The order to abandon, dressing for survival and leaving the ship
1The lesson in plain words
Leave only on the master's order, dressed for a long cold wait. Board the craft dry if you can; if you must jump, jump safely from as low as possible.
The order
The master, the ship's captain, orders abandonment by voice or the public-address system. Stay aboard until ordered: a damaged ship is often safer than the sea. Then go with your group to your embarkation station, where you board your assigned craft, and follow its leader. You practise jumping, lifejacket swimming and raft righting in your approved course.
Dress for survival
Wear warm layers, a hat, gloves and socks; wool and fleece retain some insulation when wet. Put on your immersion suit, a waterproof protective suit, with the zip closed and hood on. Wear a lifejacket over it if its label requires one. If there is time, drink water and bring extra clothing or blankets. Take issued seasickness tablets only if you can swallow safely, following the medicine's instructions.
Stay dry if you can
The best way off is dry-shod, without getting wet: step into a lifeboat or a raft lowered by a davit (a deck-mounted crane) at the embarkation deck, slide down a marine evacuation system (a chute or slide to a floating platform), or climb down an embarkation ladder. Every minute out of the water keeps you warmer and stronger. Jump only when there is no other way.
If you must jump
Jump from as low as possible. Lifejackets and immersion suits are tested for jumps from 4.5 m; higher jumps can injure you or damage your equipment. Climb down a ladder or rope part of the way if you can. Never jump onto a liferaft canopy or into the water right beside a raft, where you can land on people.
2Step by step
Jumping into the water safely
- 1
Choose the lowest point you can reach, on the side away from fire and oil.
Each extra metre makes the impact harder; equipment is tested from 4.5 m.
- 2
Check the water below is clear of people, wreckage, survival craft and burning oil.
Landing on something or someone can injure you both.
- 3
Hold your lifejacket down with one arm across your chest; cover your nose and mouth with the other hand.
This stops the jacket hitting your chin and neck and keeps water out of your nose.
- 4
Look straight ahead, not down, and step off.
Looking down tips your body forward, so you land badly.
- 5
Keep your feet together and legs straight, and enter feet first.
A straight, vertical entry is the least likely to hurt you.
- 6
When you surface, get your breathing under control, then move away from the ship's side.
Cold shock makes you gasp; wreckage and launching craft are dangers near the hull.
3Key data
- Abandon ship
- Only on the master's order
- Best way off
- Dry: lifeboat, davit raft, evacuation chute or ladder
- Jump test height
- Lifejackets and suits tested from 4.5 m; jump from lower
4Key points
- 1
Stay aboard until the master orders abandon ship.
- 2
Warm layers, hat and gloves, then the immersion suit, then the lifejacket over it if marked.
- 3
Board dry-shod whenever you can.
- 4
If you must jump: low, clear below, hold the lifejacket, look ahead, feet first, legs together.
- 5
Never jump onto a liferaft canopy or right beside a raft.
5Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Wear as little as possible so you can swim well in the immersion suit.
Right: Wear warm layers under the suit. Cold, not swimming, is the main danger.
Wrong: Look down at the water as you jump so you can see where you land.
Right: Check below first, then look straight ahead as you step off so your body stays upright.
Wrong: Jump straight onto the liferaft to stay dry.
Right: Jumping onto the canopy can injure people inside and damage the raft. Step in dry, or jump clear into the water.
6Practice case & exam keys
The master orders abandon ship. Your lifeboat station is blocked by fire, and the only way off is a liferaft launched on the other side. The deck there is about 9 m above the water, and the raft is already inflated alongside.
Show the answer
Get lower first: use the embarkation ladder down towards the raft and step in dry if you can. If you must jump, go from the lowest point you can reach. Check the water is clear and jump well away from the raft, not onto it. Hold the lifejacket down, cover your nose and mouth, look ahead, feet together. Surface, control your breathing, then swim on your back to the raft.
Exam keys
- Abandon only on the master's order; go to your embarkation station.
- Dress warmly, then immersion suit, then lifejacket over it if required.
- Board dry whenever possible; equipment is tested for jumps from 4.5 m.
- Jump: clear below, hold lifejacket, cover nose and mouth, look ahead, feet first, legs together.
Finish this unit
When you've read it, answer three questions. Get all three right to finish the unit; opening the page alone doesn't count.
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