Grounding and flooding in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

This guide does not replace training, current charts, or weather checks.

Steps

The Dubai guide treats grounding as unexpected. Its list is what follows. It is not a chart, a depth, or a channel. This page does not quote an Abu Dhabi grounding list or a flooding list.

If you hit the bottom

• The Dubai boating safety guide describes grounding as the marine craft hitting the seabed after it leaves its course. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to turn off the engines. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to close all watertight hatches. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to request assistance. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to supply passengers with life saving equipment. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to start pumping water out of the marine craft with the pumps available. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to make sure there are no injuries. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to start any temporary repairs, if possible. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to make a rapid initial damage report. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to decide on a way to refloat from the amount of damage. It does not describe that way. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to notify the official authorities of all the details. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The refloat line tells the skipper to decide from the damage. It does not say to use more throttle, a kedge, or another boat. This page does not add that method. Do not power off a bank.

If the boat is filling

• If the boat is sinking, the Dubai guide says to provide everyone on board with lifesaving appliances. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says that if you have to go into the water, keep away from the marine craft. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to gather the passengers in one place and not to move until the rescue team arrives. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, do not copy this Dubai list across as an Abu Dhabi rule. Call the local authority on the notice you are actually using. This page has no Abu Dhabi telephone number.

A practical example

This is a decision story. It names no bank, no waypoint and no depth.

A small boat in Dubai touches the bottom and the engine note changes. The skipper takes the engines out of gear and turns them off, instead of adding throttle to bounce clear. People put life-saving equipment on. Hatches that the guide calls watertight are closed. The skipper calls the Dubai numbers and reports the damage. Nobody invents a refloat.

If water is rising and the boat is clearly going, the same skipper gets everyone into lifesaving appliances, keeps them together, and keeps them off the hull if they have to enter the water. In Abu Dhabi the actions are not taken from a Dubai phone list.

Common mistakes

• Adding throttle to drive off after the boat has touched.
• Treating "decide a refloat method" as permission to invent one.
• Swimming alongside a boat that is going down.
• Scattering people in the water instead of keeping them in one place.
• The Dubai guide says to decide on a way to refloat from the amount of damage. It does not describe that way. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says that if you have to go into the water, keep away from the marine craft. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

Checklist

• The Dubai grounding steps say to turn off the engines. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to close all watertight hatches. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to supply passengers with life saving equipment. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai grounding steps say to make sure there are no injuries. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to gather the passengers in one place and not to move until the rescue team arrives. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• In Dubai, the three printed numbers are written down. In Abu Dhabi, the number is not taken from this page.

When to stop or seek help

Call when you touch, not after a refloat attempt. Stop any plan that needs more engine. If the boat is sinking, the Dubai guide moves you to lifesaving appliances and to waiting together for rescue.

The Dubai guide says to decide on a way to refloat from the amount of damage. It does not describe that way. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The Dubai guide says that if you have to go into the water, keep away from the marine craft. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The Dubai boating safety guide lists 999 for Police Operations in Dubai. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The same Dubai guide lists 996 for Coast Guard Operations. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The same Dubai guide lists 04/ 3459999 for the Ports Police Station. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

Those three lines are Dubai. Abu Dhabi is not given a number here.

Sources checked for this guide

• https://pcfc.ae/en/DMA/Marine%20Guides/Boating%20Safety%20Guide.pdf — Dubai, checked 2026-10-28.