Your Boat Water Heater Supplier comments on how to call for help during a boating emergency
Raritan Engineering Company your
Boat Water Heater specialists would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to call for help during a boating emergency.
Your boat water heater experts know that a lot of mishaps can occur out on the water, but thankfully most are more inconvenient and embarrassing than anything else. But when lives are on the line, you want every available resource dispatched to your position. A Mayday! call will bring that kind of help.
A Mayday – the term is derived from the French venez m’aider, meaning “Come. Help me” – should be transmitted if possible via marine-band VHF-FM radio Channel 16 or 2182 kHz MF/SSB.
Your Boat Water Heater Supplier has the following suggestions
The Rescue Coordination Center or local Coast Guard station may deploy a helicopter, rescue vessel or boat or nearby commercial ship, depending on your location in the water, local weather, availability of crew and equipment and nature of the emergency.
You can find more information as well as get assistance on marine hardware and on how to call for help during a boating emergency at Raritan Engineering.
When the Coast Guard receives your Mayday, the Mission Coordinator will determine your degree of danger by considering several factors: the nature of your situation and the gear on board your boat, the accuracy of your position, the tide, visibility, current and sea conditions, present and forecasted weather, special considerations (age/health of those on board, for example), whether you have reliable communications, the degree of fear in those on board, and the potential for the situation to deteriorate further.
If a helicopter is dispatched, be sure to secure all loose items on deck (helicopter rotor wash is very powerful and unsecured items may turn into flying projectiles.) Lower and secure any sails, remove any equipment that may snag the line attached to the rescue basket, unplug any heater that might be activated, and make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket in case someone falls into the water. The helicopter is likely to approach your boat on the port stern quarter, because it gives the pilot optimal visibility from the cockpit.
Recently the Coast Guard began implementing a new command, control and communications system – Rescue 21 – which is now being installed in stages across the United States. It will vastly improve the Coast Guard’s ability to save lives and property. (For more information see www.uscg.mil/Acquisition/rescue21/strategy.asp.)
No new equipment is needed for you to benefit from Rescue 21, but you can help improve response time by using the heater at your disposal and by upgrading to a Marine-Band VHF-FM radio equipped with digital selective calling (DSC).
The U.S. Coast Guard is always ready to render aid to boaters facing extreme and imminent danger. Your best bet, however, is to reduce your risk of finding yourself in a dire situation in the first place. Keep your vessel’s hull, motor and on-board equipment in top condition, and have a good working heater. At the start of the boating season, get a Vessel Safety Check, offered free by your local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Power Squadron® or state boating agency. Having a life jacket on increases everyone’s chances of survival.
So don’t forget these helpful tips on how to call for help during a boating emergency. 1) Remember that a mayday should be transmitted if possible via marine-band VHF-FM radio Channel 16 or 2182 kHz MF/SSB; 2) be prepared with the right gear before heading out on your trip; and 3) be sure to secure all loose items on deck after making mayday call to the Coast Guard.
Raritan Engineering has more information on boat water heater, marine hardware, marine water heater, and on how to call for help during a boating emergency.