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Emergency Quick Reference — Onboard Card

DRAFT — skipper to review and confirm boat-specific details before the race. Standard offshore immediate-actions only; not a substitute for the crew safety briefing, Safety-at-Sea training, or the boat's documented systems. Blanks (____) = boat-specific (gear/valve/switch locations) — fill before the start. When in doubt: slow the boat, protect the crew, call for help early.

For man-overboard see the dedicated MOB card. For squalls/fronts see Card 09.

Flooding / water ingress

  1. Find the source — likely points: rudder bearing/stuffing box, thru-hulls, keel bolts, prop shaft. Thru-hull locations: ____.
  2. Stem it — soft-wood plugs at each thru-hull (____), close the relevant seacock.
  3. Pump — manual bilge pump location: ____; electric pump switch: ____. Assign one crew to pump, one to find/stop the source.
  4. Assess — gaining or holding? If gaining faster than pumps → prep for abandon ship and call MAYDAY.

Steering failure

  1. Don't broach — ease sheets, depower, get the bow under control.
  2. Emergency tiller — stowage: ____; fits over the rudder post at ____.
  3. If rudder is lost: rig drogue / warps to steer; balance sail plan.
  4. Limp or call for help — decide with the skipper; report status on VHF 16 if unable to steer.

Rig failure / dismasting

  1. Crew safety first — get everyone clear of the rig and away from loaded lines/wire.
  2. Secure the rig — if over the side and holding, it can hole the hull in a seaway. Cutters/bolt-cutters/hacksaw location: ____. Cut away only on the skipper's call.
  3. Retain what you can (mast section as jury rig) if safe.
  4. Start engine if available (watch for lines in the prop). Report status; MAYDAY if in danger.

Fire

  1. Cut the fuel/power — engine off, fuel shutoff: ____; battery isolator: ____; gas/stove shutoff: ____.
  2. Extinguisher — locations: ____. Aim at the base.
  3. Galley/electrical/engine-bay fire: smother, don't open a hot compartment fully.
  4. If uncontrolled → MAYDAY + prep abandon ship.

Medical

  1. Stabilize — first-aid kit location: ____; crew with offshore medical training: ____.
  2. Get advice — medical advice channel / shore contact: ____ (confirm in the comms plan). Many offshore races have a designated medical advisory line.
  3. Serious (chest pain, major trauma, unconsciousness, hypothermia): call USCG / MAYDAY early — a diversion or evac takes hours offshore; don't wait.

Abandon ship

Only on the skipper's order, and almost always step UP into the liferaft (i.e. only when the boat is actually sinking). 1. MAYDAY on VHF 16 + DSC; activate EPIRB (Hex 2DDAAF98BA3FDFF). 2. Liferaft — location/launch: ____; capacity: ____; painter tied to boat before launch. 3. Grab bag — location: ____ (water, flares, handheld VHF, PLBs, meds). 4. Account for all crew; stay together; tether the raft to the boat until it's untenable.

Fill the blanks with the boat's actual gear/locations before the start, and walk the crew through one mock emergency at the T-7 brief.