Stranded at sea, until you reach land
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If you are ever stranded at sea, adrift in a lifeboat after some terrible disaster, the first thing you’ll probably do is use your radio to try and call for help. But suppose nobody picks up the signal or the battery dies? Then you’ll have to depend on your survival abilities to get yourself rescued!
Most small lifeboats have extra sails, so quickly cut it down and erect a canvas roof for the deck — unless you are sure which direction to sail to.
Huddling under the roof will protect you from the relentless sun, wind and rain. Emptying everything from the deck below, you can use the bottom layer as a shelter. Soft fishing sacks can serve as a simple mattress and blanket.
Now your priority is to find food. Supplies are limited: mainly water and bland dry food. So rip up a few of the extra wooden planks and sharpen them with a fishing knife. Catching fish can be quite hard, especially without any string to make a fishing rod, so use the long, sharpened sticks to fish. This skill can take a long time to master: Sit patiently staring at the surface of the water, waiting for the glimmer and ripples of a fish, the strike quickly.
Once caught, you’ll have to eat it while it’s fresh. You’ll have to eat it raw, as I do not recommend making a fire on board a lifeboat! Fresh fish can be delicious — just think of sushi! You’ll soon get a taste for all the different cuts, organs and even the skin. Dry the skin on the roof of the boat when the sun shines to make a long-lasting and tasty snack. It might seem disgusting, but you should know that the eyes of a fish can also be eaten raw. They contain the most nutrients out of any fish part. You’ll need to be prepared to make some hard dietary choices!
While you can survive without food for a couple of weeks, you have to make sure that you never run out of water. Whatever you do, don’t drink the seawater — its high salt content will dehydrate you even faster. Instead, get any type of metal bowl or cup, and fill it seawater, then place it directly under the sun. As the water heats, hold a metal plate on top of the cup to catch evaporation. You may not see it immediately but it’s there. Just be patient and after a while you should see water droplets condensing above the cup. Carefully tilt the condensed water droplets into another bowl. This water is completely clean and is safe to drink.
One of your biggest enemies will be the weather. During the day, the sun can be relentless and you’ll have to shade yourself from sunburn. At night, the temperatures can plummet. The weather can switch between extremes. When a storm comes, completely cover the entire deck with the extra sail, and arm yourself with a bucket to scoop out the water. It’s going to be hard work, but at least this will keep you warm.
Preserve your flares, radio battery (turn it off before it runs out and try to use it just for a short time each day), water, food … and confidence. This is the most important thing: Life at sea will be tough and lonely. Don’t give up, and keep telling yourself that you have the ability to get through this, and that oceans don’t go on forever. Eventually, you’ll reach the land.
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