Safety at sea

Ten generic-module questions, with plenty on stability, helicopter rescue and beacons.

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Stability

G is the centre of gravity, C the centre of buoyancy and M the metacentre. There is equilibrium when weight and buoyancy are equal and on the same vertical.

M above G: stable. G above M: unstable. Together: neutral. A small GM gives a tender boat. A large GM gives a stiff boat.

G follows the weight that moves. Raising a weight raises G and reduces GM.

Rescue

Let the helicopter cable touch the water, never tie it on, and keep your arms down in the harness.

EPIRB: satellite alert. SART: answers radars at 9 GHz.

Activities

• StabilityHeel the hull, move the load and watch G, C, M and the righting arm.
• Gear on boardPlace each piece of safety gear and hull or deck fitting on the boat.
• ProceduresDistress call, helicopter and anchoring, step by step.
• Decisions on boardFire, leaks, person overboard and more.
• VHF radio & distressMAYDAY, PAN-PAN, MAYDAY RELAY, SÉCURITÉ, DSC DISTRESS button, English Mayday audio and Channels 16, 70 and 9.

Questions in this unit

• The point where the resultant of all the boat’s weights acts is the
• When the centre of gravity coincides with the metacentre, the vessel
• According to Salvamento Marítimo’s website, during a helicopter rescue what is compulsory?
• A boat is in unstable equilibrium when:
• A boat’s displacement acts at the:
• During a helicopter rescue, what must NOT be done when the helicopter is close?
• Sailing in zone 2 we must abandon the boat. Which measure must we NOT take?
• What is a ship’s centre of buoyancy for a given waterline?
• A boat’s displacement acts at:
• Parachute flare rockets burn
• What is a SART?
• Mark the correct answer:
• Recommendations for safety equipment:
• Righting a capsized liferaft, to pull most effectively on the straps under it, you should be:
• If we move a fixed weight vertically downward:
• How does the centre of gravity move when a weight is moved upward?
• The “centre of buoyancy” is:
• The “righting couple” is:
• Metacentric height:
• On hand flares, rockets and smoke signals, mark the correct answer:
• In a helicopter evacuation, which statement is correct?
• We call displacement:
• A radar reflector is:
• A vessel’s tendency to regain the upright when heeled by an external force is called:
• On abandoning the boat, which devices should we take to the liferaft?
• When abandoning the boat:
• What will we NOT do when about to be rescued from the raft by helicopter?
• The transmission frequency of a Cospas-Sarsat EPIRB is:
• “Displacement” is:
• On what frequency does the radar transponder (SART) work?
• Before the rescue helicopter arrives, on which channel do we talk to it?
• If we see a bright red light, which pyrotechnic signal is it?
• Lifejackets carried on recreational boats:
• The liferaft’s hydrostatic release unit:
• What is the centre of gravity of a boat’s submerged volume called?
• Lifebuoys shall be fitted with:
• Lifejackets must turn an unconscious person over in no more than 5 seconds, keeping the mouth out of the water.
• About the centre of gravity, what is true?
• The SART can be switched on or off:
• The hydrostatic release operates automatically at a depth of:
• A vessel with a very large metacentric height is considered:
• On an upright boat, moving one or more weights athwartships results in:
• The metal items made of eight trihedrals joined at the vertex, usually high on a boat, are:
• When being rescued by helicopter, what must we not do?
• On boarding a liferaft, the skipper should:
• At which points are the vessel’s weight and buoyancy taken to act?
• A vessel is in port. Shifting weights athwartships relates to:
• The hydrostatic release must be fired by hand:
• In a helicopter evacuation, the boat keeps her speed, if any, and a course, if she can, of:
• A hand flare should be fired:
• The radar transponder (SART) activates:
• When using a dry powder extinguisher you should:
• When a boat in port heels 20º, this concerns:
• The floating smoke signal:
• When the depth where the boat sinks is less than the liferaft painter’s length:
• Once we are in the liferaft, the radar transponder:
• Which of these causes does NOT reduce the metacentric height?
• A boat in neutral equilibrium after heeling: why does she not return upright?
• In transverse stability at large angles:
• With all crew in the liferaft still tied to the vessel by the painter, which action is NOT correct?
• To stow and secure a liferaft aboard, it is best to:
• The extinguishers especially suited to fires with live electrical equipment are:
• Water extinguishers are totally prohibited on fires of class:
• When a boat heels and keeps the heel instead of returning upright, she has:
• To use a smoke signal correctly:
• In a helicopter evacuation, what must we NOT do when the cable is lowered?
• All smoke signals, flares and parachute rockets must be kept in a case that is:
• About using the radar transponder:
• An EPIRB distress beacon:
• A floating smoke signal, other than the man-overboard type, must give very visible smoke evenly for at least:
• The centre of buoyancy force is taken to act at:
• The floating smoke signal:
• Facing imminent danger and forced to abandon the vessel, which option is right?
• If the rescue helicopter sends us a cable, we must:
• When we shift weights to a point below the vessel’s centre of gravity:
• In a boat with neutral equilibrium:
• Smoke signals:
• When abandoning the boat, whenever possible we should board the liferaft:
• A vessel rolls quickly and violently if:
• If a hydrostatic release unit is used for the liferaft, it will:
• Mark the INCORRECT answer: in a liferaft, to avoid dehydration it is advisable to:
• On helicopter rescue, per Salvamento Marítimo, mark the statement that is NOT CORRECT:
• Using the handheld VHF after abandoning ship, which channel do we use to send a distress call?
• The boat’s centre of gravity:
• Inflatable liferafts are packed in a container that:
• Fire buckets may not be used for:
• What is our boat’s equilibrium if the metacentre is above the centre of gravity?
• Mark the correct statement on transverse static stability:
• The metacentre is where the vessel’s centreline plane meets:
• Mark the correct statement:
• Being rescued by a Salvamento Marítimo helicopter, which statement is NOT CORRECT?
• The liferaft has a canopy that:
• Mark the INCORRECT answer when abandoning the boat in a liferaft:
• When an upright vessel is heeled by an external force and keeps the heel instead of righting, she has:
• Mark the correct statement about the radar transponder:
• To keep the liferaft as steady as possible to the wind when inflated or afloat, it carries:
• On helicopter rescue, per Salvamento Marítimo, mark the INCORRECT statement:
• The metacentre is:
• If the hydrostatic release cannot be fired by hand, it fires automatically:
• Must EPIRBs on board be registered?
• How long must a parachute rocket flare burn?
• Mark the INCORRECT statement on liferaft canopy requirements:
• When abandoning ship, if you have no raft, it will not release or it is punctured...
• When abandoning the boat:
• The difference between EPIRB and RESART equipment
• What equipment is used to make a boat in trouble more visible?
• The portable extinguishers carried on board:
• What types of equilibrium can a boat have?:
• What must not be done in an emergency?:
• In an evacuation, to contact the rescue helicopter before it arrives, you should…
• If a boat’s centre of gravity (G) moves to a lower position:
• When the boat moves with the sea (rolling and pitching):
• Starting from equilibrium, if on heeling a yacht cannot by its own means return to the initial position once the disturbing cause has passed, the equilibrium is…
• In a boat, the resultant upward thrust of all the water pressures on the hull is applied at:
• The first inspection of an inflatable liferaft, once installed and in service, must take place...
• A boat with positive metacentric height, after a lurch:
• On liferafts, if a hydrostatic release is used, it will:
• Mark the correct statement about using portable extinguishers:
• The kinds of equilibrium are:
• The liferaft’s sea anchor:
• Mark the CORRECT statement on pyrotechnic signals:
• In a vessel in neutral equilibrium, if we move a weight above the centre of gravity:
• If a vessel in port is shifting weights athwartships, the stability involved is:
• About hand flares, mark the CORRECT statement:
• What is the item streamed from a liferaft to prevent drift called?
• Using fresh water from a tank forward and below the centre of gravity will cause:
• When the rescue helicopter is near our liferaft, may we fire a parachute rocket?
• When abandoning the boat, what do we do with the radar transponder?
• Where should extinguishers be stowed aboard?
• In a helicopter rescue of a sailing boat:
• Which item is NOT compulsory on a lifejacket?
• On which equipment can the SART signal be seen, to help locate a casualty?
• Which statement about lifebuoys is FALSE?
• What colour must lifejacket lights be?
• Which statement about floating smoke signals is true?
• When can a boat’s displacement change under way?
• Can an ABC extinguisher be used on a fire with electricity present?
• Where is the best place to mount a radar reflector?
• Which of these actions is NOT right when using parachute rockets?
• Which of these actions is right when abandoning the boat?
• The point where the hull’s vertical axis upright crosses the vertical through the centre of buoyancy when heeled is the:
• Mark the FALSE answer about a CO2 extinguisher:
• Which feature of the parachute rocket flare is FALSE?
• If the boat heels in a lurch, fails to recover and heels further, the equilibrium is:
• What flash rate must a lifebuoy’s self-igniting light have if it flashes?
• To correct a heel to starboard and reduce metacentric height, which way should a weight be moved?
• Which visual signal need not be bright red?
• Once afloat, how long can a liferaft withstand exposure?
• Using VHF to call for help on abandoning the boat, what details do we give after MAYDAY?
• Which action is NOT RIGHT while waiting in a liferaft to be rescued?
• As a general rule, how often must a liferaft’s hydrostatic release be replaced once fitted?
• Under way, what makes a boat’s displacement change?
• Which statement about lifebuoys is FALSE? (heavy-weather stowage)
• In an emergency on a sailing boat involving a helicopter, we must:
• Mark the FALSE answer about the liferaft container:
• Which action is NOT advisable to avoid dehydration in a liferaft?
• Where can we see whether a powder extinguisher may be used on live electrical equipment?
• A vessel is in unstable equilibrium when:
• Which statement about inflatable lifejackets is true?
• If we lose a lifebuoy:
• Which place is NOT suitable for stowing a safety harness?
• When a boat under way burns fuel, which element stays unchanged?
• Up to what speed can a fully loaded liferaft be towed in calm water?
• How long will a hand flare keep burning after being dunked 100 mm deep?
• If a liferaft cannot be released by hand, the hydrostatic release frees it at a depth of:
• Which item will NOT be marked on an inflatable liferaft’s container?
• Mark the correct answer about the passive radar reflector:
• Which action is NOT advisable in a liferaft?
• Floating smoke signals
• If we move a weight vertically upwards on a boat:
• Static stability is defined as:
• While in the liferaft before being rescued:
• Extinguishers on board:
• Hand flares carried on board:
• We fill a tank on the port side of our boat. What effect will this have on board?:
• Choose the false answer:
• Fire buckets: which answer is not correct?:
• On a yacht, if we move a weight vertically, reducing the metacentric height…
• What effect does moving a weight within a boat have?
• Red parachute rockets must
• If a vertical shift of weights on board reduces the metacentric height…
• Hand flares must always be fired to:
• Light signals asking for help, using the sun and a possible observer as references, are made with …
• A liferaft’s hydrostatic release must be able to work …
• A parachute flare fired from a rocket will have a minimum burning time of:
• In a fire in an electrical panel, what extinguisher would you use?
• The device used to secure emergency equipment (rafts, beacons, etc.) to the ship safely, releasing it automatically afloat if the ship sinks, is called:
• Every liferaft shall be built so that, once afloat, it can withstand exposure to the weather, whatever the sea, for at least:
• Boats sailing in navigation zones 2 and 3 will carry at least:
• If you are going to be evacuated, before the helicopter arrives:
• Before abandoning the boat it is advisable to:
• If we shift one or more weights vertically, the result is:
• The safest situation for a vessel is:
• If we are forced to stay in the liferaft, it is advisable to…
• What should be done with the wire sent by a helicopter during a rescue?
• The centre of gravity of the volume of the submerged part of the vessel is called:
• During a helicopter rescue, what must you NOT do?
• The metacentre is:
• Using up water, fuel and other stores located below the vessel’s centre of gravity:
• If you have to be rescued by helicopter:
• If you have to use pyrotechnics as visual distress signals:
• Before abandoning the boat you must:
• If the boat has been abandoned and you have a portable VHF, on which channel do you make a distress call?
• What is our boat’s transverse equilibrium if it stays heeled by an outside force and GM is positive?
• A liferaft’s hydrostatic release works automatically:
• When abandoning a boat, you can in no case:
• Which way must a weight on the main deck move to correct a heel to starboard and reduce trim by the stern?
• On activating the SART, mark the CORRECT option:
• Mark the false answer.
• For a boat to float in equilibrium:
• Moving a weight horizontally from the centreline to starboard will cause:
• Regarding lifejackets:
• A boat’s tendency to recover its initial position, when acted on by outside forces with heel under 15º, is called:
• Mark the correct answer:
• On EPIRB and SART equipment, mark the correct answer:
• A boat in the Mediterranean carries a liferaft with a working hydrostatic release. What happens to it if the boat sinks?
• The satellite beacon works on:
• For distress, urgency and safety operations, the channel used is:
• The extinguishers on board…
• If we must abandon the boat and board the liferaft, what should we try to do?
• Which answer is correct?
• The device that emits a 9 GHz signal detectable by radar is known as:
• If rescued by helicopter…
• The centre of buoyancy is:
• If a fixed weight is moved vertically upwards on a vessel:
• On an upright boat, a weight is moved a distance “d” straight up:
• Which of these statements is NOT CORRECT about abandoning a boat?
• If a yacht’s GM is zero, its equilibrium is:
• How does the metacentre move when a weight is raised?
• In a helicopter evacuation…
• What will happen to a vessel whose centre of gravity is above the metacentre?
• The force acting at the centre of gravity (G):
• Metacentric height is:
• If a helicopter rescue takes place:
• The centre of buoyancy is also known as the centre of:
• When a liferaft is thrown and inflates upside down:
• Which way should a weight on the main deck move to correct a starboard heel and increase metacentric height for more stability?
• What is the EPIRB?:
• What two conditions must be met for a boat to be in equilibrium?
• The position that decides whether the equilibrium of a floating body is stable or unstable is…
• The point where all the weights, including the boat itself, are applied is called:
• Before abandoning the boat it is advisable to…
• A boat that rolls gently and is slow to recover from a heel has…
• When the rescue helicopter sends down the cable…
• If you are being rescued by helicopter…
• The “stability couple” is…
• When the centre of gravity is above the metacentre, the boat is said to be:
• If we move a weight upwards on board a boat…
• The radar transponder (SART):