3980. You are approaching a disabled vessel in order to remove survivors from it. If your vessel drifts faster than the disabled vessel, how should you make your approach?

Approaching a disabled vessel to retrieve survivors requires careful consideration of drift. If your vessel drifts faster than the disabled vessel, approach to windward. This allows you to drift down onto the disabled vessel in a controlled manner, minimizing the risk of being blown away or requiring abrupt maneuvers near survivors. A windward approach utilizes natural drift to facilitate a slow, predictable approach, ensuring a safer recovery operation.