What is Your Safety Gear?

[Hippocampus]

Had a globalstar. Hated it. In dense overcast or any nearby lightening was hit or miss if it would even do emails. Did phone calls fairly well most times..iridium is a bit better but nowhere as good as Fleet one. If you’re doing a handheld getting a fixed mounted antenna seems worth it.
Have used a simple Go it’s also hit or miss and limited in utility. Decent for breadcrumbs.
But then bit the bullet and got a KVH Fleet One. Works like a charm every time. Worth the bucks if you’re going to hang on to boat but data plans are still expensive.
Still like the mix of a 802 with pacnor modem and the fleet one. Cuts down on operating expense and given different technologies always in contact. Use Sailmail on the SSB so can get by on the cheapest satphone data plan. Do like OneMessage as well. Don’t give out my satphone number except to family, weather router and very close friends.

 

[MYTraveler]

Still like the mix of a 802 with pacnor modem and the fleet one. Use Sailmail on the SSB so can get by on the cheapest satphone data plan.

There is an alternative to sailmail -- Winlink. Although Winlink is free (and sailmail is a few hundred per year), a ham license is required AND as such cannot legally be used for ANY business purpose (and ordering parts for a boat, for example, is a business purpose). Sailmail is the way to go.

 

[Spinner]

Flares, electronic and pyrotechnic
Smoke flares
PLB
Ditch Bag, including handheld VHF
PFD with attached knife and light
InReach
Gumby suit (and I practiced putting it on!)
Portland Pudgy with integral oars, sail kit and sea anchor
Fiorentino Sea Anchor for the boat
Life Sling
Ladder for boarding boat from the water
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in every part of the boat
Built in fire suppression system in engine room
Fire extinguishers in every space in the boat

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Tried the plastic bag thing for the gumby suits. Wow. Makes it a lot easier. Tested the PLBs they ate still good.

Good to know I have this stuff with hopes I never have to use it.

 

[Benthic2]

I think if you are going to be separated from your vessel, either in a liferaft or as jetsam, having a vhf with gps/dsc built in would be a priority.

 

[captmikem]

So ASD has the following safety gear:

1. Manual activated 4-person Life Raft
2. Cold emersion (Gumby) suits w/PLB, whistle, light and mirror
3. Standard off shore PFDs w/ whistle and light
4. Ditch Bag with waterproof handheld VHF
5. Main VHF radios wired to give position when red button is pushed
6. Dingy with VHF (no position) w/ assorted flares (Cable cutters stashed within arms reach to cut davit cables)
7. Assorted Flares on main boat

What would you add or delete?

I have made a lot of passages with all kinds of gear, both for fun and for profit, here are my comments.

1. Manual activated 4-person Life Raft
I have always had one crossing an ocean (crossed them all, many times) and never had to use one, but glad I had them.

2. Cold emersion (Gumby) suits w/PLB, whistle, light and mirror
Only if north of about 50 N or S of 50S

3. Standard off shore PFDs w/ whistle and light
SOP

4. Ditch Bag with waterproof handheld VHF
Just put one in your life raft with spare batteries.

5. Main VHF radios wired to give position when red button is pushed
VHF is line of sight. I do not see the need for this.

6. Dingy with VHF (no position) w/ assorted flares (Cable cutters stashed within arms reach to cut davit cables)
No need if you have the above life raft.

7. Assorted Flares on main boat
SOP

I would add an EPIRB

You seem to have a desire for VHF,s. Remember, they are just line of sight.

There is a huge business selling "safety items" to folks on boats. Sarts, PLBa, sat phones, and all manner of thigs. People go overboard buying the illusion of safety. Time and money is better spent focusing on keeping the boat afloat.

Hope this helps.

M

 

[Hippocampus]

Satphone is for weather routing chats and downloads. That helps make sure you don’t need the other stuff. Have also used it more than once to call tech support and help walk me through a repair. That helps you complete the passage. Still think having a satphone AND SSB on an offshore boat is a real good idea. Rather spend the money there than thermal imaging, fancy sonar or other bells and whistles.

Will say we were once asked to stand by until CG SAR showed up. A steel fish boat broke its back and was sinking. They used their handheld VHF to call us we relayed to the CG. Once CG showed up they used their VHF to talk with the CG. If packed in the lift raft they would have been s.... out of luck. They had no,nav lights so think it safe to assume the batteries were dead and so was the ships radios.

 

[Even Kiehl]

Safety gear for boat-research drogues and sea anchors. Get a waterproof strobe attached to life vests. Also whistle.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I have made a lot of passages with all kinds of gear, both for fun and for profit, here are my comments.

1. Manual activated 4-person Life Raft
I have always had one crossing an ocean (crossed them all, many times) and never had to use one, but glad I had them.

2. Cold emersion (Gumby) suits w/PLB, whistle, light and mirror
Only if north of about 50 N or S of 50S

3. Standard off shore PFDs w/ whistle and light
SOP

4. Ditch Bag with waterproof handheld VHF
Just put one in your life raft with spare batteries.

5. Main VHF radios wired to give position when red button is pushed
VHF is line of sight. I do not see the need for this.

6. Dingy with VHF (no position) w/ assorted flares (Cable cutters stashed within arms reach to cut davit cables)
No need if you have the above life raft.

7. Assorted Flares on main boat
SOP

I would add an EPIRB

You seem to have a desire for VHF,s. Remember, they are just line of sight.

There is a huge business selling "safety items" to folks on boats. Sarts, PLBa, sat phones, and all manner of thigs. People go overboard buying the illusion of safety. Time and money is better spent focusing on keeping the boat afloat.

Hope this helps.

M

Great post thanks.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Satphone is for weather routing chats and downloads. That helps make sure you don’t need the other stuff. Have also used it more than once to call tech support and help walk me through a repair. That helps you complete the passage. Still think having a satphone AND SSB on an offshore boat is a real good idea. Rather spend the money there than thermal imaging, fancy sonar or other bells and whistles.

Will say we were once asked to stand by until CG SAR showed up. A steel fish boat broke its back and was sinking. They used their handheld VHF to call us we relayed to the CG. Once CG showed up they used their VHF to talk with the CG. If packed in the lift raft they would have been s.... out of luck. They had no,nav lights so think it safe to assume the batteries were dead and so was the ships radios.

Wow. Thanks Hipp what Satphone do you use and call plan? $$$$?

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Safety gear for boat-research drogues and sea anchors. Get a waterproof strobe attached to life vests. Also whistle.

Thanks These items are on my gumby suits and PFDs

 

[Hippocampus]

First had a globalstar. Hated it. Now they decreased areas that are covered. Also carried a Spot at that time which I liked as it kept those concerned and following our travels reassured.
Then had first gen of the Go. Really didn’t do much for me but hear later generations are significantly better. Still if going that way would step up to a full Iridium handset, docking station, sidekick and permanent mounted antenna. Then had a Fleet One Sailor and absolutely loved it. Fast, intuitive and cheap for phone calls but expensive for data. So used the SSB with snailmail for emails and such as well as girbs , 500Mb and weather charts and then the Sailor if I got poor reception on the 802/pacnor modem set up. . Saved the Sailor for key or sensitive communications. Being a early user got a good plan but now would expect ~$100/month. Used OCENS for most stuff and KVH out of Newport.
Carried a Jordan series drogue. Big believer a much better choice for a sailboat. For power have mixed thoughts between a sea anchor and a drogue. Few power boats I’ve seen would do well being pooped by a large sea imho. Wonder what other people think.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

You just reminded me that we have a spot. Family and friends can see where we are, but can't call. Maybe a good thing! LOL

 

[fgarriso]

They satisfy the USCG flair requirement in place of pyrotechnics. Don't know what SOLAS is.

Safety Of Life At Sea

SOLAS Convention is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The convention requires signatory flag states to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with at least these standards.

SOLAS in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is an international maritime treaty which sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The convention requires signatory flag states to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with at least these standards.

The current version of SOLAS is the 1974 version, known as SOLAS 1974, which came into force on 25 May 1980. As of November 2018, SOLAS 1974 had 164 contracting state which flag about 99% of merchant ships around the world in terms of gross tonnage.

SOLAS in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.

Safety of navigation

This requires governments to ensure that all vessels are sufficiently and efficiently manned from a safety point of view. It places requirements on all vessels regarding voyage and passage planning, expecting a careful assessment of any proposed voyages by all who put to sea. Every mariner must take account of all potential dangers to navigation, weather forecasts, tidal predictions, the competence of the crew, and all other relevant factors. It also adds an obligation for all vessels' masters to offer assistance to those in distress and controls the use of lifesaving signals with specific requirements regarding danger and distress messages. It is different from the other chapters, which apply to certain classes of commercial shipping, in that these requirements apply to all vessels and their crews, including yachts and private craft, on all voyages and trips including local ones.

 

[Hippocampus]

Thanks Capt.Lee. As said SOLAS is minimum star dare for merchant shipping. For recreational boating in small vessels think any of the protocols adopted by the oceanic ocean racing sailing organizations may be more appropriate. They would also serve for power with some modifications.

 

[Hippocampus]

http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ser.pdf

Here’s a modification used for a ocean sail race. Each ocean race has their own modifications. The RTW ones especially given they do the southern ocean are most stringent. We’ve always have used the Marion Bermuda one

https://marionbermuda.com/images/archive/2019/safety.htm

Plus doing safety at sea every few years even though no longer racing. With a bit of commonsense can be modified for power.