Health, Safety and Emergencies FLOODING


A broken port or hatch or a hole in the hull can flood your boat. Your bilge pump will help remove the water, and you may have to use buckets to bail by hand if the situation becomes serious. Cover a port or a hatch by screwing, nailing or tying on pieces of wood, which can sometimes be found under your mattresses or the cabin sole. For holes in the hull, tie a mattress or a sail over the puncture on the outside. Use cushions, sail bags or clothing to plug the opening from the inside.


• If possible, heel the boat over so that the hole stays above water.


• Make sure the water in the bilge contains no small debris, such as wood, fiberglass, paint or dirt, that will clog the pump’s intake.


• If you’re in danger of sinking, make sure everyone on board is wearing a life jacket and knows the procedure for abandoning ship, including how to make an emergency broadcast on VHF.


Flares can be hand-held or shot into the air with a special gun to signal distress.


SIGNALING FOR HELP Before you decide to ask for outside assis- tance, determine if you can take care of the problem yourself. You may be able to get back to the harbor under your own power, or accept a tow from a friendly boat. U.S. Coast Guard and private search-and-rescue mis- sions are expensive and time-consuming. If you do need to signal for help, use the signals, either separately or together, that are recog- nized by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navigation Rules.


International Distress Signals • A smoke signal giving off orange-colored smoke. • A rocket parachute flare or a hand flare showing a red light.


• Rockets or shells, throwing red stars fired one at a time at short intervals.


• Continuous sounding of a foghorn. • “Mayday” spoken over a radiotelephone. • A signal consisting of a square flag having above or below it a ball or anything resembling a ball. • Slowly and repeatedly waving both outstretched arms.


• A radiotelegraph or radiotelephone alarm signal. • Signals transmitted by an emergency position-indi- cating radio beacon (EPIRB).


You can also call for help by repeatedly blasting an air horn to attract attention.


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