What do you carry in your dinghy?

[sanibel sailor]

What equipment and gear do you carry in your dinghy? I just got my first RIB and am thinking about a gear list. Thoughts so far:
PFD and whistle
Oars (they are dreadful but potentially indispensable)
Anchor and line
Bailer
Spare drain plug

Any engine tools? Lights? Repair kit?

[s/v Moondancer]

VHF, water and my multitool.

[a64pilot]

Phone, radio, vests, anchor and line, oars of course, registration because I found out you have to have that on the boat, and lights usually, full navigation lights, and a headlight, and put cheap plastic whistles on the vests.
I don’t carry any tools or spare prop, I have them, just not on the dinghy. If I had a two smoke, I’d likely carry plugs and wrench, but I have an electronic fuel injected four stroke so I seriously doubt there is much I could do to it even with tools except cuss at it.

I bought a seat bag to put most of that stuff in, if you get a bag, regularly zip and unzip all the zippers, or they will seize shut.

[barnakiel]

Always:


- a folding anchor,
- oars (we row),
- plenty of line,
- wire & padlock,
- a small 'plug and go' dinghy repair device,
- a big sponge,
- a torch (D's rucksack),
- a knife (my rucksack).

When desirable:

- a vhf,
- a watertight bag.


b.

[chris mac]

These stay in the dingy always,
Anchor and rode, collapsible paddles,tools to clean carb(2stroke),whistle, nav lights, bail bucket, small first aid, mirror, patch repair, a couple energy bars(food)
When we use the dingy we bring,
Pfd's, water, knife, handheld vhf, phone, head lamp (if expecting to be out after dark)

[CarlF]

Removable battery power 360 degree white light as nav light. Someday you’ll come back to the boat after dark. The CG and many water cops will ticket for no light. Some don’t consider a flashlight good enough.

A good nav app on your cell phone

Handheld VHF (this has been mentioned but it’s more important than a lot of the other stuff)

Boarding ladder/step if anyone isn’t young enough to climb over the tubes after swimming.

A good anchor - you’ll use it a lot since most RIBs are too heavy to haul up a beach. My favorite are the Mantus dinghy or a 3.5lb genuine Danforth. 50ft 1/8” or 3/16” nylon rode (1/8” is easier to store and holds over 500lbs) A 2nd 50ft line to tie to shore.

Little 1 gal jerry jug of spare gas

How are you going to mount your registration numbers? A lot of choices — all with trade offs.

[SV DINGO]

I carry the Footpump , a small folding anchor if i intend to beach it , small patch kit and most important for me a 5 litre fuel can.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by sanibel sailor

What equipment and gear do you carry in your dinghy? I just got my first RIB and am thinking about a gear list.

PFD for each person aboard
Something to bail with
Some line
At least one paddle or oar



Everything else is situational:


Anchor or grapnel
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Hat
Lighting
Communications devices VHF/cell

Compass
Charts
Phone running navionics

Extra drinking water
Barge pole

Spare drain plug

Vanishingly rare to lose one while under way unless you do something to piss off a scuba diver. Also, just use part of your t-shirt.

Any engine tools? Lights? Repair kit?

- If your prop has a shear pin you might want to carry a spare and whatever tools you need to install it.- Two strokes sometimes eat spark plugs, carry spares and a wrench.
- If your outboard is electric start and has a hidden rope start (as with many Yamahas) carry the tools and supplies to perform a rope start. In most cases that's a 10mm socket wrench, some rope, and a block or screwdriver to use as a handle.

- Fuel line and fuel filter problems are among the most common reasons that good outboards go bad. Careful maintenance and a willingness to replace these components before they fail goes a long way. I have replaced all the fuel lines and the fuel pump in my 8hp Yamaha just because they are 10 years old, for example. Maybe carrying a spare filter and the parts to install it wouldn't be the worst thing.

- Spare fuel. In remote areas I carry a second fuel tank with its own line (larger outboard). Smaller outboard with integral fuel tank I carry a safety can with fuel.

[Franziska]

As above, anchor, line, oars, vhf, vests, multitool, and a Nicosignal flare launcher.
At night a strong torch/flashlight.

[DeepSCUBA]

I carry about the same as everyone above me, but with a 10HP Motor kicker and Shavel, Which I can use to dig a hole for one oar to tie a line onto and ancor on the beach sand, if no rocks or trees.

Very little really, I have been thinking of adding a few bags of MRES and rigging a sail. Crazy thoughts, but I'm always thinking about "WHAT IF"

GOOD QUESTION AND ANSWERS.

[Nicholson58]

Live aboard in the Caribbean. There is not much space and no permanent or lockable storage.

No rules means no pile of USCG stuff. Most Essentials are in the backpacks or dry box for the excursion. Possibilities are:
Anchor if we plan to need it.
Locking chain For dockside security always.
Light only if planning a night run.
Radio if we plan an excursion away from the public areas.
No papers, registration, etc needed.
I can shout louder than a CG whistle.
PFDs are a good idea but not required, REALLY!
Our small cooler doubles as a dry box and seat. Good for a bag of ice or frozen food.
Crappy oars stay on the dinghy.

[chrisr]

what we carry in the dink is 100% dependent on where we are and where we are going

only things that stay all the time are ;

- couple of old pfds
- pump
- anchor
- paddles

other stuff (h/h vhf, torch, good pfds, etc etc) subject to need

cheers,

[akopac]

Sail, rudder, dagger board, anchor. It’s a Danny Green chameleon. Rarely use an outboard, and it’s too small to register.

[ttex]

Always keep a gallon of water in the dinghy.

[LittleWing77]

Ah, Sanibel,

Ask Chotu. He will have a very fulsome answer to this particular question!

See "Ticket for No Whistle in a Dinghy?"
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f2/ticket-for-no-whistle-in-dinghy-234575.html

LittleWing77