No High Heels!

Quick now -- what is the very first, and most important, thing to do before you get into a life raft?

(answer) Take your seasickness pills. A crew life raft is enclosed, providing protection from the outside elements. However, 25 people have to crowd into it. The raft will bob up and down like crazy on the ocean, testing the strongest stomach. And Lordy how nasty it would be if somebody got sick to his stomach in that crowded space.

This and other nice tidbits were offered on the morning of March 28 in Salvador, Brazil, as 3 life raft groups, 75 people in all, were given three instructional drills out on the flat open area of the bow. In drill #1, each group of 25 crowded into a raft, as officers gave us tips on how to best deal with the situation if it really happened. The seasickness pills were mentioned quite a few times, as well as “NO HIGH HEELS!!”

Drill #2 had to do with identifying life raft supplies. The raft is initially packed into a large cylinder which looks like an extra-large white plastic garbage can. When the proper rope is pulled, the can opens and the raft inflates.

Also packed into the big white cylinder are 2 paddles, food and water rations for 25 people, flares, a signal-sending device, a raft repair kit just in case someone DID wear high-heel shoes, and a big thermal bag for people pulled out of the cold water.

The third drill was the familiar fire-extinguisher drill. If a crew person spots a fire, he should make a phone call on it immediately. The Fire Team will arrive pretty quickly, but the crew person can be a huge help if he can quickly find and use an extinguisher on a small fire.

The Fire Teams are well-trained, practicing their procedures at least once a week. The alarm goes off, passengers are told to ignore it, while the Fire Teams are told the location of “simulated” fire. The photos below were not taken by me, I would not be allowed in the Fire Team drill area.