&I4.Q68 Unl>A-i UNITED STATES COAST GUARD LOG BOOK AND CERTAIN INFORMATION FOR USE IN LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS United States Merchant Vessels When completed this log book should be delivered to the first available Coast Guard Officer or District Coast Guard Office. If landed in a foreign country, deliver this log book to the American Consul who will forward it to the Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Washington, D. C. Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. University of Illinois Library n r- "* Utl 15 TO L161 — H41 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD LOG BOOK AND CERTAIN INFORMATION FOR USE IN LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS United States Merchant Vessels When completed this log book should be delivered to the first available Coast Guard Officer or District Coast Guard Office. If landed in a foreign country, deliver this log book to the American Consul who will forward it to the Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Washington, D. C. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1914 THE LIBRARY OF THE MAR 1 0 1944 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS U. OF ILL UB. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/logbookcertaininOOunit FOREWORD Co l A . Much time and thought have been devoted to the problems of survival encountered by seamen forced to abandon ship. It has been most difficult to obtain detailed information on events occurring during abandonment and later while in boats or rafts, since memory is short and survivors often cannot recall the facts which would be most valuable. It is believed that this condition may be remedied and much useful data obtained by recording events, as they occur, in this log book. In it also may be entered comments and suggestions for better means of abandoning ship and for improving lifesaving apparatus. This information will be utilized for the benefit of other seamen who may be forced to take to lifeboats and life rafts in the future. It is impossible to say just how long you will be in the life¬ boat before rescue, but statistics show that once the survivors have abandoned ship and are safely in the boats and rafts, they are three-quarters of the way to safety. In fact, our records show that over 60 percent of the lifeboats and life rafts have been picked up within 24 hours. The chances of your ultimate rescue by another ship or by reaching land depend on the behavior of all of you. Strict discipline must be maintained, and cheerful obedience given to the orders of the person in charge. It is important that your body energy be saved and not wasted by useless exertion, for there is only a limited amount of food and water to replace that energy. However, the person in charge must assign each one some regular duty to perform, choosing the strongest and most capable for standing watches. The routine of duty must be followed exactly, and only the injured or badly exhausted persons should be excused. Someone should be assigned by the person in command to keep the log book. First, he should enter the names and addresses of those in his boat or raft; second, the conditions and incidents of abandonment; third, in¬ formation regarding the other boats and rafts known to have “gotten away” successfully (including the names of other known survivors, if possible) ; and fourth, a running log of the events of each day, the course, speed, weather conditions, etc., should be kept as an aid in navigating and in finding your dead reck¬ oning position. An inventory of water and provisions should be taken as soon as possible and entered in the log, with a daily record of how much remains on hand, for the welfare of every¬ one depends on intelligent use of your food and water. In the back of the log book there are suggestions on what to do when in a boat or raft, medical and first-aid instructions for caring for the sick and injured, and instructions for navigation. The part entitled, “Navigation in Emergencies,” was prepared by Dr. Bart J. Bok of the Harvard Astronomical Laboratory, Cambridge, Mass., and it is believed this information will enable you to find your position and to plot your course for the nearest land or position where rescue can reasonably be expected. When you have been rescued, do not forget that you may be able to help in locating other survivors of your ship in boats or in IV FOREWORD rafts by reporting what information you have to the proper authorities. The log book, however, should be delivered to the first Coast Guard officer or district Coast Guard office available. If you should land in a foreign country, deliver the log book to the American Consul, requesting that he forward it to the Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard, Washington, D. C. An officer or seaman in charge of a lifeboat who brings his crew to safety in good health and spirits has done a commend¬ able and praiseworthy job. To accomplish this, however, he must have the full cooperation, assistance, and obedience of each one of you, as a group and individually. Vice Admiral , United States Coast Guard , Commandant. January 2,1944. CONTENTS Page Log book___ 1 List of persons in boat or raft_ 1 Daily record_ 3 Advice to those in lifeboats and life rafts_ 63 Procedure in lifeboats_ 63 Picking up other survivors and other supplies_ 63 Motor lifeboats_ 63 Keeping together_ 63 Cleansing hands and face of fuel oil_ . 63 Repair outfit_ 63 Early action by person in charge_ . 63 Behavior_ 64 Allocation of duties_ 64 Steps toward rescue_ 64 Navigation_ _ 64 Compasses_ 64 Pumping and bailing_ _ 64 Rowing_ 64 Attracting attention_ . 64 Clothing_ 65 Protection against the weather_ 65 Bathing_ 66 Mirages_ 66 Emergency rations_ 66 Water_ 66 Food_ 67 Fish and birds_ 68 Care of stores__ 68 Habits_ 68 Drinking and eating_ 68 Spirits_ 68 Smoking_ 68 Sleep_- 68 Action on going on board rescue ships_ 68 Medical_ 68 Treatment of the sick and wounded_ 68 Page Medical—Continued. Care of injured_ 69 Shock_ 69 Cleansing wounds; use of disinfectants_ 69 “Immersion foot” treatment_ 69 Massage oil_ 69 Condensed first aid_ 70 Burns—acid or alkaline_'_ 70 Burns—electrical or heat_ 70 Cuts, wounds, etc_ 70 Chest wounds_ 70 Hemorrhage_ 70 Control of bleeding_ 70 Dressings_ 70 Fractures_ 72 Splinters or foreign substances in body_ 72 Sprains or injuries which do not bleed_ 72 Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning_ 72 Fainting or unconsciousness from any cause_ 72 Shock_ 72 Directions for giving morphine_ 73 Artificial respiration_ 73 Following immersion_ 73 After rescue_ 73 Navigation in emergencies_ 73 Introductory remarks_ 73 Precautions_ 74 Traverse tables_ 76 Sextant altitudes_ 77 Noonsights of Sun_ 79 Altitudes of Polaris_ 80 Latitude from the stars_ 81 Longitudes at sea_ 81 How to get back_ 82 Miscellaneous_ 83 Index_ 87 v LOG BOOK FOR USE IN LIFEBOAT OR LIFE RAFT Number of the boat or raft:_ Ship’s name_ Position of vessel when abandoned: Lat._ Long._ Date ship was lost: _19__ Time ship was abandoned or sunk:_a. m. _p. m. Number of persons in boat or raft:_. List of persons in boat or raft Name Age Rating Home address 1 2 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Name Age Rating Home address LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 3 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date___ 194. Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ _ _ _ Sunrise . _ _ Noon _ _ _ __ ... Sunset . . GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 565638—44 2 4 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194- Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining__ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 5 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ ^ _ Sunrise _ _ _ __ Noon _ _ _ _ Sunset - GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 6 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_._ _ounces Consumed this date_ _ounces Provisions remaining_ _ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 7 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date___ 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ __ _ _ . » Sunrise Noon _____ __ Sunset, GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 8 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194- Water on board_ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 9 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight __ _____ Sunrise _ - _____ Noon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 10 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 11 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight __ _ _ ___ Sunrise _ _ __ Noon _ __ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 565638—44-3 u. of 'LL UB. 12 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 13 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date_ 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise _ _ Noon _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 14 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 15 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight ____ ... __ Sunrise _ . . _ Noon _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 16 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 17 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ _ _ _ Sunrise Noon _ _ _ Sunset . GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 18 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 19 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight_ _ - - _ _ Sunrise _ _ Noon__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: B6!<638° 44 4 20 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 21 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date_ 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ _ Sunrise Noon Sunset . - GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 22 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date__ _ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 23 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon Sunset, GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 24 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 25 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date_ 194 Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ _ Sunrise Noon . _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 26 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board__ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 27 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight . . . Sunrise _ _ __ Noon _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 565638°—44 5 28 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts i Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS Boat No. DAILY RECORD 29 Date_ 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight __ . . Sunrise Noon Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 30 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ _ 1 Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _•_quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 31 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight_ Sunrise Noon _ _ _ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 32 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 33 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 34 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date__ _ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 35 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ Sunrise _ _ Noon Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 565638°—44 6 36 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board __ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 37 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon_ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 38 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD l Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 39 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date_ 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ . _ Sunrise Noon. ... . ... Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 40 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_,_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining__ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 41 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194.__ Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon Sunset .. ...... GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 42 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board___ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 43 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon Sunset - GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 44 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 45 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date_ 194 Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 46 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date__ _ ounces Provisions remaining__•_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board___ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS Boat No. DAILY RECORD 47 Date_ 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight . _ _ .. Sunrise . _ _ __ Noon Sunset ^ GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 48 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 49 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date___ 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight Sunrise Noon Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 50 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 51 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight.^ . Sunrise . _ Noon .. . _ _ Sunset.. .. GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 52 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 53 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight ___ _ _ _ Sunrise Noon- Sunset- GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 54 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 55 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight_ _ Sunrise Noon __ __ _ _ __ _ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 56 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 57 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194_ Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ _ Sunrise _ . _ _ Noon _ _____ Sunset GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 58 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 59 Boat No. DAILY RECORD Date 194 _. Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight. _ _ . Sunrise Noon Sunset - - -- GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 60 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board_ quarts Consumed this date_ quarts Water remaining_ quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 61 Boat No_ DAILY RECORD Date_ 194 Time Latitude Longitude Course Distance Wind Sea Direction Force Midnight _ _ - _ Sunrise _ Noon . Sunset. _ GENERAL REMARKS FOR THE DAY: 62 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Provisions on board_ ounces Consumed this date_ ounces Provisions remaining_ ounces Date_ 194_ Water on board___ _quarts Consumed this date_ _quarts Water remaining_ _quarts COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT: ADVICE TO THOSE IN LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS This log book has been prepared by the U. S. Coast Guard and embodies the results of practical experience, expert con¬ siderations and research. Success in making a landfall or being rescued will depend to a large extent upon the behavior of the shipwrecked persons. They must always support the person in charge of the boat and raft, obey orders without question, cheerfully and promptly, and assist him to maintain the calm, confidence, and order which will contribute materially to the well-being of all. Every per¬ son in the lifeboat or life raft possesses a store of body energy which, once it is used, is not likely to be replaced by any rations which can be provided. It is essential, therefore, that this store should not be wasted by useless exertion or the develop¬ ment of a bad frame of mind. The statistics of the Coast Guard during this war show that once aboard a lifeboat or raft you are well on the way to safety. Over 60 percent of the lifeboats and rafts are rescued within 24 hours and over 85 percent inside of 5 days. Loss of life in lifeboats and rafts is very small. PROCEDURE IN LIFEBOATS PICKING UP OTHER SURVIVORS AND OTHER SUPPLIES. The first job is to look around for any person in the water or on rafts who can be taken aboard the lifeboat. Keep a sharp watch for life jacket lights, raft lights, and the sound of whis¬ tles. If unoccupied rafts are found, take the water and pro¬ visions from them. Remove or extinguish the water light after you are satisfied that all persons in the vicinity of the raft have been rescued. MOTOR LIFEBOATS. Their main purpose is to enable you to rescue persons from the water quickly, particularly if there is likelihood of fire. This job done, you may tow the other boats to safety. Care should be taken to reserve the supply of fuel for use in getting alongside a rescue ship or in making land against adverse wind and tide. Measure your fuel carefully but be sure not to have a naked light nearby. KEEPING TOGETHER. Keep all occupied boats and rafts together if possible. This is important, and may contribute to a successful voyage, or an early rescue, and allows a better distribution of the occupaids, stores, etc. CLEANSING HANDS AND FACE OF FUEL OIL. Remove fuel oil from the face, hands, person as quickly as possible. Be careful not to irritate the skin. Make every ef¬ fort to keep fuel oil out of your eyes as it will cause severe irritation. REPAIR OUTFIT. Lifeboats contain a repair outfit with patching and plugging material for dealing with leaks and other damage. In extreme cases, the rubber sole of a lifesaving suit has sometimes been used for patching. EARLY ACTION BY PERSON IN CHARGE. The person in command should get his boat settled down without delay. In any but the finest weather all must sit low in the boat, this is important. Take an inventory of your provisions and water, and record it in the log book. 63 64 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD BEHAVIOR. Much depends on everyone doing his part cheerfully and promptly. Do not exhaust yourself by getting excited. Re¬ serve your strength by remaining quiet when unoccupied. ALLOCATION OF DUTIES. It is important that each person be given a job to do how¬ ever small. Only those persons that are injured or exhausted should be excused. Definite watches and lookouts should be set and arranged so that they will not be found too tiring. STEPS TOWARD RESCUE. If you cannot get quickly to land, the important thing is to try to get on to a sea or air route where the chances of being- picked up are increased. NAVIGATION. The following advice may be useful if no experienced seaman is in the boat. If you know that a signal has been sent out from the ship and an answer received, put out the sea anchor and try to remain in the vicinity long enough for a rescue ship or plane to reach your position. See that the sea anchor hawser is pro¬ tected against chafing on the gunwale. Put chafing gear on hawser if necessary. If the sea anchor carries away, another should be made from suitable boat gear. An oar and bucket suitably lashed will serve for this purpose. If you have reason to doubt whether a rescue ship could be risked at the scene of enemy action, a course should be shaped to safety. Before pro¬ ceeding the lifeboat grab lines and skates, if fitted, should be removed so as not to impede the boat’s progress or hamper rescue operations. There is a chart in each lifeboat. Study it care¬ fully as it will give you important useful information and will assist in shaping the best course to be taken for land or your destination. Always take in account the prevailing wind and currents, shown on the chart. In calm weather the sails should be kept up to attract attention of ships or aircraft. See “Navi¬ gation In Emergencies” on page 73 for further instructions. COMPASSES. In steel lifeboats the compass should be kept as high as pos¬ sible and on the center line. A life jacket light will be useful in illuminating your compass at nighttime. Compass error can be obtained by holding a pencil or small vertical stick in the center of the compass glass and sighting the north star. PUMPING AND BAILING. Every effort should be made to keep the boat dry at all times. ROWING. Continuous rowing to cover long distances is rarely justifiable. Experience has shown that spell§-at the oars not exceeding 10 minutes alternating 1-hour rests will permit steady progress for long jDeriods with the minimum of exhaustion. ATTRACTING ATTENTION. Pyrotechnic signals: Study in advance the instructions (on the cans) for firing the smoke signals. These are for daytime use only. Do not be extravagant with your signal devices. They should be under the immediate control of a responsible person who should see that they are used wisely. Remember that you can see an aircraft or rescue ship before its occupants are likely to see you. Do not fire your smoke signal, red flare, or parachute flare until the aircraft or rescue ship is near enough to see it. Be prepared to fire a second smoke signal, red flare, or pistol flare if necessary. Aircraft or rescue ships looking for boats and rafts do not know just where you are and these signals are very helpful to them. When using smoke signals, make sure to throw them overboard to leeward. Red flares can be seen at a greater distance if lashed to a boathook or oar and held as high as possible in the air. Be careful that the red hot LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 65 residue does not fall on the occupants of the boat. It causes severe burns. Wireless: Rig the aerial as high as possible and operate the transmitter according to the instructions contained with the wireless set. See that aerial installation and lead-in are dry and that the transmitter is clearly tuned. This can be deter¬ mined by the glow of the light when signals are being sent. Allow mechanism to run for half a minute or so for warming up before tuning. If practicable, transmit SOS’s during interna¬ tional distress periods or at 15-18 minutes and 45-48 minutes past each hour Greenwich mean time. Distress signals are more likely to be picked up during these periods. If a battery set is used do not signal too frequently and use up the battery. Where possible, use other than wireless signals to attract attention of passing aircraft. The sending of distress signals while the enemy is in the vicinity should be avoided. Refection of light on sail: In periods of poor light rescue ships have identified lifeboats quickly through the occupants shining their light on the boat’s sail. Rescue ships cannot be certain that every light signal indicates a lifeboat. By lighting up your sail, you can clearly establish your identity. Other refection signals: Flashing with the signal mirror or a bright piece of metal has proved useful for attracting atten¬ tion. Properly used, the reflection of the sun from the signal mirrors can be seen, in a clear atmosphere, for a distance of 10 miles. Airplanes at high altitudes can see the flashes when dis¬ tance prevents them from discerning a boat or raft on the water. Signal fag: Display the yellow signal flag when you see a ship or plane. If a plane, the flag should be hoisted to the top of the mast and trimmed horizontally. Whistles: In some instances the blowing of a number of whis¬ tles at the same time will be helpful in guiding rescuers to you, particularly at night. Churning the sea: In calm weather you can often make your¬ self noticed by aircraft by churning up the sea with oars or paddles. CLOTHING. Removal of wet clothing: As soon as possible squeeze out any wet clothing, but do not take off all your clothes unless the weather is warm and dry and the wind moderate. Undress and dry your clothes layer by layer. Heated surfaces of the engine in a motorboat can be made useful for this purpose. Care of feet: Pay special attention to the feet. If you are wearing wet shoes and socks, take these off, quickly dry them and the feet, as well as you can, and then replace them. If you are exposed to conditions which may give rise to immersion foot, 1 it will be better to remove shoes from the start if the feet can be kept well covered and dry by socks, wrapping in blan¬ kets, or lifesaving suits. If the feet cannot be kept dry, shoes should be left on. Once swelling is noticed, however, the shoes must be removed. PROTECTION AGAINST THE WEATHER. Use of lifesaving suits: Lifesaving suits may be used to keep you dry or warm in a boat or raft. For ventilation, when pos¬ sible, keep them open a few inches. It may be necessary to re¬ move the suit occasionally for exercise or to massage your feet and legs. In cold or stormy weather, wear your lifesaving suit, particularly on a raft. This will help to keep you warm and be a safeguard if you fall into the sea. If your hands become cold in the rubber gloves, they may be withdrawn into the sleeve and exercised by opening and closing the hand. Cold winds , rain , and spray: Put up the hood and screens. Oilskins, if on board, can also be used for protection. Men 1 For treatment of immersion foot, see page 69. 66 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD without sufficient clothing should share the blankets and huddle together to keep warm. In rafts, the spare pieces of canvas may be lashed together and be used as a sleeping bag or as a protection against the weather. The man at the tiller should wear gloves for protection to his hands. The gloves should be worn with the wrist portion inside the coat sleeve to keep water out. Sun and heat: In the Tropics take immediate steps to protect yourself, particularly the head and the nape of the neck, against hot sun. In dry boats the lower part of the legs of the life¬ saving suit can be cut off and used to cover the head. The hood, screens, and lifesaving suits will give protection to most of the occupants of the boat. Rig up some cover for the man at the tiller. Do not take off too many clothes. They will protect your skin against sunburn. This applies to your legs and feet which should be kept covered or in the shade. Even in cloudy weather, you can get badly sunburned. Protection against tropical sun can be secured by wearing a shirt and vest and some form of headgear kept wet with sea water. Spare canvas, such as the boat cover, could be cut up and used for this purpose. Fuel oil will not give protection against sunburn, and greasy preparations, such as ointments, tend to “fry” the skin, and should not be used. You can protect your eyes against the glare of the sun on the water by tying a cloth or bandage over your nose, so that if you look straight forward, it hides the horizon and cuts off the glare coming from the water. Work on the boat should be done before the sun is up in hot weather. If you are overheated, some relief may be obtained by placing the hands and wrists in a bucket of sea water. BATHING. You can bathe once or twice a day; not more often. Take care that there are no sharks or other biting fish (barracuda or bluefish) or stinging jellyfish (“Portuguese men of war”) about. Sharks are not as dangerous as is commonly believed. They may rub against the lifeboat, but this is to scrape off parasites, and they are not trying to overturn it. They rarely attack a boat, and can usually be scared off by vigorous splashing, or by a crack on the nose with a paddle or oar, but keep hands and feet inside the lifeboats. MIRAGES. Men adrift, especially in northern latitudes, sometimes im¬ agine, as men often do in the desert, that they can see things which are not there, such as smoke, sails, ships, or land. If this happens to you, it does not mean that you are out of your mind, or even light-headed. It does indicate, however, that you must make very sure that others see the same object before wasting strength pulling toward it or expending any signalling devices. EMERGENCY RATIONS WATER. Drinking water is the most vital of all requirements. It is far more important to you than food. Collect supplies from rafts: If you see rafts afloat and not occupied,, take on board all their water you can to supplement what you already have. If you have room, take the food as well; but on no account take the food in preference to the water. Collect rain water: If rain falls, catch and save all you can. The sail, sea anchor, wind breaker, boat covers, or any spare canvas, and even lifesaving suits can be used to catch rain water. Do not throw away any container which will hold water. Think out and plan in advance for the systematic re¬ plenishment of water tanks, breakers, and every other receptacle. The dye from the sail and the rubber taint from the lifesaving suit may cause the water to taste differently, but they do not LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 67 affect the value of the water for drinking purposes. Plain canvas should always be used for catching rain water, if avail¬ able. See that the salt layer is washed off by the first lot of rain. If there is an abundance of rain, fill up all the tanks and breakers first. Every man should next drink his fill. Sea ice: The ice of icebergs is not salty when melted. Pools of water from ice melted by the sun may be found on ice floes, and drinking water may be taken from those which have not been made brackish by salt-water spray. Control and issue: The person in charge should take stock of the water supply, including any additional water which may have been brought into the lifeboat before abandoning ship or taken from raft or other containers afloat. He must plan the rationing of water with regard to all the circumstances in which he finds himself—total stocks of water, number of persons in the lifeboat, time likely to be adrift, and chances of catching rain water. Control of water issue should begin from the start. If you stand a good chance of being picked up without much delay (for instance, if you are close to land), a supply can be issued at once. If you are not likely to be picked up soon, there is no need to give any water at all during the first 24 hours. If, however, the men have been sweating from hot weather or heavy exertion, the issue of water should begin at once. Never drink sea-water. Many men have died as a result of so doing. The commonly held belief that the administration of sea-water by the bowel relieves thirst is wrong. Measures: Lifeboats carry at least three drinking cups, two of which shall be of the well-bucket type and marked in %-ounce graduations. One pint of water equals 16 ounces; 1 gallon of water equals 128 ounces. Rationing: It should be remembered that 10 quarts of water per person are provided in lifeboats and 3 quarts of water per person in the life rafts. Water should be rationed accordingly and consumed slowly when drinking. Care should be taken to protect provisions and water from becoming contaminated by spray and sea-water. There is a space in this book for an initial inventory and a space on each page of the Log Book for the amount of food and water on board and the amount consumed each day. It is recommended that a complete record be kept in order that you may know at all times the amount of food and water on hand. FOOD. It is recommended that an inventory be taken of the provi¬ sions, and that the person in charge ration the food so that everyone on board may receive an equal portion. In utilizing lifeboat rations, it should be borne in mind that there are 56 ounces of food for each man. These 56 ounces may be rationed out at the rate of approximately one-tenth the total amount, or 5.6 ounces per day, which is sufficient to sustain life. At this rate, the ration will last 10 days. Each biscuit weighs approximately one-half ounce. Nineteen malted milk tablets weigh approximately 1 ounce- One-fourth can of pemmican, as presently packed in 31/2-ounce cans, is slightly less than 1 ounce. Thus, amounts to be rationed daily can be calculated and determined. The foregoing scale is predicated upon a boat loaded to capacity and anticipating rescue within 10 days. The amount of food rationed daily should be governed by the officer in charge, taking info consideration the actual number of per¬ sons in the boat and the probable length of time before rescue may be effected. Food should be eaten slowly and chewed thoroughly. Emer¬ gency rations will serve their purpose better if taken several times a day in small quantities rather than served at one meal in a larger quantity. 68 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD (a) Biscuits: To make the best of the biscuits, break them up and put the pieces in your pockets. Nibble pieces through¬ out the day. You can soak them in your water ration if you choose. Each biscuit weighs approximately one-half ounce. (b) Pemmican: Pemmican is concentrated fats and protein. Eat with biscuit. ( c) Chocolate: This is specially made so as not to create thirst. Eat slowly. If chocolate is in block form, it should be cut in small pieces with a knife for rationing. ( d) Malted milk tablets: Allow to dissolve slowly in the mouth. There are approximately 19 malted-milk tablets to the ounce. FISH AND BIRDS. Catch fish and birds if you can. You should have on board a complete fishing kit. Do not try to catch sharks unless very small. Sharks will cut the fish lines and, if injured, may upset the boat. There is a complete set of instructions in the fishing kit on how to catch and eat fish; read them carefully. CARE OF STORES. Keep a very strict watch over the food and water at all times. A trustworthy man should be delegated to take charge of their preservation and rationing. HABITS DRINKING AND EATING. Issue water and food at regular hours. Issue the rations three times a day; 7 a. m., 12 noon, and 7 p. m. is recommended. If these times cannot be estimated accurately, food and water can be issued at sunrise, noon, and sunset. Make the most of each share of water by keeping it in the mouth a long time so as to rinse it out. Gargle with it and then swallow. Eat", suck, or chew your food slowly. SPIRITS. The use of liquor is not recommended. The liquid contained in the lifeboat’s compass should never be drunk. It is poisonous. SMOKING. Heavy smokers find that tobacco is soothing, particularly during the night watches. It has no other virtue and it may increase thirst. SLEEP. While it is possible to go for long periods without sleep, it is important to get regular sleep during your watches off. Ar¬ rangements may be made on the side benches for lying down while sleeping. In emergencies the bottom boards may be laid on the thwarts to give more room to stretch out. ACTION ON GOING ON BOARD RESCUE SHIPS •l Report to the bridge of the rescue ship at once any informa¬ tion which may help in finding other survivors from your ship. MEDICAL TREATMENT OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED. You will find on board a first-aid kit containing various types of outfits and different medicants to lie used in the treatment of injuries. In order that they may be used to the best advantage, details are given below of the treatments of the various con¬ ditions which may be met with. Care should be taken to see that the contents of the first-aid kit do not become wet, damaged, / LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 69 or broken. The first-aid kit is watertight; when not in use keep it closed. CARE OF INJURED. There have been many cases where it has become necessary to abandon ship with wounded or injured persons in the boats. Persons who are badly injured should be moved as little as pos¬ sible and extensive first-aid treatment should not be attempted if it is apparent that surgical aid is necessary to take care of the man. He should be kept warm, but, of course, in the tropics shielded from the sun. Even severely injured men, unless suf¬ fering from loss of blood internally may survive for many days if able to take water. SHOCK. The medicine and accessories provided in the abandon-ship kit are furnished for the treatment of injured men and comment concerning their use will be found in that item of equipment. If an abandon-ship kit is not available in your lifeboat and there is a badly injured person aboard, he should be made as com¬ fortable as possible and, as he will be suffering from shock, he should be kept warm by being wrapped in dry blankets, if avail¬ able, and protected as much as possible from wind, sun, and weather. CLEANSING WOUNDS; USE OF DISINFECTANTS. Prior to applying dressings, injured men’s wounds may be washed with sea-water to remove caked blood and dirt. Care should be taken in washing, however, to prevent surplus water from wetting his clothing unnecessarily. Do not pour any quantities of iodine or any other antiseptic into large open wounds. Use the sulfanilamide powder if an abandon-ship kit is available or if provided in the first-aid kit supplied to the life¬ boat. Cloths or compresses soaked with sea water should be used on wounds or injuries which become infected. “IMMERSION FOOT” TREATMENT. Keviews of casualties have revealed that in several cases the kindness and assistance of rescuers permitting survivors to get their feet warm has resulted in most serious consequences. Per- sons with “immersion foot” should not under any circumstances be allowed to warm their feet which are numb to the touch. Even though they may be physically able to walk, they should not be allowed to do so as the danger to the tissues may be very serious. The feet should be kept elevated. It may be necessary to continue the treatment for several days before normal cir¬ culation is restored. Obviously, however, the best preventive against “immersion foot” is to keep the boat as dry as possible at all times, thereby preventing the accumulation of any water. MASSAGE OIL. Massage oil can best be utilized to protect the skin from wind and water. Petroleum jelly or vaseline will be found useful for this purpose. Oil, as a protection against sun, is nearly value¬ less. Oil is not suitable or intended for use in connection with what has now come to be known as a condition called “immer¬ sion foot,” which is brought about by persons sitting for days with the feet and legs immersed in cold sea water. Subse¬ quent experience and findings of British and American medical authorities have shown that oil or grease and/or massage is valueless in preventing or alleviating this condition. As a matter of fact, massage may do serious damage to the tissues and result in gangrene and perhaps the loss of a foot or leg. In attempting to determine the efficiency of various treatments, as well as to find the cause, extensive experiments were con¬ ducted with men sitting for various periods with bare legs, with rubber boots on, with shoes and stockings on, etc., in cold water. It was found that the condition was due solely to the cold and that a coating of grease, even one-half inch thick, provided no protection or benefit. 70 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CONDENSED FIRST AID BURNS—ACID OR ALKALINE. (1) Flush burned parts freely with fresh water if available. (2) Apply boric-acid ointment. (3) Select proper size of compress to cover burn. BURNS—ELECTRICAL OR HEAT. (1) Cover burned surface with burn preparation. (2) Select proper size compress to cover burn. CUTS, WOUNDS, ETC. (1) Apply antiseptic direct to wound and surrounding surface. (2) Cover wound with proper size dressing, holding it in place with bandage or adhesive. (а) For minor injuries (finger, toe, hand, foot, wrist, or ankle) use 1-inch compress. (б) For larger injuries, use 4-inch compress. CHEST WOUNDS. Any wound which penetrates through the chest and allows air to enter the chest may cause collapse of a lung and possible death. To prevent this, large chest wounds should be made air tight as soon as possible by means of a large dressing tightly applied. HEMORRHAGE. (1) Control hemorrhage by pressure of fingers. (a) Arterial hemorrhage (bright red blood)—between heart and wound. ( b ) Venous hemorrhage (dark red blood)—on side of wound away from heart. (2) Apply tourniquet before releasing finger pressure. (a) Arterial hemorrhage (bright red blood)—tourni¬ quet between heart and wound. (6) Venous hemorrhage (dark red blood)—tourniquet on side of wound away from heart. CONTROL OF BLEEDING. Serious bleeding from an arm or leg can cause death in a very short time if not promptly controlled. The first available tools for stopping serious bleeding are the hands, either of the person injured or of some one nearby whose services can be utilized. This is done by squeezing the arm or leg as hard as possible at the sites indicated in figure 1. By this method bleeding can be stopped while a tourniquet is being secured. Remember: A man with his leg shot off can bleed to death in the 60 seconds it takes to secure a tourniquet. However, such measures are necessary only in cases with spurting bright red blood, which comes from the larger arteries and is seen only in about one in a hundred wounds. In cases with a steady moderate flow of darker blood, which comes from the veins, a dressing firmly bandaged over the wound will stop bleeding better than anything else. Remember: A tourniquet often does more harm than good— use it only in cases with spurting bright red blood, applied above the wound tight enough to stop bleeding. Loosen the tourniquet every 15 minutes, but do not remove it. Do not tighten again if the bleeding has stopped. DRESSINGS. All wounds in which the skin has been broken should be covered by a properly applied dressing, to protect the wound and keep out infection. By keeping out infection, a life may be saved or time required to heal shortened by many weeks. While unwrapping and applying dressings do not touch your -fingers or anything else to the side of the dressing that icill he next to the wound. This is extremely important. Bind the dressing firmly in place. LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 71 Figure 1 . Pressure points—Tourniquet applications. UNITED STATES COAST GUARD 72 FRACTURES. (1) Cut away clothing 1 from fracture, do not drag it off. (2) Handle limb with utmost gentleness. (3) Use wood debris or other suitable material that is suf¬ ficiently long to project beyond the joints at the end of broken bones as a splint. (4) Pad splint with gauze compress and apply with compress to flesh. (5) Hold splint in place with 2-inch bandage or compress so that limb cannot move. The purpose of first-aid treatment of broken bones is to render them incapable of being moved. The jagged ends of the bone must be kept stationary to prevent further damage to other tissues while injured man is being moved- The first and one of the main principles in treating broken bones is that the bone shall be splinted where the accident occurs, before any transportation is done. The splints should extend beyond the neighboring joints. This will have to be modified by conditions at the place where the injury occurs. If a man with a broken leg must be moved to get him out of the way, less harm will be done by dragging him than by attempting to carry him. A man with a broken arm or collar bone should have a sling applied to the arm on the injured side and suspended from the neck. A fractured bone of the thigh should be held stationary by an outside splint reaching from the armpit to the foot and an inside splint from the crotch to the foot. SPLINTERS OR FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN BODY. (1) Use forceps to remove foreign body if end projects above flesh. (2) Under no condition attempt to “dig out.” SPRAINS OR INJURIES WHICH DO NOT BLEED. (1) Use 4-inch compress placing pad over injury. (2) Bandage tightly, but use care not to stop the circulation. (3) Elevate the injured part and keep it free from all motion. CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) POISONING. (1) Get patient into fresh air quickly. (2) Keep patient comfortably warm. • (3) If breathing, use ammonia inhalant. (4) If not breathing, start prone pressure method of arti¬ ficial respiration. (5) After patient is conscious, give spirits of ammonia. FAINTING OR UNCONSCIOUSNESS FROM ANY CAUSE. (1) Lay patient flat on stomach, head turned to one side. (2) Loosen clothing. (3) If breathing, break ammonia inhalant under nose as di¬ rected on package. (4) If not breathing, use prone pressure method of artificial respiration. Use ammonia inhalant as soon as breathing starts. SHOCK. In every severe injury the body always suffers a certain amount of shock, which is often more serious than the wound which caused the condition, and may cause death. The injured person is pale, feels cold and damp, and has a fast weak pulse when he is in a state of shock. For an injured person in shock, treatment consists of: (1) Keep in lying down position with feet elevated and head low except when there is an injury to the head. With a head injury the head should be elevated. (2) Keep warm with blankets or any other available method. (3) Relieve pain; if available, give morphine. Dosage: 1 4 grain every 4 hours. LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS DIRECTIONS FOR GIVING MORPHINE. (1) Remove the transparent shield from end of syrette. (2) Holding the wire by the loop, push wire through the needle into the syrette, thus breaking the seal. Withdraw the wire. (3) Stick the needle under the skin of the arm or shoulder, at an angle of 45 degrees and squeeze syrette until tube is flat. ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION. Aid to breathing may be necessary in cases of immersion, electric shock, concussion shock, or being overcome by smoke. FOLLOWING IMMERSION. (1) Lay on belly with head on folded arm, face to one side. Wipe water and mucus out of mouth and pull tongue forward. (2) Spread legs and kneel astride thigh on side to which head is facing (so as to be able to observe face). (3) Place palms of hands on lower ribs. Let your weight go forward on hands, with elbows held stiff, for count of one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three. Then drop backward and release pressure for count of one thousand one, one thousand two. (4) Repeating this procedure will compress and release the chest 12 times per minute. Continue for at least 2 hours before giving up hope. (5) Persons giving artificial respiration should be careful not to throw their weight forward on the ribs of the uncon¬ scious person with such force that they crack his ribs. This has happened in several instances. Be careful. AFTER RESCUE. You can drink as much as you like—hot or cold—any drink will do. Eat sparingly at first—something light and easily di¬ gestible. Bread and milk, or a bowl of soup are suitable. Three or four days later you can go on to more solid food. 73 Don’t worry if you remain constipated for a few days. Keep warm. NAVIGATION IN EMERGENCIES Prepared by Dr. Bart J. Bok, Harvard Astronomical Laboratory, Cambridge, Mass. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. During landing operations under wartime conditions there may well arise emergencies in which the lives of many men depend on the skill of the navigator in charge. He must be able to determine at least roughly his position and to chart a course for a friendly shore. Delicate navigational instruments may have been damaged beyond repair; charts, almanacs, and navigational tables may not be at hand. The task of the navi¬ gator is difficult under those circumstances, but it should be simplified if he has with him the brief guide and tables presented here. With the aid of the pamphlet he should be able to find his latitude with an error not exceeding 10', which is the same as 10 nautical miles. The determination of the longitude of the ship’s position may be more troublesome, but if the proper methods are used this should not necessarily affect the navi¬ gator’s chances for reaching a safe and friendly shore. The text has been prepared especially to suit the needs of those officers who at some time in the past have taken a brief course in coastwise and celestial navigation, but who may be a bit rusty on details. An officer without any previous knowledge of the art of navigation should, however, still be able to profit by this pamphlet if during an emergency he suddenly finds him¬ self in charge as a navigator. He may wish to keep his Dead Reckoning by plotting rather than by the use of the traverse table, but with the aid of the sections on sextant altitudes, noon- sights and latitudes from Polaris he should be able to find his 74 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD latitude to within 10'- The concluding sections of the pamphlet should give him no special difficulties. The pamphlet was written by Dr. Bart J. Bok, Harvard Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., to whom all suggestions and criticisms should be addressed. Earlier drafts of the pamphlet were circulated to a limited group during the fall of 1942 and if the pamphlet has any special merits these should be attributed to the aid and advice given by many friends and critics. We should acknowledge first of all the help received from a group of officers of the Engineer Amphibian Command. Among the local advisors in Cambridge were Dr. Harlow Shapley, Dr. Fred L. Whipple, Miss Frances Wright, and Mr. Robert Fleischer, all of Harvard Observatory. We further record our indebted¬ ness to Dr. Frederick Slocum, of the Wesleyan University Ob¬ servatory; Dr. Wallace J. Eckert, Director of the Nautical Al¬ manac Office; Mr. Sanford L. Cluett of Troy, N. Y.; Lt. (jg) James Cuffey of the Naval Academy, and to Dr. Charles H. Smiley of Brown University. Mrs. Jean Rendall Arons has assisted materially in the organization and preparation of the pamphlet. We wish to warn users of the pamphlet that it is not complete as it stands. In order to be fully prepared for an emergency it would be well to have along also a good small-scale chart of th£ theater of operations, a pilot chart of the area for the season, a small star chart, and if possible at all some notes on the meteorology of the region. Some small plotting sheets, a cellu¬ loid ruler and protractor and graph paper will probably come in handy. PRECAUTIONS. It is well to take a few simple precautions before one goes out on a cruise that may end in an emergency during which celestial navigation without proper equipment may have to be practiced- Study maps of the region carefully beforehand, and if possible store away a good small-scale map so that it may be available during the emergency. A careful inspection of the pilot chart for your part of the world is highly recommended. A knowl¬ edge of meteorology of your region can be extremely valuable, especially if a storm should strike. Since your charts may get lost it is advisable for you to enter beforehand, in table 1, the names of half a dozen or so islands or points on shore that you might try to reach. Your compass will be of little use unless you know the magnetic variation for the location. Under “remarks” you might enter the heights of mountain peaks, or something about the appearance of the shore. During wartime it might be well in addition to list some localities that should be strictly avoided. Table 1 . — Enemy localities Name Latitude Longitude Mag. vari¬ ation Remarks On any cruise that may end in an emergency a navigator should keep a very careful dead reckoning. A man with an average dose of common sense who keeps his wits in an emer¬ gency will make as much effort to keep his dead reckoning as he would to save his compass! During the voyage back to a safe shore the keeping of the D. R. should be a major concern. LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 75 Make every possible effort to know your speed accurately. If data on currents are available, these should be used in the plotting of the D. It. position. If you are in doubt about the deviation of your compass you can always check it by swinging the vessel, and sighting on a star, the moon, or the sun. These objects move only 1 degree in 4 minutes! If it should happen that a distant mountain peak or a stationary light is in sight you would of course use it in preference to a celestial object when swinging vessel. The local variation can be checked by noting the magnetic bearing of the pole star or any other celestial object, on the meridian; its true bearing should be either 000° or 180°. For convenience we list in table 2 the magnetic variation for a number of spots in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Table 2. —Magnetic variation — -194-8 ATLANTIC OCEAN (PACIFIC IN PARENTHESES) Long. Lat. +60 +50 +40 +30 +20 +10 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 -50 90 W_ _ 6 E. 7 E. (8E.) 5 E. (9 E.) (6E.) (10 E.) (8E.) (13 E.) (11 E.) (16 E.) (14 E.) (20 E.) (18 E.) (24 E ) (21 E.) 15 E 80 W_ 0 3 E. 70 W_ 15 W. 8 W. 4 W. 1 W. 60 W_ 43 W. 30 W. 21 W. 15 W. 11 W. 8 W. 5 E. 9 E 50 W_ 41 W. 31 W. 25 W. 20 W. 17 W. 15 W. 13 W. 7 W. 3 W. 1 E. 40 W_ 36 W. 29 W. 24 W. 22 W. 21 W. 19 W. 18 W. 17 W. 15 W. 11 W. 4 W. 30 W_ 31 W. 25 W. 22 W. 20 W. 20 W. 20 W. 21 W. 22 W. 22 W. 20 W. 17 W. 13 W. 20 W_ 25 W. 20 W. 18 W. 16 W. 17 W. 19 W. 21 W. 23 W. 25 W. 25 W. 23 W. 18 W. 10 W 19 W. 15 W. 13 W. 12 W. 19 W. 23 W. 26 W. 27 W. 26 W. 23 W. 0 12 W. 10 W. 14 W. 19 W. 24 W. 28 W. 28 W. 26 W. 10 E 6 W. 10 W. 15 W. 20 W. 20 W. 28 W. 28 W. 20 E_ 25 W. 29 W. PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEAN 40 E. _ 5 W. 9 W. 16 W. 25 W. 33 W. 60 E. _ ... 1 E. 1 W. 3 W. 8 W. 14 W. 22 W. 32 W. 41 W. 80 E__ _ 3 W. 6 W. 10 W. 16 W. 26 W. 37 W. 47 W. 100 E. . __ _ 0 1 W. 3 W. 6 W. 14 W. 26 W. 41 W. 120 E 6 W. 3 W. 1 W. 2 E 3 E. 3 E. 7 W. 19 W. 140 E 13 W. 10 W. 7 W. 4 W. 0 2 E. 5 E. 6 E. 6 E. 7 E. 4 E. 160 E_ 5 W. 4 W. 0 2 E. 4 E. 6 E. 7 E. 8 E. 10 E. 11 E. 14 E. 17 E. 180_ 8 E. 8 E. 8 E. 9 E. 10 E. 9 E. 9 E. 10 E. 12 E. 14 E. 18 E. 22 E. 160 W_ 20 E. 17 E. 15 E. 13 E. 11 E. 9 E. 8 E. 10 E. 12 E. 14 E. 18 E. 22 E. 140 W_ 30 E. 24 E. 19 E. 15 E. 12 E. 9 E. 9 E. 10 E. 12 E. 14 E. 18 E. 22 E. 120 W __ _ 15 E. 12 E. 10 E. 9 E. 10 E. 12 E. 15 E. 18 E. 24 E. 100 W_ 10 E. 9E. 10 E. 11 E. 13 E. 16 E. 20 E. 25 E. 565038—44 6 76 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD TRAVERSE TABLES. Table 3, which is basically a simple traverse table, can be put to many different uses. Referring to figure 1, we are listing here the lengths of sides a and b for gradually increasing values of the angle A in the right triangle for which c is taken arbitrarily equal to 100.0. Figure 1. Table 3. — Traverse table Angle A Side c Side b Side a b/a Conversion factor Dep. to DLo Courses 0 100. 0 100. 0 0 . 0 1. 00 000 180 5 100. 0 99. 6 8. 7 11. 43 1. 00 005 175 185 355 10 100. 0 98. 5 17. 4 5. 67 1. 02 010 170 190 350 15 100. 0 96. 6 25. 9 3. 732 1. 04 015 165 195 345 20 100. 0 94. 0 34. 2 2. 748 1. 06 020 160 200 340 25 100. 0 90. 6 42. 3 2. 144 1. 10 025 155 205 335 30 100. 0 86. 6 50. 0 1. 732 1. 15 030 150 210 330 35 100. 0 81. 9 57. 4 1. 428 1. 22 035 145 215 325 40 100. 0 76. 6 64. 3 1. 192 1. 31 040 140 220 320 45 100. 0 70. 7 70. 7 1. 000 1. 41 045 135 225 315 50 100. 0 64. 3 76. 6 . 839 1. 56 050 130 230 310 55 100. 0 57. 4 81. 9 . 700 1. 74 055 125 235 305 60 100. 0 50. 0 86. 6 . 577 2. 00 060 120 240 300 65 100. 0 42. 3 90. 6 . 466 2. 37 065 115 245 295 70 100. 0 34. 2 94. 0 . 364 2. 92 070 110 250 290 75 100. 0 25. 9 96. 6 . 258 3. 86 075 105 255 285 80 100. 0 17. 4 98. 5 . 176 5. 76 080 100 260 280 85 100. 0 8. 7 99. 6 . 087 085 95 265 275 90 100. 0 . 0 100. 0 . 000 000 — 270 — Figure 2 shows how table 3 can be used as a regular traverse table. If we read, instead of A, the course; instead of c, the distance traveled; then b becomes the difference of latitude; and a the departure. N Dlff Lat=b a = Dep. /-'c = Distance . = Course s Figure 2. Example: For a course of 050° and a distance of 25 miles we find from table 3 that the difference of latitude equals 64.3 4 = 16.1 miles and the departure 76.6 4 = 19.2 miles. Always re¬ member that before you compute the departure and difference of latitude you should draw a diagram to find if you are heading N. or S., E. or W. If the course should exceed 090° use the angle A as indicated in the last column of table 3. Example: Course 235°, distance 30 miles; A = 55°. We find then from table 3 difference of lati¬ tude =30/100X57.4=17.2 miles S. and departure = 30/100X81.9 =24.6 miles W. Table 3 can also be used for the conversion of a departure into a difference of longitude. The factors by which the de¬ partures (in nautical miles) must be multiplied so as to obtain the differences of longitude (in minutes of arc) are given in the column headed “Conversion factor Dept, to DLoEx¬ ample: Middle latitude 40°, Dep. = 60 miles. The correspond¬ ing Z)Zo = 60X 1.31 = 78'.6 = 1°18'.6. The table gives two-place accuracy. b = length of shadow Figure 3. Table 3 serves also to compute the sun’s altitude from the length of a shadow. We see from figure 3 that A is now the LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 77 sun’s altitude, a corresponds to the height of a pointer and b to the length of the shadow. Example: The height of the pointer = 5 feet, the length of the shadow is observed to be 10 feet. What is the sun’s altitude? We find from table 3 that for an altitude of exactly 25° b/a= 2.144, whereas for an altitude of exactly 30° the same ratio equals 1.732. By simple interpola¬ tion we find that the ratio will be 10/5 feet=2.000 for an altitude equal to 25°.0=l o .7 = 26°.7. This agrees closely with the value 26°34' derived from an accurate tangent table. SEXTANT ALTITUDES. Sextant altitudes provide the simplest kind of observation. Always take pains to determine the index correction and to apply it with the right sign (when it’s off the scale, it’s on, or + ; when it’s on the scale, it’s off, or —). Table 4 is an extract from table A of the Nautical Almanac and lists the corrections to be added to an observed sextant altitude to correct for refrac¬ tion and semidiameter. We list in table 5 the dip corrections depending on the height of the eye, according to table C of the Nautical Almanac. Table 4. —Corrections to be applied to observed sextant altitudes [Refraction, semidiameter] Obs. Alt. Sun’s Corr. Lower Limb Star’s Corr. Obs. Alt. Sun’s Corr. Lower Limb Star’s Corr. o 8. 0 + 9. 6 -6. 6 O 50. 0 + 15. 3 -0. 8 10. 0 + 10. 8 -5. 3 60. 0 + 15. 5 -0. 6 15. 0 + 12. 6 -3. 6 70. 0 + 15. 7 -0. 4 20. 0 + 13. 5 -2. 6 80. 0 + 15. 8 -0. 2 30. 0 + 14. 4 -1. 7 90. 0 + 16. 0 0. 0 40. 0 + 15. 0 -1. 2 The formula for “Dip” correction in minutes of arc is: Dip =0.98 -fh where h is the height of eye in feet. Table 5. —Correction for height above sea level [To be applied to observed sextant altitudes] Height of eye (feet) Correction Height of eye (feet) Correction 3 -1. 7 30 ! -5. 4 6 -2. 4 50 -7. 0 9 -2. 9 75 -8. 5 12 -3. 4 100 -9. 8 15 -3. 8 150 -12. 0 20 -4. 4 A sextant is so simple in principle that every possible effort should be made to repair a damaged one. The Index Correc¬ tion will usually take care of major errors provided the optical parts are firmly in shape. A reasonably flat broken piece of glass can usually be substituted for any of the mirrors and some chewing gum may help to keep it in place. You can always fix up a makeshift peep sight for observations of the sun. There is still no reason to become discouraged if no sextant is available. With some ingenuity a makeshift apparatus can be constructed on the spot. To indicate the wide range of possibilities we list below four different ways to measure alti¬ tudes. Everything else being equal we recommend the use of the shadow marker (listed under “4”), the design of which was given to us by Mr. Sanford L. Cluett. Tests were made with an instrument of that type and show that even for a beginner, the err| in the measured altitude of the sun should be no more than 0°.2 and that after some practice this error may be reduced to 0°.l. 1. The use of a gun sight .—If a quadrant and a level are pro¬ vided with a machine gun it should not be difficult to obtain the altitude of the sun, moon, or a star by sighting on it through the gun sight, or through the bore of the gun. 78 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD 2. Length of shadows .—Following the scheme of figure 3 (and table 3) the length of the shadow from a vertical pointer measures the altitude of the sun. Care should be taken that the pointer points directly toward the zenith. One might proceed as follows: Mount a small pointer (4 to 6 inches) at a right angle on a flat piece of wood or stiff cardboard. Float this (on a can if necessary) in a large bowl of water. Check if the length of the shadow remains the same when the floating base is turned around; if it does not, the pointer is not at right angles to the wood or cardboard. Can be used for the sun only. 3. Astrolabe .—A modification of the ancient astrolabe is shown in figure 4. A piece of wood shaped as indicated and a plumb line are all that is needed. The angle Z equals the zenith distance of the star. If no protractor is available table 3 can be used for finding the value of Z in degrees and tenths of degrees. Sun 4. Shadow marker .—A graduated circle with a diameter of not less than 6 inches (9 or 10 inches preferred) is mounted on a flat stiff piece of cardboard or wood. It is suspended be¬ tween the thumb and first finger by a small loop of string or wire at A. At the point B , a weight is attached to steady the marker. Care should be taken that (1) BCA is a straight line; (2) the line BCO divides the cardboard base equally; (3) BCA points toward the zenith when suspended freely; (4) the circle reading directly above B is marked 90°. All this can be checked most readily with the aid of a plumb line. At the point (7, a sturdy pin not more than half an inch long is mounted perpendicular to the plane of the cardboard. The marker is turned until the shadow of the pin is clearly marked. The position of S is then read on the graduated circle. Since small errors in adjustment may occur it is well to turn the marker around and take a second reading with the shadow falling near /SI; the mean of the two readings should be very nearly free from errors. The marker is for use with sun. There is no need to get discouraged if no large graduated circle is available. An accurate circle can always be drawn with the aid of a piece of cardboard with two pinholes, 4 or 5 inches apart. The graduation of the circle can be performed with the aid of table 3, or with the protractor on page 85. For observations with the sun the shadow marker is un¬ doubtedly the most satisfactory instrument. Since the shadow marks the direction toward the center of the sun {not the lower limb) we should apply as the only correction the correction of the last column of table 4. Since the reference line is the plumb line and not the visible horizon the dip corrections of table 5 should not be applied. The final accuracy is of the order of 0°.l at best and it is therefore silly to figure the correction closer than to the nearest whole minute of arc. For sun’s alti- LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 79 tudes of over 30° and more the correction is so small that there is no need to apply any at all. In all four methods described here the direction of a plumb line has been used as a reference line and for the sun we are always sighting on the center rather than the lower limb; the correction of the last column of table 4 is the only one that needs to be applied and this one only for altitudes under 30°. For observations of the stars the first and third methods are most promising. The correction to be applied is that given in the last column of table 4 for altitudes under 30°, no correction for higher altitudes. The use of the makeshift apparatus requires practice. Since the accuracy is generally low it is advisable that the navigator repeat the measurements over and over. First, this will give him a fair estimate of his probable error, and second, the aver¬ age or mean of many measurements will generally be more reliable than one single measurement. One final precaution: Do not look directly toward the sun unless your eyes are ade¬ quately protected with shade glasses! Shadow methods have preference for this reason alone. NOONSIGHTS OF SUN. The determination of the highest altitude of the sun (at noon) provides the most obvious way for finding the latitude. If the sun were always in the equinoctial its zenith distance at noon would provide directly the latitude of the location. Since this is not so, we must apply a correction for the number of degrees that the sun is N. or S. of the celestial equator or equi¬ noctial at various times of the year. This amount, the sun’s declination, is listed in table 6 where we have also listed the equation of time (see below). Table 6 refers to 1944 but can also be used (or better, corrected with the aid of the Nautical Almanac) to serve in other years. The entries are for noon Greenwich civil time. Dr. F. Slocum suggests the following rule for finding the latitude of the ship’s position: “Find the zenith distance by subtracting the corrected altitude from 90°. Mark it N. or S. opposite to the bearing of the sun. If the zenith distance and declination of the sun are of the same name, add them; if of opposite names, subtract. The result is the latitude with the name of the greater.” Example: On December 17 the corrected altitude of the sun is found to be 41°.2 with the sun bearing south. The sun’s zenith distance is then N. 48°.8. Since the sun’s declination from table 6 equals S. 23°.3 for that date the latitude of the ship’s position is N. 25°.5. In the tropics you may at some time have some difficulty de¬ ciding whether the sun passes N. or S. of the zenith. In this case measure the sun’s altitude first facing N., then facing S.; use the result that is less than 90°. It is a good practice to check your latitude from observations of star altitudes at twilight or at night. Table 6. — The sun’s declination and the equation of time for 10-day intervals during 1944 Noon Q. C. T. Sun’s declination Equation of time Jail. 1 s. O 23 r 04 -3 14 11 s. 21 56 -7 40 21 s. 20 05 -11 10 31 s. 17 37 -13 26 Feb. 10 s. 14 37 -14 20 20 s. 11 13 -13 56 Mar. 2 s. 7 08 -12 15 12 s. 3 15 -9 50 22 N. 0 42 -6 57 Apr. 1 N. 4 36 -3 55 11 N. 8 22 -1 03 21 N. 11 55 + 1 19 80 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Table 6. —The sun’s declination and the equation of time for 10-day intervals during 19kh —Continued Noon G. 0. T Sun’s declination Equation of time May 1 N. o 15 t 07 + 2 57 11 N. 17 55 + 3 44 21 N. 20 13 + 3 32 31 N. 21 56 + 2 28 June 10 N. 23 02 + 0 45 20 N. 23 26 -1 22 30 N. 23 10 -3 29 July 10 N. 22 14 -5 11 20 N. 20 39 -6 12 30 N. 18 29 -6 18 Aug. 9 N. 15 49 -5 23 19 N. 12 44 -3 32 29 N. 9 19 -0 52 Sept. 8 N. 5 39 + 2 23 18 N. 1 49 + 5 53 28 S. 2 05 + 9 21 Oct. 8 S. 5 56 + 12 27 18 s. 9 41 + 14 48 28 s. 13 11 + 16 09 Nov. 7 s. 16 20 + 16 16 17 s. 19 02 + 14 58 27 s. 21 10 + 12 18 Dec. 7 s. 22 38 + 8 27 17 s. 23 22 + 3 47 27 s. 23 19 -1 11 For intermediate dates the declination can be found by linear interpolation. The resulting values will be correct to within 6' (or to within 0°.l). If the equation of time has a plus sign, apparent time is later than civil time. Apparent time is slow with respect to civil time on the days when the equation of time has a negative sign. ALTITUDES OF POLARIS. In northern latitudes measurement of the altitude of Polaris gives a good approximation to the latitude. Since Polaris is 1° away from the true north celestial pole it is necessary to apply a correction depending on the local hour angle of Polaris. If a chronometer or watch and an almanac are not available it is difficult to estimate the L. A. A. In order to overcome this difficulty the following procedure is recommended. Determine the altitude of Polaris at a time when one of the stars in table 7 is near upper transit. The measured altitude of Polaris is cor¬ rected for refraction (table 4) and dip if necessary (table 5). Apply further the correction listed in the last column of table 7, using the entry for the bright star that happens to be on the meridian. The result will be the latitude of the ship’s position. The error will not exceed 2' if the bright star is within 8 minutes of the meridian at the time of observation. It is well to note that the correction happens to be negligible when either Pollux or Altair is on the meridian. LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 81 Table 7. —Data needed for determinations of latitude from meridian altitudes of some bright stars and from Polaris altitudes Star Declination Correction to be ap¬ plied to altitude of Polaris to get latitude when star in first col¬ umn is near up¬ per transit Alpheratz O N. 28 46 O -0 / 55 Achernar. _ S. 57 32 -1 00 Aldebaran . . _ N. 16 24 -0 44 Rigel. . _ _ _ _ _ S. 8 16 -0 37 Capella N. 45 56 -0 37 Betelgeuse N. 7 24 -0 28 Spica S. 10 52 + 1 00 Arcturus_ _ _ _ N. 19 29 + 1 00 Antares S. 26 18 +0 +0 46 Vega N. 38 44 19 Star Declination Correction to be ap¬ plied to altitude of Polaris to get latitude when star in first column is near upper transit Canopus O S. 52 40 O -0 / 21 Sirius S. 16 38 -0 16 Procyon _ _ _ _ N. 5 22 -0 02 Pollux .... N. 28 10 0 00 Regulus N. 12 15 +0 34 Acrux S. 62 47 +0 56 Alt.air N. 8 43 0 00 Deneb _ . N. 45 05 -0 14 Fomalhaut _______ S. 29 56 -0 44 If none of the stars listed in table 7 is on the meridian an ap¬ proximate value of the correction (almost certainly correct to within 10') may be found by inspection of the sky and rough interpolation in table 7. Example: When Sirius has passed the meridian, but Procyon is still east of the meridian the correction should be close to — 10'. LATITUDE FROM THE STARS. We list in table 7 some well-known navigational stars for which the meridian altitudes (upper transit preferred) can give an accurate value for the latitude. The procedure is like that for noonsights of the sun, with the one difference that the stars’ declinations do not vary. Measure the greatest altitude of a star when it is in the meridian. Apply, if necessary, corrections of tables 4 and 5 and compute the observed zenith distance. Apply correction for N. and S. declination of the star in order to find the latitude. This method is especially valuable for southern latitudes where no bright star is available close to the south celestial pole. Example: Somewhere in the southern hemisphere the merid¬ ian altitude of Betelgeuse is measured by sextant as 44° 12', the star bearing N., height of eye= 10 feet. Find the latitude. The correction from table 4 amounts to — l'.O, that from table 5 to — 3'.0 and the true meridian altitude of Betelgeuse is hence 44°08'. Its zenith distance, marked as for a noonsight, becomes S. 45°52'. The declination of Betelgeuse from table 7 is equal to N- 7°24'. Following our rule for the sun the latitude becomes S. 38°28'. LONGITUDES AT SEA. With a good watch giving Greenwich civil time or zone time you should have no difficulty in finding your longitude E. or W. of Greenwich. The instant of Local Apparent Noon (L. A. N.) can be found from your noonsight of the sun, but because of the 82 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD slowly varying altitude of the sun at upper transit it is difficult to get the instant of L. A. N. accurately in that way. A better method is to make an altitude observation of the sun shortly before L. A. N. Repeat the observation an equal interval after L. A. N. and note the exact instant on your watch when the afternoon altitude equals the forenoon value. The watch time of L. A. N. lies just halfway between the fore and afternoon times of equal altitudes. The L. C. T. of L. A. N. is then found by applying the equation of time, according to table 6. The L. C. T. of L. A. N. equals 12 b 00 m 00 s minus the equation of time. From your watch time of L. A. N. you should now derive the corresponding G. C. T. The difference between the L. C. T. of L. A. N. and the G. C. T. of L. A. N. will give directly the longi¬ tude of the ship’s position E. or W. of Greenwich. In order that this method may be applied you must be quite certain that your altitudes before and after noon are the same. It is, how¬ ever. not necessary to know the exact amounts of the altitudes in degrees, minutes, and seconds of arc. If your watch is off by half a minute your longitude will in general not be in error by more than 10 miles. It is advisable that the sights be taken fairly close to noon so that the time interval will be rather small. Otherwise the errors arising from the changing position of the vessel and from the changes in the sun’s declination (most serious in spring and fall) might cause a fairly large error in your longitude If it should happen that a Nautical Almanac were available in addition to a watch keeping zone time or G. C. T., your longi¬ tude would be most readily obtained by noting the time of rising or setting of the sun or moon. With a vessel fully equipped for precision navigation the longitude would of course be found by the usual line of position method. If your watch should have fallen overboard there is nothing you can do toward determining your longitude from celestial observations. Your best bet is to keep a careful D. R., remem¬ bering currents, leeway, etc. A good navigator will make every effort toward finding his speed with the highest possible accu¬ racy. Check and recheck by whatever methods you can devise. HOW TO GET BACK. If the ship’s approximate latitude and longitude are known you will wish to steer a course for a friendly shore. Try to take full advantage of known currents and prevailing winds. Re¬ member also that a slow boat can go a long way if it is kept on a steady course. With a speed of 10 knots you will cover 240 miles in 1 day and almost a thousand miles in the course of only 4 days ! If the navigator has some sound basic knowl¬ edge of his art and of meteorology there is not the slightest reason why he should not be able to repeat Captain Bligh’s epic 3,000-mile voyage in an open boat! If the longitude is not accurately known there is still no reason to get discouraged; proceed as follows: Determine your latitude accurately and guess your longitude as best you can. Locate the position of a friendly island that you will try to reach. Steer on a roughly N. or S. course until you reach the parallel of latitude of your destination, always making sure that you know if you are east or west of your island. When you reach the parallel of latitude of the island, turn W. or E., stay as nearly as you can on the same parallel of latitude (that of the destination) and sail along until you get there. Do not attempt to steer directly for the island, for if it is a small island and if your longitude is uncertain, you would very likely miss it and be hopelessly lost. When approaching land it may be well for you to know roughly your radius of vision. Table 8 is abstracted from Bowditch. It gives the distance to the visible horizon for sev¬ eral “height of object” values. Remember to add your own radius of vision in computing the distance at which a moun- LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 83 tain of known height can first be seen. For example, if a hill with a height of 500 feet just begins to appear beyond your horizon and your height of eye is 10 feet, then your distance from the mountain according to table is 25.6 + 3.6=29.2 nautical miles. The formula for the distance of the visible horizon is d= 1.15 -yjh where h measures the height in feet. Table S .—Distance to the visible horizon Height of object above water Distance to hori¬ zon (nautical miles) Height of object above water Distance to horizon (nauti¬ cal miles) 5 2. 5 200 16. 2 10 3. 6 300 19. 9 15 4. 4 500 25. 6 20 5. 1 1, 000 36. 2 30 6. 3 2, 000 51. 2 40 7. 2 3, 000 62. 8 60 8. 9 5, 000 81. 0 80 10. 3 7, 000 96. 0 100 11. 5 10, 000 114. 6 150 14. 1 MISCELLANEOUS. Among the things that you might wish to know are the re¬ lations between nautical miles, statute miles, and kilometers: 1 nautical mile = 6,080 feet; 1 statute mile = 5,280 feet; and 1 kilometer = 1,000 meters and 1 meter = 100 centimeters; 2.54 centimenters = l inch. 1 nautical mile = 1.85 kilometers and 1 statute mile = 1.61 kilometers. The metric system is in use in many parts of the world, notably on the European continent. Very frequently it will prove useful to be able to estimate rather precisely angles in the sky or near the surface of the earth. Know for yourself how much are the diameters in de¬ grees of one, two, and three fingers held at arm’s length, what is the height of your thumb in degrees when seen at arm’s length and what is the angle subtended by your hand pointed in var¬ ious ways. As the basis for constructing a foot ruler know how many inches you can stretch between your little finger and your thumb and know the distance from elbow to the tip of your hand. Further practice counting seconds at every opportu¬ nity. A plumb bob with a string 39 inches long will, when swinging, pass from one rest position to the next rest position in just exactly 1 second: it will take 2 seconds to make a com¬ plete swing back and forth. In order to estimate angles in the sky. remember that the diameters of the sun and moon are slightly over half a degree each. The end stars in the Big Dipper are 5y 2 ° apart, Castor and Pollux 4y>°- The Northern Cross, or Cygnus, measures 22° by 16°, the Southern Cross, or Crux, 6° by 4°. The end stars of the three in Orion’s belt are 3° apart. It may be useful to know that the distance between Betelgeuse and Rigel is 19°. that Procyon is 38° from Regulus, Spica 33° from Arcturus and Altair 34° from Vega. You should, however, be very cautious in estimating angular distances in the sky. For one thing, all of us have a way of overestimating angles near the horizon and in turn underestimating them near the zenith. The rising full moon seems very big to most of us, but this is really only psychological illusion, for in reality it is slightly smaller near the horizon than near the zenith (this is caused by re¬ fraction). It is perfectly O. K. to use the angles given here to help you in determining the angles subtended by your fingers, 84 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD the full hand and so on. But from there on use these as your system of units, measure, however rough your measures may be, and steer clear of estimates. The Pole Star can be located roughly by extending the line of the end stars of the Big Dipper, and the South Celestial Pole can be found similarly by extending the long axis of the South¬ ern Cross or Crux by 30°. No bright star marks the South Celestial Pole. It may prove useful to know how to locate roughly the celes¬ tial equator in various seasons. When Orion is above the hori¬ zon it is worth knowing that the celestial equator passes through the northermnost star of the three in Orion’s belt. The celes¬ tial equator passes farther about 9° south of Altair and also about halfway between Regulus and Spica. The celestial equator also passes of course through the E., and W. points of the horizon. LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 85 PROTRACTOR FOR SHADOW MARKER Altitudes, polaris_ Altitudes, sextant_ Artificial respiration_ Astrolabe_ Atlantic Ocean, magnetic variation Attracting attention_ Churning sea_ Flag signal_ Mirrors_ Red flares_ Reflection of light_ Smoke signals_ Whistles_ Wireless_ Bathing_ Precautions_ Removing fuel oil_ Behavior_ Bums_ Acid_ Alkaline_ Electrical_ Heat_ Carbon monoxide_ Chest wounds_ Clothing_ Care of_ Removal of_ Shoes_ Wet_ Compasses_ Error in_ Illumination of_ Position in steel boats_ INDEX Page 80 77 73 78 75 64 65 69 65 64 65 64 65 65 66 66 63 64 70 70 70 70 70 72 70 65 65 65 65 65 64, 74 64 64 64 Cuts_ Distance to horizon_ Duties_ Allocation of_ Lookouts_ Watches_ Emergency navigation_ Feet_ First aid_ Artificial respiration_ Burns_ Carbon monoxide poisoning Chest wounds_ Cuts_ Dressings_ Fractures_ Hemorrhage_ Immersion_ Morphine_ Shock___ Splinters_ Flag- Flares_ Food_ Birds_,- Biscuits_•_ Care of_ Chocolate_ _ Eating_ _ Fish__ Inventory_ Malted milk tablets^ _ Pemmican_ Rationing of_ Weight of_ Page 70 82 64 64 64 64 73 65 70 73 70 72 70 70 70 72 70 73 73 72 72 65 65 67 68 68 68 68 67 68 4, 67 68 68 67 67 87 88 UNITED STATES COAST GUARD Page Fractures_I_ 72 Fuel conservation_ 63 Fuel oil_ 63 Hemorrhage_ 70 Horizon, distance to_ 82 Immersion foot_ 69 Indian Ocean, magnetic variation_ 75 Injured_ 68 Latitude at sea_ 81 Lifeboats_ 63 Keeping together_ 63 Lifeboats, motor_ 63 Lifesaving suits_ 65 Log book_„_ 1 Longitudes at sea_ 81 Magnetic variation_ 75 Massage oil_ 69 Medical care_ 68 First-aid kit_ 68 Injured___ 69 Sick_ 68 Wounded. _ 68 Mirages_ 66 Mirrors, signal_:_ 65 Morphine_ 73 Navigation_ . 64, 73 Chart_ 64 Directions_ 82 Precautions_ 74 Sea anchor_ 64 Oil_63,69 Massage_ 69 Precautions_ 63 Use of_ 69 Oilskins_ 65 Pacific Ocean, magnetic variation_ 75 Patching_ 63 Plugging- 63 Page Polaris altitudes_ 80 Procedure_ 63 Pumping and bailing_ 64 Rations_ 66 Repair outfit_ 63 Rescue___ 64 After_ 73 Food_ 73 Route, sea, air_ 64 Steps toward_ 64 Water_ 73 Rescue ship_ 68 Rowing_ 64 Sea anchor_ 64 Sextant altitudes_ 77 Shadow marker_ 78 Sharks_,_•_ 68 Shock_ 69 Signals_ 64 Churning sea_ 65 Flag_ 65 Mirrors_ 65 Red flares_ 64 Reflection of light on sail..___ 65 Smoke, daytime_ 64 Whistles_ 65 Wireless_ 65 Sleep_ 68 Smoking_ 68 _ Spirits_ 68 Liquor_ 68 Precautions_ 68 Splinters_ 72 Sprains_ 72 Stars, latitude_ 82 Sunburn_ 66 Sun, noonsights_ 79 Survivors_ 63 LOG BOOK FOR LIFEBOATS AND LIFE RAFTS 89 Page Traverse tables_ 76 Water_ 66 Collection of supplies_ 66 Containers_ 66 Control of issue_ 67 Drinking, method of_ _ _ 67, 68 Log book_ 4 Measures_ 67 Melted icebergs_ 67 Protection of_ 67 Rain_ 66 Page Water—Continued. Rationing_ 67 Record of_ 4 Sea_ 67 Weather_ 65 Lifesaving suit_ 65 Oilskins_*_^_ 65 Protection against_ 65 Whistles_ 65 Wireless_ 65 Wounds_ 7i) o