Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Quiz · Safety and communications
A rescue helicopter is using a hi-line and lowers a weighted line to your yacht first. What do you do with it?
A rescue helicopter hovering above and to one side of a yacht with her sails down. A thin line hangs from the helicopter with a small weight on its end, just above the water near the yacht. The weight is ringed in gold with a question mark. Label: weighted line lowered from the helicopter.
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Gather in the slack by hand as it comes down, keep it clear of the rigging, and never make it fast. The hi-line is a handling line. Take in the slack as the winchman comes down, coiling it clear in a bucket or on the cockpit sole, and pull him in when told to. Never make it fast to the boat. Static is a separate matter: do not touch the winch hook or wire until it has earthed on the boat or in the sea. Wear gloves and follow the briefing the helicopter crew gives you by radio.
