Rescue boats

The SOLAS regulations require most ships to carry a designated rescue boat. This will vary in type from ship to ship. On some ships it may be a totally enclosed lifeboat and in other, older, ships it may be an open lifeboat.

Rescue boats may be either of rigid or inflated construction or a combination of both and shall:

• be not less than 3.8 m and not more than 8.5 m in length; and

• be capable of carrying at least five seated persons and a person lying on a stretcher.

Rescue boats shall be capable of manoeuvring at a speed of at least 6 knots and maintaining that speed for a period of at least 4 hors. Rescue boats shall have sufficient mobility and manoeuvrability in a seaway to enable persons to be retrieved from the water, marshal liferafts and tow the largest liferaft carried on the ship when loaded with its

full complement of persons and equipment or its equivalent at a speed of at least 2 knots.

A rescue boat shall be fitted with an inboard engine or outboard motor. If it is fitted with an outboard motor, the rudder and tiller may form part of the engine.

Arrangements for towing shall be permanently fitted in rescue boats and shall be sufficiently strong to marshal or tow liferafts.

Inflated rescue boats shall be so constructed as to be capable of withstanding exposure:

• when stowed on an open deck on a ship at sea;

• for 30 days afloat in all sea conditions.

The buoyancy of an inflated rescue boat shall be provided by either a single tube subdivided into at least five separate compartments of approximately equal volume or two separate tubes neither exceeding 60% of the total volume.

In addition to complying with the requirements lifeboats, inflated rescue boats shall be marked with a serial number, the maker's name or trade mark and the date of manufacture.

The inflated rescue boat shall be maintained at all times in a fully inflated condition.

Aboard the survival craft

First Actions

• Move away from immediate danger.

• Elect a leader, this may be the most senior officer or the person appointed on the muster list.

• Give an anti-seasickness tablet to all personnel.

• Activate the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon).

• Take a muster of persons on board.

• Search the area for other survivors or survival craft.

• Liaise with any other survival craft to ensure that all persons are accounted for.

• Assess the situation. Is rescue likely and how long will it take?

• Do you stay close to the position of the sinking or proceed towards the nearest land?

• Put the food and water under the control of one person who will be responsible for distribution of the rations.

• Collect in all additional food, clothing and sharp objects or weapons that may have been brought into the survival craft.

• No food or water should be issued for the first 24 hours.

• The leader should nominate different people to the following positions, first aid, signalman, hull repairs, engine repairs, recorder of voyage log, navigator, helmsman and lookouts.

Stay Close to Position of Abandonment

With the improvements brought about by the GMDSS system in maritime search and rescue this is the most likely decision that will be made. Prior to taking to the lifeboat a DSC distress alert should be sent out. This can be done at the touch of a single button. In addition there are the EPIRB and SARTS which should be taken to the lifeboats when abandoning ship. The EPIRB when activated allows the marine rescue co-ordination centre (MRCC) to locate the position of survivors and guide vessels and aircraft to the rescue position.

Should the EPIRB not be in the survival craft when the vessel sinks the hydrostatic release unit will automatically release it, and it will then automatically start its transmissions. Where possible it is therefore beneficial for all the survival craft to stay together, if possible by tying the survival craft together.

The SARTS should be positioned on the extension pole, switched on and mounted as high as possible. The batteries will last for 96 hours on stand-by and about 8 hours continuous operation if vessels are in the area and accessing it.

To minimise drift, rig the sea anchor, issue anti-seasickness tablets, ensure that any persons in the water are accommodated in the lifeboat or liferaft, if possible.

Listen for whistles and look for survivors, signalling lights and lights of other rafts, ships or aircraft. The lookouts should be properly briefed in their duties with regard to the collection of useful debris, how to keep a lookout, sector searches and the use of pyrotechnics.

Proceed Towards the Nearest Land

In some circumstances this will be the most obvious choice. Factors to take into consideration are:

• Was a distress alert sent?

• If no EPIRB is in the boat, search the area of the sinking to see if it has surfaced.

• How far to the nearest land, is the nearest land within the fuel range of your craft?

Indications of the proximity of land are changes in the wind direction around sunset and sunrise. The land and sea breeze effect can be quite distinct in some areas. A single cumulus cloud, or occasionally several, appears to be stationary close to the horizon whilst others are moving, is a good indication of land beneath. Also if a single cloud, with no others around, remains stationary close to the horizon. There are many other indications such as a green and blue reflection on the underside of the clouds in low latitudes, the direction that birds fly in either early in the morning or in the evening also the change in colour of the sea from green or blue to a lighter colour.

Do not approach land at night unless you know exactly where you are and that the landing area or harbour entrance can be safely transited. During the hours of darkness lookouts should keep a good watch for the sound of surf and report to the watch leader any visual or audible occurrences.

Settling Down to a Period before Rescue

Having made an assessment of how long it will be before rescue is likely it is now necessary to decide how the available food and water will be divided and issued. The following are a few guidelines.

The minimum daily water ration should be around 450 ml to 500 ml given in three separate issues at sunrise, noon and sunset. This quantity will be sufficient to avoid severe dehydration. The daily food ration should consist of 800 kJ to 850 kJ of the emergency rations given in three equal amounts as for the water. (This equates to around 500 g.)

To make the decision as to how much should be issued take the total available, separate one third as emergency stock should rescue not be forthcoming when expected, then apportion the remainder where possible on the above basis as a minimum.

In each lifeboat there will be 3 litres of water and 10,000 kJ of food for each person that the boat is certified to carry. It should be noted that the emergency rations consist mainly of carbohydrates, some fat and minimal protein. These rations do not require the consumption of water or body fluid so that they can be digested, which is of great importance.

Food and water should be issued in such a way that all can see that it is fair. Everyone will become thirsty and as time passes human nature will make the ration distribution a very difficult and harrowing experience and also the highlight of the day.

If a desalination plant is available, this should be put into operation immediately and its output used in preference to the internal water.