Another List! - Grab Bag

[Brian_B]

I’m in the process of making up a grab bag for coastal cruising and channel hopping with a crew of up to six adults. This is the list I have so far, in no particular order. I don’t want to put too much in the bag because I want to be able to carry it! On the other hand I don’t want to miss anything important.
What do you all think?

· Handheld VHF
· Handheld GPS
· Waterproof torch
· Spare batteries
· Signal mirror
· Compass
· Chemical light sticks
· Water
· First Aid kit
· Survival blankets
· Survival bags
· Anti Sea-sick pills
· Spare spectacles
· Plus EPIRB
· Plus Flare pack
· Plus Ships papers


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[Capt_Marlinspike]

Don't forget keys and wallet! Good habit is to put these in the grab bag when you get on board so that in the event of abondoning ship you won't forget them.

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[Brian_B]

Very good point, especially if you have to pay for rescue off the French coast!

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[Benbow]

Agree, in fact I always get all aboard to put all their documents in the grab bag.

I would not put water in the grab bag. It makes it unwieldy, and would slow down the grabbing. Also you don't want it to spill and ruin the contents. I have a separate emergency water container, leave an air gap so that it floats high enough to be seen if dropped in the sea.

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[Mirelle]

Apologies for being boring and pedantic, but...

If you abandon ship into a liferaft or dinghy nobody is going to ask you to pay for being rescued. It's contrary to, amongst other things, the Safety of Life at Sea Convention.

You may be asked to pay salvage if your boat is towed in or otherwise salved, but in that case you won't be needing your grab bag, will you!

Personally, I don't see any point in fussing about "grab bags" anywhere in the Narrow Seas. Just make sure your hand held VHF and Epirb are OK.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[temptress]

The following is an extract from the ORC Offshore regulations. i always find these a good place to start when deciding what to put on a boat as these resulations come from sailors and not some paper pusher looking for something to do.

4.21 Grab Bags
4.21.2 Grab Bag to accompany liferafts
a) A yacht with a liferaft is recommended to stow in a grab bag with a lanyard and clip, the following items:-

b) Note: it is not required to duplicate items below which are already required by Special Regulations to be on board - this regulation covers only the stowage of those items:-

c) a watertight hand-held marine VHF transceiver plus a spare set of batteries

d) a watertight flashlight with spare batteries and bulb

e) 2 red parachute and 3 red hand flares and cyalume-type chemical light sticks

f) watertight hand-held EPFS (Electronic Position-Fixing System) (eg GPS)

g) an SART (Search and Rescue Transponder)

h) dry suits or survival bags

i) second sea anchor for the liferaft (not required if the liferaft has already a spare sea anchor in its pack) (recommended standard ISO 17339) with swivel and >30m line diameter >9.5 mm

j) two safety tin openers

k) 406MHz or type "E" EPIRB registered to the yacht (see 4.19.2)

l) first-aid kit

m) water

n) signalling mirror

o) high-energy food

q) nylon string, polythene bags, seasickness tablets



<hr width=100% size=1>Temptress of Down
Southsea Marina
Hants
UK

 

[tome]

Spare spectacles?

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[Brian_B]

Wife's addition to the list. Guess she wants see what's happening.

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[Brian_B]

Re: Apologies for being boring and pedantic, but...

I agree, and possibly just a VHF and the contents of a life raft would be sufficient.
I'm just trying to remove thought from the process during an emergency and keep it simple.

Individual's taking responsibility for their own safety is an important contribution to keeping the sea as regulation free as possible.

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[tome]

Sorry Brian, I now see you'd already included these.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Where is the compass, on this list?

ORC or inshore, if you see a heli and can comunicate with your waterproof VHF then you can tell him your bearing to him. GPS is ok, but saying I am 2 miles 240° from you is surely better for the pilot to come looking. coords are very difficult to work with when you are looking for something.

Just a thought....

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Top Cat Homepage</A>

 

[ribrunt]

On second thoughts, if you can see him and talk to him on the VHF, he just needs to DF you all the way down.....no compass!

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[seaesta]

Wow! If you grab this lot you wont be moving very quick!

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I would have said yes to that, but an experience last year when one of the boats in Pwllheli had latched their PTT on the vhf. The coastguard with all his aerials and the lifeboat with all hers could not get it better than about 2-3 miles!

I don't know if these were special circumstances, but I was always led to believe it was better than that.

<hr width=100% size=1>J

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

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[BrianJ]

Brian,
Here is my list.. justa few additions to yours ie plastic bags ( No 2 's )


1 Thermal blankets
2 Air mattress (self inflating)
3 Wool and rubber gloves
4 Hats
5 First aid kit….bandages, seasickness pills , pain killers, antibiotics, sun
screen Splints petroleum jelly.
6 Repair kit for raft, needles and twine for sewing sails, duct tape,
lashing lines
7 Knife, multi tool(Swiss army ) hacksaw blades
8 Small square of timber(cutting up fish), sponges, plastic bags,
9 Lights, flashing strobe.
10 Photo copies of ships documents, all passports and visas etc
11 Epirb.
!2 hand held VHF
13 flashlights
14 whistles
15 mirror
16 dye markers
17 fishing lines and hooks
18 sun block
19 Flares
20 Mirror
21 Duct tape
22 Spare line for lashing
23 Sponges
24 Plastic bags
25 Flares
26 Compass
27 Sea anchor
28 Watermaker
29 Water in bottles
30 Chemical heat packs (to keep warm )
31 Survival food (including biscuits ), vitamins dried fruit,


<hr width=100% size=1>BrianJ

 

[Brian_B]

Great list Brian.
But No.28 watermaker worries me. I'll now need to fit davits to lower the Grab Bag into the liferaft which will probably sink under the weight.
Nobody's yet suggested a genset (to run the watermaker) and TV!

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