Safety In An Emergency: What To Have, What To Pack, And What To Do

Published: Friday, May 31, 2019
By: Zuzana Prochazka

Maritime emergencies come in various packages: grounding, losing a keel, lightning strike, fire, or a medical emergency onboard. Here are some tips on what to have on board, what to take when you go in the drink, and what to do once there.

Six Must Have Items

A comprehensive list of onboard safety items can get long and much of it will be dictated by Coast Guard rules. But besides the mandatory fire extinguishers and life jackets, and the obvious fixed VHF radio and GPS chartplotter, here is some must-have equipment you’ll want aboard.

Medical Kit

Adventure Medical Kits (sometimes private-labeled by West Marine) provide comprehensive and easy-to-use medical supplies that come with a well-organized manual for mountaineering and marine emergencies. Read the contents list before springing for a larger, more expensive kit.

For longer voyages, your doctor may put together a customized kit including your personal meds, which should be packed with their original prescriptions, especially if you’re crossing borders. If you or one of the crew has a tricky ticker, consider adding an automated external defibrillator (AED). Most models now are under $1,000 and require little training to use.

Handheld VHF and GPS Units

In case of onboard electrical failure or if you have to abandon ship, handheld communication and navigation equipment may save the day. Portable VHF radios and GPS units are affordable and easily stowed so have at least a couple of each as backups. Some units are waterproof and float. Also, have a variety of batteries of various sizes for these items (VHFs may have proprietary types) as well as for flashlights and headlamps.

EPIRB and PLBs

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) help locate a vessel or crewmember in distress. These devices interface with the worldwide service of COSPAS-SARSAT, the international satellite system for search and rescue (SAR). Registration is free and there is no subscription or annual fee for either. EPIRBs operate on 406 MHz, are waterproof, float, and some even have a built in GPS, making them GEPIRBs. They are registered to the vessel.

PLBs on the other hand, are registered to a person. They function much like EPIRBs but are about the size of a smartphone and are usually attached to life jackets for when people fall overboard or abandon ship.

Inflatable PFDs and Harnesses

The Coast Guard specifies the minimum number of life jackets or personal floatation devices (PFDs) for your vessel. However, these are often uncomfortable. Inflatable PFDs can be worn for longer periods and with less hassle because they stay compact until they get wet in which case they deploy. Check the expiry date on the CO2 cylinder and have a re-arming kit handy. Consider adding a whistle, light or strobe, highly-reflective SOLAS tape, a harness tether, and a registered PLB to each before a long journey.

Signaling Equipment

The Coast Guard has rules about the kinds and number of flares a vessel of a certain type must carry so these are a given. Most flare kits will also supply a metal signaling “mirror” and a gun to shoot aerial flares. Add a strobe light, foghorn, and a powerful laser pointer. These pointers can be better directed than flares at ships at night, have a long range, are reusable (unlike flares), and only cost around $100.

Liferaft and/or Dinghy

For offshore or long coastal voyages, carry a life raft. Many brands are available but be sure to spec the size (depending on the number of crew – bigger is not always better) and the type (offshore or coastal – they’re different in construction and equipment).

You can choose an automatically deployed system mounted on deck in a hard case and cradle, or a portable version in a soft-sided valise. Although it’s an item you pay for dearly but hope to never use, don’t skimp. A dinghy is not a substitute for a life raft but it’s a way to stay dry and floating if the ship goes down. Make sure it’s inflated and has the plug in before each departure because it may turn out to be much more than your tender.

25 Things to Pack in an Abandon Ship Bag

There’s an endless list of what should go into a ditch bag, especially if you’ll be sailing well offshore, but there are other realities you must consider: 

• Where will you store a giant bag?
• How often will you check its contents to make sure all is up-to-date and working?
• How much room would it take up in a life raft?
• Is it too heavy for the smallest of your crew to move on deck and into a liferaft?

There are probably hundreds of useful items beyond those listed below and quantities will vary with your crew size and cruising grounds, but consider these 25 items a start.

1. EPIRB - don’t forget this on the boat when you get in the liferaft
2. PLB - on your person/PFD
3. Handheld VHF radio - and extra battery
4. Handheld GPS - and fresh batteries
5. Dry bag - more than one
6. Space blanket - reflective is best for heat/cold and signaling
7. Tools - like electrical tape, multi-tool and/or knife
8. Length of extra line - 50 feet to tie people or equipment together
9. Flashlights and headlamps - preferably LED and chemical light sticks
10. Laser pointer and/or strobe light - for nighttime
11. Sunglasses, prescription glasses, hats with clips
12. Sponges and a towel - sitting in water guarantees sores
13. Water container - plastic or metal bottles and additional water packs
14. Food - freeze dried and/or energy bars
15. Medical kit, personal meds, and seasickness meds
16. Sunscreen and lip balm - especially important for open life rafts with no canopies
17. Flares - handheld and aerial with 12-gauge gun
18. Whistle or air horn - your voice will be a poor substitute
19. Signal mirror - polished metal is best because it doesn’t break
20. Identification - copies of passports, driver’s license, and ship’s papers
21. Funnel - to capture any condensation for drinking water
22. Trash bags - good for keeping gear together and dry
23. Ziplock bags and aluminum foil - for a variety of uses
24. Bail bucket - also for a variety of uses, including as a toilet
25. Toilet paper - don’t laugh, have you thought of life without it?

7 Key Things To Do/Not Do if You Must Abandon Ship

1. Do not abandon ship prematurely.
2. If you do abandon, whether into a liferaft or directly into the water, try to stay near where the vessel went down.
3. If in the water, keep crew together - tied, if necessary.
4. Assign a buddy system - people can go downhill quickly and silently if not watched.
5. Collect as much debris around you as possible. Angular objects like coolers are easier to spot from a distance.
6. Fire flares only when there is a chance of being spotted, or use a laser pointer.
7. Designate a watch-keeper at all times in case rescue is near.

About The Author

Zuzana is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to over 18 sailing and power boating publications. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana is the founder of a flotilla charter company called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations around the world.

Zuzana serves as an international presenter on charter destinations, safety issues, and technical topics, and she's the Chair of the New Product Awards committee for innovative boats and new gear. She is a member of the American Society of Authors and Journalists and a board member of Boating Writers International.

This article first appeared in the Launch Issue (May/Jun) 2019 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.

tags: Boating 101, safety

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