Do you have an oil spill contingency plan?

[JStone]

I'm gearing up for a VSC check by the Coast Guard and am getting all of my safety gear/placards in order. I hit a small snag. Not that it's required, but I've heard of someone asked by the USCG for an oil spill contingency plan. I do carry the required gear (bucket, trash bag, diesel diapers) but don't have the plan printed.

I've searched high and low and can only come up with lengthy city/state response plans that are much too wide of a scope to be of any use. So, do you have a printed plan? If so, could you share it with me via cut and paste, pic, doc, or pdf?

Thanks in advance,

Stone

[gamayun]

Most of these plans have to do with response - who to call and who is handling each aspect of the spill - and they have to do with large fuel tanks. This is why it's really not convenient for small boats to do them, but not a bad idea to think it through. For you, a one-pager may suffice. You could write down the USCG spill response number and a contact name, your marina's number, the local police (good for things that don't involve a spill) and anyone else you can think of who would be willing to help. etc. Then you could list where the fuel shut off valves are located, where extra bilge absorbent pads are located, buckets, etc. Perhaps you could also add the date your fire extinguishers need to be re-certified, and other things related to overall safety and not just spills. Make sure that whatever you prepared, it is in an accessible place and that others on board know where it is. Include such details as the boat name, length, color, etc. If you would like more suggestions, just let me know. This was quick and just off the top of my head on how to downsize a spill plan.