STCW Personal Survival Techniques Questions
and Verified Answers
Life Raft/ Coastal Correct Answer: Designed for quick recovery
-No cover: one level; little survival equipment.
Life Rafts/ Offshore
46 CFR Sub. 160.151 Correct Answer: Designed for longer term survival
-Double buoyancy tubes -Auto inflating canopy
-Stabilizing water pockets -Equipment required on offshore commercial vessels. -For international
voyages, must hold between 6-25 people.
Operating cord Correct Answer: Used to inflate the life raft and as a painter line.
Water pockets Correct Answer: Bags attached to bottom of life raft to stabilize, prevent capsizing and
reduce drift.
Jack knife Correct Answer: Razor sharp knife with no point, located at the entrance of the life raft.
How do you use an inflatable floor? Correct Answer: Inflate when cold, deflate when warm
How are recognition lights activated? Correct Answer: They are normally water activated and stay on for
at least 24 hours.
What is the purpose of the equipment bag? Correct Answer: To store all the life raft equipment.
What is a righting strap for? Correct Answer: Righting the raft if it's upside down or capsized.
What is a rainwater catchment tube for? Correct Answer: Catching rainwater on the life raft.
What do you do when it starts raining on the life raft? Correct Answer: Allow the first few minutes of
rain to wash away the salt before storing.
Purpose of the canopy? Correct Answer: Used to protect passenger from weather.
, What is the greatest hazard to someone on a life raft? Correct Answer: The loss of body heat.
What is a Quoit and Heaving line? Correct Answer: A ring attached to a rope which is used to rescue
persons in the water
General raft CFR requirements: How often must a life raft be inspected? Correct Answer: Every 12
months; but can wait up to 15 months if the vessel is away from her home port.
What is a hydrostatic release for? Correct Answer: It frees the life raft if the vessel sinks.
How long is the operating cord? Correct Answer: 100 feet long.
What is the operating cord attached to? Correct Answer: The weak link OR secured to a strong object
when launching manually.
If more than one life raft is in the water, everyone should tie together. WHY? Correct Answer: to try to
stay near the distressed/sinking vessel.
Why is it important to stay near the distressed/sinking vessel? Correct Answer: Because that's where
rescuers will begin searching.
What types of life boats are there? Correct Answer: Enclosed and Open. (Open life boats mostly
obsolete.)
According to the USCG, what are survival craft? Correct Answer: SURVIVAL CRAFT is a craft capable of
sustaining the lives of persons in distress from the time of abandoning ship until the time of rescue.
How much fuel should a life boat carry? Correct Answer: A LIFE BOAT must carry sufficient fuel to run
for 24 hours.
How do we launch life boats? Correct Answer: Two ways: Free fall and Gravity Davit
Which launch type is most common for a life boat? Correct Answer: Gravity Davit
What is a boat drain? Correct Answer: Drain that allows water to run one way out of the life boat.
What does the rubber ball in the boat drain do? Correct Answer: It acts as a check valve when the boat is
in the water in case someone forgot to put on the drain cap.
What does the metal cap do to the boat drain? Correct Answer: Plugs the drain from the inside of the life
boat
and Verified Answers
Life Raft/ Coastal Correct Answer: Designed for quick recovery
-No cover: one level; little survival equipment.
Life Rafts/ Offshore
46 CFR Sub. 160.151 Correct Answer: Designed for longer term survival
-Double buoyancy tubes -Auto inflating canopy
-Stabilizing water pockets -Equipment required on offshore commercial vessels. -For international
voyages, must hold between 6-25 people.
Operating cord Correct Answer: Used to inflate the life raft and as a painter line.
Water pockets Correct Answer: Bags attached to bottom of life raft to stabilize, prevent capsizing and
reduce drift.
Jack knife Correct Answer: Razor sharp knife with no point, located at the entrance of the life raft.
How do you use an inflatable floor? Correct Answer: Inflate when cold, deflate when warm
How are recognition lights activated? Correct Answer: They are normally water activated and stay on for
at least 24 hours.
What is the purpose of the equipment bag? Correct Answer: To store all the life raft equipment.
What is a righting strap for? Correct Answer: Righting the raft if it's upside down or capsized.
What is a rainwater catchment tube for? Correct Answer: Catching rainwater on the life raft.
What do you do when it starts raining on the life raft? Correct Answer: Allow the first few minutes of
rain to wash away the salt before storing.
Purpose of the canopy? Correct Answer: Used to protect passenger from weather.
, What is the greatest hazard to someone on a life raft? Correct Answer: The loss of body heat.
What is a Quoit and Heaving line? Correct Answer: A ring attached to a rope which is used to rescue
persons in the water
General raft CFR requirements: How often must a life raft be inspected? Correct Answer: Every 12
months; but can wait up to 15 months if the vessel is away from her home port.
What is a hydrostatic release for? Correct Answer: It frees the life raft if the vessel sinks.
How long is the operating cord? Correct Answer: 100 feet long.
What is the operating cord attached to? Correct Answer: The weak link OR secured to a strong object
when launching manually.
If more than one life raft is in the water, everyone should tie together. WHY? Correct Answer: to try to
stay near the distressed/sinking vessel.
Why is it important to stay near the distressed/sinking vessel? Correct Answer: Because that's where
rescuers will begin searching.
What types of life boats are there? Correct Answer: Enclosed and Open. (Open life boats mostly
obsolete.)
According to the USCG, what are survival craft? Correct Answer: SURVIVAL CRAFT is a craft capable of
sustaining the lives of persons in distress from the time of abandoning ship until the time of rescue.
How much fuel should a life boat carry? Correct Answer: A LIFE BOAT must carry sufficient fuel to run
for 24 hours.
How do we launch life boats? Correct Answer: Two ways: Free fall and Gravity Davit
Which launch type is most common for a life boat? Correct Answer: Gravity Davit
What is a boat drain? Correct Answer: Drain that allows water to run one way out of the life boat.
What does the rubber ball in the boat drain do? Correct Answer: It acts as a check valve when the boat is
in the water in case someone forgot to put on the drain cap.
What does the metal cap do to the boat drain? Correct Answer: Plugs the drain from the inside of the life
boat
