The wind is howling at gale force through the masts in Lowestoft Marina. The crew have put on their woollen sweaters. As usual, the 60 hands are spending the waiting days on inspecting the rigging and hull, on safety drills, or even short safety courses. This morning it was the use of the ship’s safety equipment that was in focus.
First, the equipment was very thoroughly gone through for the 16 new hands who have just arrived. Skipper Carsten Hvid, who has safety as his particular area of responsibility, gave the demonstration. Afterwards the rest of the crew had their skills refreshed.
The 16 new hands listened with serious concentration as Carsten Hvid told them:
“When you are standing or sitting to take a leak over the rail while we’re sailing, always get someone to hold you. Falling in the water is a really bad idea. Especially in a high sea at night. Even in just one-metre-high waves, it is unimaginably difficult to find a person who has fallen over board. And if it’s blowing really hard then it’s not even certain that it’s possible for the Sea Stallion to return to the position. So it will be the support vessel, Cable One, or lifeboat people who will have to find you. We throw the life buoy in the water as soon as we hear the shout ‘Man over board!’”
The life buoy consists of a life ring, a signal buoy, a torch and a SART. The last item is a watertight electronic instrument that is activated and emits powerful signals when a radar beam hits it.
“So you must swim for the life buoy and hold on to it. That way there’s a greater chance that you’ll be found.”
Then Carsten Hvid moved on to the powder chest. This is a large white plastic container with a heavy screw lid. It is filled with distress signals, signal flares, smoke bombs, a SART and a portable VHF radio.
“If we have to take to the life rafts because we’re sinking, then it’s the coxswain on watch and the lookout in the foreship who will take the two powder chests. And we have additional safety in our two EPIRBs, which the steersman and lookout take with them to the rafts. One of them starts operating automatically if you don’t manage to get it with you, the other has to be started manually. An EPIRB sends a constant signal via satellite to a central receiver that immediately sends out an alarm in the area where you are.
“And remember that the distress signals, smoke bombs and signals flares must not be activated inside the life raft – but outside and by hand.”
Carsten Hvid concluded with the ten life rafts on board the Sea Stallion:
“When the life rafts are thrown into the water according to plan, remember that they open with the bottom upwards. The first people in the water must turn them over by standing on the carbon dioxide flask and getting hold of the rope. The lightest hands must get into the raft first to take in injured or exhausted people. The strongest remain in the water to push everyone into the raft and get on to the raft last.”
The Sea Stallion also has a number of emergency communication options in the navigation locker, which will work as long as there is power on board.
