Boat emergency kit

[Kalle Wirsch]

Hi everyone,
Reaching out once more as a relative noob to your collective wisdom.

I am looking for a good boat emergency kit (flares, horn etc, so not a medical kit). Is that something I should put together myself, or could you recommend a full kit?

Thanks guys!

[Nicholson58]

If you are in the US, I suggest you look at the battery operated USCG approved flare replacement. No need for combustible flares.

[Don C L]

What kind of sailing are you planning? How big is the boat? What kind of boat? Who's going with you?

Besides the basics I include a PLB and a floating handheld VHF in mine, small divelight, along with the card for BoatUS Tow service. I needed that once, but I was on someone else's boat. (They don't tow the boat, they tow the card carrier.) I'm only coastal, but there are windy days with fair sized seas sometimes where I am: Harnesses that fit for everyone, and tethers that are not too long are a priority for me; you gotta have PFDs but immensely better to be sure no one leaves the boat without permission. The inflatable PFDs with an integral harness is a good idea. Good to have something like the life-sling aboard and a block and tackle set-up dedicated to lifting someone out of the water from the boom if needed, and a ladder, in case someone does. I also include a throw bag of line and I have a razor sharp knife in a sheath on my pfd, those are from my river guide days, and really loud whistles for everybody too. Oh and a VHF with DSC Mayday button. But the only thing I have had to use so far is the Boat tow.
Really, whatever you get just be sure you know where it is and how to use it, even in the dark, or maybe especially in the dark. And take it out and practice with it periodically because the bad thing about safety equipment is that it almost never gets used, so it gets old and forgotten or neglected or lost on some boats. In fact I have to go through all mine before my rapidly approaching summer ventures since it has been sitting around all winter and I have been moving things around doing boat work.

Sorry I know this is more than you asked for, but when you say "emergency kit" that just includes more stuff in my view.

Welcome aboard here by the way!

[Joh.Ghurt]

Start with what is required by law for you to carry for your size of boat and the desired cruising distance from shore. If the pack is then too small in your opinion, you can start worrying about other stuff.

For me the pack of flares and smoke canisters I have to drive around is more an annoyance and a drag on the budget than anything else. I really hope my flag state will allow electric flares some day.

[svMarite]

Smoke, electronic flare, first aid kit with Steri-strips, some kind of pain med, splint material, compression bandage, (mine is actually much beefier than that as I have a fair amount of trauma training), I always carry my expired SOLAS flares, water packets, protein bars, fishing kit, dive knife, dive light or some flashlight. I have a hand crank emergency light, EPIRB, or PLB or SPOT, Garmin InReach and most importantly, copies of drivers licences, passports and a dedicated ready to use credit card.

[boatman61]

I presume you mean a 'Grab Bag' in case of disaster leading to abandoning the boat and taking to the liferaft.

Waterproof Bag, hand operated water maker, the smallest flare system you can find (pistol and shells or pencil flares), high energy bars and trail mix, h/h VHF, passports and wallet, a soft foldable water container, a small mirror, some foil survival blankets for nights.. extra batteries for your Spot.
I would add a small solar charger for the VHF if there is such a thing.

I have not included EPIRB or Spot as those tend to be either in dedicated situ's on the boat and in the case of a Spot/Yellowbrick are in regular daily use and can be grabbed as you go.

[svMarite]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I presume you mean a 'Grab Bag' in case of disaster leading to abandoning the boat and taking to the liferaft.

Waterproof Bag, hand operated water maker, the smallest flare system you can find (pistol and shells or pencil flares), high energy bars and trail mix, h/h VHF, passports and wallet, a soft foldable water container, a small mirror, some foil survival blankets for nights.. extra batteries for your Spot.
I would add a small solar charger for the VHF if there is such a thing.

I have not included EPIRB or Spot as those tend to be either in dedicated situ's on the boat and in the case of a Spot/Yellowbrick are in regular daily use and can be grabbed as you go.

Well said boatman, yes and thanks for that! Yes, I have those too, but we're off shore sailors

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

If you are in the US...

Kalle,

Welcome aboard the Forum!

That was just Nicholson's way of gently suggesting that you update your profile with your location. That way, we could provide you with a more helpful and relevant answer.

For instance, the UK requirements for safety/ emergency equipment are vastly different and more stringent than those in the US. If you're based in Scandanavia, recommended safety equipment would be more along the lines of the UK's scheme.

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Kalle,

Welcome aboard the Forum!

That was just Nicholson's way of gently suggesting that you update your profile with your location. That way, we could provide you with a more helpful and relevant answer.

For instance, the UK requirements for safety/ emergency equipment are vastly different and more stringent than those in the US. If you're based in Scandanavia, recommended safety equipment would be more along the lines of the UK's scheme.

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

LW.. 'Safety Requirements' are only for Commercial operating boats in the UK, to the best of my knowledge there are no regulated safety requirements for private leisure vessels to date.. more a case of..
Its your life, don't whinge if you lose it..

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by boatman61

LW...
'Safety Requirements' are only for Commercial operating boats in the UK, to the best of my knowledge there are no regulated safety requirements for private leisure vessels to date.. more a case of..
Its your life, don't whinge if you lose it..

Interesting... well I guess there's my blind spot, eh? With my Yachtmaster Offshore (commercial endorsement) training, the RYA certainly did drum in the various safety requirements, didn't they!?

Then I came back across the Pond and was regularly appalled at North American standards/oversight.

Two of which that come to mind is that every single boat I sailed on in the UK had a liferaft approriate to the number of crew. We would always have a conversation before going offshore about how recently the LR had been maintained/endorsed.

That has not once happened in North America, except doing deliveries for charter companies such as the Moorings/Sunsail. As delivery crew, we would sign out a liferaft for the delivery, which would then be returned to the Base Office once we had got the boat to its destination.

The second is: fire blankets. Simple things, really. Every boat in the UK has one mounted in the galley either over their stove or somewhere quite near for easy deployment in the event of a galley fire.

Never have I ever have seen one on a North American boat....

Curious,
LittleWing77

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Interesting... well I guess there's my blind spot, eh? With my Yachtmaster Offshore (commercial endorsement) training, the RYA certainly did drum in the various safety requirements, didn't they!?

Then I came back across the Pond and was regularly appalled at North American standards/oversight.

Two of which that come to mind is that every single boat I sailed on in the UK had a liferaft approriate to the number of crew. We would always have a conversation before going offshore about how recently the LR had been maintained/endorsed.

That has not once happened in North America, except doing deliveries for charter companies such as the Moorings/Sunsail. As delivery crew, we would sign out a liferaft for the delivery, which would then be returned to the Base Office once we had got the boat to its destination.

The second is: fire blankets. Simple things, really. Every boat in the UK has one mounted in the galley either over their stove or somewhere quite near for easy deployment in the event of a galley fire.

Never have I ever have seen one on a North American boat....

Curious,
LittleWing77

This bit (commercial endorsement) says it all... but the norm for pleasure boats is 'each to their own'
Back in the last century there was a massive backlash in the UK when Brussels flexed its muscles and entered the boating world.
French authorities started trying to regulate Brit boats arriving without liferafts etc in places like Cherbourg.. I got pulled up on my Tiki 26 there because I had insufficient nav gear according to them... just a compass, depth sounder and charts.
Came to nothing but a waste of a couple of hours of arguing..
But many small boats («30ft) in the UK don't carry liferafts, I know I never have bar my last boat which came with one.
I do however sail with a semi inflated dinghy on the foredeck if its big enough, otherwise I don't bother.. done a few long open water trips across the Channel and the Biscay without either.. lifevests I only carry for crew if I have one.
The main reason I flag UK whenever I get a new boat..

[Ded reckoner]

OP, there's some good advice given by others on content. But, can you define better your boat (i.e. dinghy, small sailboat, megayacht, etc.) and where you intend to use the boat (e.g. bay sailing, offshore passage making within sight of land, offshore out of sight of land, etc.)?

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Ded reckoner

OP, there's some good advice given by others on content. But, can you define better your boat (i.e. dinghy, small sailboat, megayacht, etc.) and where you intend to use the boat (e.g. bay sailing, offshore passage making within sight of land, offshore out of sight of land, etc.)?

Well that's two of us, Ded Reckoner.

As the OP hasn't responded, at least his other thread provides better context:

Catamaran Slip, Bay Area, California
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ia-251793.html

So Don C L would have some pertinent suggestions, as well as any West Coast sailors.

Good luck with your new boat, Kalle,
LittleWing77

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Back in the last century there was a massive backlash in the UK when Brussels flexed its muscles and entered the boating world.

Wow, Boatie! You're older than I'd thought...!
Haha,
LittleWing77

[Kalle Wirsch]

Geez, I’m not only new to boating, but apparently also new to forums. How can y’all see what other clueless threads I’ve posted?

Updated my location (I hope). So, yes, we’re in the Bay Area CA. We’re currently in a situation where we constantly charter boats in the area ($$$ ) to gain more all-around know-how. Getting a bit tired of checking off sailing schools’ emergency kit checklists and wanted to get our own - hop on board and off we go. Currently, we’re sailing in 30-40 ft monohulls…
So, at this point, it can be quite basic (coastal cruising, sometimes overnight), but I’m happy to include other items that you wouldn’t leave without.
The electric flare tip alone was already very helpful…

Thanks you guys. You’re all so generous with you advice and time.
I know every minuche of Argentine Tango - if anyone has questions about that