Found a good "Salt Water Survival" link? Let Us Know!

Survival at Sea by Jean-Philippe Soule: It is interesting to look at the experience of many castaways and adventurers and learn from their mistakes and discoveries. In a castaway situation, drowning is the main cause of death followed by hypothermia. People who survive the first few days will have to follow the same rules as for land survival. The priority should be to shelter themselves from the elements (exposure), find water, and then for longer period of time find food. Carrying signaling devices might also significantly increase the chance to be rescued.

From an alert viewer:
I tried to contact JP Soule about an error via the "CASKE2000" site which contains much of his survival information, but the email got returned to me. The error could be critical, in some cases.

I noticed what I'm sure is a mistake in the statement about the amount of water required for survival, at: http://www.caske2000.org/survival/survivesea.htm#Water

The English text reads "It is possible to survive with 2 to 5 oz (55 to 220 centiliters) per day." This should say "milliliters" rather than "centiliters"; also, the numerical figures should be slightly different: 2oz ~= 60ml, and 5oz ~= 150ml. Or, more likely, the metric amounts are stated with correct numbers (but incorrect units), and the US conversion to ounces is a bit wrong on the larger end (smaller is correct): 220ml ~= 7oz.

Volume conversions:
1 centiliters = 10 milliliters
1 US fluid ounce = 29.5735296 milliliters

Thanks,
- Sean

SEA SURVIVAL [Excerpt from FM21-76c16] Perhaps the most difficult survival situation to be in is sea survival. Short-or long-term survival depends upon rations and equipment available and your ingenuity. You must be resourceful to survive. Also available HERE

Survival At Sea Immediate action checklist

United States Search and Rescue Task Force Should you try to sail, paddle, swim toward a known coast, or should you stay put until the rescuers find you. This is often a difficult decision and it depends on the situation.  What are your chances to be rescued?  Were you able to send a distress signal?  Did rescuers get it (did they answer you)?  Where you able to send your exact location (did you know it at the time of wreckage)?  Do you have any signaling and communication devices? (it is nearly impossible to find a raft in the ocean without knowing its location if no signaling (or communication) devices are onboard.  Bad weather can also make searches impossible. Good info on a really annoying background. Cute animations. 

S/Y Regina, Survival Survival at Sea Hadn’t I read uncountable books on seamanship? Hadn’t I been able to feel how the Baileys survived 118 days at sea in a life raft while reading their most exciting book? Hadn’t I thought that if anything goes wrong, we’ll jump into the life raft to get rescued? All this is, in no way, comparable with actually sitting here together with other equally committed sailors waiting for rescue.

Survival at Sea... Would You Survive? By Capt. Troy Parker: As the boom slammed into me and launched my body over the side, I tucked my head and plunged into to the icy waters. The next thing I remember is realizing how cold the water felt as it soaked through my foul weather gear and filled my boots, weighting me down and making it extremely difficult to swim. As bad as things were, the worst part was watching the boat move away from me down wind, not knowing if someone observed me going over the side and if or when they would turn around and rescue me.

Man Overboard, Survival Stories and Prevention The problem is suddenness. One minute there's a promising life ahead. Now struggling in the wake, swallowing water, gasping for breath. Facing death. This is not the slow decline of cancer or degenerative disease - with time for arrangements. No good-byes, updating the will or making amends. (pdf) [Link recovered 4/12/11 - now hosted on site!]

Dangerous Sea Creatures 

Surviving an Emergency at Sea This can take many forms. We have dealt with those of a medical nature in Ships Doctor and will confine our remarks here to those relative to the safety of your vessel and crew. As any ocean sailor will tell you coastal waters hold for more danger for your ship than that of the open sea. So to in general do coastal waters offer the higher chance of assistance from shore, sea and from the air

Crew Overboard Gear No onboard emergency is more immediately threatening than a crew overboard. Groundings, fires, and flooding may cause the loss of the boat, but the crew can generally escape these with their lives—and the boat and her contents can almost always be replaced. A crew, however, cannot be restored once lost.

Pirate Attack in the Gulf of Aden We were about 30 miles off the Yemen coast on the morning of 2 March when the pirates attacked. It was about half an hour from the watch change at 06.00 when they came out of the early morning mist.

Weekly Piracy Report A major part of the IMB’s work to make shipping safer involves assisting in the suppression of piracy and armed robbery against ships around the world. In 1992, the escalating number of piracy incidents led to the establishment of a Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Its job is to raise awareness of piracy hotspots, detail specific attacks and their consequences, and investigate incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea and in port. Another role entails working with national governments on a range of initiatives to reduce and ultimately eradicate attacks against ships. The Centre, managed by the IMB, has enjoyed considerable success over the years and has made huge strides towards meeting its objectives to reduce piracy and in increasing general awareness of the problem. [Link updated 4/12/11]

Boy's Manual Of Seamanship And Gunnery This Manual of Seamanship and Gunnery has been written for the use of Boys under training for Her Majesty's Navy. It is arranged so as to meet the various instructions laid down in the Training Regulations, and contains full information in all matters which boys are required to learn. I trust it will prove interesting and useful to them. With proper attention to his Instructors, and reading this book carefully at leisure times, he may prepare himself thoroughly for the Quarterly Examinations, on which the credit of the boys and of the ship to which they belong, must depend. I have included everything that a First Class Boy ought to learn; and I also intend it as a connecting link to another book called "The Young Seaman's Manual," which I have also compiled for the use of the young seamen of the Navy, and which treats more fully of a seaman's duties.

Abandon Ship Bag While it may come as a surprise to some, by now most people realize that the survival equipment stocked in most life rafts, even rafts designed to meet SOLAS requirements, is often inadequate, sometimes woefully so. In many cases not only is the selection and quantity a problem, but the quality of the equipment and supplies is also less than desirable.

Escape: Because Accidents Happen: Abandon Ship PBS Airdate: February 17, 1999 Hundreds die when a ferry goes down in a raging storm. But this man stayed alive...

Preparing an Abandon-Ship Bag To some sailors, the act of abandoning ship is unthinkable. To others, it's a well thought out, prepared, and practiced maneuver ready to be enacted with only a moment's notice. Which kind of sailor are you?

Dangerous Sea Life brought to you by CASKE 2000:  [Link updated 4/12/11]

Sea Med. Online book by Craig Thomas, M.D., and Susan Scott. First Aid for: The Treatment of the Following Injuries Is Featured: (clickable links)

The Heimlich Maneuver For Drowning Victims? There is a difference of opinion between the American Red Cross and the Heimlich Institute regarding the use of the Heimlich maneuver in emergency treatment of non-breathing drowning victims. The controversy is several years old, but recent references in Cruising World and Ocean Navigator magazines have generated renewed attention.  (pdf) [Link recovered 4/12/11 - now hosted on site!]

Sea Critters That Can Really Hurt You! Excellent advice from Hawaii! Pretty good graphics & info on about 18 nasty critters.

Immersion Hypothermia Cold, Wet and Up to your Neck by Joseph Mokry Ocean Rescue Systems. (pdf) [Link recovered 4/12/11 - now hosted on site!]

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