Safety Equipment

spottydog

spottydog

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After the disturbing Maib Report on the loss of Ouzo I am looking carefully at my onboard safety equipment.

The boat is a 27' sailing boat, lots of coastal with an occassional hop across the channel.

What would you consider to be a reasonable level of safety equipment for MOB, or sinking survival.

What pushpit toys do you have, do you now consider epirbs and liferaft as essential.
 
Have bigger boat, but cannot see any sense in not having a small liferaft on board. Reasonable secondhand ones are about £200 from ebay / sailroom.

I guess it won't be too long before the insurance companies start to insist on a list of kit that has to be carried. I don't think that would be unreasonable.
 
For that sort of sailing I would have;

A life raft - ideally in a float free canister, in practice a valise in a cockpit locker is more likely on the vast majority of boats, and I certainly wouldn't critisize anyone for that, especially if they are in the habbit of getting it out of the locker in reduced visibility.

A Grab bag - filled with a hand helf VHF, GPS, some flares but not too much else. Having a grab bag full of a million things makes it massive, and in my opinion less likely to be stored where it can be got at quickly. On a hook in the companionway is ideal, but often impractical on smaller boats.

Some sort of MOB recovery kit - Totally dependant on boat type and crew strength, work out what would work on your boat AND TEST IT.

Fixed DSC VHF.
Would I consider an epirb compulsory? Probably not for that sort of sailing. but I wouldn't critisize anyone for having one.

A Gas alarm.

Personal kit - Life jackets and harnesses. Ideally with lights.
In my opinion a good policy is to keep your lifejacket attached to your sailing jacket with the toggles. In this way, if you reach for one you automatically pick up the other.
 
IMHO In order of importance assuming a limited budget

1. Life Jacket with crotch straps,spray hood, stobe light. I would go for auto inflate as I consider biggest risk is falling overboard after a boom hitting head not keel falling off.

2. Hand held mini pack of parachute flares (pack of 10 & fit in pocket) always kept in pocket of salopettes.

3. Waterproof case for mobile phone. Texting has greater range in poor signal coastal areas.

4. Waterproof handheld VHF

5. Liferaft with hydrostatic release

6. Epirb

I always carry a leatherman & small torch as well.
 
I like the thinking behind the mobile phone although I have found there can be a delay of many hours before some text messages are delivered.
Of considerable significance was the PofB being unable to see Ouzo on it's radar, even though the CG tracked her leaving Bembridge. The reason given being the sea clutter control blinding the signal. My concern is even when PofB was Very close she still failed to 'see' Ouzo.
Would an Echomax have been seen or is Seame the only reliable way to show up as a target.
 
To state what may be obvious to some, if you sail single handed, I would go for a Personal Locator Beacon (with GPS) instead of a boat Epirb (and possibly keep the MOB kit simple because it's unlikely you'd be able to use it?).

Personally I consider a liferaft as essential, even for coastal sailing but other will disagree. (I have a cheap one - Arimar - on my 27ft yacht attached to pushpit, would have more expensive version for longer offshore sailing.)

Marc
 
Lifejacket
liferaft
Flares
HH VHF
HH GPS
torch
i have also a GPS EPIRB as finding fast if in the water can be critical, partic if you've got children on board
 
Note the point about mobile phone but as we all have one its such a cheap addition to have a waterproof case.

One problem in discussing this in connection with the Ouzo is that this incident was a specific one and safety equipment should be aimed at the most likely senarios
 
Just a few things to add really:
in the grab bag:
a couple of lead lines so if you are in the raft then you can hook others to the raft. (ours is due for repacking soon and a couple will go into the raft)
a wind up torch and one of those wind up power chargers for the mobile phone (cheap as chips)

Crotch straps on lifejackets are an absolute neccesity. Suppliers should include them as standard fittings; WTF they don't beats me!!!

If you haven't done the 1 day sea survival course then get out there NOW and book one.


www.seraph-sailing.com
 
I have particularly strong views about safety and safety equipment. Although there are two of us on the boat, I am just as well single handed. A situation many skipper with SWMBO as crew experience.

Therefore I have installed MOB devices to cover just about every scenario I can think of!

Look at the picture of the stern of Galadriel.

stern.jpg


There are two horse shoe lifebuoys, one attached to an inflatable danbuoy the other to a float with light. Both horse shoes have reflective tape and the name of the boat on. You will also notice I have mounted them inboard of the gaurdwire. The reason for this is that in deploying this equipment I wouldn't want anyone having to lean over the side of the boat increasing the chance of them joining me. the other reason is that it reduces the risk of damage from other boats in marina situations, or their loss in a broach.

I also have a tribuckle recovery device, this has just been supplemented by a Lazalis MOB recovery sling.

I also carry a full compliment of flares, have DSC radio. Carry a grab bag on cross channel hops, containing mobile phone, hand held flares etc etc.

Now the contentious bit. If I had any other boat other than an ETAP I would carry a life raft. If I were going offshore I would carry a life raft. But for channel hopping, coastal work I do not need one.

(count to ten and wait for Sailfree to reply! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)
 
Here, here. I have just spent the winter upgrading my qualification as a SEA Checker, and I have learned a heck of a lot since the last time a few years back.
We are all poised waiting and ready and find it difficult to see why we are not overrun with applications. We don't even bring an RNLI collecting box with us, so don't worry it is entirely FREE.
 
I agree with your liferaft point, I also do not carry a liferaft as my boat is unsinkable and can't see what would be gained in getting off Bigwow into a rubber dinghy.
 
Sorry to be nasty, but your reflective tape on lifebouys is close to useless coz when used in anger it will either be pointing straight down or straight up. What's needed is tape around the circumference of the buoy, or wrapped right around it. Beats me why the manufacturers don't make them this way.
 
If Bigwow was burning I’d be thinking what an ungrateful boat having been treated to sealed engine compartments each with it’s own auto fire extinguisher system, gas sensors under the water heater and cooker with cut off valves, and a strict no smoking policy.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
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