Emergencies at Dock or in Port - Call 911

CCGS Samual Risley Emergencies on the water: Georgian Bay or North Channel

VHF Channel 16
Need Assistance [Pan Pan - Pan Pan - Pan Pan]
+ location, boat name, difficulty, # aboard
Emergency or Abandon Ship [May Day - May Day - May Day]
+ location, boat name, difficulty, # aboard

Cell Phone
*16 or 1 800 267 7270 Marine Search & Rescue

KEEP THIS INFORMATION WITH YOU ON YOUR BOAT   

What to do:

  • call in your emergency (see above)
  • account for your passengers
  • put on lifejackets and fasten them properly if you have not already done so
  • trigger all bilge pumps
  • grab abandon ship gear bag (should have flares, radar reflector, portable VHF, EPIRB, whistle, first aid)
  • prepare dingy or life raft to abandon ship
  • follow Coast Guard instructions
  • abandon ship when you must and set off flares if you have not already done so

What NOT to do:

  • do not go below to fight fire or plug leaks unless you have determined the problem and are confident of very quick success
  • one breath of smoke can leave you unconscious so if you can fight the fire with certainty do it from a safe air position and do not go below or into the engine room
  • if you have a fire in the engine room do not open the hatch or access door ... let the auto extinguisher do its job
  • inhaling Halon gas from the extinguisher is deadly ... don't go into an area where the Halon extinguisher has triggered
  • don't panic ... keep your head and remember, your first responsibility is the safety of your passengers and not saving the boat
  • do not point flares at the boat or persons

PRACTICE YOUR ABANDON SHIP DRILL SO EVERYTHING BECOMES AUTOMATIC


EPIRBS
There are several models of "SMART EPIRBS" available now. These new EPIRB models are registered with the beacon data base in Trenton Ontario. When triggered manually or automatically by water they do not just indicate a pulse position that must be found like a needle in a hay stack ... they have a built in GPS that transmits your exact position as GPS co-ordinates accurate to a few feet. The auto release models in protective cases have a mechanism that when triggered by immersion in water the mechanism saws through the plastic pin cover retainer allowing the EPIRB to float free from the housing. Water contact triggers the EPIRB as well, allowing the unit to transmit your position. No guess work for emergency services/Coast Guard in finding the beacon. They are about $1000 - $1500 in Canada and the unit is specially programmed for Canada so don't buy one in the USA if your boat is registering in Canada. BUY ONE - IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE and mount it in a location that will allow it to float free so as not to get trapped going down with the ship.


Transport Canada Required Equipment

Pleasure craft greater than 6 m (19'8") in length but no greater than 8 m (26'3") in length
Including unpowered craft
Note: Radar reflectors are required under certain conditions.

Personal protection equipment
1. One (1) Canadian-approved personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board
2. One buoyant heaving line no less than 15 m (49'3") in length
OR
One (1) approved lifebuoy with an outside diameter of 610 mm or 762 mm that is attached to a buoyant line no less than 15 m (49’3”) in length
3. A reboarding device if the freeboard of the vessel is greater than 0.5 m (1'8")

Boat safety equipment
4. One (1) manual propelling device (for more detailed description, refer to the manual propelling device definition)
OR
An anchor with no less than 15 m (49'3") of cable, rope or chain in any combination
5. One (1) bailer
OR
One (1) manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to discharge water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel
6. One (1) Class 5BC fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power-driven vessel, plus another class 5BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance

Distress equipment
7. A watertight flashlight
8. Six (6)* Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B or C
* Exempt from carrying pyrotechnic distress signals if:
- Operating in a river, canal or lake in which it can at no time be more than one nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore
OR
- Engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition and has no sleeping arrangements

Navigation equipment
9. A sound-signalling device or a sound-signalling appliance
10. Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset and before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility

Pleasure craft greater than 8 m (26’3”) in length but no greater than 12 m (39'4") in length
Including powered craft

Personal protection equipment
1. One (1) Canadian-approved personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board
2. One (1) buoyant heaving line no less than 15 m (49’3”) in length
3. One (1) approved lifebuoy with an outside diameter of 610 mm or 762 mm that is attached to a buoyant line no less than 15 m(49’3”) in length
4. A reboarding device if the freeboard of the vessel is greater than 0.5 m (1'8")

Boat safety equipment
5. An anchor with no less than 30 m (98’5”) of cable, rope or chain in any combination
6. One (1) bailer
7. One (1) manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to discharge water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel
8. One (1) Class 10BC fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power-driven vessel, plus another class 10BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance Distress equipment
9. A watertight flashlight
10. 12* Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B, C or D, no more than six (6) of which are of Type D
* Exempt from carrying pyrotechnic distress signals if:
- Operating in a river, canal or lake in which it can at no time be more than one nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore
OR
- Engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition and has no sleeping arrangements

Navigation equipment
11. A sound-signalling device or a sound-signalling appliance
12. Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations
Note: Radar reflectors are required under certain conditions.
Power-driven pleasure craft greater than 8 m (26'3") in length require a properly adjusted compass. If the voyage is more than 20 nautical miles (37 km) from shore a compass bearing device is required.

Pleasure craft greater than 12 m (39'4") in length but no greater than 20 m (65'7") in length
Including unpowered craft

Personal protection equipment
1. One (1) Canadian-approved personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board
2. One (1) buoyant heaving line no less than 15 m (49'3") in length
3. One (1) approved lifebuoy with an outside diameter of 610 mm or 762 mm that is equipped with a self-igniting light and is attached to a buoyant line no less than 15 m (49'3") in length
4. A reboarding device

Boat safety equipment
5. An anchor with no less than 50 m (164'1") of cable, rope or chain in any combination
6. Bilge pumping arrangements
7. One (1) Class 10BC fire extinguisher at each of the following locations:
At each access to any space where a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance is fitted
At the entrance to any accommodation space
At the entrance to the engine room space
8. One (1) axe
9. Two (2) buckets, each with a capacity of 10 L or more

Distress equipment
10. A watertight flashlight
11. 12 Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B, C or D, no more than six (6) of which are of Type D
Navigation equipment
12. A sound-signalling appliance
13. Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations
Note: Radar reflectors are required under certain conditions.
Power-driven pleasure craft greater than 8 m (26'3") in length require a properly adjusted compass. If the voyage is more than 20 nautical miles (37 km) from shore a compass bearing device is required.