I don't know what kind of
self steering you have but consider a
wind vane that can double as an auxiliary
rudder. The majority of
boat abandonment I've heard of are from
rudder failure. That's not to say it's common, but it's still the biggest reason I've personally seen for ditching a
boat.
In our ditch bag, just off the top of my
head
- we toss handheld
VHF in before the
passage
-
GPS in a ziplock,
batteries out,
batteries in a double ziplock bag nearby.
- MSR dromlite
water bag
- signal mirror
- pedialyte dry mix (electrolytes, a bit of sugar)
- granola bars
other things I pack:
- cable clamps (not hose clamps). if a stay snaps at the
deck you can make a loop from the cable with the clamps.
- some spare amsteel /
dyneema. temporary rig supports.
- good
knot tying skills
- the BIG
edson manual
bilge pump (1 gallon per stroke)
- a piece of stainless bar stock for making a spare chainplate. doesn't need to be pretty. cobalt bits to drill through, or drill some holes in it in advance. have fasteners.
- a thick piece of allthread, a thin piece of allthread. matching nylocs and washers.
- spare starter
motor, spare
alternator. you can get chinese knockoffs on ebay.
- keep 5 gallons of fresh water in a jerry jug and don't use it. put it in the back of the quarter berth.
I know we have more stuff onboard but honestly
maintenance and good sailing chops can really reduce your chances of problems. Have a clean and organized
deck and
cockpit, don't trip, plan out anything on deck (sail changes,
anchoring, etc) in advance and think of everything you'll need.