97. Your towboat has a ruptured hull and taking on more river water than the pumps can remove. The decision has been made to abandon the boat. Which is the next action you should take?

Following a decision to abandon ship, the immediate next step is to sound the 'Abandon Ship' signal to alert all personnel and initiate emergency procedures. This signal precedes crew muster, donning of safety gear, and addressing other emergencies like fire; it is the critical first action in the abandon-ship sequence.