*Post extra look out.

* Inform C/E to ST-By engine, but at full sea speed.

* Note down deviation time, position and ROBs.

* Inform owner/ charterer about the deviation.

## Assign Duties to Officers ##

C/O to prepare:

* Prepare rescue boats and ready for immediate launching.

* Extra life jackets, life buoys, buoyant life lines, line throwing apparatus readily available.

* Rig guest warp, accommodation ladder, scrambling nets and life lines running from bow to astern at

the water edge on both sides.

* Prepare crane/derricks with cargo nets for recovery of survivors.

* Test search lights, signaling lamps, torches.

2/O to prepare:

* Ship’s hospital to receive casualties and prepare stretchers, blankets, foods, medicines.

* Plot both vessels’ positions and establish course to rendezvous at maximum speed and update ETA.

* Plot other vessels within the search vicinity together with their respective movements.

* Change over to manual steering.

* Plot search pattern.

* Keep continuous radar watch. Track all vessel in the vicinity.

2/O to prepare:

* Contact RCC via CRS.

* Maintain communication radio watch and update distress information.

* Monitor weather report.

Search Patterns

Search pattern will depend on the followings:

* Size of area to be searched.

* Type of distressed craft.

* Size of the distressed craft.

* Meteorological visibility.

* Cloud ceiling.

* Type of sea conditions.

* Time of day.

* Arrival time of datum.

Normally three basic search patterns are used. Namely:

* Parallel Sweep Search

* Expanding Square Search

* Sector Search

Parallel sweep search (PS)

* Used to search a large area when survivor’s location is uncertain.

* May be used with single or multiple vessels.

* Commence search point (CSP) is one of the corners of the search area.

* CSP may be a corner of a sub area if a large area is to search.

* It is ½ track space inside the rectangle from each of the two sides forming the rectangle.

* Orientation is generally in the estimated direction of drift of the search object.

Parallel sweep search by one ship:

Parallel sweep search by two ships:

Expanding square search (SS)

* Most effective when location of object is known to be within close limit.

* CSP (Commence search point) is always datum.

* First leg usually oriented into the wind.

* Suitable for use by a single vessel or boat.

* Used when searching for persons in water.

* Search object with no leeway.

Sector search (VS)

* Most effective when the location of search object is accurately known.

* Search area to be small.

* Used to search a circular area.

* Center is datum position.

* Datum may be marked by dropping a suitable marker, such as a life buoy.

* Search radius is normally 2 – 5 n. miles for vessels.

* Each turn is 120°, normally to starboard.

* Second search leg is 30º off from the first leg.

* CSP (Commence search point) is one side of the circular search area.