this manner, it can normally be expected to lie on its side like a capsized cone, since the weight of the gas bottle causes the balance of the raft to be offset, and the heavy side of the raft to lie well down in the water. For this reason it is essential that the mariner attempts to right the raft from the low side, pushing the heavy gas bottle with his feet under the base of the raft as righting occurs. Once the raft has been righted, the mariner may find that he is underneath it. At this stage there is no need for panic, because a saucer shape containing air is formed between the raft base and the sea surface, which will allow the individual to breathe for some considerable time. However, once the raft has been righted, the seafarer should endeavour to come out from under the raft, hand for hand, against the base of the raft. He should leave the righted raft from the opposite end to where the bottle is lying in the water. Once clear, the mariner should then board and commence normal survival techniques, bearing in mind that he is not a survivor until rescued. BEACHING A LIFE RAFT If it becomes necessary to beach a raft, the operation should preferably be carried out during the hours of daylight on a sandy beach having a gradual slope. Circumstances will dictate the conditions, however, and the mariner should base his tactics on the weather and the proposed beaching area. Preparations to beach the raft should be made well outside the line of surf and should include the inflating of the double floor, the donning of lifejackets by all persons, the opening of entrances and the manning of paddles, and the streaming of one or two sea anchors. The raft should be allowed to drift into the line of surf, while the weight on the sea anchors is checked. A sharp lookout should be kept Figure 8.13 Righting life raft. NB. A similar principle is now used in a vertical ‘chute’ which allows a zig-zag movement of personnel into covered rafts at the surface. Known as Marine Evacuation Chutes (MEC) 228 Seamanship Techniques for rocks and similar obstructions and the raft fended off from the dangerous. On striking the shoreline, two men should endeavour to pull the raft ashore as far up the beach as possible. Other survivors should disembark as quickly as they can, then salvage equipment and the raft itself. It should be borne in mind that the survival craft contains all the necessary life support systems. The raft itself will provide shelter in its inflated condition even on dry land. The gas bottle could be removed from the underside in order to allow the raft to lie flat, but the survival craft should not be deflated until a rescue is evident. The bright colour of the canopy will attract the rescue services, and to this end the survival craft should not be pulled up under cover of trees or cliff overhangs. Stowage of Life Rafts (Cargo Ships) Every life raft, other than those required by Regulation 26.1.4, shall be stowed with its painter permanently attached to the ship and with a float free arrangement which complies with the regulations. The arrangement should allow the life raft to float free and in the case of an inflatable raft, it should inflate automatically. In the case of passenger ships the stowage shall be as far as practical the same as for cargo ships. Regulation 26.1.4 Cargo ships where the survival craft are stowed in a position which is more than 100 m from the stem or stern shall carry, in addition to the life rafts required by paragraphs 1.1.2 and 1.2.2 (of this regulation) a life raft stowed as far forward or aft, or one as far forward and another as far aft, as is reasonable and practicable. Notwithstanding the requirements of Regulation 29, such life raft or life rafts may be securely fastened as to permit manual release and need not be of a type which can be launched from an approved launching device. (The above references are taken from the 1984 amendments to the SOLAS convention 1974.) Containers for Inflatable Life Rafts Containers for life rafts shall be constructed to withstand hard wear under conditions encountered at sea. They should have inherent buoyancy when packed with the life raft and its equipment, to pull the painter from within and to operate the inflation mechanism should the ship sink. Containers should be watertight, except for drain holes in the container bottom. Servicing of Life Rafts Every inflatable life raft shall be serviced: (a) at intervals of not exceeding 12 months. However, in cases where it appears proper and reasonable, the Authority may extend this period to 17 months. 229Survival Craft and Practice (b) servicing should take place at an approved service station, which maintains proper service facilities and only properly trained personnel. Lifejacket Requirements Passenger Ships A lifejacket shall be provided for every person on board the ship and in addition: (a) a number of lifejackets suitable for children equal to at least 10 per cent of the number of passengers on board shall be provided or such greater number as may be required to provide a lifejacket for each child. (b) a sufficient number of lifejackets shall be carried for persons on watch and for use at remotely located survival craft stations. (c) every passenger ship shall carry additional lifejackets, for not less than 5 per cent of the total number of persons on board. These lifejackets being stowed in conspicuous places on deck or at muster stations. (d) as from 1 July, 1991, every lifejacket carried on a passenger ship which is engaged on international voyages, shall be fitted with a light which complies with the regulations. Cargo Ships A lifejacket shall be provided for every person on board the ship. Each lifejacket will be fitted with a light which complies with the regulations (applicable from 1 July, 1991). Lifejackets shall be so placed on every vessel, as to be readily accessible and their position shall be plainly indicated. Where, due to the particular arrangements of the ship, the individual lifejackets may become inaccessible, alternative provisions shall be made to the satisfaction of the authority. This may include an increase in the number of lifejackets to be carried. Every lifejacket should comply with the regulation specifications and may be of the automatic inflated type. They should be constructed to the general requirements and fitted with retro-reflective material, be rot-proof and corrosive-resistant and should not be unduly affected by seawater, sunlight, oil or fungal attack. They should be capable of satisfactory operation and be manufactured in a highly visible colour. General Requirements for Lifejackets 1. A lifejacket shall not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in fire for a period of 2 seconds. 2. A lifejacket shall be so constructed that: (a) after demonstration, a person can correctly don it within a period of 1 minute without assistance. 230 Seamanship Techniques (b) it is capable of being worn inside out, or is clearly capable of being worn in only one way and, as far as possible, cannot be donned incorrectly. (c) it is comfortable to wear. (d) it allows the wearer to jump from a height of at least 4.5 m into the water without injury and without dislodging or damaging the lifejacket. 3. A lifejacket shall have sufficient buoyancy and stability in calm and fresh water to: (a) Lift the mouth of an exhausted or unconscious person not less than 120 mm clear of the water with the body inclined backwards at an angle of not less than 20° and not more than 50° from the vertical position. (b) Turn the body of an unconscious person in the water from any position to one where the mouth is clear of the water in not more than 5 seconds. 4. A lifejacket shall have buoyancy which is not reduced by more than 5 per cent after 24 hours submersion in fresh water. 5. A lifejacket shall allow the person wearing it to swim a short distance and to board a survival craft. 6. Each lifejacket shall be fitted with a whistle securely fastened by a cord. Lifejacket Lights Each lifejacket light shall: (a) Have a luminous intensity of not less than 0.75 cd. (Practical range 1.0 nautical mile.) (b) Have a source of energy capable of providing a luminous intensity of 0.75 cd for a period of at least 8 hours. (c) Be visible over as great a segment of the upper hemisphere as is practicable when attached to a lifejacket. If the light of the lifejacket is a flashing light it shall in addition: be provided with a manually operated switch; not be fitted with a lens or reflector to concentrate the beam; and flash at a rate of not less than 50 flashes per minute with a luminous intensity of at least 0.75 cd. Inflatable Lifejackets A lifejacket which depends on inflation for buoyancy shall have not less than two separate compartments and comply with the regulations for fixed buoyancy type lifejackets. They should: (a) inflate automatically on immersion, be provided with a device to permit inflation by a single manual motion, and be capable of being inflated by the mouth; 231Survival Craft and Practice (b) in the event of loss of buoyancy, in any one compartment, the lifejacket should still be capable of maintaining the standards set by the regulations for standard lifejackets. General Requirements and Specifications for Lifebuoys Passenger and Cargo Ships Lifebuoys should be so distributed so that they are readily available on both sides of the ship and as far as practicable on all open decks extending to the ship’s sides. At least one should be placed in the vicinity of the stern. They should be stowed so that they are capable of being cast loose and not permanently secured in any way. At least one lifebuoy on each side of the vessel should be fitted with a buoyant line, equal in length to not less than twice the height at which it is stowed above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition, or 30 m, whichever is the greater. Not less than one-half of the total number of lifebuoys should be provided with self-igniting lights and not less than two of these should also be provided with self-activating smoke signals and capable of quick release from the navigation bridge. These lifebuoys should be equally distributed on either side of the ship and should not be the lifebuoys previously stated with buoyant lines. Each lifebuoy shall be marked in block capitals of the Roman alphabet with the name and port of registry of the ship on which it is carried. Passenger Ship’s minimum number of lifebuoys Length of ship (m) Minimum number of Lifebuoys Under 60 8 60 and under 120 12 120 and under 180 18 180 and under 240 24 240 and over 30 (Passenger ships of under 60 m in length shall carry not less than 6 lifebuoys provided with self igniting lights.) Cargo Ship’s minimum number of lifebuoys Length of ship (m) Minimum number of lifebuoys Under 100 8 100 and under 150 10 150 and under 200 12 200 and over 14 Specifications Every lifebuoy shall: 1. have an outer diameter of not less than 800 mm and an inner diameter of not less than 400 mm; See page 153 Part II for Man overboard Bridge Wing lifebuoy. 232 Seamanship Techniques 2. be constructed of inherently buoyant material; it shall not depend on rushes, cork shavings or granulated cork, any other loose granulated material or any air compartment which depends on inflation for buoyancy; 3. be capable of supporting not less than 14.5 kg of iron in fresh water for a period of 24 hours; 4. have a mass of not less than 2.5 kg; 5. not sustain burning or melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of 2 seconds; 6. be constructed to withstand a drop into the water from a height at which it is stowed above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition or 30 m whichever is the greater without impairing either its operating capability or that of its attached components; 7. if it is intended to operate the quick release arrangement provided for the self-activated smoke signals and self-igniting lights, have a mass sufficient to operate the quick release arrangement or 4 kg, whichever is the greater; 8. be fitted with a grabline not less than 9.5 mm in diameter and not less than 4 times the outside diameter of the body of the buoy in length. The grabline shall be secured at four equidistant points around the circumference of the buoy to form four equal loops. Lifebuoy Self-Igniting Lights* As required by the regulations, self-igniting lifebuoy lights shall: (a) be such that they cannot be extinguished by water; (b) be capable of burning continuously with a luminous intensity of not less than 2 cd in all directions of the upper hemisphere or flashing at a rate of not less than 50 flashes per minute with at least the corresponding effective luminous intensity; (c) be provided with a source of energy capable of meeting the stated requirements for a period of at least 2 hours; (d ) be capable of withstanding the drop test into water from the stowed position or from 30 m, whichever is the greater. Lifebuoy Self-Activating Smoke Signals As required by the regulations, self-activating smoke signals shall: (a) emit smoke of a highly visible colour at a uniform rate for a period of at least 15 minutes when floating in calm water; (b) not ignite explosively or emit any flame during the entire smoke emission of the signal; (c) not be swamped in a seaway; (d) continue to emit smoke when fully submerged in water for a period of at least 10 seconds; *Self-igniting lights on lifebuoys of tankers shall be of an electric battery type. [...]... e.g A200 = Bearing 20 0° Whenever a hoist containing three or four numerals is made, and there is a prefix letter in front of the hoist, substitute flags should not include the prefix letter See the following examples: EXAMPLES 1 Bearing 20 0° = A200 – signal made up as follows: ‘A’ Flag 2 Numeral ‘0’ Numeral 2nd Substitute 2 Longitude 22 ° 32 W = G 223 2W – Signal made up as follows: ‘G’ Flag 2 Numeral... in position 21 2°T, 15 miles from Morecambe Bay and require a vessel to stand by immediately CC8 A2 12 2 D14 128 0 Z 120 0 L5015N G0 020 W MGH19 I will try to proceed under my own power but request you to keep in contact with me by R/T on 21 82 kHz IJ 6 T 070 0 I require a helicopter urgently to pick up injured person Patient has severe burn on central upper abdomen BR3 5 FOLKESTONE My position at 120 0 GMT was... FOLKESTONE My position at 120 0 GMT was Latitude 50°15′N, Longitude 0 20 ′W ET 4 R15 My ETA at FOLKESTONE is 070 0 BST on 14 December 1980 UR 3 MORECAMBE BAY YZ RT 21 82 A tropical storm on course 29 0°T at 15 knots is centred at Latitude 26 °30′N, Longitude 60°16′W at 1800 GMT NW storm force winds are expected VM Z1800 L2630N G6016W C290 S15 VK7 FLAG MAINTENANCE Ships’ flags are normally stowed on the Bridge... are immediately into Sea Area A2.) Sea Area A2 – An area excluding A1 within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one coast station providing continuous watch on 21 82 kHz and continuous DSC alerting on 21 87. 5 kHz as may be defined by a Contracting Government (The UK has provided six Coast Guard stations with continuous DSC alerting capability which extends Sea Area A2 approximately 150 nm from the... should be kept at a continuous state of readiness for launching in not more than five minutes and be stowed in a suitable position to allow launch and recovery 23 7 23 8 Seamanship Techniques General Requirements for Rescue Boats 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Figure 8.14 Recovery by rescue boat Recovery methods should endeavour to bring casualties aboard over the weather bow by means of a ‘House Recovery Net’ or other... for different actions The muster list shall show the duties assigned to crew members in relation to passengers in case of emergency These duties shall include: 1 warning the passengers; 24 1 24 2 Seamanship Techniques 2 3 4 5 seeing that they are suitably clad and have donned their lifejackets correctly; assembling passengers at muster stations; keeping order in passageways and on stairways and generally... a buoyant safety knife; 2 sponges; an efficient manually operated bellows or pump; a repair kit in a suitable container, for repairing punctures; a safety boat hook Additional Requirements for Inflated Rescue Boats The mariner should also be aware of the following general particulars which affect rescue boats of the inflated type Unlike hulls and rigid 23 9 24 0 36 Seamanship Techniques Semi-rigid inflatable... threefigure notation Always expressed as true, unless stated otherwise ‘D’ ‘1’ 1st sub ‘0’ 7 ‘8’ ‘4’ 11 July 1984 Prefix letter ‘D’, general instructions First two numerals refer to days Second two numerals refer to the month Last two numerals refer to the year ‘Q’ ‘3’ TABLE 9 .2 Table 1 2 3 4 Table 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tables of Complements (found in the International Code of Signals) I: Methods of Communication... the range closes to a few hundred metres For best results, search Radar Operators should: (a) Turn off the anti-rain control (b) Place gain control to maximum (c) Operate on 6 nm range or less 24 7 24 8 Seamanship Techniques (d) Reduce clutter by down tuning slightly (e) Reduce range and gain control when closing target NB SARTs are not designed to operate with 10 cm radar International Code of Signal... the one hoist, two hoists may be flown from the same 25 3 25 4 Seamanship Techniques halyard provided that they are separated by a length of tackline The upper of the two groups is the one to be read first Order of Transmission with Several Hoists Should a number of flag hoists be made simultaneously, they should be read in the following order: 1 2 3 4 Signal Signal Signal Signal at at at at masthead . rafts will be 22 6 Seamanship Techniques 1 Pull off cover A B 3 B A Replace lever Unlock door Figure 8.11 Marine excavation system. Figure 8. 12 Operation of Marine escape system. 2 Pull handle. lifebuoys Length of ship (m) Minimum number of Lifebuoys Under 60 8 60 and under 120 12 120 and under 180 18 180 and under 24 0 24 24 0 and over 30 (Passenger ships of under 60 m in length shall carry not. period of 2 seconds. 2. A lifejacket shall be so constructed that: (a) after demonstration, a person can correctly don it within a period of 1 minute without assistance. 23 0 Seamanship Techniques (b)