Channel safety gear?

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PhillM

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Just thinking about my safety gear for the trip from Solent to Falmouth calling at Portland, Dartmouth, Fowley and Falmouth. Then either return a similar way or over to France and back from there to the Solent.

I will most likly be single handed for most of the trips, although family or a friend my join me for some legs.

What is the panels opinions of:

LED flares vs a traditional pack (I have a coastal pack on board)?

Renting a life raft (I don't have one)?

Adding a PLB to my EPIRB?

I do carry and at sea we always wear life jackets (we have no guard rails being an old classic) tethers (and we do clip on so we cannot fall off), DSC radio + handheld, small plotter and plenty of electronic backups, paper charts and fire extinguishers.

Anything else you think I should consider?
 
Crossing the channel and the coastal route you are planning a life raft is not that necessary especially if you have a dinghy. I would add an AIS which does make dodging the shipping a little easier and is not an expensive addition.
 
When in France make sure your flares are in date.

Passport and E111 card, wave as you pass us along the Devon coast.
 
I have AIS receive built into the radio (must give the handbook a squint and learn how to use it).

Flares date, hmm must check that.

Radar reflector, yep there is something up there on the mast, although I don't know the make and type but its a big white thing.
 
I have.
Traditional flares. (inc. The little plastic pistol.) Never seen an LED flare. I might not even know what it was if you set one off.
Not on my signal table which is rather old.
Good Flashlight? signal mirror?
I bought a raft a few years ago for a coastal voyage. Its a bit big. 6 man but we are a family of 5. Its up to you if you think its worthwhile. I don't regret having one and hope never to need it.
I don't have an EPIRB you are well ahead of me there. I do think a PLB is a good idea for single handing even though I don't have one.
I carry 3 kinds of LJ. USCG approved actual LJ.(I should throw them away). CCG approved PFD and a couple of inflatable life jackets with harness. I tend to think of the inflatables more as harnesses which is why I bought them.
I have a VHF and hand held.
I Also have a wind up Radio. wont transmit but I will still get weather.
Wind up Flashlight as well.
Fire Ext. Do you have a means of firing an ext into engine compartment? A small hole for nozzle of a fixed system.
I carry a dan bouy and a life sling. Not much use if you are single handed but if you have a pal?
Power and hand bilge pumps.
Assorted, Wood bungs tied to all through hulls. Hammer or mallet.
Basic First Aid Kit.
Basic tool kit. and spares filter, belt, impellor.
A small set of battery operated em Nav lights.

You might not need any. Bear Spray. Depends where you go ashore :)
 
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Once again, a liferaft thing. I'm sure people who say that a dinghy is OK have either never been in one on a rough day or are a tinge deluded. A dinghy is not a liferaft.........
 
capnsensible said:
Once again, a liferaft thing. I'm sure people who say that a dinghy is OK have either never been in one on a rough day or are a tinge deluded. A dinghy is not a liferaft.........
Click to expand...

No it's not but for the purposes of the journeys the OP is suggesting and the incidence of life raft deployment on such journeys being virtually non existent, or at least I have not heard of any in recent years then a life raft would not be high up on my list of priorities. He does not say what type of vessel it is or what it's condition is either it could be a 60' Oyster or a Leisure 17 which could make a difference on what one would recommend.
 
PhillM said:
Just thinking about my safety gear for the trip from Solent to Falmouth calling at Portland, Dartmouth, Fowley and Falmouth. Then either return a similar way or over to France and back from there to the Solent.

I will most likly be single handed for most of the trips, although family or a friend my join me for some legs.

What is the panels opinions of:

LED flares vs a traditional pack (I have a coastal pack on board)?

Renting a life raft (I don't have one)?

Adding a PLB to my EPIRB?

I do carry and at sea we always wear life jackets (we have no guard rails being an old classic) tethers (and we do clip on so we cannot fall off), DSC radio + handheld, small plotter and plenty of electronic backups, paper charts and fire extinguishers.

Anything else you think I should consider?
Click to expand...

I’ve just made exactly same journey currently in Falmouth although with 2 on board
We pondered the life raft question and finally rented one £200 for 7 weeks delighted to say unused !!
We have liferaft, flares, PLB , DSC Radio. We do not have AIS and wished we had when we encountered fog round the Lizard
Enjoy and safe sailing
 
Life rafts save negligibly few lives from yachts so I wouldn't have one and only took one for an Atlantic crossing as it was semi-commercial. Otherwise a decent radar reflector and lights makes sense and the rest is just making sure you and the boat are fully prepared for good and bad weather and know your tidal gates.
 
Real flares and smoke. The government wants us to have no access to anything explosive but I want smoke that can be seen for 5 miles in daylight and a rocket that goes up 300 feet and can be seen for 10 miles, and a white collision flare that dazzles the lookout on the approaching dredger or supertanker ty. LEDs are pretty but of v limited use. And the battery might go flat. In the old days we used to set off old flares with CG consent at low tide on Guy Fawkes Night when no water in the Severn and really ancient ones still burn.

I am making similar trip and taking my liferaft from my other Bristol Channel boat. Personally if there is somewhere for it I would buy liferaft at £600 as your or crew life is worth more than that. Canister on deck (£700) even better as lifting out valise fine if its still and not injured but .....
Unless a hard dinghy is non-sinkable its useless in bad weather, and unless an inflatable is kept inflated its for crisis but not for emergency

PLB in the pocket of your oilies. EPRB no use if you fall off boat

Fire extinguishers as a boat afire is hell for a sailor.

I know its a lot of money but it will all come in handy for years and the cost per year is only £100 to £150 (meeting the Navigator focused me a bit, if i dont skimp on her safety why skimp on mine?)
 
If you are single-handing:-

1: Do not fall off the boat (so lifeline and harness)
2. Keep warm and dry (good wets)
3. Good autohelm (something that can steer if and when you can't)
4. Auto lifejacket with bum straps and a spray hood and a PLB (in case you do fall off)
5. Some other means of calling for help if you need to (mobile, vhf, flares).
6. Dinghy, or if you don't have one, a liferaft (dinghy is fine for coastal & cross-channel).

Everthing else is a bonus.
 
capnsensible said:
Once again, a liferaft thing. I'm sure people who say that a dinghy is OK have either never been in one on a rough day or are a tinge deluded. A dinghy is not a liferaft.........
Click to expand...

I agree, but if you call for help where the OP will be, I can't imagine that you'd be in your dinghy for more than an hour.
 
capnsensible said:
Once again, a liferaft thing. I'm sure people who say that a dinghy is OK have either never been in one on a rough day or are a tinge deluded. A dinghy is not a liferaft.........
Click to expand...

Don’t worry any minute now it will turn into an argument about LED flares.

The OP hasn’t told us what anchor and scope he has, either, which is critical.
 
I have crossed the Channel on and off for forty years and I can assure you than no-one with any pretences to being in vogue would dream of setting off without a half-inflated dinghy on deck. Euros or a debit card can be useful too.
 
Thanks all, answer to a few questions raised:

Boat is a Cheverton Caravel Mk2 - 24 foot wooden boat, built in 1961. She is sound having had a substantial refit including new, well almost everything that needed to be new between 2010 and now. Just had her out and given her the once-over and a new lick of paint.

No space for a dinghy, surf board or even SUP on the foredeck. Anyway, I need access to do a sail change from time to time.

Sounding like for £120 its worth renting a raft.

PLB might also be a good idea., Of course, not falling off it the best plan. I have a set of halyards that run over the coach roof and I find these better to clip on to in heavy weather as there is no chance of falling off, unlike the jack stays that run round the tiny deck.

I think I shall check my flare dates too!

Tiller pilot is in a waterproof jacket.
 
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