When should you first have any food or water after boarding a lifeboat or liferaft?

• A. Immediately upon boarding
• B. After 12 hours
• C. After 24 hours
• D. After leaving the lifeboat

Answer: (C)

The situation after boarding a lifeboat or liferaft is one of shock, exposure, and dehydration risk, so the body benefits from a short postponement of ingestion. Waiting about 24 hours before taking any food or drink helps the digestive system settle and reduces the chance of nausea or vomiting when the craft is still rocking and motion is present. Once the 24-hour mark has passed, you can begin with small sips of clean water to prevent dehydration and then introduce light, easily digestible foods as energy is needed. Drinking or eating sooner can worsen seasickness or overwhelm the gut, and starting before 24 hours isn’t advisable, while the option of waiting until you’ve left the lifeboat isn’t relevant to the initial survival phase.