Where candidates fall down
Most candidates know the sequence for launching a liferaft but conflate it with launching a lifeboat, muddle the command structure once in the water, and give vague answers about recovering a rescue boat in a seaway. Examiners frequently report that candidates cannot distinguish between launching and managing survival craft once deployed — the oral expects both.
Survival Craft — Launch
On yachts under 3000 GT the primary survival craft is almost always an inflatable liferaft (SOLAS-approved or, for Category C/D, a lesser standard). Key actions before launching:
- Confirm abandon ship order from master.
- Don lifejackets and immersion suits; grab EPIRB, SART/AIS-SART, grab bag.
- Release hydrostatic release (HRU) or manually deploy; ensure painter is secured to the vessel before throwing the canister.
- Throw the raft clear of the vessel; pull the painter firmly to trigger inflation. Under the LSA Code (4.1.6.1) the painter must be not less than 10 m plus the distance from the stowed position to the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition, or 15 m, whichever is the greater — so 15 m is the minimum floor, not a fixed rule. Do not cut the painter until the raft is fully inflated and boarded.
- Board as dry as possible — if forced to enter the water, board from downwind side.
- Cut painter only when clear of the sinking vessel and all persons are aboard.
Survival Craft — Management Once Deployed
This is where candidates weaken. The OOW must demonstrate they can lead in the raft:
- Muster, count survivors, treat injuries (first aid).
- Stream sea anchor immediately to reduce drift and maintain orientation into swell.
- Ventilate or close canopy depending on weather; prevent hypothermia and seasickness.
- Operate signalling equipment: EPIRB, SART, flares (day signals vs. night signals), signal mirror.
- Maintain a watch rota for lookout and bailing.
- Ration water from survival pack — never ration food on day one; never drink seawater.
- Keep a log of position, time, condition of survivors.
- If multiple rafts, tie together unless sea state dictates separation.
Recovery of Rescue Boat
Recovery in a seaway is the most operationally hazardous evolution:
- Mother vessel manoeuvres to provide a lee; rescue boat approaches from leeward.
- Coxswain idles into the falls/davit hook — crew do not stand under the hook.
- Hook on the bow fall first (prevents swinging), then stern fall; both falls tensioned simultaneously before lifting.
- Helmsman maintains steerage way to hold the lee throughout the lift.
- Once clear of the water, secure with gripes before personnel disembark.
- In severe conditions consider streaming a line for the rescue boat to haul alongside before connecting falls.
Regulatory context: Equipment carriage and survival craft requirements for small commercial vessels and yachts flow from the applicable yacht code — the Red Ensign Group Yacht Code (REG YC Part A, which superseded LY3) — together with SOLAS LSA requirements where applicable. MSN 1858 sets the certification and manning framework underpinning these drills; it does not itself specify equipment carriage standards. Candidates should be aware of what equipment is required to be carried, as this determines what is available to manage in a survival situation.