Safety, Fire & Survival · Abandon Ship

The best general rule about when to abandon ship is to:

Explanation

'Step up into the liferaft' — a vessel is usually a far better survival platform than a raft, with more buoyancy, supplies, and visibility. Abandon only when the ship can no longer be saved and remaining aboard is the greater danger, and send a distress message first.

Authority: STCW A-VI/1 Basic Training (abandon ship)

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