3 Actions prior to abandoning the ship
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1185/Rev.1 – Guide for Cold Water Survival – (30 November 2012) - Annex - Guide for Cold Water Survival - 3 Actions prior to abandoning the ship

3 Actions prior to abandoning the ship

 Avoid abandoning for as long as safely possible: "the ship is the best survival craft".

 When abandonment is necessary there may be little time to formulate a plan, so careful planning beforehand is essential. Here are some things to remember should you ever have to abandon a ship:

  • Ensure distress alerts have been sent. If you have emergency location beacons – including personal beacons – switch them on, and leave them on.
  • If possible keep the emergency location beacon with you. Rescue units are most likely to find the emergency location beacon first.
  • Put on as many layers of warm clothing as possible, including your feet. Make sure to cover your head, neck, and hands. The outer layer should be as watertight as possible. Fasten clothing to improve insulation and to minimize cold water flushing in and out beneath the clothing.
  • If an immersion suit is available put it on over the warm clothing.
  • Put on a suitable lifejacket and secure it correctly. If in cold water you will quickly lose full use of your fingers. If the lifejacket is fitted with crotch and/or other retaining straps, make sure that they are pulled tight. They will hold the lifejacket in the right position, increasing buoyancy – you may not be able to tighten them once in the water. If the lifejacket is of the automatic inflation type, inflate it manually after leaving the interior of the ship but before entering the water.
  • If time permits drink a lot before leaving the ship: warm sweet drinks are best – but no alcohol: it can reduce the chances of survival in cold water. Take extra water with you if possible.
  • Before leaving the ship, or immediately after boarding the survival craft, take anti-seasickness medicine.
  • Avoid entering the water at all if possible. If you must go into the water, avoid jumping in. If davit-launched survival craft, a marine escape system or other means of dry-shod embarkation are not available use over-side ladders if you can, or lower yourself slowly, by means of a rope or fire hose, for example.
  • If jumping into the water is unavoidable, you should try to keep your elbows to your side and cover your nose and mouth with one hand while holding the wrist or elbow firmly with the other hand. Just before you jump look down to ensure the area beneath is clear of obstruction, and then jump with eyes fixed on the horizon to ensure you stay in a vertical position as you fall. Avoid jumping onto a liferaft canopy (you may injure yourself or people inside) and avoid jumping into the water astern of a liferaft still secured to the ship, in case the ship has some remaining headway.
Parent topic: Annex - Guide for Cold Water Survival
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