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Overboard:
No longer on board ship - usually used in reference to a person who has fallen off one. One of the limited number of circumstances when disembarkation from a boat implies a shortening rather than a lengthening of the life span pf the individual involved. |
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Bareboat chartering is normally a very safe and enjoyable experience... but emergencies can and do happen on even the best prepared
and equipped bareboats. In an emergency when something goes
wrong a quick response combined with the knowledge of
just what to do, is just as important as having all the
necessary boating safety equipment.
When things on board your bareboat go wrong, you're under
stress....you can't walk away and ignore the problem,
you have to deal with it. Keeping your cool under pressure
is important when you have to make decisions that can
affect the safety of your bareboat as well as your crew.
Not all emergencies start out as major ones...For example,
a small fat fire on the galley stove, if extinguished
immediately, ceases to be a hazard, but it may destroy
the whole boat if fast positive action is not taken...Mild
sunstroke in a crew member may go unnoticed until it
becomes sufficiently advanced to cause collapse, it
then generates a full scale medical emergency.
In the event of an emergency, have a member of the
crew standby the two way radio and communicate
the nature of your emergency as calmly and precisely
as possible. Stand by on the radio channel allocated
and carry out instructions, as advised. If asked to
evacuate your bareboat, each crew member must put on
a life jacket and follow boating safety procedures.
This might also be a good time to review your VHF radio
procedures. See Using
a VHF marine radio on bareboat charters.
In the case of a serious medical emergency, use of
a fast boat, helicopter or seaplane is always available
to bring the doctor to your bareboat or to evacuate a
crew member to the mainland. If Medivac or on-site treatment
by medical personnel is indicated, the Queensland Ambulance
will be contacted. The cost of transport by sea or air
will normally be covered by your ambulance fund and/or
may be covered by your medical insurance and or travel
insurance... these charges, however incurred would
be the responsibility of the charterer.
Hopefully, none of these calamities will ever strike
on your bareboat charter...but just in case your lucky day was
yesterday, read this section so that you can be the
one who stays calm, knows just what to do, and saves
the day.
Evacuate your bareboat
During an emergency that suddenly
occurs during your bareboat yacht charter, before you are able to get your bareboat back to a marina,
you may have to evacuate the boat. In case of evacuation due
to severe weather conditions, particularly on a yacht charter in the Whitsunday Islands, make certain that the vessel
is securely anchored in an 'all weather protected area' as
instructed by your bareboat charter operator and increase your anchor
chain ratio to at least 5:1 or 6:1. You may also be told to
deploy your spare anchor for additional security. Refer to
Doubling
up: two anchors.
Ensure that all deck hatches are securely 'tied down', saloon
windows and doors tightly shut/latched and that there is no
loose material or equipment on a deck or fly bridge...If the
tender is not used for the evacuation, remove the outboard
engine and fuel tank and secure them safely on-board. Ensure
the tender is securely attached to your vessel and the painter
pulled up short.
Water enters your bareboat bilges
An automatic bilge alarm is activated
by a float or pressure switch in each bilge of your bareboat... this emits a continuous
high pitch to indicate that an abnormal amount of water
is entering the bilge. To review the operation of your bilge
pumps refer to Bilge
Pump System
Action:
- Check the bilge water level. If the water level
is high and the bilge pump/s are not operating or not keeping
up to the water flow... immediately prepare to operate
the manual pump.
- Taste the bilge water - is it salt or fresh? Try
to determine where the water is coming from and then check
for the following:
If salt water: Check toilet inlet and outlet
seacocks, and seawater pump intake... Check the raw
water inlet to any engines... Check the packing flange
where the propeller shaft exits the hull of your bareboat.
If fresh water: Is the fresh water pump running continuously
and pumping fresh water into the bilges?... Check for
split water delivery lines from your bareboats water tanks... to hot water
tank... to galley... to inside shower and to swim platform
shower (if one is installed).
If your quick inspection fails to locate the source of water
entry into your bareboat and you are unable to remedy the fault, immediately
contact your bareboat charter operator.
 A
seacock is turned on when it's handle is in line with the
hose, and off when the handle is 90 degrees to the hose.
Fire safety procedures
 Remember
that a small fire on your bareboat can become a big fire very quickly, therefore
speed in containing the fire is vital - Boating safety issues & life jackets on a bareboat charter explains the type of fire you may experience
and describes the three types of fire extinguishers available
on all motor yacht and sailing yacht charters.
Practice fire safety when fighting a fire, always move towards the fire, aiming
the extinguisher towards the base of the fire and using a
sideways spraying action until the flames are extinguished.
Never turn your back on a fire; it may re-ignite and catch
you. Always back away with your fire extinguisher ready and wait
until you are quite sure the fire is out. If the fire is in
a confined space, be careful to avoid asphyxiation from the
extinguishing chemicals, or from toxic smoke.
Engine room fire
If your Engine Room fire alarm goes off - react to the alarm
immediately and:
- Shut down your bareboat engines.
- Shut off fuel to the engine/s and at the emergency
shut-off.
- Close all exterior engine room vents.
THEN
- Actually determine you have a fire!
- If you have an Engine Room fire suppression system
- activate the CO2 fire extinguishers (you would be shown
how to do this at the time of your bareboat briefing).
Electrical fire
In the event you find electrical wiring smoking on your bareboat due to a short circuit,
stop the engine (if running), and turn the 12v battery switch
to 'off '. Inspect for damage.
Total electrical failure
Firstly, check your battery bank
terminals and cables for sound connections, also the connections
at the back of the battery selector switch. Refer to Electric power afloat .
An engine overheats on your bareboat
The warning buzzer should warn
you of engine overheating due to loss of oil pressure or high
water temperature. In either case, stop the motor immediately
and radio your bareboat charter operator. For more on an overheating
condition: Refer to Engines
and Operational Equipment
Engine failure
In an emergency situation, your
tender may be tied tightly alongside. Placing fenders between
the two, position the tender about 2/3 along the side of the
boat, then using the tenders' outboard motor you should be
able to maintain headway in light weather conditions. Do
not try to tow your boat with the tender...For emergency
propulsion, springs are needed as well as bow and stern lines.
Attach your tender as shown in the diagram. Also see Towing
Alongside
The cause of a diesel engine failure on your bareboat will usually be water
or air in the fuel lines. Check your fuel and if sufficient
fuel is in the tank bleed the engine/s. Call your bareboat charter
operator for instructions and help.
First aid
You will find a comprehensive
first aid kit is standard equipment on all charter boats,
together with a book on first aid. Treat all cuts and scratches
carefully, especially those inflicted by coral or oysters,
as they easily become infected. For more on first aid. Refer
to First Aid Afloat
If medical advice is necessary, radio your bareboat charter operator.
They will relay doctor's advice by radio and make a shore
appointment for you if this is necessary.
In the case of a serious emergency, use of a fast boat or
helicopter is available to bring the doctor to your vessel
or to evacuate a patient to the mainland. For detailed radio
procedures in a medical emergency Refer to Emergency
and Urgency Calls
Winch your bareboat with the spare anchor
You will only ever need to use
this anchor if your bareboat is in trouble or in heavy weather
conditions...or say, you have lost your main anchor and are
in danger of being blown against a lee shore after your engine
has failed.
Unlikely - but your second boat anchor is a vital piece of boating safety
equipment, and you must know how to use it correctly...make
sure you know where it's stored on your bareboat during your bareboat
briefing.
Your rope anchor line is turned around the winch capstan
(see diagram) to take the strain when winching. Keep
your fingers well away from the winch when strain is on
the rope.
- To operate the capstan separately from the chain gypsy
wheel, secure the chain to the bollard and release the clutch
nut - the windlass capstan can now be operated separately.
For a whole lot more on Anchoring Refer to Boat
Handling and Manoeuvring
Fouling your bareboats propeller
Getting a rope tangled up in
the propeller is a drag; when it happens on a boat with an
inboard engine, the engine stalls and the propeller gets stuck,
unable to turn. Usually, the culprit is a halyard or towline
from your tender.
The prevention is simple. Keep your lines out of the
water and always look around the boat before turning on the
engine.
Unfortunately, people aren't as vigilant as they should
be, so here's how to deal with a fouled propeller on a boat with
an inboard engine:
- Turn off the engine immediately (it may have already
stalled out).
- Find the transgressing rope and gently pull it... Pull harder and pray, because if the rope doesn't release,
someone is going swimming.
- Consider whether you really need the engine.
If you don't really need the engine, or if the conditions
are too rough and dangerous to go in the water, then you
just have to sail or drift. Keep in mind that in big waves,
your bareboat is going up and down fast, so swimming underneath
it, near the propeller blade, is no fun and can be dangerous. If you delay the
swim until later, tighten the fouled rope and tie it off
on deck.
Advise your bareboat charter company of the problem, and explain
the circumstances.
- If the conditions are safe, or after you return to
shelter, you can jump in.
A mask, snorkel, and fins are nice. If your bareboat is drifting
make sure that it's dragging a line that you can grab.
- Using the wrapped rope as a guide, swim down to the
prop (make certain the engine keys are 'out' of the ignition)
and try to unwind the knot down there.
- If untying the knot is impossible, get a knife and
cut it away.
The same fate can befall a rudder. You know when that happens
because the steering system seems to be stuck. The problem
is that a rope is wedged between the top of the rudder and
the hull. Usually, you can get out of this situation with
a good tug on the infringing line from the right direction.
If not, turn the helm hard one way and try again. That usually
works... If not, did you bring your swimsuit?
Distress signals
The following signals indicate
Distress and need of assistance. Use of these signals except
for the purpose indicated is prohibited - for a full read
on the safety equipment on-board a charter boat Refer to Essential
Safety Equipment
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A hand held flare showing a red light has high nighttime
visibility.
