Emergency drills.....

[hack4alivin]

Emergency drills, I wonder just how many boaters have actually practiced or simulated an emergency situation to really see how prepared you are. I will freely admit I have not (with the exception of putting on the PFD’s), but I plan on putting something together. Hell I have never fired a flare yet, so in the case of a real emergency just how long will it take me to get my crew together. Time goes by real fast in an emergency.

I think it is time to practice.

 

[SevenTeas]

Practice is always good. Especially if you have alot of safety gear. People need to know how to inflate life rafts, activate manual epirbs and use flares and signaling equipment.

That being said, replacing chargers for life rafts can be expensive. Launching flares and activating epirbs can cause problems with the coast guard. Make sure you plan for that.

 

[osd9]

A few years back, a boat on the dock at Farley's marina caught fire and burned to a crisp.

....Luckily for the owners, they were in the casino when the fire happened. The flames were 20 feet high. Only heat damage to the boats on either side.

Anyway, after I saw that, I realized that if they were in the cabin when the fire started, they would have only one way out....through the hatch over the bunk. I now keep two of those cheapy orange Life Jackets in the master cabin and I had a drill with the admiral making sure that she knew how to open the hatch and exit.

 

[Searaybio270]

Good Pic! I heard about that but have never seen a picture.

I am planning to do the same. I have on most occasions pulled the flotation devices, showed them the fire extinguisers and have said if you have to bail out of the boat try to grab the aforementioned or one of the noodles laying on the floor.
I have a four year old granddaughter and when she is on she has a vest on at all times.

 

[wetpaint]

My ex wife and I did a man over drill back in 2002, it was like trying to find a painted black tennis ball in the 3-5 foot seas and tragically could not find her.....She has not been seen since....I guess my emergency drill failed

 

[ChuckW]

Paint, you're brutal...funny, but brutal.

 

[magster65]

A few years back, a boat on the dock at Farley's marina caught fire and burned to a crisp.

Anyway, after I saw that, I realized that if they were in the cabin when the fire started, they would have only one way out....through the hatch over the bunk. I now keep two of those cheapy orange Life Jackets in the master cabin and I had a drill with the admiral making sure that she knew how to open the hatch and exit.

Thank you... that's a good point. I need to spread out where my lifejackets are instead of all in one place. I'll be doing that today.

 

[Alex F]

We have not actually executed the drills (PFDs are exception), but prior a long trip I go over everything with admiral. In fact I have a full page of items for her to go over, but that's I think needs to be in a separate thread.

 

[Alex F]

...Anyway, after I saw that, I realized that if they were in the cabin when the fire started, they would have only one way out....through the hatch over the bunk. I now keep two of those cheapy orange Life Jackets in the master cabin and I had a drill with the admiral making sure that she knew how to open the hatch and exit.

Excellent observation, Domininc. :thumbsup:
Admiral and my older child know how to open the hatch. I also have few spare PFDs in the under-floor storage. But, I added this as another item for my pre-departure crew checklist.

 

[Gofirstclass]

When my wife was driving our 330 I frequently would throw a fender overboard and tell her that someone had just fallen off the boat. It was up to her, acting alone, to get back to it, approach from a good angle, put the boat in neutral, get the boat hook and "rescue" the fender.

She always hated it when I did that but it made her aware that if I was the one that fell overboard she would be the only one available to rescue me.

We have not yet done one on the new boat but will one of these weekends.

 

[tobnpr]

I really don't know how you could have a "drill", as the circumstances will vary greatly depending on the nature of the emergency.

Is it a fire in the engine room? While everyone's on deck, or at night while everyone's in the cabin asleep?
A "runaway" diesel engine?
Taking on water from a busted hose?
A collision resulting in a holed hull?

There are simply so many things that can happen, and the "correct" responses for each are going to vary greatly.

Certainly, you can't spend an hour "drilling" guests that step aboard your boat about this stuff. You'll scare the bejeezus outta them and they'll grab their beers and head back to the car...

Best for the captain to be aware of all these possible scenarios- and have a mental plan of attack for the correct way to deal with each. My $.02.

Example:

Suddenly you see smoke billowing out of the edges of an engine room hatch while running. What do you do?

 

[HUMPH]

When my wife was driving our 330 I frequently would throw a fender overboard and tell her that someone had just fallen off the boat. It was up to her, acting alone, to get back to it, approach from a good angle, put the boat in neutral, get the boat hook and "rescue" the fender.

She always hated it when I did that but it made her aware that if I was the one that fell overboard she would be the only one available to rescue me.

We have not yet done one on the new boat but will one of these weekends.

Great idea! I should try this but am afraid of those twin screws repeatedly running over the fender. That would be a sign...:wow:

 

[HUMPH]

My ex wife and I did a man over drill back in 2002, it was like trying to find a painted black tennis ball in the 3-5 foot seas and tragically could not find her.....She has not been seen since....I guess my emergency drill failed

I wish I had my boat when I was married to my ex :smt021

 

[Presentation]

Example:

Suddenly you see smoke billowing out of the edges of an engine room hatch while running. What do you do?

I’m going to assume we are away from shore but in a near coastal area or inland body of water, not out in the middle of the ocean since I don’t take our boat out in the ocean.

First critical seconds
I’d shut down the engines and leave the engine compartment hatch closed and exhaust fan off in hopes of starving any possible fire from oxygen.

Simultaneously to the above I’d give the below instructions
I’d have all onboard don life jackets and move to the bow, issue a mayday including location, number onboard and our onboard situation, grab our portable fire extinguishers, inflatable raft and our hand held VHF radio.

What comes next
What I do next depends if the smoke continues to worsen or reduces. If the smoke is bellowing black smoke I’d assume its fire and I’d be afraid that the fuel tank, also in the engine compartment, could cause an explosion. At this point I’d pull the pin for the built in fire extinguisher and have everyone get on our inflatable raft / abandon ship.

Counting heads I’d confirm everyone is off the boat and accounted for then I would join them.

I would not stay onboard to fight the engine compartment fire. Anything on that boat can be replaced. I view small fire extinguishers appropriate for extinguishing small fires like in the galley or on / close to the grill or to help you get to a person who needs rescuing, not fighting engine compartment fires. Again, I'd leave the engine compartment hatch closed and exhaust fan off.

After we are off the boat and all people are present
Once we are safely off the boat I’d give a mayday update over the hand held VHF. Repeat maybay until radio contact is made.


Anyone please feel free to be a critic. I’d love to have someone teach me a better response.

 

[HUMPH]

Wow, that's a well thought out and efficient plan, well done. Is your raft a true "life raft" or an inflatable dinghy? Where do you keep it stowed?

 

[Presentation]

Wow, that's a well thought out and efficient plan, well done. Is your raft a true "life raft" or an inflatable dinghy? Where do you keep it stowed?

Inflatable dinghy.

I’ve been thinking about a true life raft.

I do have a true EPIRB but no true self inflating life raft.


With three kids it’s often inflated but sometimes it’s stored deflated in various locations folded sitting on the floor in the cockpit, in the cabin, tied to the top of the bow, or tethered to the boat at an anchorage.

I do admit that it’s possible we would not have time to retrieve the dingy if it were in the cabin stowed beneath a forward V-birth cushion. That or I may just go down and get it.

As long as we have the raft I know I could inflate it by mouth if needed in the water because I have done it before, inner air chamber at least.

Short of having a true self inflating life raft the next best thing would be having it inflated or having the manual pump.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Certainly, you can't spend an hour "drilling" guests that step aboard your boat about this stuff. You'll scare the bejeezus outta them and they'll grab their beers and head back to the car.

When I have guests on board that haven't been with me before I go through a five minute "Here's how the head works and here's what to do in an emergency" talk.

I show them where the PFD's are and explain that mostly they need to pay attention to what I will tell them at that time.

It worked well at the time my boat got hit. Within 1 minute or so the two passengers had their PFD's on and were standing by for further instruction.

The wife went into shock almost immediately so after we made sure we were not taking on water (60 seconds) I sat with her for 2-3 minutes talking very softly and slowly to her to reassure her we were going to be OK. I then took over handling the boat and tasked her husband with sitting with her.

They both thanked me later for attending to her in such a calm manner.

One thing I've always figured on is if we're taking on water and I can't stop it I will run the boat to shore and ground it so if it does sink it will do so in very shallow water.

 

[kg4vgh]

Power Boat Squadron down here does the flares for life program....take your outdated flares down and fire some of them off.....excellent training...for those that have never fired a flare pistol, or held a flare......I keep a roll of tape by mine now....to tape them to the boat hook....lol.....gets them away from my hand....and the side of the boat

 

[merlin]

This is a great thread. I've learned a lot. Thank you all!

 

[HUMPH]

When I have guests on board that haven't been with me before I go through a five minute "Here's how the head works and here's what to do in an emergency" talk.

I show them where the PFD's are and explain that mostly they need to pay attention to what I will tell them at that time.

It worked well at the time my boat got hit. Within 1 minute or so the two passengers had their PFD's on and were standing by for further instruction.

The wife went into shock almost immediately so after we made sure we were not taking on water (60 seconds) I sat with her for 2-3 minutes talking very softly and slowly to her to reassure her we were going to be OK. I then took over handling the boat and tasked her husband with sitting with her.

They both thanked me later for attending to her in such a calm manner.

One thing I've always figured on is if we're taking on water and I can't stop it I will run the boat to shore and ground it so if it does sink it will do so in very shallow water.

More of a story there....hit by what? Cudos for being calm with the Admiral as that probably saved your life!