Emergency Boat Essential Check List
Every boat captain should have a few emergency essentials.
Every time I jump on my boat for the day that I bring together a durable, waterproof dry sack designed for water travel packed with everything I think we might need and perhaps a few things I expect we won't need (flares, jumper, etc). I call it a captain's tote and I guess everyone needs to have one onboard. Of course, when you're on a big luxury motor yacht, you likely have this covered from one of your cottage closets, storage compartments or deck lockers. In that situation, perhaps you could call it a captain's"stow" bag. Nevertheless, whatever type of ship you are on, and no matter the style of boating you're doing, there are a couple of essentials everybody should make sure they've onboard. Additionally, it can help to get them all in 1 place too.
Here we've put together a list of some basic things to carry with you on your ship. Not many boaters will need these items for every single outing (and some may need more depending on the trip space ( length and body of water), but it's a great starting point to reference when considering your own boating adventures.
Captain's Bag Inventory Checklist
- Handheld VHF radio (billed and ready w/extra battery)
- Boat registration/documentation (requirements vary by state)
- Sharp looking knife in a sheath (for cutting edge lines( etc)
- Portable marine jump starter / power pack (like the Allstart 556 or the Napa Blue Gas 1000PA)
- A billed, 2,000-lumens flashlight
- Dramamine (remember, if you get sick onboard you risk dehydration that can quickly lead to getting incapacitated)
- Suntan lotion (we urge SPF 50+)
- Bug spray (we recommend Sawyer's 20 percent Picaridin insect repellent)
- Warm waterproof blanket
- Extra rain equipment
- Emergency flares
- A solar charger
- First aid kit
- Mini tool kit (with screw drivers and wrenches for your boat's needs)
- Ziploc bags and/or watertight case for telephones, electronics
- Granola bars and/or sealed trail mix
- Mobile weather radio
Together with the above list you should be rather well-equipped for most days on the water, and equipped to deal with being stranded for more than you may have anticipated due to any unforeseen conditions and unexpected mechanical troubles.
The thing we did not include above but that I constantly bring onboard if we get stranded out there longer than intended is a gallon of fresh water per passenger (I usually stow some below the chairs or in a compartment out of the way and regularly swap out them ). Another cool idea is to keep an emergency portable desalination device like the Katadyn Survivor 35 that weighs just 7 pounds. And can produce enough drinkable water for up to 20 individuals in emergency conditions.
Today you will want to find the ideal dry sack big enough to put all of this in and keep it secure onboard the vessel!
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