You are the person in charge of a lifeboat and have made the decision to beach your craft through a heavy surf. Which of the following is the recommended procedure for a boat under oars?

Correct Answer: Option D — keep the head into the seas and back smartly to beach the boat in the shortest amount of time

In heavy surf, the greatest danger is broaching. Keeping the bow into the seas and backing the boat allows the crew to control the rate of advance. This prevents the boat from being caught by a breaking wave, which could cause a catastrophic capsize or end-over-end pitchpole.