How to Survive a Sinking Boat

If you have to abandon ship, you face a grave trial. After you abandon ship, you face a second trial: surviving the sinking. The process begins the moment you step into the life raft, as you position the raft's occupants to suit both their needs and the goal of raft stability, possibly in harsh conditions. While you might think you are, quite literally, up the creek without a paddle, there are many things you can do to ensure you survive a sinking boat.

Things You'll Need

  • Abandon ship bag
  • Waterproof clothing
  • Waterproof marine radio
  • Handcuffs or large plastic wire ties
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Instructions

    • 1

      Send out a "Mayday" message noting the boat's name, type -- recreational vessel or sailing vessel, or other appropriate designation -- boat's color, position, and a description of the situation. Transmit the number of personnel on board and their condition. Repeat the Mayday call as often as possible before the boat sinks.

    • 2

      Don your slicker. Put on your exposure suit, if one is available. Grab your personal "abandon ship" bag, containing, at a minimum, a personal GPS, a waterproof marine radio and notes on your last known position. Pull the vessel's emergency position indicating radio beacon, the EPIRB, from its mount and turn it on. The manual switch for most EPIRBs is on the lower half of the face of the unit, or under its bottom.

    • 3

      Enter the water only when absolutely necessary. Tie the line -- called a painter -- from the bow of the boat's raft to the sinking vessel, to help keep the raft in the area that will be searched by rescuers. Board the life raft with as little swimming as possible.

    • 4

      As the boat sinks, move away from it far enough to avoid being trapped in the vacuum created as the vessel sinks. Collect everything that's floating on the water -- flotsam -- after the boat sinks. After you collect the flotsam from the sinking, stream the life raft's sea anchor.

    • 5

      Set up a watch schedule to keep a watch for ships and aircraft and, on the master's orders, attempt to signal them by mirror, flare, smoke or dye packet in the water. Inventory the equipment in the life raft. The equipment aboard a raft depends on its size and the waters it is intended for.

    • 6

      Inspect the air tubes of the raft at the beginning of every watch, both for damage and leaking seams. If you find leaks -- usually indicated by bubbles on the surface of the tube -- repair them as soon as possible, using the repair kit in the raft.

    • 7

      Begin the process of collecting rainwater, to augment the fresh water supply in the raft. Begin fishing after the first 24 hours.