There is no decision as critical or serious onboard ship as determining whether or not the situation has deteriorated to the point where the crew should Abandon Ship. Only the Captain shall decide whether and when Abandon Ship procedures are to be undertaken. During extended open water passages the Abandon Ship Procedures will be reviewed prior to leaving the dock and again when underway.

Major Categories :

GREEN When a situation arises that the Captain believes may lead to Abandoning Ship.

YELLOW Captain determines the situation is more serious. All persons don life jackets, prepare personal Abandon Ship duffel bag and Abandon Ship Teams are gathered in the wheelhouse to finalize contingent plans and assignments.

Team No 1. Food and Survival Books

Team No 2. Medical Supplies

Team No 3. Communication:(SOS/MAYDAY on VHF, SSB & Satcom, E.P.I.R.B., Flares, Strobe, Flash Lights, Mirror, Portable VHF Radio)

Team No 4. Life Raft (Launch Team), Fishing Gear, and Water Rations (2 six Gal. Jugs w/Air Space to Float)

RED Abandon Ship Procedures Life Raft Launch Team and all other assignments are carried out.

REMEMBER Some Abandon Ship situations go from Green to Red in a matter of minutes. Some take hours and even days. You should be mentally prepared.

Prepare in Advance. Each member of the crew should have prepared and thought through a small Abandon Ship Duffel Bag and personal clothing (long underwear, sweater, deck shoes or boots, warm jacket, long sleeve shirt, hat, sunburn lotion, pants, foul weather gear, wet suit). In a condition GREEN everyone should place their individual medical prescriptions, glasses, passport and other essential belongings to their Abandon Ship Bag.

Do not, under any circumstances, swim away from the vessel or raft without a safety line!

TEAM #1 - Food Provision Team

The Abandon Ship Bag is located ___________. Provision and seal the bag and secure it to the lifelines on the back boat deck.

q Canned Goods

q Can Opener

q Crackers, biscuit, cookies

q Sugar

q Drinks in containers

q Vitamins

q Citrus Fruits (lemon, oranges …)

q Toilet Paper, Towels

q Survival Books

q Flash Light(s)

When all jobs are completed, inform the Captain, and then go to your lifeboat station.

TEAM #2 - Medical Provision Team

There is an emergency Medical Kit that is sufficient to cover almost any offshore emergency. Additional medical supplies and prescription drugs are located in the ships medicine locker. A second duffel bag is attached to the Medical Kit for use in storing these medications. A lanyard is attached to the second duffel bag to enable you to secure these bags to a floatation device (i.e. life jacket) and to a lifeline on the boat deck.

Locate the Ship’s Flare Box along with the emergency flares in the boat deck locker. Tie them together and attach them to the lifeline.

There are containers of water located in the locker on the boat deck. Each container has been left partially empty to insure that it will float. You will also see a lanyard attached to each of the containers. Using the first line, tie each of the containers together. Use the second line to temporarily secure the water jugs to the lifeline next to the provisions. Take a third line and tie the water containers to the Abandon Ship Provisions bag.

Fishing Gear & Tackle is located in the __________. Tie all items together and tether alongside the Abandon Ship Bag

q Fishing Pole(s)

q Fishing Line & Reel

q Tackle Box

q Gaff and Knife (in a sheaf)

q One coil of line (black/white line, located on the boat deck)

After the medical supplies, flares, water and fishing gear have been brought up on deck and secured you should render any required assistance (i.e. medical, carrying bags on deck to be secured, emotional support ...)

When all jobs are completed, inform the Captain, and then go to your lifeboat station.

TEAM #3 - Communications/Navigation Team

Should the Captain determine to transmit a MAYDAY call the following verbiage and procedures should be followed in sending the distress message :

q MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY

q This is the German Motor yacht "STARSHIP", the vessel "STARSHIP", the vessel " STARSHIP "

q Call Sign: DELTA - HOTEL - X-RAY - OSCAR

q MAYDAY Position: _____ degrees _____ minutes N/S, ____ degrees ____ minutes W/E

q We are _______________ (nature of the distress: i.e. FIRE, SINKING, FLOUNDERING...) and are abandoning ship, REPEAT we are abandoning ship !

q There are ____ Persons onboard the vessel, (____ Persons with _____ injuries).

q We are a 23 M, grey trawler with white superstructure

q WE have a LIFE RAFT, with an _______________ (ORANGE CANOPY), __ TENDER(S) AND A 406 EPIRB

q (THIS IS OUR LAST TRANSMISSION)

Wait about one minute for a response and acknowledgment. If no response, repeat transmission.

If time permits, it is also wise to provide the name of the Captain, Crew and shore side contact (usually next of kin). You may be asked to transmit a numbered count in order for another ship to locate you using radio direction finders.

1. Send a Distress Message, using the following equipment and in the following order:

q Activate the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon)

q Cellular/Satcom - After acknowledgment depress the Automatic Emergency Alarm Button on the Unit (if so equipped)

q SSB Radio - Dial Frequency 2182 kHz (International Ship Distress Frequency) or 123.1 MHz (Emergency and Distress Frequency) and Broadcast a MAYDAY. After transmitting depress the Radiotelephones Automatic Alarm

q VHF Radio - Dial to Channel #16 and broadcast a MAYDAY

2. Take the abandon ship bag, located in the Pilot House, and gather the following

items, to be brought to the Aft Cockpit or Boat Deck:

q Portable VHF Radio and insert it in the waterproof pouch

q Portable AM/FM Radio and insert it in the waterproof baggy

q Flashlight and extra batteries

q Binoculars

q Paper and Pens

3. When all jobs are completed, inform the Captain, then go to your lifeboat station.

TEAM #4 - Launch Crew

The Launch Crew, which will normally consist of 2 members (one of which will be the team captain) who has the responsibility for insuring the safe deployment of the life raft and tenders. In most cases this will be on the leeward side of the boat.

The first priority of the Launch Crew, after deciding which side of the boat to deploy the raft, will be to determine the safest location to load the provisions and crew onboard the raft. In most cases this will be the aft cockpit. The Launch Crew will secure the following items (attaching the red safety line to a strong point):

q All jugs of water

q EPIRB

q Emergency Flare Kit

q Food Supplies

q Medical Pack and Supplemental Medical Bag

q Individual Abandon Ship Bag(s)

q Communication/Navigation Bag

q Fishing Gear and Tackle

Upon the Captain's orders, deploy the life raft, being sure that the painter is securely tied-off. Both before and after the raft is deployed the Launch Captain should insure that there are no sharp objects, rigging or other obstructions that could prove detrimental to the raft or persons onboard the vessel.

The Captain of the Launch Team then enters the life raft.

The Launch Captain will organize the orderly transfer of all emergency equipment and supplies into the raft, being sure to immediately tie down and secure each of these items.

Depending on the nature of the emergency and the sea conditions, the Launch Crew, after loading and securing the emergency life raft, may decide to: (a) if weather permits, launch the tender(s) and deploy their sea anchor(s) (wherein they should be tethered together and tied off to the raft); (b) if unsafe to launch the tender(s), loosen the restraining straps securing the tenders permitting them to float free, in the event of a sinking; or (c) leave the tenders secured if it is determined to be unsafe to loosen the hardware.

ABANDON SHIP TEAMS

Team One

Lasse & Lisa

Team Two

DJ & Diana

Team Three

Michael & James

Team Four

Charles & Lou

October 29, 2000
MAN OVERBOARD

FIRST PERSON SEEING PERSON FALL OVERBOARD IMMEDIATELY:

q YELL 'MAN OVERBOARD' - NOTIFY HELMSMAN

q THROW LIFE RING - CONTINUE THROWING OBJECTS THAT FLOAT INTO WATER CREATING A 'TRAIL' THE BOAT CAN FOLLOW ONCE IT TURNS AROUND.

q KEEP EYES ON PERSON AND ARM EXTENDED POINTING TO PERSON IN WATER. NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THAT PERSON. MOVE TO UPPER DECK IF PRACTICAL, THIS WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER VANTAGE POINT AND ALLOW YOU TO DEPLOY "LIFESLING" WHEN REQUIRED.

HELMSMAN IMMEDIATELY:

q TOUCH MOB (MAN OVERBOARD) ON GPS

q PUT ENGINE IN NEUTRAL AND SOUND 5 SHORT BLASTS ON HORN - ALERTING OTHER VESSELS AND CREW MEMBERS.

CONTENTS

ABANDON SHIP PROCEDURES

ABANDON SHIP TEAMS