Lost At Sea
INSTRUCTIONS: 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 now slowly sinking. Your location is unclear because of the destruction of critical navigational equipment and because you and the crew were distracted trying to bring the fire under control. Your best estimate is that you are approximately one thousand miles south-southwest of the nearest land.
Below is a list of fifteen items that are intact and undamaged after the fire. In addition to these articles, you have a serviceable rubber life raft with oars, which is large enough to carry you, the crew, and all the items listed below. The total contents of all the survivors' pockets are a package of cigarettes, several books of matches, and five one-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 '2' by the second most important, and so on through '15', the least important. Then afterwards discuss your answers in a group in order to reach a group consensus.
YOUR ANSWER GROUP
ANSWER
Sextant ___________ ___________
Shaving Mirror ___________ ___________
Five-Liter Can of Water ___________ ___________
Mosquito Netting ___________ ___________
One Case of US Army C-Rations ___________ ___________
Maps of the Pacific Ocean ___________ ___________
Seat Cushion (Floating Device Approved by the
Coast Guard) ___________ ___________
Two-Liter Can of Oil-Gas Mixture ___________ ___________
Two Boxes of Chocolate Bars ___________ ___________
Fishing Kit ___________ ___________
Five Meters of Nylon Rope ___________ ___________
One Liter of 160-Proof Puerto Rican Rum ___________ ___________
Twenty Square Meters of Opaque Plastic ___________ ___________
Shark Repellent ___________ ___________
Small Transistor Radio ___________ ___________
Answer And Rationale Sheet
According to a survey of Officers in the United States Merchant Marines, the basic supplies needed when a person is stranded in mid-ocean are articles to attract attention and articles to aid survival UNTIL RESCUERS ARRIVE! Articles for navigation are of little importance; even if a small life raft were capable of reaching land, it would be impossible to store enough food and water to subsist during that period of time. Therefore, of primary importance are the shaving mirror and the two-liter can of oil-gas mixture. These items could be used for signaling air-sea rescue. Of secondary importance are items such as water and food, such as the case of Army C-Rations.
A brief rationale is provided for the ranking of each item. These brief explanations obviously do not represent all of the potential uses for the specified items, but rather the primary importance of each.
1. SHAVING MIRROR--critical for signaling air-sea rescue.
2. TWO-LITER CAN OF OIL-GAS MIXTURE--critical for signaling. The oil-gas mixture will float on the water and could be ignited with a dollar bill and a match (obviously outside the raft).
3. FIVE-LITER CAN OF WATER--necessary to replenish loss by perspiration.
4. ONE CASE OF ARMY C-RATIONS--provides basic food intake.
5. TWENTY SQUARE METERS OF OPAQUE PLASTIC--Utilized to collect rain water, provide shelter from the elements.
6. TWO BOXES OF CHOCOLATES--a reserve food supply.
7. FISHING KIT--ranked lower than the candy bars because "one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." That is, you have no assurance that you will catch any fist.
8. FIVE METERS OF NYLON ROPE--may be used to lash equipment together to prevent it from falling overboard.
9. FLOATING SEAT CUSHION--if someone fell overboard, it could be used as a life-preserver.
10. SHARK REPELLENT--obvious.
11. ONE LITER OF 160-PROOF PUERTO RICAN RUM--contains 80% alcohol-enough to use as a potential antiseptic for any injuries incurred. WILL NOT KEEP YOU WARM. In fact, if you drink it, you will lose not only body heat, but also you will become dehydrated.
12. SMALL TRANSISTOR RADIO--of little value since there is no transmitter. (Unfortunately, you are out of range of your favorite AM radio stations.)
13. MAPS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN--worthless without additional navigational equipment--it does not really matter where you are, but where your rescuers are.
14. MOSQUITO NETTING--there are no mosquitoes in the mid-Pacific and it is too delicate to fish with.
15. SEXTANT--without tables and a chronometer, useless.
The basic rationale for ranking signaling equipment above life-sustaining items (food and water) is that without signaling devices, there is almost no chance of being spotted and rescued. Furthermore, most rescues occur during the first thirty-six hours and one can survive without food and water during this period.