Accidents on Board

Dealing with a wide range of calamities that can’t be avoided
Like many other sports, boating involves certain risks that can never be entirely eradicated. Despite the best training and precautions, accidents do happen and always will. But you can substantially reduce the risk of death or serious injury by preparing for the worst, installing equipment to handle emergencies, and knowing how to use it.First, be aware of the wide range of accidents that occur on boats. The major ones involve fire, carbon monoxide, falling overboard from your boat or dinghy, collision, being hit on the head by a boom, getting a finger caught in an anchor chain or a line to a winch, and being run over by a propeller.Following is what you can do (and what, in some cases, you are required to do by federal law) to lessen the consequences of an accident.

FireKeep several U.S. Coast Guard–approved fire extinguishers on board. Federal law dictates how many your boat should have, but it’s the very minimum. Take at least of couple of extra extinguishers, and check them regularly. Place them near likely spots for fires—the galley and the engine compartment—and along exit routes, where you might have to put out a fire before you can escape into the cockpit. Show all your passengers where they are and how to use them.

Carbon monoxideThis colorless, odorless gas is a killer. It’s a by-product of combustion, and it’s found in copious quantities in engine exhaust. If exhaust fumes are blowing over the stern into the accommodations, beware. It also forms where open flames are burning—at the galley stove, oil lamps, and heaters. Your charcoal barbecue grill is another prolific producer of carbon monoxide, which, incidentally, has the ability to travel rapidly in a draft of air, even upstream. Many deaths have occurred in sleeping cabins tightly sealed against cold weather in which open-flame heaters were being used. There have even been reported cases of knee-boarders overcome by carbon monoxide while being towed behind powerboats.

Inflatable life jackets, which the coast guard classifies as type 5 personal flotation devices (PFDs), are convenient to wear (top). In use (above), they provide more buoyancy than most.

The danger signs are light-headedness, headache, light nausea, dizziness, and unnatural sleepiness. Drag yourself into fresh air immediately. In advanced cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, the skin turns pink.The best defense is to vent your stoves to the outside atmosphere and maintain a steady flow of fresh air inside the boat, cold as it may be. It’s equally important to install a carbon monoxide monitor-alarm. Marine stores sell battery-operated alarms.

Falling overboardThis risk is always present, in big boats and small. Even if you can swim well, it might be a long time before the boat can turn back to rescue you. In cold water, you will quickly become weak and confused as hypothermia sets in.Most life jackets, as mandated by federal law, don’t have to be worn all the time you’re aboard. But it’s a good idea to don one when the weather turns bad because you’re likely to be in the water much longer if you fall overboard. Better still, discipline yourself to wear a slim vest-type life jacket all the time you’re on deck. It won’t hamper your movement much and, although it’s not as buoyant as an offshore-type jacket, it will be ready when you need it. It should have reflective patches, a pocket for a crew-overboard light, and a good whistle.

A crew overboard pole, when deployed quickly, can guide a boat back to the lost crew.

Inflatable life jackets have now been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, but you’ll notice that guardsmen don’t wear them. That’s because this type of life jacket is not foolproof: it doesn’t always inflate when it should, especially if you fail to maintain it religiously. These life jackets are becoming popular because they look smart, don’t get in your way, and can incorporate a harness; however, they’re still not as reliable as solid flotation.Lifelines, the wires running through stanchions at the edge of the deck, are supposed to stop you from falling overboard, but they are often too low to do the job properly, especially on sailboats. Regard them as backup; never rely on them.In heavy weather, it makes sense to use a harness and tether attached to a jackline running fore and aft so that you’re always attached to the boat. Try to arrange it so that the tether is short enough to stop you going overboard—people have drowned from being dragged alongside in harnesses and not being able to scramble back aboard.A crew-overboard pole, equipped with a flag and a strobe light, is a valuable aid for locating someone in the water, and should be kept ready for use in the cockpit.

CollisionWhether you collide with an iceberg, a rock, or another boat, there’s always a chance of sinking. A collision mat might stem the

A collision mat might slow down a bad leak while you make temporary repairs.

flow of water until you can make temporary repairs, but some alternative form of flotation is advisable just in case: a life raft or a dinghy.You can avoid collisions by cautious navigation and thorough application of the rules of the road, but primarily by keeping a good lookout at all times.

Head injuriesYour only defense against being hit on the head by the boom is to be aware of the danger and duck at the right time. Accidental jibes happen without notice, so be extra cautious if you’re in a sailboat that’s running dead downwind. If it’s a long leg, pin the boom forward with a preventer line so it can’t jibe. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to wear a helmet; an even better idea is to wear a life jacket. If a jibing boom knocks you overboard and you’re unconscious without flotation, you’ll be lucky to survive.

Finger injuriesAnchor lines and sheets handling heavy loads around winches often cause finger injuries. The immediate cure for a trapped finger is to ease the load on the line or cut it, but prevention is a matter of awareness and caution. Be sure to tell landlubbers to keep their fingers well clear of winches and cleats.

Propeller injuriesIf you’re in the water being rescued, keep your legs well clear of propellers; they inflict nasty wounds. If you are the rescuer, turn off the motor at the last moment. Don’t assume the prop will stop turning in neutral gear because sometimes they don’t.See also Fire on Board; Harnesses; Heaters; Jacklines; Life Jackets; Lookouts; Preventers; Winches.

---