Seamanship Techniques 2011 E Part 13 potx

SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONSACTION BY VESSEL IN DISTRESS A ship in distress should transmit an appropriate distress alarm signal,followed by a distress message.. degree of danger present

INTERNATIONAL SHORE CONNECTIONThis is a fitment which is normally carried by all ships in order to

provide a common link between shore hydrants and ships’ fire mains

(Figure 7.8) It is employed either aboard the vessel itself or ashore in

conjunction with local fire brigade tenders, in the event of fire breaking

out while the vessel is in port The shore connection is usually situated

in such a position as to be easily accessible to Fire Brigade officers, e.g

near the top of accommodation ladders, or mate’s office

Figure 7.8 International shore connection.

114 mm

Blank is drilled for four bolts.

The hose flange has four bolts

and four slots for the shore

flange

SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUSThe Siebe Gorman International Mk II, self-contained breathing apparatus

(Figure 7.9) employs two cylinders of compressed air, which the wearer

exhales direct to atmosphere The cylinders are of a lightweight design,

so that, when fully charged, the apparatus complete with mask weighs

only 38 lb (17 kgs) The cylinder volume is 4 litres, providing enough air

for 20 minutes when the wearer is engaged on hard work Both cylinders

have the same capacity

The amount of work carried out by the wearer will obviously affect

the consumption of air, and, consequently, the time that person may

continue working The following are guidelines supplied by the

manufacturer:

Hard work rate 40 minutes (twin cylinders)

Moderate work rate 62 minutes

Pre-operational Checks (monthly)

1 Ensure that by-pass control is fully closed

2 Open cylinder valves The whistle, if fitted, will be momentarily

heard as pressure rises in the set Check cylinders are fully charged

Pressure guage tube Warning

Auxiliary air line adapter C

Demand valve

Figure 7.9 Siebe Gor man Inter national Mark II

compressed air breathing apparatus.

3 Any leaks in the apparatus will be audible and should be rectified bytightening the appropriate connections, but do not overtighten

4 Close cylinder valves and observe pressure gauge Provided it doesnot fall to zero in less than 30 seconds, the set is leak-tight

5 Depress demand valve diaphragm to clear circuit of compressed air

6 Close pressure gauge shut-off valve and reopen cylinder valves Thepressure should remain at zero Reopen first valve

7 Gently open emergency by-pass control; air should then be heard toescape from the demand valve Close control

8 Close cylinder valves Gently depress demand valve diaphragmand observe pressure gauge When it falls to approximately 43 ats.(44.5 kg/cm2), the whistle should sound

Preparation for Use

1 Demist mask visor with anti-dim solution

2 Don the apparatus and adjust harness for comfortable fit

3 Open cylinder valves Put on the mask and adjust to fit by pullingthe two side straps before the lower ones

4 Inhale deeply two or three times to ensure that the air is flowing

freely from the demand valve and that the exhalation valve is

functioning correctly Hold breath and make certain that the demand

valve is shutting off on exhalation or that leakage, if any, is slight

5 Close cylinder valves and inhale until air in the apparatus is exhausted

6 Inhale deeply The mask should crush on to the face, indicating an

air-tight fit of both the mask and the exhale valve

7 Reopen cylinder valves

There are several manufacturers of breathing apparatus, and the sequence

of operations may differ slightly from that described above Caution in

following correct procedures is advised in all cases, together with regular

practice drills in the use of this type of emergency equipment

EXAMPLE: CARGO FIRES

LNG (Liquid natural gas)

Natural gas contains numerous component gases but by far the greater

percentage is methane (CH4), which represents between 60 and 95 per

cent of the total volume This fact is important when considering the

safety aspects for fire-fighters tackling an LNG fire

During the initial period of vaporisation of the gas, ignition may be

accompanied by a flash of varying proportions However, because the

velocity of propagation of a flame is lower in methane than in other

hydro-carbon gases, it is unlikely that future ignition will have flash effect

The fire-fighting plan should be well thought out in advance and a

concentrated effort made rather than ‘hit and run’ tactics, as these will

only consume the vessel’s extinguishing facilities without extinguishing

the fire Before attempting to tackle a large fire, you should seriously

consider allowing the fire to burn itself out

Should an attempt to extinguish the fire be made, extensive use of

‘dry powder’ should be employed from as many dispensers as can be

brought to bear Fire-fighters should be well protected against heat

radiation and possible flash burns, and approach the fire from an upwind

direction Power dispensers should sweep the entire area of the fire, but

direct pressure of powder jets on to the surface of the liquid should be

avoided

Should dry powder guns be used, fire-fighters should be well practised

in their use and be prepared for some kick-back effect They should also

be made aware that there is no cooling effect from the use of dry

powder, and that re-ignition after a fire has been extinguished is a

distinct possibility

In the initial stages it is always preferable to isolate the fire by shutting

off the source of fuel This may not, however, always be possible

A final warning when tackling an LNG fire is that water should not

be used directly, as this will accelerate vaporisation of the liquid This is

not to say that surrounding bulkheads and decks cannot be cooled down

with water sprays, provided that water running off is not allowed to mix

with burning LNG

Cotton (Class ‘F’ fire)

Cotton is a cargo liable to spontaneous combustion and one which isextremely difficult to bring under control Cotton cargoes are such thatthey are shipped in bales of 500 or 700 lb (227 or 318 kg) A heavy cargo,cotton is often stowed in lower holds for stability reasons and to form abase for later cargo It is cargo where the prevention of the fire initially

is preferable to knowing how to tackle it, should it occur

Cotton bales should be dry and free of oil marks, tightly bound andseen to be in good condition at the onset of loading Stringent observation

of ‘no smoking’ in and around cargo holds should be observed bystevedores and ship’s personnel Bare metalwork in holds should becovered to prevent moisture contact with cargo and spar ceiling should beinspected to ensure that bales do not come into contact with the shell plate.Should an outbreak of fire occur, the only sure way of extinguishing

it is to dig out the effected area This practice is not at all easy for crewmembers, who are inexperienced at handling heavy bales for any length

of time Deviation to a port for discharge may become the only alternative,depending on the size of the fire at the time of discovery and the ability

to extinguish it

If successful in digging out burning or smouldering bales of cottonjettison them overboard Re-ignition of cotton bales can occur, evenafter they have been totally immersed in water Bales which appear to beextinguished will all too easily flare up after a thorough hosing down

If breathing apparatus air supply is restricted and for other reasons itproves impossible to tackle the fire direct, containment should be thenext consideration This is probably best achieved by the battening down

of the compartment and the injection of CO2 while heading for a portwith the necessary facilities Boundary cooling should be carried out on

as many of the six sides of the fire as are accessible Any deviation of thevessel’s course should be noted in the ship’s log book

Coal (Class ‘F’ fire)

All coal cargoes give off an inflammable gas, and when this mixes withcritical proportions of oxygen, then explosion and/or fire may be theend result The gas given off by the coal is lighter than air and during thevoyage it will work its way to the upper surface of the cargo It isessential that coal is therefore provided with ‘surface ventilation’ to clearaway any build-up of accumulated gas Surface ventilation is achievedduring the voyage by raising the outer corners of hatch slabs (conventionalhatches) or opening ‘booby entrance hatches’ Steel hatch covers should

be raised on their wheels, provided at all times that weather permits suchaction Ventilators should always be properly trimmed

All types of coal, whether of the ‘anthracite, lignite or brown coal’varieties, are subject to spontaneous combustion A close watch should

be maintained on hold temperatures during passage and correct ventilationallowed to reduce temperatures in the event of over-heating It is worthnoting that coal increases its temperature by its absorption of oxygen.Correct ventilation for this cargo must therefore be considered to besurface ventilation only, for a limited period

Should fire break out, early positive hose action will probably be the

best way of containing it However, personnel may not be able to spend

much time on fire-fighting because of the excessive heat or the amount

of smoke within the space Breathing apparatus will be essential and the

air supply in bottles may further restrict conventional means of fighting

the fire

The injection of CO2 or steam smothering must be considered at an

early stage, should conventional methods become impractical It will be

totally dependent on the size of the fire whether these two agents will

effectively extinguish it At the very best they will contain the blaze to

a degree and will certainly buy time for the Master to investigate safe

port options Alternatively, the final option would be to flood the space

with water Close investigation of the ship’s ‘damage stability notes’

should be made before taking this action, with particular attention to the

free surface effect of flooding such a large space, though in a compartment

filled with coal there would be little free surface effect

Hold preparation before loading coal will play a major part in averting

a fire, and the following points are recommended:

1 Clean the hold space of residual debris

2 Remove spar ceiling

3 Remove any dunnage clear of the space

4 Make provision for obtaining temperatures at different levels of the

cargo

5 Trim the cargo throughout and on completion of loading

Fish Meal (Class ‘F’ fire)

Fish meal is a bagged cargo which is probably one of the most likely to

catch fire while the ship is on passage from the loading port, due to

spontaneous combustion Experience has shown that vessels employed

in the carriage of ‘fish meal’ must take stringent precautions when loading

(Figure 7.10) Extensive ventilation channels must be allowed for at the

onset of loading and these channels must not be allowed to become

blocked by falling bags of cargo

Bags stowed off steelwork

Figure 7.10 Fish meal stowage.

NB Coal fires when treated with water will generate considerable volumes of steam This steam must be vented or the compartment may become pressurised.

Deck officers should be particularly aware that during loading bagsshould be sighted to ensure they are in good condition and dry Telltaledamp stains on the bags indicate that the cargo has been exposed to rainand that the contents are wet These bags should be rejected at all cost.Officers should be provided with injection thermometers for thepurpose of testing bags during loading Any batch with excessively hightemperatures should also be rejected Temperatures during the voyageshould be taken at least twice a day and a watch maintained on thefollowing temperatures for every space containing fish meal:

1 Hold temperatures

2 Ventilation inlet temperature

3 Ventilation outlet temperature

4 Ventilation channel temperature

5 Random bag selection temperature

The hold should be thoroughly cleaned and steelwork covered withinsulation paper before stowage begins Bilge suctions and scuppers shouldalso be inspected and tested before loading Temperature and condition

of bags should be checked at the onset of loading

Large amounts of dunnage will be required for this cargo and wherestowage is to commence on a steel deck, double dunnage must be laid

It is important that all dunnage is dry and free of oil marks Single layers

of dunnage should be placed at every height of seven bags Ventilationchannels of approximately 12 in (30 cm) should separate double tiers ofbags Provision should be made for positioning thermometers at all levels

of cargo, in all spaces containing fish meal

If there is an outbreak of fire, close off all ventilation as soon aspossible after the alarm has been raised Make an immediate assessment

of the fire area, and attempt to extinguish small fires, preferably by use ofdry powder

If it is found that a major fire is already well established, ensure thatall ventilation is cut off and inject CO2 If this action fails to extinguishthe blaze, then hose action may be the only alternative Should hoseshave to be brought to bear, then they should be as close to the fire aspossible before being turned on All bags of fish meal that are soaked bythe hose action should be jettisoned as soon as the fire has been extinguished.Hoses should not be used except as a last resort to save the bulk ofcargo and the ship itself Considerable spoilage of the bags will occurwith hose action, and the likelihood of further outbreaks of fire becomesmore probable rather than less Correct stowage in the first instance, withcontinual checks on temperature conditions throughout the passage, willlimit the chance of fire, and give ample warning should it occur

SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

ACTION BY VESSEL IN DISTRESS

A ship in distress should transmit an appropriate distress alarm signal,followed by a distress message This message should include the followingmain points:

(a) Identification of the vessel in distress.

(b) Position of the vessel in distress.

(c) Nature of the distress and the assistance required,

(d ) Other relevant information to facilitate the rescue, e.g number of

persons leaving the ship, number remaining on board, Master’sintentions etc

In addition to the main points mentioned above, further informationregarding influencing factors should be passed on to assisting vessels.These may include:

1 Weather conditions in the immediate area of the ship in distress

2 Details of casualties and state of injuries

3 Navigational hazards, e.g icebergs etc

4 Numbers of crew and passengers

5 Details of survival craft aboard and of craft launched

6 Emergency location aids available at the scene of distress and aboardsurvival craft

A series of short messages is preferable to one or two long messages.Vessels in distress should use the time preceding a rescue attempt tominimise the risk of increased numbers of casualties This could be done

by reducing numbers aboard the stricken vessel by allowing non-essentialpersonnel to disembark Some companies now employ this technique asstandard practice, but it should be used with extreme caution, and mustdepend on weather conditions for the launching of survival craft and the

degree of danger present aboard the parent vessel, bearing in mind thatthe mother ship provides the best form of protection while it remainssustainable.

MASTER’S OBLIGATIONS

In accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life

at Sea, Masters have an obligation to render assistance to a person orpersons in distress, if it is within their power Any Master of a vessel atsea, on receiving a signal for assistance from another ship, aircraft orsurvival craft, is bound to proceed with all possible speed to the scene ofthe signal If possible, he should inform the distressed party that assistance

is on its way If the Master of a ship is unable, or under special circumstancesconsiders it unreasonable or unnecessary, to proceed to the scene ofdistress, then he must enter that reason in the log book

The Master of a vessel in distress which has made a request forassistance has the right to requisition one or more of those vessels whichhave answered his distress call It will be the duty of the Masters of thosevessels so requisitioned to comply with their call to assist and proceedwith all speed to the distress scene

The Master of an assisting vessel will be released from his obligations

to assist when he learns that one or other vessels have been requisitionedand that, because they are complying, his own vessel is no longer required

He may also be released from further obligation to assist by an assistingvessel which has reached the distress scene and considers additionalassistance is no longer required

OBLIGATIONS OF RESCUING CRAFT

On receipt of a distress message any vessel in the immediate vicinity ofthe distressed vessel should acknowledge that the message has beenreceived Should the craft in distress not be in the immediate area, then

a short interval of time should be allowed to pass before acknowledgment

of the distress signal is despatched, so that other ships in close proximitymay give prior acknowledgment

The Master should immediately be informed that a distress messagehas been received, and whether acknowledgment has been sent by othervessels, together with the positions of the vessel in distress and would-berescue craft The Master will cause an entry to be made in the radio logbook, or radio telephone log

Bearing the latter statement in mind, the Master of any vessel inreceipt of a distress message may repeat that message on any frequency

or channel that he knows to be in common use in that area

WHEN ASSISTANCE IS NO LONGER REQUIRED

Any casualty having despatched a distress message and finding that the

assistance being provided is adequate may effectively reduce the level of

communications to those pre-fixed by the urgency signal

Any decision to reduce communications from a distress to an urgency

level must be the responsibility of the Master in command of the distressed

vessel, or his authorised representative Receiving stations should bear in

mind that a very urgent situation exists and the resumption of normal

working conditions must be made with extreme caution Table 8.1 illustrates

types of signal

T ABLE 8.1 Emergency signals

radiotelephone radiotelegraph

other frequency at any time

other surface craft (Figure 8.1), or with aircraft It can be expected that

a specialised unit like a warship or military aircraft would assume the

duties of the On Scene Co-ordinator (OSC), and co-ordinate the other

search units in the area Communications will be established on 2182

kHz or VHF channel 16, if possible Failing this, a relay should be

established between surface vessels and a coast radio station (CRS) to

aircraft

Surface vessels when engaged with aircraft in a co-ordinated search

(Figure 8.2) could expect items of a specialist nature to be dropped into

a search or rescue area These items would probably be in the form of:

1 Parachute flares for illumination purposes

2 Individual life rafts or pairs of life rafts joined by a buoyant rope

3 Dye markers or flame floats

4 Buoyant radio beacons and/or transceivers

5 Salvage pumps and related equipment

Should specialist units not be engaged in the search area then the Master

of the vessel going to the assistance of the distressed vessel must assume

the position of On Scene Co-ordinator (OSC) and communicate with

Ship’s course – directed by OSC

4 4 12

8 Course approach 16 10 10

Parallel track search

by two vessels (in miles)

4

Length of search

20 miles

Width of search 24 miles

Figure 8.1 Sea search by one and two vessels.

Expanding square search by one vessel (in miles)

AIRCRAFT IN DISTRESSThe distress message may vary with the time available from the onset ofthe emergency and the effective landing or ditching of the aircraft.However, when time permits, civil aircraft will transmit a distress call andsubsequent distress message as follows:

Distress call by radiotelephony

1 The spoken words ‘Mayday, Mayday, Mayday’

2 The words ‘This is ’

3 The identity of the aircraft, spoken three times

4 The radio frequency used in the transmission of the distress call

Distress message

1 Either ‘Mayday’ or SOS

2 The call sign of the aircraft

3 Information relating to the type of distress and the kind of assistancerequired

4 The position of the aircraft and the time of that position

5 The heading of the aircraft (true or magnetic)

6 The indicated air speed (in knots)

7 Any other relevant information which would aid and effect a recoveryoperation, e.g intentions of the person in command, nature ofany casualties, possibility of ditching, survival facilities available ornot

The term ‘heading’ when applied to an aircraft refers to the direction ofthe aircraft when in the air Allowance must then be made for windeffect to ascertain the true direction over the sea Indicated airspeed doesnot take into account the effect of the wind This should be estimated toobtain a more realistic speed over the water If the aircraft is to beditched, the aircraft’s radio transmitter may be left in the operative position,depending on circumstances

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SURFACE CRAFT AND AIRCRAFTMerchant vessels engaged in search and rescue operations (SAR) withmilitary aircraft should maintain a VHF watch on Channel 16.Surface vessels should use their normal call sign in communicatingwith an aircraft Should the call sign of the aircraft be unknown, then theterm ‘Hawk’, may be used in place of the aircraft call sign When anaircraft is in the process of establishing communications with a surfacecraft without knowing the call sign of the vessel, the aircraft may use theinquiry call ‘CQ’ in place of the vessel’s normal call sign

Under the GMDSS legislation, vessels will be required

to carry two Search & Rescue Transponders (SARTs).

These operate on the 9 GHz for 3 cm radar The

effective range is approximately 5 nautical miles and

their function is expected to enhance search and

rescue operations The radar signature from a SART

would appear initially as a line of 12 dashes on the

observer’s screen This signature will change to a series

of concentric circles as the range of the target is

closed.

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) – Survival Craft

The regulations require that all ships constructed after 1 July, 1986 will

be equipped with one manually activated Emergency Position Indicating

Radio Beacon which complies with the regulations, stowed on either

side of the ship Their stowage should be such that they can be deployed

in any of the survival craft rapidly, with the exception of the life rafts

required by Regulation 26.1.4 (Regarding the stowage of additional life

rafts on cetain vessels.)

Survival craft EPIRBs shall at least be capable of transmitting alternately

or simultaneously signals complying with the relevant standards and

recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization

(ICAO) on the frequencies 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz The transmission

from an EPIRB shall enable aircraft to locate the survival craft and may

also provide alert facilities

Survival craft EPIRBs shall:

(a) be of a highly visible colour, so designed that they can be used by

an unskilled person Their construction should be such that they

may be easily tested and maintained and their batteries shall not

require replacement at intervals of less than 12 months, taking

into account testing arrangements;

(b) be watertight, and capable of floating and being dropped into the

water without damage from a height of at least 20 m;

(c) be capable of manual activation and de-activation only;

(d) be portable, lightweight and compact;

(e) be provided with indication that signals are being emitted;

( f ) derive their energy supply from a battery forming an integral

part of the device and having sufficient capacity to operate the

apparatus for a period of 48 hours The transmission may be

intermittent Determination of the duty cycle should take into

account the probability of homing being properly carried out,

the need to avoid congestion on the frequencies and the need to

comply with the requirements of the ICAO

( g ) be tested and, if necessary, have their source of energy replaced at

intervals not exceeding 12 months

SURFACE TO SURFACE RESCUEDepending on circumstances, the options are the following:

1 Lower ship’s lifeboat/emergency boat and begin recovery

2 Use of rocket line, messenger and hawser to draw survival craft off

the distressed vessel

3 Go alongside the distressed vessel

4 Establish a tow if the stricken vessel will remain afloat

5 Head to wind and part open stern door (RoRo vessel) on to distressed

vessel

6 Use own life raft and drift survival craft towards distressed vessel on

a towline

7 Transfer personnel by breeches buoy

8 Position rescue vessel’s bow close to fo’c’ sle head of distressed vessel

See GMDSS detail on page 245–247 (Part 1)

Use of Lifeboat/Rescue Boat

This is by far the most favoured method of taking people off a sinkingvessel, though it is only practical in comparatively good weather Attempting

to put a lifeboat down at sea in anything over a Force 6 would mostsurely endanger your own crew This is not to say that it should not beattempted if no other method is available Full use of the parent shipshould be made to provide a lee for the boat when it is in the water.Transfer of personnel into a smaller craft, like a lifeboat or rescue boat,

is extremely hazardous Coxswains of rescue craft have found withexperience that both vessels will probably ride easier with a followingsea To this end Masters are advised to conform to the heading and thespeed dictated by the coxswain of the rescue craft This is, of course,provided that the ship is able to manoeuvre

Use of Rocket Line

Extreme caution should be used with this method, after first establishinggood communications A rocket should not be propelled towards a tanker,but a tanker may propel one to the rescuing vessel Do not attempt thetransfer until a messenger line has established a strong towing hawserbetween the two vessels

Securing the towing hawser to a survival craft like a life raft mayprove difficult It would be unwise to secure the hawser to the towingpatch attached to the life raft, as these towing patches have been known

to pull adrift under excess weight A possible method would be to punch

a hole through the double floor of the raft and pass the towing hawseraround the main buoyancy chamber If this method is adopted, it would

be wise to guard against rope burn by parcelling between the towlineand the raft fabric with appropriate protective material This methodwould mean the loss of watertight integrity inside the raft itself, but as

it would not be expected to be in use for long, this would not be tooserious, especially as the raft is being used for transportation and not forlong term survival

Going Alongside

An appropriate method when the weather is so bad that the launching

of a rescue craft would endanger your own crew members, this manoeuvreneeds extreme care to avoid structural damage to either ship Dueconsideration should be given before going alongside to the risks of fire,explosion or other similar effect arising from the distressed vessel Thepossibility of escaping gas from some vessels must not be forgotten, and,

to this end, the direction of the wind should be considered and thesubsequent approach made with extreme caution

Apart from the type of vessel in distress, which may vary, the structure,especially freeboard, will influence the decision to take the option ofgoing alongside The objective of removing personnel from a sinkingvessel must be given priority, e.g higher freeboard vessels like Roll on–Roll off moving on to a small fishing craft, may well defeat the objective

of saving life

This option may not always be available to a rescue vessel The question

of the distressed vessel’s ability to remain afloat long enough to complete

the operation will influence any Master’s decision In any event, where

there is doubt, personnel would have to be removed

Thought should be given to the prospect of beaching the distressed

vessel if suitable ground is on hand and main engine power is still

available to the stricken vessel See Chapter 6 on beaching and Chapter

9 on towing

Special Operations (Ro Ro vessel)

Today, with specialist trades engaged on the oceans of the world, certain

vessels are specially equipped to tackle specific tasks Bearing this in

mind, a Roll on–Roll off vessel may find it possible to open her stern

door partly, to assist in a rescue operation The construction of the stern

door would be a determining factor, namely, the freeboard to the level

of the ‘hinge’ must be adequate to allow such action

It should be borne in mind that special circumstances could call for

bold but not foolhardy action Once the stern door is opened, even by

the smallest amount, watertight integrity of the vehicle deck is lost

Should a main engine failure occur or hydraulics fail to operate the

locking of the door when required, the watertight integrity of the ship

would be lost for an indefinite period

The recovery of physically fit survivors by means of scrambling nets

over a part opened stern door/ramp cannot be ruled out as being a

viable method of rescue Use of bow thrusters to maintain the ship’s

head into wind would greatly assist the operation This method would

obviously be dependent on the circumstances at the time, especially the

weather conditions, but may prove more acceptable than launching own

boats, or causing a swamping situation by going alongside a smaller vessel

with an incompatible height of freeboard

Use of Own Life Rafts

This method could be used in circumstances where the distressed craft

had no life rafts of her own or when a connection with a rocket line

cannot be established A similar method of securing the towline to the

raft as that already described on p 194 is recommended

The disadvantage of this particular method is that control of the raft,

drifting towards the distressed vessel, will be difficult, especially when

compared with transfer by use of the established messenger, as described

on p 193 The use of oil should be considered if sea conditions warrant

such action, but caution should be exercised, especially if there are

survivors in the water or about to enter the water

Use of Breeches Buoy

This is a very doubtful proposition and would be extremely difficult tocarry through successfully The operation is complicated and requirescrews to be well practised and experienced in the ways and methods oftransfer and replenishment at sea Exceptional ship-handling would berequired by the rescuing vessel, and it would be unlikely for the averagemerchant vessel to have the required expertise and equipment to completesuch an operation

This is not to say that it could not be achieved, but even a naval vessel,well practised in transfer by jack stay, would expect to encounter somedifficulty with such a rescue operation The weather conditions wouldundoubtedly decide the matter In bad weather it would be impossible,and in fine weather the use of lifeboats or rafts would be a betterproposition (see also pp 198–203)

Vessels in Contact

This option may be compared with going alongside, but the advantage

is that your own crew are removed from the dangers associated withputting a survival craft into the water It may be an appropriate optionwhen the freeboards of both vessels are different, so that the height of thefo’c’sle head deck is above that of the distressed vessel By the added use

of scrambling nets over the bow on to the distressed vessel survivors may

be recovered

The structure of the majority of ships might make this method possible,because of the increased scantlings and additional strength in the foreend Superficial damage may occur and this should be considered beforeattempting the operation Skilled ship-handling will be required to bringabout a successful conclusion

Use of Oil

In special operations such as those described above the prudent use of oil

on the water surface can be dramatically effective The type of oilrecommended is a light vegetable or animal oil, or even light diesel oil

if that is all that is available Fuel oil should not be used After oil has beenused, a statement should be entered into the oil record book and ship’slog book

PYROTECHNICSSmoke signals, rockets and distress flares may all attract the attention ofrescuers to those in distress (see Figures 8.3 to 8.7)

Rocket Parachute Flare

These shall be contained in a water-resistant casing having brief instructions

or diagrams printed on the outside regarding their operation

The rockets when fired vertically reach an altitude of not less than

300 m and, at or near the top of its trajectory, shall eject a parachute

flare

The flare will burn bright red in colour, and will burn with an

average luminous intensity of not less than 30,000 cd The burning

period should be not less than 40 s, and have a descent rate of not more

than 5 m/s The parachute should not be damaged while burning

Figure 8.3 Distress signal rocket.

Figure 8.4 Distress flare.

Hand Flares

These shall be contained in a water-resistant casing having brief instructions

or diagrams illustrating their operation, printed on the outside.The hand flare shall burn with a bright red colour with an averageluminous intensity of not less than 15,000 cd The burning period shall

be not less than 1 min and should continue to burn after being immersedfor a 10 s period under 100 mm of water

Figure 8.5 Buoyant smoke signal.

Buoyant Smoke Floats

These shall be contained in a water-resistant casing having brief instructions

or diagrams regarding their operation printed on the outside of the case

A buoyant smoke float should not ignite in an explosive manner but

when activated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions it

should emit smoke of a highly visible colour at a uniform rate for a

period of not less than 3 min when floating in calm water It should not

emit any flame during the time of the smoke emission neither should

the signal be swamped in a seaway It must be constructed in a manner

so as to emit the smoke when submerged in water for a period of 10 s

when under 100 mm of water

BREECHES BUOYProvided that the distressed vessel is within 230 m of the coast linerescue may be carried out by means of the breeches buoy This distancemay be increased, however, by use of the coastguards’ more powerfulrocket line apparatus.

There are several methods of carrying out a rescue by means of thebreeches buoy and the more popular methods are shown in Figures 8.8and 8.9 The hawser method is being phased out by the coastguards infavour of the heath jack stay method

Figure 8.6 Smoke signal.

Securing Whip to Hawser

Seafarers in the past have experienced some difficulty in understanding

how the hawser is secured to the whip for the purpose of hauling off to

the stricken vessel The recognised method employed by the coastguard

is as follows

A bight is formed in the whip and with this bight a clove hitch is

formed about 2 m from the bare end of the hawser

The end of the hawser is then passed around part of the whip and

secured by a bowline on itself This virtually makes a running bowline

about the whip The purpose of this double method of securement,

namely the clove hitch and the bowline, enables the bowline to be cast

off and the hawser tail secured before the clove hitch is released

Figure 8.7 Light and smoke marker for ‘man overboard’

emergency.

Round turn and two half hitches

Travelling block Hawser

Bridle

Tail block Round turn and two half hitches Breeches buoy

Endless whip

Steadying line

Instruction tally board

Figure 8.8 Rigging the breeches buoy.

At no time during the operation is the hawser left unsecured.Consequently, it cannot be accidentally let go and lost When securingwith the hawser method, mariners should remember that it is important

to pass the tail end of the hawser up between the two parts of the whiponce the bowline has been cast off The hawser is secured by a roundturn and two half hitches approximately 1–2 m above the secured tailblock

General Notes on Use

It is not uncommon for rescue methods by means of the breeches buoytechnique to vary from coast station to coast station Although the principlesare the same wherever the operation is performed, geography andcircumstances may necessitate variations in method

For example, survivors may be hauled ashore through the water ratherthan above it If this method is used, the occupants of the buoy may farebetter if placed in backwards This position will allow the breathingpassages to remain clear, reducing the risk of drowning while beingpulled ashore

The possibility of inflating a life raft and securing it to a travellingblock in place of the single buoy should not be ruled out The raft would

of course, be pulled through the water, and the method might be chosenwhen a considerable number of people have to be rescued

The successful rescue of children and injured people always posesserious problems The fact that the rescue is being attempted at all wouldindicate that the ship will almost certainly break up with loss of life if theattempt is not made In these circumstances, any persons rescued must beconsidered fortunate The saying ‘better to have tried and failed thannever to have tried at all’ may be appropriate Small children are bestplaced in the breeches buoy in a sling or in the strong arms of an adult.Sending a child with an adult may tax the gear being used, and the order

in which they should go should be carefully assessed at the time.With regard to injured persons, the way in which they are handledwill depend on the state of their injuries The shore party may have theadvice of a doctor, but this cannot always be assumed Limited equipment

in the way of Neil Robertson stretchers may not always be readilyavailable either

Sometimes the breeches buoy may be used in reverse Once in NorthernIreland it was used to send fire brigade officers aboard a ship to inspectexplosive and gaseous cargoes

Rocket Line Throwing Apparatus

The rocket line throwing apparatus (Figure 8.10), once fired, will beaffected by the force of the wind acting on the rocket line The rocket,however, should be aimed directly at the target or if anything a littledownwind of the target, but never into the wind The manufacturerstend to build into the rocket a limit of deflection This is not always thecase but when the deflection is taken into account, it equates to

Endless whip, no hawser Travelling block riding

weather whip

Lee whip from

travelling block

Endless whip, no hawser, no travelling block

Endless whip, no hawser

Figure 8.9 Alternative rigs for breeches buoy.

These methods of rescue are not used regularly by British

coast guards.

NB The use of helicopters have generally

superseded the use of breeches buoy operations