"Lost at Sea" Return to list of pracs

Aim: This activity uses background knowledge and intuitive judgements to order a set of equipment need if you are lost at sea.

OHP: The overhead is ...  

• Lost at Sea.

Method: You are adrift on a private yacht in the South Pacific. As a consequence of a fire of unknown origin, much of the yacht and its contents have been destroyed. The yacht is slowing sinking. Your location is unclear because you and the crew were distracted trying to bring the fire under control. You best estimate is that you are approximately one thousand miles south-west of the nearest land.

Listed are fifteen items that are intact and undamaged after the fire. In addition to these articles, you have a servicable rubber life raft with oars large enough to carry yourself, the crew and all the items listed below. The total contents of all survivors' pockets are a packet of cigarettes, several boxes of matches and five ten dollar bills. Your task is to rank the fifteen items below in terms of their importance to your survival. Place the number "1" by the most important item, and so on....

• sextant (takes angular measurements);
• shaving mirror;
• five-gallon can of water;
• mosquito netting;
• one case of Army C rations (food);
• maps of Pacific Ocean;
• Seat cushion (flotable device approved by the Coast Guard);
• Two-gallon can of oil-petrol mixture;
• Small transistor radio;
• Shark repellant;
• Twenty square feet of opaque plastic;
• One quart of 160-proof Puerto Rican Rum;
• Fifteen feet of nylon rope;
• Two boxes of chocolate bars;
• Fishing kit.

Your task is to rank them in the order they will be needed to reach the rendezvous point. Place "1" next to the most important item, through to "15" next to the least important item.

Background knowledge: The actual answers according ...

1. Shaving mirror - critical for signalling air-sea rescue;
2. two-gallon can of oil-petrol mixture; - critical for signalling. The oil-petrol mixture will float on the water and could be ignited with a ten dollar bill and a match - obviously outside the raft;
3. Five gallon can of water - necessary to replenish loss by perspiration;
4. One case of Army rations - Provides basic food intake;
5. Twenty square feet of opaque plastic - Utilise to collect water and provide some shelter from the sun;
6. Two boxes of chocolates - a reserve food supply;
7. Fishing kit - Ranked lower than the chocolate because there is no assurance you will catch fish;
8. Fifteen cfeet of nylon rope - secure equipment to prevent it from falling overboard;
9. Floating cushion - used as a life preserver if someone falls overboard;
10. Shark repellant - obvious!
11. One quart of 160-proof Puerto Rican Rum - With 80% alcohol you can use it as an antiseptic for injuries. Drinking it causes greater dehydration!
12. Small transistor radio - There is no transmitter ... of little value and you are out of range of AM/FM radio signals;
13. Maps of Pacific Oceans - Worthless without navigation equipment;
14. Mosquito netting - No mosquitos in the middle of the Pacific Ocean;
15. Sextant - Without tables and chronometer it is useless.