Safety gear

PabloPicasso

PabloPicasso

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Taken as a 'given' that boating safety is good seamanship, and a well maintained boat. What are the essential bits of safety gear that you would always carry/never put to sea without?

I'm guessing for those of us who don't live aboard we're aiming for coastal Sailing and at most a 3 day sea crossing. So perhaps consider safety gear that you'd carry for these types of trips. Thanks
 
For pottering in local waters (around the Solent in my case) I'd be happy enough with a sound boat, a depth sounder, a few suitable tools, and a mobile phone.

Going a bit further, I'd additionally want a GPS and charts (or a plotter), man-overboard gear, lifejackets, fire extinguishers, a VHF, flares, more tools, some spare fuel.

In practice I carry a lot more than this :)

Pete
 
I wouldn't go without:
Life jackets
Means of navigation, compass and log plus whatever
Inflatable dinghy and/or life raft
Basic engine spares and sufficient fuel
In-date flares
MOB gear, at least a life-buoy
Charts of the area
Navigation lights and torches

Plus desirable but not necessary, in that we seldom had them in the past :
Radio
GPS and plotter
Radar and AIS
 
johnalison said:
I wouldn't go without:
Life jackets
Means of navigation, compass and log plus whatever
Inflatable dinghy and/or life raft
Basic engine spares and sufficient fuel
In-date flares
MOB gear, at least a life-buoy
Charts of the area
Navigation lights and torches

Plus desirable but not necessary, in that we seldom had them in the past :
Radio
GPS and plotter
Radar and AIS
Click to expand...

I would add to the essentials as follows:
Adequate food and water for voyage plus 24 hours (minimum),
First aid kit,
Spare handles for winches,
Hand-held compass,
Harness for all lifejackets, plus spare lifejackets for 50% of crew (in case of accidental inflation)
Decent (no debates please) anchor and chain/warp plus kedge and warp.

For sea crossings/long passages.
Deep third reef or trysail,
Storm jib and means to set it (e.g. lazy inner forestay),
Spare set of sheets,
Snatch/spare blocks,
Backup hand-held GPS and VHF,
EPIRB,
Liferaft.

Apart from the Epirb and liferaft, I have had to avail of all the others at some time!
 
Have a look on the RYA website under Safety for a recommended list of safety equipment plus information on the (limited) legislation. Also some useful information on the RNLI website. You can also get a Sea Check of your boat and equipment from the RNLI. The MCA Coding requirements are also a useful guide.
 
Tranona said:
Have a look on the RYA website under Safety for a recommended list of safety equipment plus information on the (limited) legislation. Also some useful information on the RNLI website. You can also get a Sea Check of your boat and equipment from the RNLI. The MCA Coding requirements are also a useful guide.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's me but. I've looked at the RyA site and it has lots of well camouflaged information hidden among regulation and impenetrable gobldigook.
 
PabloPicasso said:
Maybe it's me but. I've looked at the RyA site and it has lots of well camouflaged information hidden among regulation and impenetrable gobldigook.
Click to expand...

Seems pretty clear to me. There is no regulation for leisure boats under 13.7m other than SOLAS requirements which are minimal and shown as mandatory. So what equipment you carry is your decision. The RYA list has a wide range of equipment which it categorises as Essential, Desirable or at Discretion and may vary according to where the boat is operated. Most of the Essential requirements are common sense and you should be able to work out which of the "extras" are relevant to you. Not everybody agrees to the value of individual items, but if you want a consensus of what is considered good practice then go to the other two sources I suggested. The MCA codes for commercial use do have list of compulsory equipment determined by the boat type and where it is used. A very good benchmark for what is considered useful in a well found boat. The RNLI will visit your boat under the Sea Check scheme and carry out an audit as well as discuss with you what the equipment is for.

At the end of the day it is your responsibility to equip your boat so it is up to you to find out and understand what you have to carry (limited) and what is appropriate for you and your boat. No doubt you have seen from the debates here on the value of particular equipment not everybody has the same view. That is why the RYA and others provide guidance.
 
You should always have a vhf radio so as you can call for help, speak to others, communicate intentions etc. I would also recommend life jackets of some sort for those onboard. Flares, chart and compass. I think these are essential even for just pottering about. In places like the solent a radio is a must. Several times I have been on large ships going round the Callshot with an unreachable yacht in our track with no way to contact themto alert them of their imminent demise.
 
Yes VHF is essential. And back up handheld. And an emergency antenna. I guess flares are the most problematic item. Expensive, explosive (a risk with children aboard?) short shelf life (especially if 'new' flares are short dated) and difficult to dispose of legally.

Does everyone carry in date flares.
 
Preparation to avoid things going wrong, and the ability to cope when they do. Much more important than all the fancy "safety"gear.
 
I would also add adequate water in its own containers.

Last week we emptied the entire contents of the water tank (1200 litres!!!) into the bilge thanks to a leaking pipe connection and were surprised to find we had no water for a shower.

We wondered where the water in the bilge was coming from. But as conditions were pretty rough, we assumed we had just taken a wave over the bow and down the hatch - and to be honest were more concerned with getting the main reefed and then taking the main down altogether as the wind piped up to F8 with rough seas.

We were just hopping along the coast but if that had been in the middle of the Atlantic we would have not been so relaxed about it.
 
PabloPicasso said:
Yes VHF is essential. And back up handheld. And an emergency antenna. I guess flares are the most problematic item. Expensive, explosive (a risk with children aboard?) short shelf life (especially if 'new' flares are short dated) and difficult to dispose of legally.

Does everyone carry in date flares.
Click to expand...

Flares are one of the items where there is considerable disagreement about their usefulness given the improvements in other forms of communication. So, the answer is no, not everybody carries flares, and of those that do, not everybody carries up to date flares. Three reasons - lack of usefulness, potential danger (not necessarily just having them, but in use) and cost.

However, still a requirement for coded vessels and for many types of organised racing.
 
Tranona said:
Flares are one of the items where there is considerable disagreement about their usefulness given the improvements in other forms of communication. So, the answer is no, not everybody carries flares, and of those that do, not everybody carries up to date flares. Three reasons - lack of usefulness, potential danger (not necessarily just having them, but in use) and cost.

However, still a requirement for coded vessels and for many types of organised racing.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm. I'm not certain I feel better or worse knowing others also don't carry flares for similar reasons That I don't.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
A water tight hull and clean underpants.
Click to expand...
+1
NormanS said:
Preparation to avoid things going wrong, and the ability to cope when they do. Much more important than all the fancy "safety"gear.
Click to expand...
+1

If you have the first one and have thought about the second ones the equipment you would choose it very much your call....

Allot depends on expected weather and condition/ design of boat...

I think the only extra requirement I would put in is Life-jackets for all onboard, a reasonable means of calling for assistance, in event of the unexpected...
 
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