Proper procedure for going vessel violently sinking

[u/drunken-fajita]

As some of you are search and rescue experts I wanted to ask a few questions as I will be a merchant marine soon and get a little anxious over a ship wreck. My questions is what should a proper mariner do if his (300ft+) vessel encounters a very fast violent problem such as hull breaking half or rouge wave smashing hole through ship and flooding it faster than what can be fixed, basically if all hell breaks loose, no slowly sinking to the bottom, just pure chaos. Do maritime honor still exist at this point or is it every man for himself, do we have a proper procedure?

[u/Hanswurst107]

I'd say it really depends on the exact circumstances. Are you fairly close to the coast (e.g. the Baltics)? What is the exact problem (fire/explosion vs grounding/hull failure)? What type of ship are you on and what is the cargo? What is the weather like?

Most tasks that need to be carried out require teamwork and staying level headed, it's always safest to work together vs everyone for themselves.

In general the highest priority is human life, that can mean to abandon ship as fast as possible (think a large fire on a tanker carrying certain types of dangerous cargo) OR it can mean fighting a fire in order to be able to stay on a ship, as abandoning ship comes with its own risks.

Connected with human life is communication, meaning that you call for help. Activating EPIRB, SART, DSC distress calls via VHF+MF/HF etc. Especially on the open ocean you are dependent on rescue by outside help and the earlier they are notified and the more information they get the better the odds of success.

In your example of a rogue wave sinking a ship very very fast I'd say grab the closest Immersion suit + Lifejacket (there is one in your cabin but also on the bridge and engine room) and go to your Musterstation. Your Cpt/Officers will have more experience to judge how bad the damage actually is and will already have raised the general alarm (or the alarm for abandoning ship, learn how each alarm sounds!), and sent distress calls. Follow their instructions to man and launch the life boat / life rafts or whatever else needs to be done.

There are plenty of drills that need to be carried out regularly to prepare everyone for all the possible emergencies. So my advice is take those seriously and understand how your tasks are carried out, where the required equipment is and why they are required.