🔍 Key Concepts

• Flooding and damage control in small boats and survival craft • Importance of finding the source of water ingress before taking other actions • Effects of weight distribution (trim) on a small craft

💭 Think About

• What is the most logical thing to do first when you notice water rising in the bilge: change how the boat rides, how fast it goes, or investigate why water is entering? • Which action directly addresses the cause of the rising water, rather than just trying to compensate for its effects? • In a small survival craft, which of these choices could actually make a flooding situation worse if done before investigating the problem?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option focuses on locating the source of the flooding. • Eliminate any options that only change speed or trim without actually addressing why water is coming in. • Ask: which choice would a good seamanlike damage control procedure tell you to do before adjusting people or power?