Years ago , we talked to a few captains who told us that the main thing was to make visual contact with the crew before hanging in . There is no danger in paddling that close ; the ship ’ s propellors are deep enough , and they will push you away from the ship when paddling behind in case of a capsize . We got the advice never to paddle in front of the ship itself for obvious reasons .
We got to know captain Ruben during those close encounters with bigger ships . Captain Ruben is in command of the hopper-dredger RIO , and he ’ s also keen on everything that has to do with safety at sea . We mostly met on open water , where our paths mostly crossed , waved to each other , took a picture , and that was it . On a fine day , I was invited onto the ship itself when moored in the harbour .
During a coffee on the bridge of the RIO , plans were made to conduct a rescue exercise . Like in previous chapters , it was a win-win situation . The RIO crew never conducted an offshore rescue exercise with a real person in the water . They conduct rescue drills now and then , but that ’ s not the same . And for us , it was an opportunity to see what was possible with such a big ship .
THE HOPPER-DREDGER RIO This ship is in no way comparable to a lifeboat ; that is the least we can say ! This motor hopper dredger measures 82.3m in length and is 16.3m in width . It was built in 1987 , well maintained and still operational . The draught is at least 3.5m and 5.82m when fully loaded . The RIO has two propellers that can turn 360 ° and one bow thruster . The regular speed when fully loaded is about 9 knots , and its maximum speed is about 11 knots . The RIO has a small MOB ( man overboard ) boat on board that can be deployed on short notice . The onboard crew is the captain , helmsman , chief engineer , 2nd and 3rd engineer and two sailors . The RIO has its restrictions , but we mainly see opportunities !
AWAITING ARRIVAL SAR SERVICE Due to circumstances , we had the luck of executing two different rescue scenarios within two weeks .
First scenario ! Sylvie and I were about 2km offshore when starting up the scenario . The RIO was still out of visual range when we made the call by VHF radio . Sylvie had become unable to paddle any further for the rescue exercise and was hypothermic . We rafted up immediately ; I supported the casualty with one hand and made the distress call using the VHF radio in the other hand . To perform this exercise as realistic as possible , the RIO was still out of visual range at the time of the distress call .
The captain of the RIO called in the rescue training with the local authorities , just so the Coast Guard would be aware of this . There was a bit of wind and waves , and it was raining a bit . Visibility was moderate . Like any other training we did with the rescue services , we were the first to spot the RIO before they saw us . I had given through our position , and they spotted us very fast and at a long distance . The captain used his binoculars , and the bridge of the RIO is high and provides a good view around the ship .
Top tip : an electronic distress flare ( like the ODEO we are carrying ) proves extremely useful to pinpoint your location to other vessels . Use it !
During the exercise , we kept in mind that the RIO crew are professional sailors , but they are not a professional rescue crew . I stated clearly what the situation was and that the casualty could not climb on board the RIO herself . We were dead in the water , with no means of coming closer to the RIO ourselves . We noticed that we had to communicate even better than with the rescue services . It is imperative to state your intentions to the vessel that comes to aid and listen to their do and don ’ ts . In this case , we asked for the ship to provide shelter against the wind and waves .