Safety Equipment Q's?

[david_e]

Safety Equipment Q\'s?

Following on from Bits & Bobs thread, sailing is coastal with the possibility of the odd 75 mile trip across the Irish Sea to Eire. Thought I might as well do a bulk purchase to get a bit of a divvy if possible

Have been checking against RYA list in YM book and:
(Boat came with standard bilge pumps and gps plotter, also have charts and nav equip)


We have:

Lifejackets, need another with safety line attachment.
VHF & Handheld (DSC can wait)
1 - 10 litre bucket
Wooden bungs attached to each sea cock outlet
Boat hook
Spare lines (16m is longest not sure if long enough)
Inflatable dinghy
LW radio

We need;

Lifebuoy with light and whistle & with name on it
Dan buoy - is inflatable better, worth it?
Jackstays - are they better made to measure or get adjustable
Another 10 litre bucket
Spare diesel can
Flares
Fog Horn
Search light (although rarely sail at night)
Barometer (think)
Register with CG66
Get a SEA check done
Safety instruction cards

Not sure about;

Navtex
Radar reflector (peeps say don't really work)
Sea anchor
Storm sail
Rope Ladder type things - boat has boarding ladder and sugar scoop transom
Jon buoy type lifting kits

Wot du think, all essential, anything else needed?

 

[Viking]

Re: Safety Equipment Q\'s?

Liferaft?
Waterproof grabbag?
Spare nav. lights?

 

[Aeolus_IV]

Re: Safety Equipment Q\'s?

Spare VHF aerial with long lead
Spare anchor and warp
Spare handheld GPS

Radar reflector - need to check SOLAS, I think this is mandatory now depending on size of boat - but anything is better than nothing and a good one will make a difference.

Doing much the same review myself at the moment,

Jeff.

 

[Twister_Ken]

FWIW

IMHO:
Lifebuoy with light and whistle & with name on it - yes
Dan buoy - is inflatable better, worth it? - yes, don't bother with inflatable - one more thing to go wrong
Jackstays - yes, made to measure
Another 10 litre bucket - yes
Spare diesel can - depends on your tank capacity and arrangements cf length of planned trips. Get a good funnel too if you need one.
Flares - yes
Fog Horn - yes
Search light (although rarely sail at night) - no, get a good big waterproof torch.
Barometer (think) - yes
Register with CG66 - probably, but may be a prelude to compulsory registration!
Get a SEA check done - yes
Safety instruction cards - if you feel you/crew need them
Navtex - nice to have but not necc if you stay in VHF range of coastguard or LW range of Radio 4
Radar reflector - definitely, and a good one
Sea anchor - no
Storm sail - yes
Rope Ladder type things - no
Jon buoy type lifting kits - no, better to stay on the boat by being clipped on whenever out of the cockpit

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Safety Equipment Q\'s?

Good quality torch & spare batteries, fire extinguisher. plus the bits the other posters have said.

 

[Shanty]

Re: Safety Equipment Q\'s?

Glad to see you have a SEA Check on your list. I would suggest this would be a good starting point. It will give you a chance to discuss your shopping list in detail with an advisor. If you are looking for a "seal of approval" for your arrangements, arrange a second visit once you have all the new kit in place.

 

[kgi]

Re: Safety Equipment Q\'s?

you just say flares, make sure they are the best you can afford and kept safely, i would also fit a speedseal to the engine to facilitate fast impeller changes,spare fuel filters, electric fuel pump on its own switch for an ultra fast bleed of the deisel system,.....because when the boats being thrown around the last place you want to be is stuck with your head in the engine bay!!!!!!!!!!.....keith

 

[jimi]

Re: FWIW

In addition

Spare VHF aerial + (handheld if poss)
Definitely get Radar Reflector from my (limited) radar experience boats with them are a lot more visible.
VHF speaker in Cockpit.
Lots of spare s/s hoseclip things
Aerosol Foghorn
Big Knife for pocket.

 

[david_e]

Re: FWIW

Thanks Ken et al.

What make & type of radar reflector, I am thinking of the ones you hoist up when needed, our waters are very quiet in shipping terms, assume they collapse flat?
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by david_e on 28/01/2003 13:53 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[david_e]

Re: FWIW

What happens with the VHF aerial, do they get blown/washed away?

Have got cockpit speaker cockpit kids want CD player routing through it!

Got a Gerber knife. is that OK?

 

[david_e]

Re: engine bits of kit

Good suggestion, had forgotten about these bits, did ask the dealer to get me a spare impeller but he has forgotten so will buy one and the filters from asap or similar and save a few quid. On the Volvo 2020 is the impeller is very accessible so speedseal not essential, it is supposed to be self bleeding but haven't tried this yet, so.....not sure about the pump?

Flares - Pains Wessex?

 

[david_e]

Re: Safety Equipment Q\'s?

Why spare anchor?

We were discussing GPS on YM course last night, and instructor, was adamant they are best used as back up to good old fashioned navi. So that led me to think about all the recommendations to have a spare. If most of the mistakes are input errors then is having a spare just as likely to compound the problem/situation? I'm not sure, not used my plotter yet or any GPS before, but imagine will always be using chart on any type of distance.

 

[jimi]

Re: FWIW

I had a problem with the vhf when the connector became detached from the masthead aerial. Plus if you lose the rig (you also need boltcroppers!) you'll probably want to either send out a Pan Pan or May Day depending on situation.
Get proper HiFi speakers for the CD! Did they not come with the craft ?
Knife , I had to use one in anger when leaving a berth and warp got snarled .. saved an expensive repair, need to have it in your pocket not in the chart table. Wots a Gerber?

 

[jimi]

Re: engine bits of kit

Also carry a spare bit of hose so you can eliminate the calorifier if need be.

 

[Miker]

Re: engine bits of kit

My engine's a Volvo 2010. The impellor might be assessible but messing around with small bolts on a pitching boat is not easy so I have a Speedseal on my shopping list.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Radar reflector

My pref is for the Firdell Blipper type (not neccessaily the Firdell, i think there are other makes around) which look like a fender. They can be sent aloft very easily, can't be hoisted in the wrong position, don't need assembly, don't chafe rigging or sails and pack in a lot more reflective surface than the octahedron type.

Having said that, my boat came ready fitted with something called a VisiBall at the masthead, so I've relied on that. Did contact a ferry in mid-Channel last year to ask what sort of echo he was getting and he said it was good.

 

[david_e]

Re: engine bits of kit

Ah yes, boltcroppers, forgot about them as well.

Gerber Knife is a sailing pocket knife, serrated edges, cost about £43 or free with YW 2 year subscription, should do what you mention.

Yes, speakers are in cabin, cockpit one is pukka bit of kit - just kids being kids!

Calorifier - not worked out how this works yet other than it is shore power driven and bloody efficient! Does it run of the engine/alternator as well when at sea?

 

[jimi]

Re: engine bits of kit

David you've been done! I've got two hi fi speakers in the cockpit as well .. makes the cockpit floor like a woofer! (without the 't'!).
The calorifier usually works in two ways
1) from shorepower. Don't forget to switch it off when leaving the boat. On my boat its the rightmost switch on the shorepower panel which connects to a 240v socket near the calorifier.
2)from the engine. The hot water coolant flows from the engine through the calorifier back to the engine again. It is possible to have a problem with the calorifier so that the engine coolant drains out. In that case you can connect a spare hose between the engine coolant out & in eliminating the calorifier. It happened to me once when I left the shore power heater switched on when I left the boat. Think it knacked the thermostat.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Whatever next

Hot water on boats? That's a bit girlie (and one more thing to breakdown).

If it's absolutely essential, you can always boil a kettle.

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Re: Whatever next

Did anyone mention a handheld compass, a bearing compass, this will be a back up and a way to prove the steering compass accuracy. Binoculars.

Warm clothes and lots of chocolate stored in case of energy falling in cold. Water more than you think you will need.

And when you have got all this, hopefully you will also enjoy a beautiful uneventful sail.



<font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

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