RYA Day Skipper Safety at Sea 2

Question 1

What does the acronym 'EPIRB' stand for?

Accepted Answer

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon

Answer

EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. When activated, it transmits a distress signal via satellite that alerts search and rescue authorities to the vessel's position.

Question 2

What is the first action to take if you discover a fire below decks on a yacht?

Accepted Answer

Alert the crew, close hatches and ventilation to starve the fire of oxygen, and use the appropriate extinguisher

Answer

The first actions are to alert the crew, close hatches and ventilation to reduce oxygen supply, and then fight the fire with the appropriate extinguisher. Opening hatches would feed the fire with air.

Question 3

What is 'hypothermia' and why is it particularly dangerous at sea?

Accepted Answer

A dangerous drop in core body temperature below 35°C, which can be fatal and develops rapidly in cold water

Answer

Hypothermia occurs when core body temperature drops below 35°C. It is especially dangerous at sea because water conducts heat away from the body 25 times faster than air, and UK sea temperatures are cold year-round.

Question 4

What is the internationally recognised distress signal using sound?

Accepted Answer

A continuous sounding of the fog signal apparatus, or repeated signals of SOS (three short, three long, three short)

Answer

The international distress signal by sound is the continuous sounding of any fog-signalling apparatus, or the SOS signal in Morse code (dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot).

Question 5

What is a 'grab bag' and what should it contain?

Accepted Answer

A pre-packed waterproof bag containing essential survival items to be grabbed when abandoning to a liferaft

Answer

A grab bag is a pre-packed waterproof bag kept ready to take into a liferaft. It typically contains water, flares, a knife, a torch, a handheld VHF radio, first aid kit, EPIRB, and emergency rations.

RYA Day Skipper Practice Test

RYA Day Skipper Practice Test

RYA Day Skipper Safety at Sea 2