Copyright 2005 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. 1 Chapter 6 Boating Emergencies...What To Do

Copyright 2005 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. 1

Chapter 6

Boating Emergencies...What To Do


89% Human Error

10% Equipment

1% Weather

MOST ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE !

Accident Pyramid


Chapter Overview

• We will discuss:• Risk management• Boating accidents• Personal injuries• Weather emergencies• Getting help• Helping others

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Boating StressorsIncrease Risk

• Glare and heat of the sun

• Motion

• Noise

• Vibration

• Many boaters underestimate effects

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Avoid Dehydration

• Thirst

• Dry mouth

• Sleepiness

• Irritability

• Weakness

• Dizziness

• Headache Drink plenty of Water


Alcohol And BoatingDon’t Mix

• What happens if a person uses alcohol while operating a boat?

• Why are alcohol’s effects intensified in the water?

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Life Jackets (PFDs)

• 90% boating fatalities are drownings• No PFD, or inadequate

• Ensure that PFDs are:• Readily accessible• Proper size• Good condition

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Falling Overboard

• What are some ways to prevent persons from falling overboard?

• What should you do if someone does fall overboard?

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Overboard

• Shout “MAN OVERBOARD”• Reduce speed• Throw PFD• Point • Turn around • Approach from downwind• Stop engine • Pull aboard

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1st

Reach

Last Resort

Go

3rd

Row

2nd

Throw

Rescue TechniqueConsider Your Own Safety When Attempting To Rescue Others

http://www.boat-ed.com/images/animations/reachthrow.html

http://www.boat-ed.com/images/animations/reachthrow.html


Capsizing & Swamping

• Don’t overload the boat

• Controlled turns

• Anchor from bow only

• Stay with boat

• Try to re-board

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• Keep a proper lookout.

Failure to maintain a lookout is the #1 cause of collisions

• Practice good seamanship.

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Prevent Collisions


Collision• What should you do?

- 1st Check Passengers, any injuries? Put on lifejackets

- 2nd Evaluate Vessel, assess damage. fire?, flooding?, pump, bail, - 3rd Assign duties, tasks - Then call for help, if needed

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Prevent Running Aground

• Know water depth• Location of submerged objects• Tide coming in or going out? When High or Low?

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If You Go Aground

• What should you do?

- Assess Damage- Check your Chart. Which way is deeper water.- Can the tide float the boat?


Fire Emergencies

• Don’t mix the three ingredients required for combustion

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In Case Of Fire

• What should you do?1


PWC On Fire

• How is a fire and the courses of action on a PWC different than on a boat?

• Do not attempt to retrieve a fire extinguisher from a burning PWC. (Use another boat’s fire extinguisher)

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Pull pinAim at base of fireSqueeze handleSweep side to side

Using The Fire Extinguisher

PASS


• What are some of the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

• How can you protect yourself and your passengers?

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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning


Air flow can suck fumes into boat

Station Wagon Effect


• If a person is injured on the boat what should you do for the following:• Bleeding• Burns• Broken bones• Head and neck injuries

Serious Injuries

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Maintain First Aid Kit

Know How To Handle Injuries


Hypothermia Can Cause Death

• What are some of the symptoms?- Body’s core temp drops below 95 degrees- Shivering (note, as body functions begin to shut down shivering stops)- Slurred Speech- Drowsiness- Weak Pulse- Shallow Breathing- Progressive Loss if Consciousness

• Hypothermia can occur in water as warm as 77 degrees

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Hypothermia Can Cause Death

Cold Water robs thebody of heat25 times faster Than Air.

Even After RescueThe victim’s Bloodpressure can continueto drop.

Begin warming methods

Immediately.


Reduces exposure of high heat loss areas of body

Heat Escape Lessening Position


Huddle

• What are the advantages of the “huddle” position?

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• Check weather on VHF-FM radio• Wx-1 Wx-2 Wx-3

• What are some signs that the weather is deteriorating?

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Weather


When Caught In Bad Weather

• What can you do if you are caught in bad weather?

• Dangers include:• - High Winds, High Seas and Waves

• - Loss of Visibility- Loss of Control

• - Lightning

• A Majority of lightning injures and deaths occur on small boats with NO cabin.

If possible, get off the water.

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When Caught In Bad Weather

• If you can’t get off the water

• 1. Know your position in case you need help

• 2. Put on PFDs

• 3. Keep low in the boat

• 4. Secure all loose gear

• 5. Masts and antennas might provide a cone of protection if properly grounded.


When Caught In Fog

• Fog can be very disorientingWhat should you do?- Note your position while you can still see landmarks- Get out of the main channel to avoid collisions- Assign Lookouts (also listen)- Drop Anchor, (but not in the channel)

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To Get Help


To Get HelpA Worse Case Scenario for Discussion- You are offshore- You hit a submerged floating object- Your boat is badly damaged and taking on water fast- Passengers are all OK, but the boat is disabled - You fear that the boat may sink before help can arrive- You only have minutes to call for help

Discuss: - What means for communication that you may have available. - What to try first.-Communication Devices to takeif you have to abandon ship

(Details will follow on future slides)


Cell phone on a boat?Advantages

- Private Conversations- Often more than one onboard- Text message may get through when voice doesn’t

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To Get Help

Disadvantages- Coverage- No Location Info broadcast- Cell phones and Water don’t mix


VHF MARINE RADIO

• VHF channel 16• International distress, safety and calling• Widely monitored by US Coast Guard

stations, and vessels• Some areas use VHF Channel 9

As an alternative Non-EmergencyHailing Channel

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Distress, Urgency, &Safety Messages

• What radio call would you use for the following situations?

• Distress (MAYDAY)

• Urgency (PAN pronounced “PAHN”)

• Safety (SECURITY)

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Important Channels• VHF channel 26 or 27

• Radio Check (Sponsored by Seatow)

“Seatow, Seatow, Seatow”“This is the Vessel ______ Callingfor Radio Check”Seatow will respond with an automated message and replay your transmission to confirmthe quality of your message”

• DO NOT do a radio Check on Channel 16

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Important Channels

• VHF channel 13• Call to Bridge Tender or Lockmaster

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Important Channels

• VHF channel 22• Coast Guard liaison and maritime safety• First make contact on 16• Information broadcasts first announced on

channel 16

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Working Channels

• 68 Non-Commercial (A popular recreational “Working Channel”)

• 69 Non-Commercial (A popular recreational “Working Channel”)

• 71 Non-Commercial• 72 Non-Commercial

• (intership only)• 78A Non-Commercial

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Important Channels

• WX-1, WX-2, WX-3• NOAA Weather Channels

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VHF Radio with DSC

• Marine VHF radios with digital selective calling (DSC)

• Each radio is programmed with a unique identification number that allows a Rescue Command Centers (RCC) to identify a vessel in distress by Name, Physical description and nature of distress.


VHF – DSC Radio

• In a distress situation the operator.• Pushes and holds a button for 5 seconds• Radio automatically broadcasts distress call

on a special channel to the Coast Guard• If the radio is correctly registered, the Coast

Guard immediately has the vessel description, and its position.

• The Coast Guard can now accurately dispatch an appropriate and timely rescue


VHF-DSC

• After an emergency call the radio automatically returns to channel 16

• Vessel operator should then initiate a regular voice distress call. “MAYDAY”


MMSI Number

• To Register and Get your MMSI Numberhttp://www.boatus.com/mmsi

• It’s Free andTakes only Minutes

http://www.boatus.com/mmsi


Other DSC Considerations

Connecting your DSC RadioTo your GPS will broadcast your Position when the emergencyButton is pressed.

Never “Test Press” the Distress Button


To Get Help• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon

(EPIRB) Handheld VHF with

DSC and GPS

Mounted EPIRB Personal GPS Locator Sends Text Message And Location

• also 1 button distress call

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Helping Others•The skipper of a boat is obligated by law to provide assistance to any individual in danger at sea providing that the assistance can be provided safely and without endangering the life of the rescuer.


What must you remember when towing another boat ?1. You become responsible for the towed boat & occupants.2. Use your own line & considerthe strength of your cleats (Cleats should be thru-bolted with a backing plate).

Helping Others


Attaching to towed boat.- Use a bridle will increase your ability to steer while towing- Ask occupants of the towed vessel to seat themselves safely

Helping Others

Note: this individualis not considered to besafely seated


Helping OthersTowing at any speed above “Slow Speed”

could result in a Serious Accident

Imagine whatwould happenIf this tow boatran aground at this speed!

TOW SLOW


Helping Others

• Adjust line length so towed boat rides at least 3 wave lengths behind(Maintain a safe controlled speed)

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Chapter 6 Review


Review Exercises

• Carbon monoxide poisoning can result from exposure to:

• fumes from an overloaded holding tank.• oil vapors emitted from a crankcase

ventilation valve.• exhaust from engines and generators.• fumes from stale bait deteriorating in the bait

well.

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Review Exercises

• If involved in a collision your first action is to:

• get the name, address, and insurance company of the operator of the other boat.

• check your vhf radio to see if it is damaged.• place fenders between the two boats to

eliminate further damage.• account for and check the condition of your

crew and the occupants of the other boat.

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Review Exercises

• If your boat swamps or capsizes, the primary rule to remember is:

• immediately send someone over the side to swim for help.

• always stay with the boat.• swim some distance from the boat to avoid oil

slicks.• fasten a line to the boat and ask all to help

pull it to shore.

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Review Exercises

• When encountering restricted visibility of any kind, your first reaction should be to:

• determine your position as accurately as possible while there is visibility to do so.

• put on foul weather gear to keep from getting cold and wet.

• ring your ship’s bell one short ring every second to advise other vessels of your presence.

• use your hailer every three minutes to announce that you are underway and ask all other vessels to keep clear.

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Review Exercises

• If you are caught on the water in bad weather, your first step should be to:

• listen for a weather forecast.• pour water into the bilge to increase stability.• turn and head for shore at full speed.• see that all on board are wearing properly

secured life preservers.

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Review Exercises

• When towing, never tie to an improperly mounted cleat. Cleats used for towing should always be:

• screwed to the boat with long, heavy screws.• both cemented and screwed to the boat.• attached to the deck with strong water-proof

glue.• through-bolted with a backing block.

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Review Exercises

• The use of a marine radiotelephone on a recreational boat is restricted to:

• distress, safety, operational, and public correspondence communications.

• trivial chatter on channels 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, and 78.• calling the coast guard on channel 68 for a radio

check.• obtaining weather broadcasts on channels 24 – 28

and 84 – 88.

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Review Exercises

• Calling channels for recreational vessels to contact other vessels or shore stations are:

• 8 and 7.• 11 and 9.• 16 and 9.• 17 and 14.

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Review Exercises

• The skipper of a boat is obligated by law to provide assistance to any individual in danger at sea providing that the:

• recipient is adequately insured.• assistance can be provided safely without

endangering the life of the rescuer.• person in need agrees to financial remuneration.• assistance cannot be provided by someone else.

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End Chapter 6

Documents

Copyright 2005 - Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. 1 Chapter 6 Boating Emergencies...What To Do