How to Stop a Boat From Capsizing

Capsizing is the number one cause of boating injuries in the United States. Stopping a boat from capsizing requires quick thinking, a cool head and a thorough understanding of how boats float, buoyancy and balance. Before you take a boat out, it’s important to understand and practice what to do in an emergency. Boats capsize primarily due to four reasons: overloading, excessive speed, striking an object or wind and waves. Preventing a capsize requires you to eliminate these threats quickly.

Things You'll Need

  • Loose objects in the boat
  • Something to bail with
  • Life jackets and floating boat cushions
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Instructions

    • 1

      Slow down. Reducing the speed will significantly reduce the danger of capsizing. If you’re in heavy waves, maintain enough speed to keep your bow pointed into the waves. If you allow the waves to push your boat sideways, the boat can quickly flip over. In a sailboat, pay out the sails to spill wind, reduce sail and reduce speed. You need to get to safety, so don’t stop moving, but keep your speed down to where you can react fast enough to prevent the boat from turning over.

    • 2

      Get the weight down and centered in the boat. Whether you’re in a canoe, motorboat or yacht, if the boat is in danger of capsizing, the weight in the boat is likely too high. In small boats and canoes, have the passengers sit on the floor and move toward the center. Any heavy objects in the boat should be placed as low as possible. Fishermen should get down off the fishing chairs and sit flat on the bottom. A boat with a very low center of gravity is difficult to capsize.

    • 3

      Get life jackets onto everyone. You should have a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device for every member of your crew; make them put the life jackets on before they do anything else.

    • 4

      Bail the water out of the boat. If you have water sloshing around in the boat, the shifting weight of it can quickly turn you over. Every free hand should bail out water as quickly as possible. If you’ve struck something and made a hole in your boat, stuff something bulky into the hole to slow the leak. Make sure the crew members or passengers remain low in the boat while bailing the water out, as they might sometimes get excited and stand up in the boat, leading to disaster. Bailing water out should be done from a kneeling position or sitting, if at all possible.

    • 5

      Head for cover. Work your way toward a sheltered cove or bay as quickly as possible, if you are facing high seas or a sudden squall. You may have to crab your way sideways, keeping the bow of the boat into the wind to prevent the waves from capsizing you. Work your way at an angle across the wave fronts. This requires some skill in steering your boat. You should always familiarize yourself with the controls of your boat in a sheltered place before going out into waters that can suddenly become choppy.