When it seems that the ship will have to be abandoned, the following action must be taken:

1. The lifeboats and life rafts must be prepared for launching. In remote areas where the likelihood of an early rescue is small, consideration should be given to placing more blankets and provisions in the boats/rafts. High protein foods should be avoided because they use more body water to digest.
2. Abandoning ship should be delayed far as long as possible, especially if there is a rescue ship close by.
3. Before giving the order to abandon ship, the engines must be stopped and all watertight doors closed.
4. Boats should clear the ship’s side as quickly as possible but remain close to the ship. It is also imperative for the boats and rafts to remain close together in a group to make detection and rescue easier.
5. When launching an inflatable life raft make sure that the painter is secured to a strong point on the ship’s structure.
6. Check to see if the side is clear then launch the life raft. Pull the painter out to its fullest extent and give it a sharp tug to activate the compressed air bottle and inflate the raft. A rope or ladder should be used to board the raft, but if the freeboard is very low, one may jump onto the canopy.
7. Each life raft should clear the ship’s side before the next one is launched.
8. Persons who are unable to reach a life raft or boat, should lower themselves into the water at the lowest point. In order to prevent injury from one’s life jacket, ones arms must be crossed tightly across the life jacket when jumping.
9. If there is little prospect of an early rescue, no food or water should be issued during the first 24 hours, except to the injured or ill. After the first day, one ration of half a litre of water and 100 grams of each of the foods should be issued to each survivor. Unless there is sufficient water to issue each survivor 1 litre of water per day, such food as fish should not be eaten. Salt water is not to be drunk at all.

Example of a lifeboat.

Example of a lifeboat.

Example of a life raft.

Example of a life raft.