Rescued at Sea - Are You Prepared ?

[Neil_Y]

It's always going to be a very last resort which to me means people may die if they stay aboard the yacht, if you have water food and a floating yacht stay with the yacht.

Do Merchant vessels have any standard practice for recovery of people from life rafts?

If I was ever on the situation I would look at getting a line to the yacht from some distance, then abandon the yacht to the life raft (still attached to the rescue vessel) and then get pulled to the rescuers, and either climb up ladder or get winched up one at a time.

Taking the yacht alongside in any sea risks serious injuries from the rig coming down.

The RYA/MCA should make people aware of just how risky this type of operation can be.

 

[Tintin]

The Cruising World article is online here:

http://www.cruisingworld.com/how-to/seamanship/rescue-at-sea-what-happens-when-the-freighter-arrives

Let me know if you guys think this would be valuable to the RYA/RNLI training and I might give them a ring.



Thanks to all who chipped in with comments.

Interesting article, thanks.

 

[KellysEye]

>Taking the yacht alongside in any sea risks serious injuries from the rig coming down.

A ship always picks up on it's leeward side which is relatively flat to calm depending on sea state. Even in a calm sea a big swell can be running and this is a different matter I wouldn't go near the ship in a yacht but use the life raft.

As an example of the latter point, I remember on our east west Atlantic crossing we had 10 to 12 foot waves and a six to eight foot swell both from aft, a 3 to 4 foot swell on our starboard beam from a storm in the north Atlantic and a 2 to 3 foot swell from a storm in the South Atlantic. It's difficult to describe just how violent the motion was but it was like a corkscrew, rather than pitching or rolling. Definitely conditions to use a life raft for rescue.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Looking at those thought provoking video clips I could not help wondering why they didn't use their tenders or life rafts for rescue transfers. The risk of crush and head injuries from vessel to vessel transfer are higher than from a tender or life raft which are at least soft.

 

[FishyInverness]

Not sure if this has been brought up as yet, but interesting read :

http://www.shippingtribune.com/new-requirement-plan-for-recovery-of-persons-from-the-water/

 

[Sandy]

Every rescue is unique, how do you prepare for that?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Every rescue is unique, how do you prepare for that?

By having knowledge of other rescues and thinking about what you could have done, plus some practical experience e.g. sea survival training. Anyway, they are not all unique, the challenges to be overcome/prevent are somewhat similar.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Offshore Survival Courses for the North Sea Oil and Gas industry used to include climbing up a net from an environmental pool which was cold, had waves, was dark and flashed strobe lights for lightening effects; the instructors also sprayed the trainees from fire hydrant sized hoses. I believe that this has now stopped as the practical worth of climbing up the net while being hosed was dubious. Someone may have had a heart attack as well - vague memory of that being reported.

Personnel planning to use Naval helicopters in the Antarctic were required to do a simulated escape from a ditched helicopter. I gather it was a pretty nasty experience, and that it is suprisingly difficult to retain any sense of orientation during such exercises.