In case of stranding, take at least following actions:
Stop engines immediately (it happens that a ship runs aground with very little speed on a very soft bottom with very little slope) and that nobody on the bridge or in the engine room has felt it)
Sound general alarm
Watertight doors to be closed
VHF watch maintained on channel 16
Broadcast to other vessels
Sound signals, Light / Shapes to be exhibited especially important in case of fog)
Deck lighting switched on
Check position on chart
Take note of any valuable information (time, course steered, speed, log, eventual manoeuvres, etc.)
Sound bilges, tanks
Immediately take overboard soundings around vessel to check on what type of sandbank the ship is lying.
If the ship is on top of a flat sandbank the danger of breaking in two is minimal. If the ship lies on a mountainous sandbank the risk of breaking is real and the stress on the ship enormous. In that case urgent action must be taken: