Abandon Ship and Survival in a Liferaft

Ordering abandon ship

In short: Read first: alarms, musters and drills and liferafts and the LSA rules. Only the Master orders abandon ship, and the order is spoken. There is no bell signal for it.

• SOLAS ships use three emergency signals. Fire alarm = continuous sounding. General alarm = at least 7 short + 1 long blasts on the whistle and alarm bells. Abandon ship = a verbal order from the Master (word of mouth).
• The general alarm sends everyone to the muster stations. It does not mean “abandon ship”.
• Stay on board as long as it is safe. A ship is warmer, drier and much easier to find than a raft.
• Drills (SOLAS III/19.3.2; MGN 71 (M+F) Amd 1): every crew member takes part in at least one abandon-ship drill and one fire drill every month. If more than 25% of the crew missed the previous month’s drills on board, hold them within 24 h of leaving port.
• Abandon-ship drill: sound the general alarm · muster · check everyone has put on the lifejacket correctly · make sure all know the abandon-ship signal.
• A fire drill is run as a real emergency. It can lead straight into the first stage of abandon ship, so the two are often drilled together.
• On the bridge: ask a new crew member “How will you know when to abandon ship?” The right answer is “The Master tells us”, not “seven short and one long”.

The abandon-ship sequence

In short: Eight steps, in this order: distress message → muster → lifejackets → prepare craft → take the radios → launch to leeward → stay together → switch on EPIRB and SART.

1. Send the distress message, on the authority of the Master only (DSC alert and MAYDAY by voice, see GMDSS). Do it first: once the power fails, the main radios may go too.
2. Muster the crew (and any passengers) and count heads.
3. Put on lifejackets and TPAs (thermal protective aids). Details in lifejackets, immersion suits and TPAs.
4. Prepare the LSA for launch: liferafts, lifeboats, rescue boat.
5. Collect and prepare the EPIRB, SART and portable VHF radios (the “SOLAS radios”) and take them to the survival craft.
6. Launch the liferafts on the leeward side: the hull gives shelter from wind and sea, so boarding is easier and safer.
7. Keep the liferafts close to the ship and in contact with each other. A group of rafts is a bigger target, and it stays near the position given in the distress message.
8. Activate the EPIRB and SART (see EPIRB and SART).

• On the bridge: the officer at each raft checks that the painter is made fast to a strong point before the raft goes over the side.

Immediate action in the liferaft

In short: Five actions as soon as you are on board. They are printed on a card at the raft entrance (IMO A.657(16), Annex 1 Part A; formerly MGN 77 (M+F)). Memory hook: Cut · Look · Anchor · Close · Read.

1. Cut the painter and get clear of the ship. A sinking ship can drag the raft down or crush it. The knife is in a pocket on the outside of the canopy, near the painter.
2. Look for and pick up other survivors.
3. Stream the sea anchor once clear of the ship. It slows the drift, so you stay near the distress position. It also holds the raft steady to the wind, which reduces the risk of capsize. Streamed too early, it can foul on the ship.
4. Close up the entrances. This keeps everyone dry and warm.
5. Read the survival instructions. They start the longer routine in the next section.

• The card (A.657(16)): easy to read, on waterproof material, placed where anyone entering the raft sees it. It is written in an IMO official language and in the language of the flag State.
• The survival instructions are normally stowed in the equipment pack. A copy of both sets goes in the ship’s training manual.
• Status: MGN 77 (M+F) (August 1998) was withdrawn on 30 June 2017 and replaced by IMO A.657(16), which has the same text. In the exam, cite A.657(16) and mention MGN 77 as the old UK note.

How to survive in a liferaft

In short: IMO A.657(16), Annex 1 Part B, gives 20 instructions. The order is not fixed: it depends on the situation (Note 1). The Administration may expand them (Note 2).

Get organised (1–7)

1. Identify the person in charge of the liferaft.
2. Post a lookout.
3. Open the equipment pack.
4. Issue anti-seasickness medicine and seasickness bags. Vomiting wastes body water. The A pack holds medicine for at least 48 h (LSA Code 4.1.5.1).
5. Dry the liferaft floor and inflate it, if appropriate. The inflated floor insulates you from the cold sea.
6. Give first aid, if needed.
7. Manoeuvre towards other liferafts, secure them together and share survivors and equipment between the craft.

Run the raft (8–13)

1. Arrange watches and duties.
2. Check the raft works and look for damage; repair as needed. If CO2 is leaking into the raft, ventilate.
3. Check the canopy light; if possible, save power in daylight.
4. Adjust the canopy openings: closed for protection from the weather, open to ventilate.
5. Prepare and use detection equipment, including radio equipment: EPIRB, SART, VHF, and the flares and smoke described in distress signals.
6. Gather up any useful floating objects.

Stay alive (14–19)

1. Protect against heat, cold and wet.
2. Decide on food and water rations.
3. Take measures to keep morale up.
4. Make sanitary arrangements so the raft stays habitable.
5. Maintain the raft, including topping up the buoyancy tubes and canopy supports.
6. Make proper use of the survival equipment.

Be ready for rescue (20)

1. Prepare for:

• the arrival of rescue units;
• being taken in tow;
• rescue by helicopter (see helicopter operations);
• landing and beaching.

In a lifeboat (A.657(16), Annex 2)

• After clearing the ship, the person in charge organises: pick up survivors from the water · marshal the liferafts · secure the craft together and share survivors and equipment · stream the sea anchor · rig the exposure cover or foldable canopy if appropriate.
• The rest is close to the liferaft list, plus one extra item: prepare for the onset of adverse weather.
• Annex 2 is the list of contents for the lifeboat survival manual. A copy also goes in the ship’s training manual.

Basic principles of survival

In short: Four priorities, in this order: Protection · Location · Water · Food.

• Protection: cold kills first. Get out of the water, close the entrances, inflate the floor, use the TPAs and sit close together. More on cold injury in hypothermia and environmental injuries. In hot climates the threat is heat: keep shade and open the canopy to ventilate.
• Location: help rescuers find you. Use the EPIRB, SART, flares, smoke, signalling mirror, torch and whistle. Keep rafts together and keep a lookout at all times.
• Water: the A pack holds 1.5 l of fresh water per person (LSA Code 4.1.5.1). Set the ration early. Collect rain from the canopy. Never drink seawater: it makes dehydration worse.
• Food: the A pack holds at least 10,000 kJ per person (LSA Code 4.1.5.1). Food is less urgent than water. If there is no water, do not eat: digestion uses body water.
• Morale matters too. A clear leader, watches and duties keep people busy and hopeful.
• On the bridge: in the oral, give the four priorities in order and one action for each.