Vía de agua: qué hacer si a tu barco le entra agua o se hunde

Última verificación: 14 de octubre de 2026

Paso a paso

1. Chalecos puestos y da la alarma

   Asegúrate de que todos llevan chaleco salvavidas y da la alarma.[1][2]

2. Pide ayuda pronto

   Si te hundes, lanza un MAYDAY. Si la vía de agua está controlada pero podría empeorar, lanza un PAN-PAN para que los rescatadores lo sepan con tiempo.[3][4][5][6]

3. Busca la vía de agua

   Si es seguro, busca por dónde entra el agua. Revisa los tapones de vaciado y los pasacascos que atraviesan el casco por debajo de la línea de flotación.[7][8][9]

4. Tapónala o ciérrala

   Intenta taponar el agujero con los materiales que llevas para vías de agua en el casco. Si la fuga está en un pasacascos con válvula, cierra la válvula.[7][10][9]

5. Bombea y achica

   Pon en marcha la bomba de achique y achica con un achicador o un cubo. No pares.[11][12][13][14]

6. Dirígete a un lugar seguro si puedes

   Si el barco todavía puede navegar con seguridad, dirígete al puerto o a la orilla más cercana a la que sea seguro acercarse.[15]

7. Prepárate para abandonar

   Antes de dejar el barco, envía una llamada de socorro, no te quites el chaleco salvavidas y no te quites ropa: ponte más si tienes tiempo. Ten la radiobaliza preparada.[16][17]

8. Si acabas en el agua

   Activa tu EPIRB o PLB. Quédate con el barco mientras flote y sube a él la mayor parte posible del cuerpo. Agrupaos para conservar el calor y ser visibles.[18][19][20][21]

Qué no hacer

• No te quites ropa. Ponte más si tienes tiempo.[16]
• No abandones el barco mientras siga a flote. Junto a él es mucho más fácil encontrarte.[18][19]
• No esperes a que el barco esté a punto de hundirse para llamar. Avisar pronto puede ser decisivo.[6]

Antes de zarpar

• Antes de botar el barco: comprueba que los tapones de vaciado están puestos.[8]
• Revisa la sentina antes de cada salida.[22]
• Lleva herramientas y materiales para reparar vías de agua en el casco.[10]
• Conoce qué aberturas de tu barco podrían dejar entrar agua y cómo cerrarlas.[23]
• Ten los chalecos salvavidas y el equipo de seguridad a mano, y plantéate llevar una EPIRB.[24][17]

Preguntas frecuentes

Fuentes

Las fuentes se citan en su idioma original.

1. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “If you're sinking, make sure everyone is wearing lifejackets and you've raised the alarm (MAYDAY), then:”
2. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “have everyone onboard put on their lifejacket”
3. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “A distress/Mayday call is used to indicate that a boat or person is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance - for example, a boat taking on water, a vessel on fire, a person overboard or a serious medical emergency such as a heart attack.”
4. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (HM Coastguard) (2026-10-14): “Only to be used in the event of grave and imminent danger and assistance is required. Send a distress alert using digital selective calling (DSC), (press and hold the button until the alert is sent).”
5. Transport Canada – Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide (TP 14070) (2026-10-14): “MAYDAY indicates a person or vessel is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requests immediate help. PAN PAN indicates a safety problem that does not require immediate assistance.”
6. Transport Canada – Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide (TP 14070) (2026-10-14): “It is strongly recommended you report any situation that may present a danger to life, without delay. Early notification can be crucial to a positive outcome. You can use the PAN PAN radio signal for this purpose.”
7. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Locate the source of the leak if it’s safe to do so, try to plug it”
8. U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety – A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2026-10-14): “Avoid inconvenience and potential danger by taking a few minutes every time to verify you haven’t forgotten something critical, like putting in the drain plugs.”
9. Transport Canada – Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide (TP 14070) (2026-10-14): “Holes that go through the hull below the waterline must not decrease the structural strength of the hull and must have a valve or some other way of keeping water out”
10. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “Make sure you have tools and materials to fix hull leaks.”
11. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) (2026-10-14): “Start bilge pumps”
12. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “if the boat is flooding, remove water by bailing or using the bilge pump”
13. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Bail the water as best as you can with a bailer”
14. U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety – A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2026-10-14): “Keep the bilges free of water.”
15. Transport Canada – Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide (TP 14070) (2026-10-14): “Stay out of conditions where water could come on board and accumulate. Head for the nearest port of refuge or shore that is safe to approach, if possible.”
16. Department of Transport, Western Australia (2026-10-14): “Before abandoning the boat: use your marine radio to send a distress call put on your lifejacket do not remove any clothing - put on more if you have time.”
17. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “These floating radio distress beacons can transmit a distress signal for hours. They can be manually activated or can float from a sinking or overturned vessel.”
18. Department of Transport, Western Australia (2026-10-14): “Once in the water: activate your EPIRB or PLB adopt the huddle position to keep everybody together and to conserve body heat stay with the boat for as long as possible if it is still afloat.”
19. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “If the boat submerges and you have to go in the water, stay with the vessel – your chances of being found are much higher this way.”
20. U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety – A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2026-10-14): “To reduce the effects of hypothermia, get in or on the boat. Try to get as much of your body out of the water as possible.”
21. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “Huddle with others with your chests close together, arms around your mid to lower backs, and legs woven together. This also helps keep your group together until help arrives.”
22. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Check your engine, fluid levels and bilge.”
23. Transport Canada – Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide (TP 14070) (2026-10-14): “Know which openings on your vessel – such as engine room vents – could let water in and take steps to prevent this from happening by being able to close them or by avoiding situations where this could occur.”
24. Department of Transport, Western Australia (2026-10-14): “having lifejackets and other safety equipment easily accessible storing emergency provisions in a watertight drum storing extra water in a floating container.”
25. Department of Transport, Western Australia (2026-10-14): “Most trailer boats have flotation to cope with flooding, and rarely sink. Larger boats without flotation usually take some time to sink.”

Más guías de emergencia

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