La barca imbarca acqua: cosa fare se ha una falla o sta affondando

Ultima verifica: 14 ottobre 2026

Passo per passo

1. Giubbotti indossati, dai l’allarme

   Assicurati che tutti indossino il giubbotto di salvataggio e dai l’allarme.[1][2]

2. Chiedi aiuto presto

   Se stai affondando, lancia un MAYDAY. Se la falla è sotto controllo ma potrebbe peggiorare, lancia un PAN-PAN così i soccorritori lo sanno per tempo.[3][4][5][6]

3. Trova la falla

   Se è sicuro, trova da dove entra l’acqua. Controlla i tappi di scarico e le prese a mare che attraversano lo scafo sotto la linea di galleggiamento.[7][8][9]

4. Tappala o chiudila

   Prova a tappare il foro con i materiali che porti per le falle nello scafo. Se la perdita è su una presa a mare con valvola, chiudi la valvola.[7][10][9]

5. Pompa e sgotta

   Avvia la pompa di sentina e sgotta con una sessola o un secchio. Non smettere.[11][12][13][14]

6. Dirigiti verso un posto sicuro se puoi

   Se la barca può ancora navigare in sicurezza, dirigiti verso il porto o la costa più vicina a cui sia sicuro avvicinarsi.[15]

7. Preparati ad abbandonare

   Prima di lasciare la barca, invia una chiamata di soccorso, tieni addosso il giubbotto di salvataggio e non toglierti i vestiti: mettine altri se hai tempo. Tieni pronto il dispositivo di localizzazione.[16][17]

8. Se finisci in acqua

   Attiva l’EPIRB o il PLB. Resta con la barca finché galleggia e porta sopra di essa la parte più grande possibile del corpo. Stringetevi per restare caldi e visibili.[18][19][20][21]

Cosa non fare

• Non toglierti i vestiti. Mettine altri se hai tempo.[16]
• Non lasciare la barca finché galleggia. Accanto alla barca è molto più facile trovarti.[18][19]
• Non aspettare che la barca stia per affondare prima di chiamare. Avvisare presto può essere decisivo.[6]

Prima di salpare

• Prima di varare la barca: controlla che i tappi di scarico siano inseriti.[8]
• Controlla la sentina prima di ogni uscita.[22]
• Porta attrezzi e materiali per riparare falle nello scafo.[10]
• Sappi quali aperture della tua barca potrebbero far entrare acqua, e come chiuderle.[23]
• Tieni giubbotti di salvataggio e dotazioni di sicurezza a portata di mano, e valuta di portare un EPIRB.[24][17]

Domande frequenti

Fonti

Le fonti sono citate nella lingua originale.

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.”

Altre guide alle emergenze

Numeri di soccorso per paese → Come fare una chiamata MAYDAY → Scheda di emergenza da stampare →