specially designed to maintain your physical and mentalabilities and aren’t thirst-provoking. The ration is basedon an allowance of one packet per person per day; but,you should eat only when you feel the greatest need.Don’t take any food or water the first 24 hours. Food ismuch less important for survival than water. With water,a person can survive for 4 weeks or longer without food.Nearly all forms of sea life are edible. Some fish arepoisonous; for example, jellyfish (which you shouldnever eat). Each lifeboat has a fishing kit for catchingfish.All sea birds are edible, and practically the entirebird is useful. In addition to the food and liquid obtainedfrom sea birds, you can fashion fishhooks and luresfrom the bones and feathers. In cold weather, a bird’sskin (with feathers) will protect exposed parts of yourbody.Birds sometimes settle on the raft or boat, andsurvivors have reported instances where birds landed ontheir shoulders. If birds are shy, try dragging a baitedhook through the water or throwing a baited hook intothe air.You can catch gulls, terns, gannets, and albatrossesby dragging a baited hook behind the boat or raft. Youcan attract them within shooting distance by dragging abright piece of metal or shell behind the raft. It’spossible to catch a bird if it lands within reach. Mostbirds, however, are shy and will settle on the raft out ofreach. In that case, try a bird noose. Make it by tying aloose knot with two pieces of line, as shown in figure15-9. Bait the center of the loop with fish entrails orsimilar bait. When the bird settles in the loop to eat thebait, tighten the noose around its feet.The North Atlantic and the North Pacific haverelatively few birds, and these are found mostly alongthe coasts. You may see many species of birds, oftenhundreds of miles from land, in southern waters.ExposureExposure presents many dangers. Some dangersinclude sunburn, hypothermia, frostbite, and immersionfoot. Some actions you can take to survive theseconditions are as follows:MAN OVERBOARDAll the information in this section applies mainly toship disasters when your ship is sunk. Such eventsnormally occur in wartime but rarely in peacetime.However, a mishap that can happen to you at any time,and usually without warning, is to fall overboard. Oneminute you are walking along the main deck; the next15-12Student Notes:Figure 15-9.—Bird noose.CONDITIONACTIONCold You can’t survive for any great length of time in cold water without a special exposure suit.In water cooler than 75E F, you face a serious condition called hypothermia. Hypothermiaoccurs when your body is exposed to subnormal temperatures. To overcome hypothermia,minimize heat loss from your head, neck, sides, and groin. Raise as much of your body aspossible out of the water; wear a hat; and assume the fetal position or huddle in close,side-by-side contact with others. Don’t move about. Stay calm and encourage others not topanic.
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