It is 14 August 1979. Shortly after dawn, somewhere south-east of Ireland, a metre-high wave crashes over the ‘Grimalkin’. The nine-metre yacht capsizes. The mast snaps. It drifts keel-up for some time before righting itself. Halyards, sheets and parts of the rigging are hanging in the water everywhere. Two of the six crew members are thrown overboard.
One of them is Nick Ward. His leg gets caught in the rigging, which drags him through the freezing water. He screams. No one hears him. Eventually, a fresh wave lifts the water high enough for him to pull himself back on board. Then it dawns on him: the life raft is gone. So are his friends. Without him.
This tragedy, which Nick Ward only recounted to an Irish journalist thirty years later, is an excerpt from one of the darkest chapters in sailing history (YACHT 15/2008). One of many that took place during the 1979 Fastnet Race. An unexpected storm had taken the fleet by surprise. An 80-knot gale and waves 15 to 18 metres high. Five yachts sank. Fifteen sailors died.
The life raft – the very last resort
The rest of the crew of the ‘Grimalkin’ had assumed that Ward and his fellow sailor Gerry Winks were dead and had moved into the liferaft. A fateful mistake, as it later transpired. Ward saved the boat single-handedly and was rescued after 14 hours of ordeal. Winks, who was still alive at that point, could also have been saved. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Ward’s story is an extreme example, but it illustrates a fundamental rule: you only board the liferaft when you have to take a step up. It is the very last resort – not a reaction to fear or chaos. And yet: when the ship is on fire, when it is sinking inexorably, it can be your last hope of survival. Provided you know what you’re doing.
More on the topic of ‘life rafts’:
A mystery to many
After all, it is not uncommon for a liferaft to be nothing more than a rectangular white case, lashed down somewhere on deck. Depending on its size, it weighs between 25 and 40 kilos. Very few people have ever carried out a test deployment. Even the maintenance intervals are often ignored due to the cost involved. For many, it is exactly what it shouldn’t be: a mystery.
For that to change, The Trans Ocean Offshore Sailing Club carried out a drill for this emergency scenario. At the summer gathering in Fehmarn-Orth, they rehearsed under the guidance of Mara Zapp, director of the Well Sailing Sailing School, and used discarded life rafts to make the transfer. Zapp says:
‘What you have done yourself is stored in a different part of the memory from what you merely read or see.’
People who exercise are better able to cope with stress
Marcus Warnke, chairman of Trans-Ocean, also took the opportunity to practise the procedure with his own boat. He has never had to take refuge on an island himself, but he knows the stories. “We have members who have been through this. It’s part of the risk when you head out onto the open sea.”
Of course, a real emergency situation cannot be simulated: “We’re not going to practise in force 8 winds, a storm and with a broken mast.” But that’s not the point, says Warnke. Anyone who has mentally run through such situations can cope with them better under pressure – and remains more capable of taking action when it really matters.
Getting into the life raft – explained step by step
Anyone who needs to board the life raft should have thought through the procedure in advance. A step-by-step guide – from preparation through to deployment and safe boarding.
Step 1: Prepare the island
Place the case on deck so that it can be easily lowered into the water – ideally amidships, as this area remains relatively calm in choppy conditions. The island must be within easy reach, unobstructed and not moored too securely. The ripcord should already be attached to the boat.
Important: Position the island so that it fits easily over or under the railing.
Step 2: Put on your kit
Put on your lifejacket and get your safety lines ready. Now it’s time for the grab bag: keep the emergency bag containing medicines, documents, water and essential survival equipment within easy reach – along with the VHF radio and EPIRB.
If there's still time: warm clothes underneath your waterproofs.
Step 3: Detach the island
Throw the island into the water, then pull the ripcord – it can be up to fifteen metres long. Keep pulling until you feel distinct resistance, then overcome it with a sharp tug. A dull thud, a loud hiss: the CO₂ cartridge fires, and the island inflates. If the cartridge continues to hiss even though the chambers are fully inflated, there’s no need to panic – excess gas escapes once maximum pressure is reached.
Step 4: Position the island
Position the life raft so that the entrance is close to the boat. Pull it close and secure it so that the float is raised slightly out of the water. This ensures a stable connection between the raft and the boat. Look for a suitable place to board. If the raft has inflated upside down, use a boat hook carefully to turn it the right way up.
Step 5/6: Secure and get in
Prepare the safety lines: clip one carabiner onto the stretch rope or footrail, and the second onto the ripcord. Then step over. Once you have a firm foothold on the island, first unclip the lifeline carabiner on board, then the one on the ripcord. Slide as far back as possible within the island, with your back against the wall and your feet towards the centre – this leaves room for other people.
If possible: Help others get on.
Step 7: Disconnect from the boat
Once everyone has boarded the island, cut the line connecting them to the boat. The emergency line also has a predetermined breaking point: should the boat start to sink before the line has been cut, it will snap automatically at this point.
Key points at a glance
- The life raft is intended solely for the Emergency intended.
- Before triggering, you must Pull the ripcord and clear the way be.
- If possible, prepare a life jacket, safety line, grab bag, radio and EPIRB.
- The island first close to the boat Position yourself, then step over it in an orderly manner.
- Do not release the safety catches until you have a firm footing on the island.
- Do not sever the connection to the boat until all crew members have boarded it.
Fabian Boerger
Editor News & Panorama