Engine-room fire nine miles offshore at night
At 02:20 the 18 m motor yacht Pelagos is 9 NM south of the coast, making 10 knots, with six persons on board: the skipper, two crew and three guests. The engine-room smoke detector alarms and smoke is seeping from the engine-room vents; the engine has stopped by itself. The fixed CO2 system is released manually from a station on the aft deck; the engine-room ventilation fan is still running and the fuel shut-off is at the same aft station. A crew member opened the engine-room door, was driven back by flame and thick black smoke, and has burns to his right forearm and is coughing. Wind is NW 4, sea slight, visibility good, air temperature 27 °C. A merchant ship is 12 NM away and answering on VHF 16; a rescue helicopter is about 40 minutes away. The liferaft is in a canister on the coachroof, the EPIRB is in the wheelhouse, and the grab bag is stowed under the chart table.
1. Give the sequence of actions for the first five minutes, including whether and when to release the fixed CO2 system.
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First actions (in parallel, not in series):
- Muster. Call all hands, lifejackets on, head count against the manifest – before anything else, because you cannot release CO2 into a space that might contain a person.
- MAYDAY on VHF 16 (see next task), EPIRB activated if the position is known and the situation is developing, SART ready.
- Shut down what feeds the fire from the aft station: engine already stopped, ventilation fan off, all engine-room vents and dampers closed, fuel shut-off closed. CO2 is useless in a compartment that is being ventilated.
- Stop the boat – head into the wind so smoke and flame go over the stern and away from the accommodation and the liferaft stowage.
- Only then release the fixed CO2, after confirming the head count and that the space is closed and unoccupied, and announce it loudly before pulling. The release is irreversible; anyone inside will die.
The open door was the serious error. Opening an engine-room door admits oxygen to a fuel fire, causes a flashover and can push flame and toxic smoke into the accommodation. Keep it shut.
After release: keep the compartment sealed, do not reopen even after the smoke stops, cool the boundaries from outside with water, and keep the liferaft and abandon gear ready but do not launch yet.
2. Draft the distress call and explain the criteria you would use to decide whether to abandon ship.
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Distress call (VHF 16, then working channel): 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. This is Pelagos, Pelagos, Pelagos, call sign […], MMSI […]. MAYDAY Pelagos. Position [latitude/longitude or bearing and distance from a named point], 9 miles south of [port]. We are on fire in the engine room, engine stopped, fire is not under control, six persons on board, one injured. We require immediate assistance. Over.' Then listen, acknowledge instructions, and repeat until acknowledged. It is a MAYDAY because there is grave and imminent danger to life – a fire aboard a fibreglass vessel off a lee shore – not a PAN PAN.
Abandon criteria:
- Fire has spread to the accommodation, or fuel tanks are involved and there is a risk of explosion.
- Smoke and heat make the deck untenable, or the fire cannot be contained and the vessel is losing structural integrity or taking water.
- Not simply because the engine is dead and the boat is burning in a closed compartment – a stable, floating, fire-contained hull is a better survival platform than a liferaft.
If it becomes necessary: lifejackets, EPIRB and SART out, grab bag (water, flares, handheld VHF, first aid, documents), launch the raft to leeward on its painter, board from the lowest point, cut the painter at the last moment, stay tethered to the raft and stay near the yacht's last position. Tell the Coast Guard and the merchant ship exactly what you have done.
3. Describe your management of the injured crew member and how you coordinate the medical evacuation.
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Immediate first aid:
- Airway before the arm. Coughing and smoke exposure mean possible inhalation injury – watch for hoarse voice, soot around the mouth and nose, singed nasal hair, stridor. Give high-flow oxygen if carried, sit him upright, keep him still and warm.
- Cool the burn with clean, cool water for at least 15–20 minutes (seawater only as a last resort – it is not clean), remove his watch/rings and any clothing not stuck to the skin, and do not apply ice, butter, oil or cotton wool.
- Cover the burn with cling film or a clean non-adherent dressing, loosely, to reduce pain and fluid loss. Do not burst blisters.
- Treat for shock: keep warm, monitor pulse and breathing, no food or alcohol; small sips of water only if fully conscious.
Coordination:
- Inform the Coast Guard of the injury type and severity, so the right asset (helicopter with medical crew, or a fast launch) is tasked; the burns and the inhalation risk, not the fire alone, are what drive the medevac urgency.
- Prepare the deck clear of smoke for the winch, brief the crew on the winchman's instructions, have the patient's details and medical history written down and handed over.
- Have a stretcher improvised and a second person assigned to him at all times.
- Continue fire containment and boundary cooling while the evacuation happens – do not let the medical emergency strip the deck of all hands.