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7.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Emergency Drills One of the required regulations
on board a United States Coast Guard inspected vessel, such as the one you are
crewing on, is to have emergency drills on a regularly scheduled basis. These
drills allow a captain and crew the ability to practice for emergencies
involving fire, flooding, man over board and abandon ship. You will also have security drills. By
practicing these drills, the entire crew learns how to use the equipment
necessary for these emergencies and to know more about the vessel. Your
responsibility is to know your task for each of these emergencies. Once you
know your task and how to use the equipment, you will also have to know what
everyone else is supposed to do during the same drill. This is in case someone
is injured or delayed in getting to their assigned station. Emergencies don’t
wait and neither can you, especially if another crew member can’t do their
appointed task. Contingency Plans Because of the many different
types of passengers carried and the areas that the vessel travels in, there are
other types of emergencies that can occur such as: medical, fuel oil spills,
underway breakdowns, passenger fights or other mishaps. These are called
contingencies and are difficult to drill for. Contingency plans are sometimes
called Emergency Action Plans. Contingency
plans are written to guard against these other emergencies. Your responsibility
will be different for each individual contingency plan. The captain will
explain your job for the various contingencies that the company has prepared
for. It is important for you to learn the tasks that you will be held
accountable for. Emergency notification When you are
the first one on scene of an emergency: Step
1: Notify the captain. Location and type of emergency must be
relayed. In case of a fire, do not enter a compartment without notification or
permission. Step
2: Passenger safety is paramount. Direct the passengers away from the
emergency. Assist the passengers in the
donning of life jackets. Step
3: Size up the emergency. Do you need medical assistance? What class of fire do you have and what type
of extinguisher do you need? What will
you do to prevent spreading? Can the crew handle the problem? Communicate this info to the captain, the two keys in any emergency are to keep
calm and to keep communicating. FIRE FIGHTING General As a deckhand there is a possibility that you will
be called upon to respond to a situation that might develop into a fire.
Therefore, it is important that you understand the basics of fire behavior and
what your role as a crew member will be in fighting a fire. It is important to
remember that the easiest fire to extinguish is the one that never starts.
Strong emphasis should be placed on fire prevention and “good housekeeping” on
your vessels. If a fire does start, you must be able to extinguish it during
the early stages before it overwhelms the capabilities of the equipment and
crew. References 46 CFR 185.524 DEFINITION OF FIRE In order to fight fire,
you first need to know a little bit about it.
Four things must be present at the same
time in order to produce fire: Enough oxygen
to sustain combustion, Enough heat
to raise the material to its ignition temperature, Some sort of fuel
or combustible material, and The chemical, exothermic
reaction that is fire. Oxygen, heat, and fuel are frequently referred to
as the "fire triangle." Add in the fourth element, the chemical
reaction, and you actually have a fire "tetrahedron."
The important thing to remember is: take any of
these four things away, and you will not have a fire or the fire will be
extinguished. Essentially, fire extinguishers put out fire by taking
away one or more elements of the fire triangle/tetrahedron. Fire safety, at
its most basic, is based upon the principle of keeping fuel sources and
ignition sources separate. CLASSES
OF FIRE Fires are classified according
to one or more fire classes that designate the involvement of: types of fuel supply (solid type fuel,
liquid type fuel) electrical energy (presence or absence) There are four classes of
fire: A, B, C, D:
On our vessels we are only
capable of extinguishing the first 3 classes of fire: A, B and C. The only way
a class D fire could occur onboard is if an emergency flare – which contains
magnesium- were to malfunction. IF THIS OCCURS TOSS THE FLARE OVERBOARD. An easy way to remember A, B, C fire classes
are: A = Ash
(ordinary combustibles, wood and paper produce ash) B = Bottle
(liquids come in bottles) C = Current
(electricity) Common Extinguishing Agents Water Primarily a cooling agent, it absorbs heat and
cools burning materials. Additionally, when water turns to steam, it expands
1700 times in volume. This cloud of steam displaces the air above a fire and
smothers it. Water is effective on Class A fires, has limited effectiveness on
Class B & D fires, and SHOULD NEVER BE USED ON CLASS C FIRES BECAUSE THE RISK OF
ELECTROCUTION IS TOO GREAT. Also never use
a straight stream of water on a contained liquid fire as the force of the water
will spread the fuel. Carbon Dioxide Normally a gas, CO2 becomes
liquefied when stored under pressure as it is in our portable extinguishers.
CO2 is 1.5 times heavier than air and extinguishes the fire mainly by
smothering it. The air around the fire becomes too diluted until the oxygen
content is too low to support combustion. CO2 does not conduct electricity so
it can be used on A, B and C class fires. Multi- Purpose Chemicals These chemicals in powder form
attack the chain reaction side of the fire and also smother it by creating a
thin layer of film on the surface of the burning material. They are suitable
for A, B and C class fires. ABC Multi Purpose versus CO2 Extinguishers At Shoreline we have two types of portable extinguishers
–ABC (or Multi Purpose Chemical) and CO2. All ABC extinguishers have labels
indicating the fire classes they can be used on as well as a gauge near the
nozzle indicating pressure. These are our most common extinguishers. When
fighting a fire with an ABC extinguisher always start from 10 feet back from
the fire. ABC’s will typically last around 22 seconds. When putting the
extinguishers on deck at the start of each day you should always check to see
if each one has a correct reading on the gauge and inspect the nozzles for any
obstructions – cobwebs, debris etc… C02 Extinguishers can be
identified by large nozzle ends and the fact they have no gauge on them. They
are found mostly in engine rooms because they are more effective in confined
spaces and do not leave a residue like ABC extinguishers. CO2 have limited
effectiveness on Class A fires in open deck type areas where oxygen is abundant
– re-ignition of the fire may occur. If
you are unsure on anything relating to the use of a particular extinguisher
simply look at the label for directions.   “ABC”
TYPE CO2
TYPE DISCOVERING
A FIRE Upon discovery a fire, your first
action must be to inform the captain so that the alarm may be sounded and
assistance summoned. If the fire is relatively small you may then proceed to
extinguish it, or at least prevent it from growing in size. If you must leave
the area to inform someone, be sure to close doors behind you. The acronym to
remember is “FIRE”. F
– Find the fire. Fires may be
indicated by the presence of smoke and/ or heat. I
– Inform someone. Always let someone
else know that there is a fire. R
– Restrict the fire. Close the doors,
portholes, ventilation and cool exposures to prevent the fire from spreading. E
– Extinguish. Put the fire out using
appropriate agents and methods. Make sure the fire is completely out and that
there are no embers or smoldering materials. USING
A FIRE EXTINGUISHER When using either type of extinguisher, the acronym
to remember is PASS: P = Pull
the pin. Twist if necessary to break the plastic seal. A
= Aim the nozzle at the BASE of the fire. S
= Squeeze the handles together. S
= Sweep the stream of the extinguishing
agent back and forth at the base of the flames. When using an extinguisher it is best practice to make a quick discharge to check and see if the extinguisher is operational before you approach the fire at the proper distance indicated. Checking the extinguisher in this manner before approaching a fire is critical to ensuring personal safety. Attacking a fire only to discover that the extinguisher is not operational creates a serious personal risk.
Click here to watch "How to use a dry chemical fire extinguisher"
Click here to watch "How to use a CO2 fire extinguisher"
HOSES Every Shoreline vessel is also equipped with fire
hoses. A fire station (hose, valve and spanner wrench for disconnecting the
hose) will be found on each deck. On every fire hose is a nozzle that has three
settings: SHUT, FOG, and FULL STREAM. We often
deploy the fire hoses to scrub the decks in the morning so you will become very
familiar with how to operate them. The flow of water to the hoses is controlled
by the FIRE PUMP. Fire pumps are always found
in the engine room and have an on/ off switch in the pilot house. Under normal
operating conditions the valve to each fire hose is in the shut position. To
energize a hose remember the acronym ROOT: R
= Run out the full length of hose. O
= Open the valve to the hose (left loose,
right tight) O
= Open bail (or handle) on the nozzle T
= Turn on fire pump ELECTRICAL
PANELS If you encountered an electrical fire onboard it
would be important to secure the appropriate breakers. On every breaker panel
on Shoreline boats you’ll find individual breakers labeled “TURN OFF IN CASE OF FIRE”. These
breakers are indicated with red zip ties and usually control the electricity
for hand dryers, heaters and lights. Remember- never use water on an electrical (class C) fire. FIRE
IN THE ENGINE ROOM If there was a serious fire on the boat it would
most likely be in the engine room. BEFORE YOU ENTER THE ENGINE ROOM – ALWAYS FEEL THE
DOOR WITH THE BACK OF YOUR HAND. IF THE DOOR FEELS TOO HOT – DO NOT ENTER! If there IS a small
fire in the engine room it could be made worse by you opening the door and
letting more oxygen in to fuel it. In addition to portable extinguishers, every boat
is equipped with a FIXED FIRE SYSTEM for
the engine room space. When
activated these fixed systems fill the engine room with CO2 or a similar
substance to deplete it of oxygen. The fixed systems are used in last resort
type scenarios because it would render all engine room machinery (mains, pumps,
generators) useless. THE CAPTAIN IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE THE ORDER TO “PULL
THE CO2”. If you were given that order there are a few VERY IMPORTANT steps you would need to
take before hand: BEFORE
YOU PULL CO2 (FIXED ENGINE ROOM FIRE SYSTEM): 1.
SHUT OFF FAN, CLOSE ALL DOORS, HATCHES and VENT DAMPERS Every engine room has vents which allow air to flow
in and out of the engine room. Most boats also are equipped with engine room
fans or blowers. You would need to shut off the engine room fan and
close all vents. On every vessel shutting off the fan and closing the vents can
be done remotely (meaning you don’t have to be in the engine room where the
fire is to close them). Have a captain show you the location of VENT DAMPERS.
Dispersing massive amounts of CO2 into the engine room would be useless if
oxygen was still getting in and out of the space – remember the fire triangle –
by pulling the CO2 we are eliminating the oxygen side of the triangle. 2.
PULL THE EMERGENCY FUEL SHUT – OFFS Every Shoreline boat is also equipped with a means
of cutting off the fuel supply to all engines. Once again these are remote
pulls which do not require you to enter the engine room. Have a Captain show you where the EMERGENCY
FUEL SHUT –OFFS are. 3.
MAKE SURE NO ONE IS IN THE ENGINE ROOM It is imperative that all crew members have vacated
the engine room. Once the pin to the fixed system is pulled an alarm in the
engine room will sound indicating the imminent release of the extinguishing
agent. 4.
PULL THE CO2 The fixed system is basically a giant fire extinguisher. On most vessels
the tanks are located in a separate compartment, away from the engine room.
There are usually two ways you can pull it: From a remote location such as the
galley or on the tank(s) themselves. Have a Captain show you where the fixed CO2 Tank(s) is and
also where any remote pulls are. WAYS
IN WHICH FIRES CAN START Part of the overall safety plan
for a vessel and the company is to prevent fires from starting. Fires can start
from several different sources; some of the more common ways are discussed
below. Spontaneous
Combustion this is a method where certain products can
create their own heat. When mixed with enough oxygen in unvented areas, or
exposed to additional heat, they can start to combust and begin to burn. Rags
soaked in paint, cleaning oil, grease or other assorted chemicals when placed
in unvented areas or near heaters, etc. can burst into flames. Be careful when storing
these and the product cans that they came from. Place them only in areas
designated for their storage. Electrical
Bad
grounds on plugs, misuse of tools or kitchen equipment that leads to
overheating of the electrical motors and overloading of electrical outlets can
all cause electrical fires. If you feel extreme heat around or near the housing
and/or covering of electrical motors or smell an electrical type burning or
view smoke from anything electrical, immediately notify the pilot house. Turn
the electrical item off at the breaker box. If that can’t be located, turn off
the item itself. As a last resort, it might have to be unplugged, however, the
plug or plug ground itself might be the problem and you might be exposing
yourself to a shock if you have to unplug the item. Trash
Can Fires One of the most common types of fires is the
trash fire. This is usually caused by dumping ashtrays with still lit
cigarettes in them. Chemical
Mixture The most
common problem of mixing unknown chemicals is not immediate fire ignition, but
causing a vapor from the different chemicals that can be very harmful if
breathed. Usually this is done when trying to clean an area and you mix
different types of cleaners in order to really clean an item. This mixing of different
chemicals can cause a reaction that could lead to skin burns, nasal passage and
throat burns or worse. Rags used in cleaning should be stored properly (see
spontaneous combustion). Fuel/
Oil Spills- Environmental Protection Due to the environmental
impact, legislation and public opinion, a fuel or oil spill has to be avoided
at all costs. If you are involved in any fueling operation, offloading or
loading of oil, cooking supplies, cleaning or paint supplies, it has to be done
with the utmost responsibility. If you witness any of the above mentioned items
going into the water, or see sheen upon the water, you must notify the captain
or management immediately. COMMUNICATION Communication during an
emergency is vital to the success of the crew’s response to that emergency. If you encounter a fire the first thing you
should do is notify the captain. The type of communication system used by
the captain and crew will be explained to you in detail. Communication must be
fast and accurate to the pilot house. When communicating, it is also important
to report all information gathered, not leaving anything out. If relaying
information for another crew member, give the exact message; do not ad lib
because you could change the impact or meaning of the message. Joking around or
false information cannot be tolerated. It is also important that communication
is not made in front of passengers that might set off panic (see passenger
management) among the passengers. You will
practice this during drills and training. If you notice something out of the
ordinary or have a question don’t hesitate to ask the captain or senior
deckhand. Both are eager and willing to help you learn. FIRE
DRILLS Within your first few weeks of employment as a deckhand you will be required to participate in fire drills. Procedures and equipment locations vary from boat to boat. You should know the locations of all FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, BREAKER PANELS, ENGINE ROOM FAN SHUT- OFFS, EMERGENCY FUEL SHUT –OFFS, and FIXED CO2 TANKS and PULLS of the vessels you work on. All drills are to be treated as if it were an actual emergency. If you don’t know something ask.
Click here to watch a DVD about Marine Fire Safety FIRE FIGHTING REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What are the 3 elements of a fire? 2. Which class of fire should you never use water
on? Why? 3. What types of fire extinguishers are located on
open deck areas? Why? 4. What types of fire extinguishers are most
effective in confined spaces? 5. What 3 steps should you take before turning on
the fire pump? 6. How do you know which breakers to turn off in
the event of a fire? 7. How far away from a fire should you be when
using an ABC Extinguisher? Where can you find that information if you were
unsure? 8. What are the steps you’d take before activating
the engine room fixed fire system if the captain instructed you to do so? 9. If there was a fire in the engine room why
wouldn’t you want to immediately open the door to investigate? 10. What 2 options do you have in dealing with a
trash can fire? 11. What is the first thing to do after you find a
fire? 12. Does CO2 conduct electricity? 13. Do you know the location and use of the fire
stations, fire pump, fire extinguishers, vent dampers, fuel shut-offs, CO2
pulls and breaker panels of the boats you work on? Scroll down for answers
ANSWERS: 1. Fuel, Heat, Oxygen: 2. Class C: 3.ABC Multi-Purpose: 4. CO2 Extinguishers: 5. Run out hose, open valve, open nozzle: 6. Ones with red zip ties: 7. 10ft/look at label: 8. Shut off fuel, fan, vents, make sure no one is in ER: 9. Introduce more oxygen and make it worse: 10. Fire extinguisher or throw it overboard. 11. Inform someone. 12.No. 13. Hopefully.
MAN OVERBOARD General Even the best swimmers can become
disoriented when unexpectedly falling into the water. Immediate action is of
primary importance when a person falls overboard. Every second counts,
particularly in heavy or cold weather. Lives depend on you and the rest of the
crew performing these procedures competently and effectively. Remember, the two most important things
to remember in any emergency situation are 1) Don’t panic and 2) Keep
lines of communication open between the captain and the rest of the crew. References 46 CFR 185.510 Procedures When a person falls overboard: 1. Throw a ring buoy overboard, as close to the
person as possible. 2. Yell “MAN OVERBOARD”. Indicate which side the
victim is on. Obviously it is critical that the captain is aware
that a person has fallen off the boat. Use every means at your disposal to make
sure the captain is informed. This may mean using the bar intercom or telling
other crew or even passengers to relay the information. If you have someone
relay info to the captain make sure you tell them to report back to you that
they have done so. 3. Post a look- out to keep the person overboard in
sight. This is what is called a “spotter”. One deckhand
will go to the upper deck near the pilothouse and maintain a visual on the
victim. Once again it is critical that the spotter COMMUNICATES
with the captain by asking “Do you see him?”, or stating “He’s 40 feet off the
starboard side, amidships” etc… The spotter will also keep in contact with the
other deckhands who are deploying the MOB ladder and other equipment –
relaying all info back to the captain. 4. As the vessel is maneuvered to retrieve the
victim the crew will ready the MOB ladder. EXCEPT for the 40 ft. Water Taxis EVERY
SHORELINE BOAT IS SET UP FOR STARBOARD
SIDE RESCUE. Stationed near or on every MOB ladder there are
crew life jackets or work vests. YOU MUST DON A WORK VEST BEFORE YOU DEPLOY THE MOB LADDER.
The captain will be maneuvering the boat for a starboard side rescue while two
deckhands get the ladder ready at the starboard side gate. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
THAT YOU DO NOT SET THE LADDER OUT UNTIL THE VESSEL HAS SLOWED. Failure
to do so may result in severe injury or someone else going into the water.
Remember –your own safety is of utmost importance. 5. Deploy the ladder and retrieve the victim. The deckhand who climbs down the ladder must be
clipped in to the rail of the boat. In addition to the MOB ladder
every Shoreline vessel is equipped with the following life saving gear to aid
you in retrieving a victim: Boat
Hook – An extendable pole with a hook on the end which
is kept near the ladder. Net – Used to retrieve infants or otherwise assist you in getting things
out of
the water. Life
Sling – A device - usually kept above the starboard side
gate – that assists you in hauling an
unconscious person out of the water.
Ring
Buoys – A ring shaped life preserver usually with a line
attached to keep a victim afloat. Strobes
– Floating strobe lights -usually attached to a
ring buoy- used to help keep track of an overboard victim at night. PFD’s – Personal Floatation Devices. Could be thrown to a victim to help keep
them afloat. 6. Notify the Coast Guard and other vessels in
vicinity by radiotelephone if the person is not immediately located. The captain may be too busy to make the proper
radio calls. In that case a deckhand would have to relay info to USCG,
Police, and other boats. In the pilothouse of every Shoreline vessel is a lamented
EMERGENCY BROADCAST PLACARD located near the marine radios. This placard gives you detailed instructions of what to say over the
radio in an emergency.
Though it is designed for emergencies onboard the boat, you may find it useful
in a MOB situation. 7. Once the victim is back onboard relay vitals to
the captain. If the person needs an ambulance we would have to
prepare to go back to dock immediately. After the victim is onboard follow the
captain’s instructions. Also crowd control is very important- clear passengers
from the immediate area. If there are doctors or nurses onboard have them
assist you with any medical issues. Once again, COMMUNICATE
with the captain and other crew. MOB DRILLS Within your first week of employment at Shoreline
you should participate in a man overboard drill. The procedure and equipment
locations vary from boat to boat. Make sure you are
familiar with the locations of PFD’s, MOB LADDERS,
LIFE SLINGS, RING BUOYS, WORK VESTS, BOAT HOOKS, and NETS of all the vessels
you work on. Don’t hesitate to ask senior deckhands, captains or
managers for any questions regarding MOB procedure. Also if you have worked
here longer than 7 days and have not done a MOB DRILL please inform your
captain.
MOB
Review questions 1.
When someone falls in the water what are the first two things you need to do? 2.
With the exception of 40 ft. water taxis what side of the boat would you
typically retrieve an MOB from? 3.
What do you need to do before you deploy the MOB ladder? 4.
What is the role of a spotter during an MOB? 5.
How do you know what your role is during an MOB? 6.
Do you know the location of the MOB ladder, life sling, ring buoys, work vests,
boat hooks and nets of the vessel’s you work on?
Answers: 1. Throw life ring
& yell “Man overboard”; 2. Starboard; 3. Don vest, wait for boat to slow;
4. Make sure captain knows where victim is, communicate with other crew; 5.
start of shift meeting or ask captain. ABANDON SHIP General Even for the most modern vessel
with the best trained crew, the possibility of a disabling mishap during a
voyage is present. Your safety and the
safety of your passengers depend on your ability to stay calm and follow the
techniques taught during drills. In most circumstances, your vessel is your
best protection. But, once the captain
decides that it is time to abandon the vessel as it is no longer a safe refuge,
the order will be given to abandon ship.
Abandoning ship signifies the end of attempts to save the vessel. This signal on the general alarm and/or
ship’s whistle is seven short blasts, followed by one long blast. The
first order given is to prepare to abandon ship. During this evolution, crew will be assisting
passengers to don life jackets, preparing the emergency exits and most
importantly, keeping the passengers calm and aware of what is occurring. In the pilothouse, the captain will be relaying
the vessel’s position and other information to the Coast Guard and gathering
the emergency equipment to be taken when the vessel is abandoned. References 46 CFR 185.512, 185.520, 180.210 Reasons
to abandon ship There are several reasons we may need to abandon
ship. Evacuation procedures are usually compounded by other emergencies: Someone calls in a bomb threat, or a bomb is found
onboard A fire is raging out of control Your boat collides with another boat and starts
taking on water Due to mechanical failure the vessel starts taking
on water/ sinking Just like releasing CO2 into the engine room, the
order to “ABANDON SHIP” is the last resort. THE CAPTAIN IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE THE
ORDER TO ABANDON SHIP. As mentioned above there are many reasons we may
need to get people off the vessel. The good thing about our tours is we are
never more than a few miles from shore at the most. If a situation would arise and we’d need to
get people off the boat, the crew would try everything in their power to get
the passengers either onto our dock, onto a remote dock or onto another boat
before we would put them directly into the water. Common sense tells
us that if we were sinking we’d want to evacuate the lower deck first. Once
everyone is on the upper deck the crew would assist the passengers into Personal
Floatation Devices (PFD’S or Life Jackets) and await orders from the captain.
All our boats are equipped with Type I PFD’s for
passengers. Type I PFD’s are designed to keep an
individual’s head afloat when immersed in water. Children’s PFD’s
are for passengers under 90 lbs. That means an extremely obese 8 year old may
have to wear an adult PFD. Conversely a very petite adult may have to be put in
a child’s PFD. Here are the five types of PFD’s:
Make
sure you know the location of all PFD’s on the boat
you work on as well as how to correctly put them on. If you don’t know have a
captain or senior deckhand show you. Also have a Captain explain the passenger
evacuation procedure unique to their boat. In an evacuation procedure – just like in any
emergency – the two most important things to remember
are 1) DON’T PANIC and 2) KEEP LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN AT ALL TIMES. Communication
Systems Every Shoreline tour boat is equipped with various
communication systems. You should be familiar with ways to reach the captain,
as well as USCG and shore side authorities in the event the captain is unable
to: VHF Radios In the pilothouse of every boat are two radios
which the Captain uses for navigational purposes. On a VHF radio CHANNEL 16 is an international
hailing and distress frequency and is monitored by Coast Guard and Police 24/7.
As mentioned earlier there is an EMERGENCY BROADCAST PLACARD posted
in every pilothouse detailing what you would say over the radio in the event of
an emergency. Emergency Contact List This is a phone number list posted in the
pilothouse and galley of all the important numbers you could need in an
emergency - USCG, POLICE, Company Nextels Every boat has a Nextel used to communicate within
the company and with other Shoreline boats. PA Systems The vessels that do river cruises have a microphone
system for the tour guide on the upper deck. Most boats also have a captain’s mic located in the pilothouse. These public address systems
can be heard on both decks of the vessel and would be used to direct
passengers, summon crew etc… in an emergency. Ship’s Located just outside the pilothouse of every boat,
the ship’s bell could be used to summon crew or signal a Man Overboard, Fire or
Abandon Ship. General Alarm Some of our vessels are equipped with general
alarms found through- out the boat which the captain would sound to alert crew. Bar Intercom There is a two way intercom system between the bar
and pilothouse. Flares Inside the pilothouse all boats are required to
have 12 flares. 6 orange smoke flares used for day time. 6 red flares used for
night. A flare would be used to hail USCG or other authorities in the event all
other communication systems failed. Have a Captain
show you where the flare box is. TO
USE A FLARE: 
1. Grasp bottom of flare firmly below holding line on label (hold the white
part). Point away from face and body. Aim downwind.
2. Remove black lid on red cap. Twist red cap, remove and save to ignite
flare.
3. Strike button on top of flare with abrasive surface of red cap. Hold
burning flare over side of boat and aim downwind. Do not wave overhead. Abandon
Ship Review Questions 1. What
kind of circumstances would warrant abandoning the ship? 2. Why are
Type I PFDs used for passengers? 3. What
channel on the VHF radio is used for international hailing and distress? 4. If you
had to use the VHF radio in an emergency where do you find instructions on what
to do? 5. Where is
the Emergency Contact List posted? 6. In the
eyes of the USCG and for PFD purposes what constitutes a child? 7. Where
can you find emergency flares? Describe a situation where you would need to use
one? 8. Do you
know the location and use of adult/ child PFDs, the
general alarm, emergency contact list, VHF radios, flares, company nextels and life rings of the boats you work on?
ANSWERS: 1. Severe fire, flooding, bomb etc.; 2.
designed to keep head above water even if unconscious, you don’t need to know
how to swim to use one; 3. 16; 4. emergency broadcast placard located by the
radio; 5. pilothouse; 6. 90lbs or under; 7. Pilothouse in watertight case
labeled “flares”, use if no other communication is possible. FLOODING To understand how water could enter the vessel and
flood it, you must first know some basic terminology: Bouyancy The tendency of a body to float or to rise when
submerged in a fluid. The A hull is the body of a ship or boat. It is a central concept in
floating vessels as it provides the buoyancy that keeps the vessel from
sinking. Bilge A bilge is the bottom most
part of a ship’s inner hull. The bilge is hollow to maintain the hull’s
buoyancy. Bulkhead A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship. Bulkheads
separate different bilge compartments or voids. Collision Bulkhead A collision bulkhead is a watertight partition in a
ship, usually near the bow, for keeping out water in the event of a collision. Ways in which water normally enters the boat. Certain systems on the boat
like FLUSHING PUMPS for the sinks
and toilets require water taken directly from the river or lake. The FIRE PUMPS also run on lake or river
water (or raw water). One or more SEA
CHESTS supply water to these various pumps and under normal operation their
valves are always open. Next to each SEA CHEST there is a SEA STRAINER which is a filter that catches any debris before it
can enter piping throughout the boat. Shoreline’s water taxis and lake boats
also use raw water to indirectly cool the engines. Ways in which water could enter the boat and flood it Sea strainers are opened
regularly and cleaned out. If gaskets were to wear out or the strainer not
closed tight enough water could enter in and flood the vessel. Also on every boat there is
what is known as THROUGH HULL FITTINGS- which
are points where something - typically a shaft for a propeller -exit the hull
and enter the water. The main engines connect to shafts which connect to the
propellers that propel the boat forward (or backward). A STUFFING BOX, or packing gland, is used around a shaft at the point
it exits the boat’s hull underwater. It is the most common method for
preventing water from entering the hull while still allowing the propeller
shaft to turn. During routine engine checks
the STUFFING BOX and SEA STRAINER should be inspected for leaks. HAVE A CAPTAIN
SHOW YOU WHERE THE SEA CHESTS, SEA STRAINERS, and STUFFING BOXES are on the
boats you work on. Bilge Alarms A bilge alarm or high water
alarm is required to be in any compartment that contains a through hull
fitting. These devices are usually simple floating levers that when tipped up
by rising water sound an alarm on a panel in the pilothouse. Bilge alarms are ALWAYS found in the engine room and
steering compartment but are usually in TANK ROOMS and BOW THRUSTER
compartments as well. Bilge Pumps All our tour boats are
equipped with bilge pumps located in the
engine room. These pumps operate like fire pumps but do the exact opposite-
they pump water off the boat and directly overboard.
Connected to each bilge pump is a BILGE MANIFOLD – A series of suction valves that lead via
pipes to all the various bilge compartments. Operating the bilge pump differs
from boat to boat but the principle is the same: 1) OPEN THE VALVE ON THE BILGE MANIFOLD
CORRESPONDING TO THE HOLD YOU WANT TO
PUMP OUT. 2) MAKE SURE THE OVERBOARD VALVE IS OPEN. 3) TURN THE BILGE PUMP ON.  Bilge manifold of the Shoreline II. The Evening Star, Bright Star,
Blue Dog and Voyageur are equipped with a collision bulkhead located in the
bow. The compartment forward of this bulkhead – the BOW THRUSTER COMPARTMENT or
FORE PEAK- has a separate suction valve apart from the one in the engine room.
This is so water can be sealed off in this compartment in the event we should
collide head on with another vessel, a bridge piling, a dock, etc…You would
have to open this suction valve to pump water out with the bilge pump. Flooding Review Questions: 1. Name a way water normally enters the boat? 2. How do we monitor these points? 3. What are the two compartments that will always have
bilge alarms in them? Why? 4. Do you know the location and use of the bilge pump, bilge manifold and bilge alarms of the vessels you work on? Scroll down for answers
Answers: 1. sea
chests; 2. ER checks, bilge alarms; 3. Lazarette
& ER, through hull fittings, shafts
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