A popular adage goes “women and children first,” referring to the practice of transferring women and children into a marine lifeboat first before men. Although the phrase is associated with the infamous tragedy on the RMS Titanic, which sank on April 15, 1912, it has been coined years before that.
Believed to have originated from another tragedy that of HMS Birkenhead the phrase did not come into common usage until about 1860. During the Birkenhead’s final voyage, Lieutenant-Colonel Seton took charge of the ship’s military personnel and told them to hold fast in the sinking ship while the women and children are being loaded into the lifeboats. Only 193 of the 643 passengers were saved, which included all the women and children on board. This practice became known as the Birkenhead Drill.
During emergency situations onboard a maritime vessel, it is always important to keep a level head and weigh all options. Abandoning ship is the ultimate call a captain could make to save his passengers and crew. This is usually followed by a call to rescue the women and children first, or is it? Separating the facts from the lore in life-threatening situations can spell the difference between life and death.
But how does one know when to abandon ship?
STEP UP INTO YOUR LIFE-RAFT
A commonly heard phrase, stepping up into a life raft implies that the order of abandoning ship should not be given until the vessel is sinking literally beneath your feet! Is this the sound advice? To help you decide when to abandon ship, here are a few things to think about.
Weather or not
Weather plays a significant role in deciding whether or not to abandon ship. While transferring into a lifeboat and sailing away to safety over calm waters can lead to a happy ending, it is a whole different story during stormy seas. Boarding and launching lifeboats during bad weather are way more difficult with more things possibly going wrong. Before abandoning ship, take into consideration whether you’ll be safer in a stable floating ship or a fragile lifeboat.
Immobility is not the end
Stories of immobile and abandoned ships being found still floating ages after the incident are not uncommon. So are stories of lifeboats full of hopeful survivors abandoning ship and sailing away never to be heard from again. Fear and panic should never rule a decision to abandon a ship. Just because a ship is dead, it doesn’t mean that going into the open water is better.
Conquer your fear
The worst possible scenario is panicking and deciding to abandon ship too early. As illustrated earlier, it is sometimes a case of jumping from the pan to the fire. Calm yourself. Think things through. Evaluate ship integrity, survey your surroundings, and evaluate worst-case scenarios.
The Master is all
Ultimately, the decision will rest on the captain or the master of the ship. He or she should assess everything in perspective. Hopefully, for the sake of his or her crew and passengers, the right call is made.
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