Emergencies and Rescue Techniques

Prerequisites

This lesson is part of the RYA Advanced Powerboat course. You should hold the RYA Intermediate Powerboat certificate or be at that standard, including the man overboard drill taught on Powerboat Level 2, basic towing, and confident close-quarters handling. A VHF Short Range Certificate (so that you can make a DSC distress alert and a Mayday call) and a first aid certificate, such as the RYA First Aid course, are strongly recommended for anyone skippering a fast boat with others aboard.

On the Advanced course you are expected to act as skipper: to take charge of an incident, keep the crew safe and make good decisions under pressure. This lesson covers the emergencies most likely on a fast boat and the techniques to deal with them.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

• Explain why the kill cord matters and the dangers of a boat running without a helm.
• Carry out a man overboard recovery from planing speed, by day and at night.
• Tow another boat alongside and astern, and prepare to be towed.
• Respond to engine failure, fire and grounding.
• Prepare a small boat for a helicopter rescue.
• Send a DSC distress alert and a Mayday call, and a Pan-Pan for urgency.
• Recognise and give first aid for impact injuries typical of fast boats, and know how to prevent them.

Taking Charge

Every emergency follows the same pattern, whatever the cause:

1. Stop the situation getting worse. Slow down or stop, make the boat safe, keep everyone aboard.
2. Account for everyone. Count heads. Check for injuries.
3. Assess. What has happened, what is the danger now, and what may happen next (drift onto a lee shore, darkness falling, water coming in)?
4. Raise the alarm early if outside help may be needed. It is easier to stand down a rescue than to start one late.
5. Act, giving clear, short instructions to named people.
6. Keep reviewing.

The skipper should stay calm and visible. Give the crew jobs: one person on the radio, one on lookout, one on the casualty. Everyone already wears a lifejacket on a fast boat; in an emergency make sure they are fastened, with crotch straps on.

The Kill Cord

The kill cord (engine stop switch lanyard) is a coiled line from the helm to a switch at the console. If the helm is thrown from the helm position or overboard, the cord pulls out the clip and stops the engine.

A powerboat without its helm does not stop. With the throttle open, an outboard often turns hard to one side and the boat circles at speed, returning repeatedly through the area where the people in the water are. The propeller then strikes them. In May 2013, on the Camel estuary near Padstow, a family were thrown from their RIB when it turned sharply. The kill cord was not attached. The boat circled at speed and struck those in the water; two people died and others were badly injured. The MAIB's investigation led to renewed national campaigns on wearing the kill cord.

The rules are simple:

• Attach the kill cord to the helm before starting the engine, and keep it attached whenever the engine is running.
• Attach it around the leg (above the knee) or to a strong point on the lifejacket, not to clothing that can tear.
• Unclip it when the helm changes, and pass it to the new helm before the throttle moves.
• Carry a spare kill cord clip, so the crew can restart the engine and recover a helm who has gone overboard. Know where it is.
• Wireless kill cord systems, which stop the engine when a fob worn by the helm or crew goes into the water or out of range, are an alternative or addition. Test them.
• Test the kill cord at the start of every day: start the engine, pull the cord, check the engine stops.

Man Overboard from Speed

Why it is different on a fast boat

At 25 knots you travel about 13 metres a second. By the time someone shouts "man overboard", the boat may be 100 metres away. A person in the water is a small, low object; in a sea or at night they disappear quickly. Most people who fall from a fast boat do so in a sharp turn or when the boat slams, and they may be injured by the impact with the water or the boat.

The immediate actions

1. Shout "Man overboard!" and say which side: "Man overboard, starboard side!"
2. Point. One crew member points continuously at the casualty and does nothing else.
3. Slow down and turn. Ease the throttle and turn the boat towards the side the casualty fell from. This swings the stern and propeller away from the person.
4. Mark the position. Press the MOB button on the plotter, which records the position and shows bearing and distance back to it. Throw a lifebuoy or danbuoy if the casualty is still close.
5. Raise the alarm early if the casualty is not quickly in sight, is injured, or if it is dark or rough. A DSC distress alert and Mayday are justified for a person in the water you cannot see.

The approach

The aim is to arrive at the casualty slowly, under full control, with the propeller well away from them and the engine stopped as soon as they are alongside.

1. Return at moderate speed until you are about 50 to 100 metres from the casualty, then slow to displacement speed. Arriving fast causes a wash that can swamp them and an overshoot.
2. Approach heading into the wind (or into the tidal stream if it is the stronger influence on the boat), so that the boat stops easily when you take the power off, and drifts back away from rather than over the casualty.
3. Bring the casualty to the side of the boat near the helm, forward of the console, where the helm can see them throughout. Never approach with the casualty near the stern.
4. In the last few metres, go into neutral and glide. When the casualty is alongside and held, stop the engine (or kill it with the cord) so the propeller cannot turn.
5. Get hold of the casualty and secure them to the boat with a line or by their lifejacket harness point, before trying to lift them.

The diagram below shows the sequence: turn towards the casualty's side, mark the position, return, slow and make the final approach into the wind with the casualty at the helm's side.

Click to zoom

Getting them aboard

Lifting a heavy person in wet clothes over the tube of a RIB or the gunwale of a sportsboat is very hard. Methods:

• Two people, one on each arm, with the casualty facing the boat. Push them down into the water once, then lift on the rebound and roll them over the tube.
• Parbuckle: a loop of rope, a net or a sail under the casualty to roll them aboard.
• Boarding ladder on the transom, but only with the engine stopped and the kill cord removed, and only if the casualty is uninjured and able to climb.
• Horizontal lift if the casualty has been in the water for some time or is hypothermic: lift them horizontally rather than vertically, to reduce the risk of collapse.

Treat for cold, shock and injury once aboard. Any casualty who has been unconscious or nearly drowned needs medical attention, even if they seem to recover.

MOB at night

• Everyone wears a lifejacket with a light, and preferably a personal AIS or DSC beacon that alerts the boat.
• Press the MOB button immediately; the plotter is your best way back.
• Use the searchlight to hold the casualty, and keep it off the helm's eyes.
• Reduce speed sooner and further: a casualty can be lost at very short range at night.

Towing Another Boat

On the Advanced course you are expected to be able to tow a broken-down boat safely. Remember: your first duty is to your own boat and crew. Do not tow in conditions that put you at risk, and if the other boat is in danger, call the Coastguard.

Preparation

• Agree a plan with the other skipper by voice or VHF: where you will tow, at what speed, how you will communicate and how you will stop.
• Use a strong, preferably floating line, such as polypropylene, that will not sink into your propeller.
• Ask the other boat to raise their engine or lock the steering if their propeller or leg could damage the tow.
• Everyone stays clear of the tow line under load: a parting line snaps back with great force.
• Have a knife ready to cut the line.

Towing astern

Towing astern is used in open water, for longer distances and in any sea.

1. Approach the casualty from downwind and pass the tow line, or ask for theirs. Use a heaving line if conditions do not allow you to come close.
2. On the casualty, the line goes to a strong point: a bow eye, samson post or strong cleat. A bridle round the bow may spread the load.
3. On your boat, attach the line to a bridle made fast to both stern quarters (or to the towing eyes). The bridle keeps the load central, keeps the line clear of the outboard and allows your stern to swing so you can steer.
4. Take up the slack very slowly, with the engine just in gear, then increase speed gradually.
5. Adjust the length. In a sea, aim for the two boats to be "in step", both on a crest or both in a trough at the same time, so the line does not snatch. That usually means a tow line of at least two wavelengths in open water. A weight in the middle of the line, or a long line with natural sag, absorbs shock.
6. Speed. Keep it modest, usually below the towed boat's displacement speed. A displacement hull should never be towed faster than its hull speed; a planing boat can be towed faster, but only in calm water.
7. The towed boat should steer to follow your stern, and someone aboard should watch the line.

The diagram below shows a tow astern with a bridle on the towing boat and the two boats in step with the waves.

Click to zoom

Towing alongside

In a harbour or marina, a tow astern is hard to control, because the casualty swings and cannot stop. Change to an alongside tow before entering confined water.

1. Prepare fenders on the side you will lie against, and lines: a bow line, a stern line and two springs.
2. Lie alongside the casualty with your stern well aft of theirs, so your propeller and rudder (or outboard) are clear and have clean water, and you can steer.
3. Angle your bow slightly in towards the casualty. The pair will tend to turn towards the casualty's side, because you push from one side; the angle helps you steer straight.
4. Make fast the lines. The tow spring that takes the load when you go ahead runs from a point forward on your boat aft to a point aft on the casualty. A second spring, from aft on your boat forward to the casualty's bow, takes the load when you go astern to stop.
5. Make the lines tight, so the two boats move as one.
6. Move off slowly. Expect the pair to turn more easily towards the casualty's side than away from it. Plan your approach to the berth accordingly, and go astern gently to stop.

The diagram below shows the alongside tow arrangement.

Click to zoom

Being towed

If you need a tow:

• Agree terms first. A friendly tow from another leisure boat is usually free, but a commercial tow may lead to a salvage claim. Agree the arrangement before you accept a line, and if possible use your own line.
• Make the line fast to your strongest point, and make it possible to release it under load.
• Raise your outboard or leg if the engine is out of action, to reduce drag and to keep it clear of the line.
• Steer to follow the towing boat, unless they ask you to lock the wheel.
• Keep a lookout and keep in VHF contact.

Engine Failure

Immediate checks

When the engine stops unexpectedly:

1. Kill cord. Has it been pulled out or partly unclipped?
2. Fuel. Tank empty? Fuel valve closed? Tank vent closed (on a portable tank the engine will stop after a while if the vent is shut)? Primer bulb soft? Fuel line kinked or disconnected?
3. Fuel filter and water separator. Water or dirt in the bowl?
4. Overheating. Has the cooling water tell-tale stopped? Is the intake blocked by weed or a plastic bag? Many engines limit power or stop when they overheat.
5. Propeller. Fouled by rope or weed? (The engine may stall when put in gear.)
6. Electrics. Battery switch, fuses, battery terminals.

Keep the boat safe

If the engine does not restart quickly:

• Check where you are drifting. If towards a lee shore or danger, anchor before you get close. Every powerboat should carry an anchor and enough warp for the depths you use.
• On a twin-engine boat, return on one engine.
• If there is any doubt, call for help early. The Coastguard prefers an early call to a late one. A Pan-Pan is appropriate if you are not in immediate danger but need assistance. If you are about to drift ashore, or someone's life is in danger, that is a Mayday.

Fire

Fires on powerboats usually start with fuel or electrics. Petrol vapour is heavier than air and collects in bilges and lockers, where a spark can ignite it explosively.

Prevention

• Refuel with engines stopped and no smoking, ventilate after refuelling, and clean up any spill before starting.
• Run the bilge blower (on inboard petrol engines) for several minutes before starting.
• Keep fuel lines and electrical wiring in good condition.

Action

1. Stop the engine and shut off fuel at the tank if you can do so safely.
2. Turn the boat so the fire is downwind of the crew, usually stern to wind for an engine fire on an outboard.
3. Get the crew upwind of the fire and ready to abandon.
4. Fight it only if it is small. Use a dry powder or foam extinguisher at the base of the flames. For an enclosed engine bay with a fire port, discharge the extinguisher through the port without opening the hatch, which would feed the fire with air.
5. Call for help with a Mayday early if the fire is not out within seconds.
6. If the fire takes hold, abandon the boat, upwind, with lifejackets on and the grab bag, and keep clear because fuel tanks can explode.

Grounding

Running aground at planing speed is violent. The boat may stop dead or ride up and over rocks, and crew are thrown forward.

Immediate action

1. Stop the engine. Remove the kill cord.
2. Check the crew. Look for head, face, chest and back injuries. Treat any back injury as serious.
3. Check the hull. Look for water coming in, damage to tubes on a RIB, and damage to the propeller or leg.
4. Assess the tide. On a rising tide you may float off soon; on a falling tide you may be stuck for hours.

Getting off

• If the hull is holed, do not rush to get off: you may sink in deeper water. Prepare first: plug or patch the leak, pump, get help standing by.
• Tilt the outboard up to protect the propeller and, if possible, use it gently in shallow mode.
• Move weight to lift the part of the boat that is aground (often the bow).
• Lay out a kedge anchor towards deep water and haul on it.
• If you are on a falling tide and cannot get off, make the boat safe, keep the crew safe, and call the Coastguard if you need help.

Helicopter Rescue

HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopters are used to lift casualties from boats or the water. The crew will brief you on VHF, but you should know the usual procedure.

Preparing the boat

• Clear the deck of loose items and lower or tie down aerials, flags and any loose canopy.
• Make sure all crew wear lifejackets.
• Keep the casualty ready, with notes on their injuries and medication.
• Do not use a white flare or point a searchlight at the helicopter at night. Use the light only as directed.

The procedure

1. The helicopter will tell you the course and speed to hold, often with the wind about 30 degrees on the port bow, at a steady speed. Hold it exactly.
2. A hi-line (a weighted line) may be lowered first. Take it in by hand and pull the winchman down as directed. Never make it fast to the boat.
3. Do not touch the winch wire or the winchman until it has touched the water or the boat, to discharge the static electricity that builds up on the helicopter.
4. Follow the winchman's instructions exactly. They are in charge of the lift.
5. Downdraft from the rotor is very strong; hold on and secure everything.

Distress and Urgency Calls

DSC distress alert

A DSC VHF radio with a GNSS input can send an automated distress alert with your MMSI and position.

1. Lift the cover over the red distress button.
2. If there is time, select the nature of distress (fire, flooding, sinking, man overboard and so on).
3. Press and hold the button for about 5 seconds until the alert is sent.
4. The radio switches to Channel 16. Wait a few seconds for an acknowledgement, then send the Mayday call by voice.

Mayday call

On VHF Channel 16, high power:

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. This is RIB Sea Otter, Sea Otter, Sea Otter. Call sign MABC1, MMSI 235 123 456. MAYDAY RIB Sea Otter, call sign MABC1, MMSI 235 123 456. My position is 50 degrees 36.6 minutes North, 001 degree 55.4 minutes West, 2 miles south of Old Harry Rocks. Man overboard, not in sight. I require immediate assistance. Four persons on board. Red RIB, 7 metres. OVER.

Use the MIPDANIO order: Mayday, Identity, Position, Distress (nature), Assistance required, Number of persons on board, Information (anything else that helps), Over.

A Mayday is for grave and imminent danger to a vessel or person requiring immediate assistance. A person in the water you cannot see, a fire that is not out, a boat sinking, or a seriously injured casualty all justify it.

Pan-Pan

A Pan-Pan is for an urgent situation that is not immediately life-threatening: an engine failure with no immediate danger, or a medical problem for which you want advice. Start with "PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, all stations, all stations, all stations, this is ...", then the same information. The Coastguard can connect you to a doctor for medical advice.

Other alerting

• An EPIRB or PLB, registered to you, alerts the rescue services by satellite.
• Flares, still a recognised signal under the COLREGs and MIN 542, are useful to guide rescuers once they are close.
• A mobile phone call to 999 asking for the Coastguard works near the shore, but it cannot be heard by nearby boats, which a VHF call can.

First Aid for Impact Injuries

What happens

Fast boats in waves produce large vertical accelerations every time the hull lands. People seated forward, where the motion is greatest, can be thrown up and land heavily. Typical injuries:

• Spinal compression fractures of the lower back, from landing on a seat.
• Head and face injuries from striking the console, grab handles or other people.
• Broken limbs, ribs and wrists.
• Chest and abdominal injuries.

The MAIB issued a safety bulletin in 2023 after a passenger suffered a serious injury on a high-speed RIB ride, and the MCA's guidance for small commercial high-speed craft stresses passenger seating, briefing and speed in waves. The same lessons apply to leisure boats.

Prevention

• Speed in waves. Slow down in short seas. The boat's speed should suit the sea, the passengers and the boat, not the timetable.
• Seating. Seat less experienced people aft, where the motion is least. Use suspension seats or jockey seats where fitted.
• Briefing. Show passengers how to hold on with both hands, keep knees bent and use their legs as shock absorbers, and to stand on the jockey seat footrests rather than sit heavily.
• Warnings. The helm should warn of big waves or turns ("hold on, wave").
• Assess the passengers. Pregnant women, people with back problems and the elderly should not be taken at speed in waves.

Treatment

1. Stop. Make the boat safe and stop slamming. Do not continue at speed.
2. Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Check the casualty is responding and breathing. Control serious bleeding with direct pressure.
3. Suspected spinal injury. Suspect it if the casualty has back or neck pain after a heavy landing, numbness or tingling, or weakness. Keep them still, ideally lying flat, and support the head. Do not let them walk about. Move them only if they are in danger.
4. Raise the alarm. Call the Coastguard: a Pan-Pan or, for a serious injury, a Mayday. Ask for medical advice. The Coastguard may send a lifeboat or helicopter, or meet you at a suitable landing point with an ambulance.
5. Slow, smooth transit. If you must take the casualty ashore yourself, go slowly and pick the smoothest route, with the casualty aft and padded.
6. Treat for shock and cold. Keep them warm and reassured, and monitor breathing and response every few minutes.

Worked Example

You are skipper of a 6.5-metre RIB with three crew, returning at 25 knots into a short Force 4 sea. The crew member on the forward seat, Sam, is thrown up as the boat lands from a wave, falls heavily back onto the seat and complains of severe lower back pain. Moments later another crew member, Alex, shouting about the injury, loses their grip in the next wave and goes over the starboard side.

1. MOB first. You shout "Man overboard, starboard!", tell the third crew member, Jo, to point and keep pointing, ease the throttle and turn to starboard. You press the MOB button. Alex is in sight, wearing an inflated lifejacket.
2. Protect the injured casualty. You tell Sam not to move and to stay low in the boat.
3. Return and approach. You come back at moderate speed, slow to displacement speed at 80 metres, and approach heading into the wind with Alex on the starboard side by the console. You go into neutral, glide alongside, and stop the engine as Jo grabs Alex's lifejacket.
4. Recover. With Jo, you lift Alex aboard over the tube. Alex is cold and shaken but uninjured.
5. Assess Sam. Pain in the lower back, no numbness, moving legs. You suspect a compression fracture.
6. Raise the alarm. You call the Coastguard on Channel 16 with a Pan-Pan, giving position and details, and ask for medical advice. The Coastguard arranges an ambulance at the nearest slipway, 3 nm away.
7. Transit. You take the smoothest route at slow speed, Sam lying aft on padding, everyone else holding on, and are met by the ambulance.

Common Mistakes

• Kill cord not attached. Every season, people are hurt by boats circling without a helm. Attach it before starting the engine.
• Approaching a casualty too fast or with the stern towards them. Slow down early; keep the casualty forward of the console; stop the engine alongside.
• Calling for help too late. An early Pan-Pan or Mayday costs nothing; a late one may cost lives.
• Short tow lines in a sea. The line snatches and parts. Lengthen the tow so the boats are in step.
• Towing astern into a marina. Change to an alongside tow before entering confined water.
• Opening an engine hatch on a fire. It feeds the fire with air.
• Making the helicopter hi-line fast. It must only be held by hand.
• Speed for the timetable, not the sea. Most impact injuries happen because the boat is going too fast for the conditions.

Summary

• In any emergency: stop it getting worse, count heads, assess, raise the alarm early, act, review.
• Wear the kill cord whenever the engine runs, carry a spare clip and test it daily.
• MOB from speed: shout, point, turn to the casualty's side, mark, return, slow early, approach into the wind with the casualty forward by the helm, stop the engine alongside.
• Tow astern with a bridle, a floating line, a length that keeps the boats in step, and modest speed. Switch to alongside for confined waters, with your stern aft of theirs and the tow spring taking the load.
• Engine failure: check kill cord, fuel, cooling, propeller, electrics; anchor before you drift into danger.
• Fire: stop engine, fuel off, fire downwind, extinguish at the base or through a fire port, abandon upwind if needed.
• Grounding: stop, check crew, hull and tide; do not rush off if holed.
• Helicopter: hold course and speed, never make the hi-line fast, let the wire earth before touching.
• DSC alert then Mayday on Channel 16 using MIPDANIO; Pan-Pan for urgency.
• Prevent impact injuries with speed, seating and briefing; treat suspected spinal injuries by keeping the casualty still and calling for help.

Check Your Understanding

1. Why does a powerboat without its helm often turn in circles, and how does the kill cord prevent harm?

Answer: With no one holding the wheel, the propeller's side forces and the steering geometry make the outboard or leg turn to one side, so the boat circles at speed, returning through the area where people in the water are. The kill cord stops the engine as soon as the helm leaves the helm position.

1. When someone goes overboard from a fast boat, which way do you turn first and why?

Answer: Towards the side the casualty fell from. This swings the stern and propeller away from them.

1. Why do you approach the casualty heading into the wind, with them near the helm?

Answer: Heading into the wind, the boat stops quickly when power is taken off and drifts back rather than over the casualty. Having them forward by the helm means the helm can see them throughout, and they are well away from the propeller.

1. What is a bridle for when towing astern?

Answer: It spreads the load between the two stern quarters, keeps the tow line central and clear of the outboard, and lets the stern swing so the towing boat can steer.

1. In an alongside tow, where should the towing boat's stern be, and which line takes the load going ahead?

Answer: Well aft of the casualty's stern, so the propeller and steering have clean water. The tow spring, running from forward on the towing boat aft to a point aft on the casualty, takes the load going ahead.

1. List four checks when an outboard stops unexpectedly.

Answer: Any four of: kill cord in place, fuel in the tank, fuel valve open, tank vent open, primer bulb firm, fuel line connected, filter and water separator clear, cooling water tell-tale working, intake clear, propeller not fouled, battery and electrics.

1. Why should you not open the engine hatch on an engine bay fire?

Answer: Opening it lets air in and feeds the fire, and can cause a flare-up towards the person opening it. Discharge the extinguisher through the fire port if one is fitted.

1. What must you never do with a helicopter's hi-line, and why must you let the winch wire touch the water or deck before handling it?

Answer: Never make the hi-line fast to the boat; it must only be held by hand. The wire carries static electricity, which can give a severe shock until it has been earthed.

1. Give the order of information in a Mayday call.

Answer: MIPDANIO: Mayday (three times), Identity (name three times, call sign, MMSI), Mayday and name again, Position, nature of Distress, Assistance required, Number of people on board, other Information, Over.

1. A passenger complains of lower back pain after a heavy landing. What do you do?

Answer: Slow down and stop slamming. Check DR ABC. Suspect a spinal injury: keep them still and lying flat if possible, supporting the head. Call the Coastguard (Pan-Pan or Mayday as appropriate) for medical advice and help. If you must transit, go slowly by the smoothest route, keep them warm and monitor them.

Further Reading

• RYA Advanced Powerboat Handbook G108
• RYA Powerboat Handbook G13
• RYA Weather Handbook G1 (Chris Tibbs) and RYA VHF Handbook G31
• MAIB Safety Bulletin 3/2023, serious passenger injury on a high-speed RIB
• MCA, Passenger Safety on Small Commercial High Speed Craft, and MGN 436 (M+F) whole-body vibration
• MIN 542 (M+F) Amendment 3, recognised distress signals
• IAMSAR Manual Volume III, Mobile Facilities