Organising emergency evacuation

[Roberto]

I usually sail with a very limited number of people or singlehanded.
In terms of safety equipment for evacuation, I have a liferaft, an epirb currently just beside the companionway, a grab bag about 70cm high x 35cm diameter, a satellite phone, spare vhf + handheld gps, a couple of 20l water tanks stored outside, + other minor things.


How do I store all that during offshore passages, just to be ready for evacuation ?

I do not want to have another list of "to do" in case of evacuation.

In equatorial areas I put the GPS+VHF in the oven (I was struck by a lightning once and fear it mostly, the oven might be useless but then what else could one try), a spare gps might come very handy even in case of a simple strike burning everything, though with no evacuation. Yes I do have a sextant but not contemplating taking sights from a liferaft, what for..

Now, one reads boats may sink in a handful of minutes: I fear having all these things dispersed here and there in the boat is not sensible one might run here and there trying to remember to take away half a dozen of smallish pieces of equipment and possibly forgetting or losing some.

What would you do ?

Where would you put all these things, or where do you actually keep them during offshore passages ?

 

[benlui]

i think, within reason, the only thing you would NEED (not want) to grab while evacuating, is your grab bag. If you need to run around below during an emergency, then your grab bag isnt really designed by you to do what, it is supposed to do.

Anything in my grab bag, is used soley for this purpose. I do not need anything from it while on passage. It has taken time, to organize this correctly.
Granted, i do take things from it when not on passage, but i never leave without making sure that the bag is in full order with all its contents.

The first time i ever had to think about abandoning was last year while 2miles from nearest landfall, when a fire broke out in the Galley due to a leaking gas pipe. luckily we got the situation under control quickly without any major damages.

My own boat, has a nicely designed hatch near the helms mans feet, and inside on a piece of string is the grab bag.
If i did have time to rummage around, i would probably take some extra things. But there's nothing (outside) of the grab bag that i would actually need. I hope! Of course depending on location, i might try take some extra water supplies!

 

[testmonkey]

in the next liferaft service you can ask the service personnel to pack extra material inside the liferaft. If budget isn't a constraint then vacuum pack extra GPS, VHF, PLB, satphone directly inside the life raft. This way they are already there where you'd need them most.

 

[KellysEye]

I don't know if you have the room but we keep our grab bag under the stairs. I wouldnt keep GPS, Epirb etc in the liferaft in case it doesn't work and you take to the dinghy. Also the you need a grab bag anyway for thing such as space blankets, battereis for the GPS, high protein food bars, flares, mirror etc.

 

[oldbilbo]

Anything in my grab bag, is used solely for this purpose. I do not need anything from it while on passage. It has taken time, to organize this correctly.

I have TWO such 'grab bags'. One is packed with the 'necessities', in accord with a checklist. T'other has some of the 'nice-ities', which can be added to if there is time. Both of them have a strong cord and snaplink to secure them to the liferaft so none of the contents are lost while bouncing about - a lesson from several incidents.

 

[William_H]

Lightning protection

The old trick of putting GPS VHF etc in the oven is because it provides a conductive metal box all around and possibly some magnetic protection from magnetic pulse. (a result of high current in the boats wiring)
So I would suggest you get something like an old powdered milk tin or tin biscuit box to keep the GPS and emergency VHF in. This will with the lid on provide a conductive container and some steel magnetic protection. Plus of course it might be water proof. Put that in your grab bag in any convenient place. Only problem is the can will probably go rusty fairly quickly. But cheap to replace. good luck olewill
PS stainless steel would be OK but try to get one that is magnetic. ie test with a magnet as a lot of SS is not. Maybe it won't matter but as you are concerned about lightning you might as well have best protection. ie the metal provides a magnetic pathway around the electronics as well as an electrostatic path.