Emergency evacuation from liveaboard

[Dogbowl]

Reading a lot about fires on liveaboards, and emergency evacuations. Some where passengers are forced to jump into the water without time to get life jackets. Very scary. Other times, passengers are able to get essentials, like life jackets, passports, medicine. I’m thinking about this a lot lately and wondering how best to prepare for such emergencies on a liveaboard. Should I prepare an emergency dry bag with meds and passport ready to be scooped up in an emergency? Wear my PLB and life jacket any time I’m not diving, 24/7? Overkill, no?

 

[Wookie]

Keeping a ditch bag on any vessel is never a stupid idea. I work on a ship and my meds (which I don't need to live, just hypertension), important papers (passport and Captains license) and a clean pair of socks are always in the ditch bag. The ditch bag stays on the bridge next to the captains ditch bag. You don't have to wear a big SOLAS lifejacket all the time. My mustang inflatable is small enough to wear under a jacket, although I don't. The dry bag provides floatation.

 

[diversteve]

Wear my PLB and life jacket any time I’m not diving, 24/7? Overkill, no?

Yes

I'd be more concerned about some dayboats I've been on. Once we watched as the engine compartment on one started filling with water - one of the cooling intake hoses had a pretty good rupture - plus no one noticed right away. They were able to get it repaired and the engine restarted but it was a tense 1/2 hr being 6miles off the SC coast with no other boats in site. VHF still worked and we all had lifejackets but still.

Occasionally you read here about panga-style dive boats swamping in rougher water or during poor driving. I like a little more boat under me when I dive. Although I don't usually even think about it at all.

 

[Akimbo]

Keeping a ditch bag on any vessel is never a stupid idea.

Well stated sir.

Since we're in the subject of safety at sea, these threads may be interesting for some readers:

What kind of boat are you diving from?

Diving and Seamanship

 

[Wingy]

I assume every sinking is different. When we sunk it was a very slow taking on of water under full sail which allowed us to set of EPIRB grab the essentials and stand on deck trying to get as close to the coast without hitting reef again. And then - Poof! - Gone - Just like that. Seemed like in a couple of seconds it went from we are taking on water to we are going to be underwater so one last attempt to get as close to the coast as possible as she went down and we went swimming...at 3am in the middle of winter.

 

[KathyV]

I assume every sinking is different. When we sunk it was a very slow taking on of water under full sail which allowed us to set of EPIRB grab the essentials and stand on deck trying to get as close to the coast without hitting reef again. And then - Poof! - Gone - Just like that. Seemed like in a couple of seconds it went from we are taking on water to we are going to be underwater so one last attempt to get as close to the coast as possible as she went down and we went swimming...at 3am in the middle of winter.

Wingy, when did this happen, how did you get back to safety?

 

[Wingy]

3.05am August 13 1991 - safety was a very very cold 160m swim to shore. Last ditch effort was to Beach her but that didn't quite happen. I've been sailing 35 plus years, I know all those "procedures" such as heavy clothing removed so you are not weighed down but the beaching plan if search and rescue didn't get to us in time went from "hey we still have a good 2 foot from the water" to "we are now standing knee deep in water which is gushing down the companionway with those prepared grab bags and all lanyards are now on deck and creating a spiders web of steel to get caught in" happened so fast it was unbelievable. I actually never at any stage thought she would go down until two sets of waves sealed her fate. Swimming with Jeans and a thick jacket on even with a life vest was exhausting but the alternative didn't appeal - amazing what adrenaline can do for you. I perhaps would've been able to hang onto my grab bag but I had put it down to grab onto a panicking hysterical crew member who was running on the spot screaming.

I've only ever had one other occasion where survival suits went on and the "Do you want to call your family" question was asked in a very very rough sea on a square rigger in bass strait. That time I made sure my grab bag was tied to me - luckily we rode that one out but it wasn't fun.

I really don't recommend sinking at sea to anyone.

 

[Aviyes]

Emergency bag with meds/passport is never a bad thing. Overkill on wearing a life vest any time you aren't diving, maybe if really rough seas. But, most of the time it would indeed be overkill as a passenger.

 

[FishCity]

Thanks for this thread. Going on first liveaboard in 2019 and will get bags for meds and passports, cards, money. Have them for phone, duh, least of my worries there!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Really interesting. It has never occurred to me before to have a dry bag ready with my passport and meds in it. I'll have that from now on.