What's in your "Skipper's Bag"…?

[BlueSkyNick]

Several things. Most important - spare glasses. Least used - Imodium.

 

[AlanBoatman]

Thanks everyone - some interesting additions to my list.

Here is my work in progress - kind of more an article for charterers.

Some of these things are over the top, but there to be comprehensive. Now to see if I can make an attachment.

Cheers,
Al

Mmmm…can't attach!

Personal Equipment Wish List for Charter

Impossible to know before you leave for your holiday how well the boat you take will be equipped either for safety, you and your crew’s convenience or for what you enjoy.

Should fit in one bag, and whilst it is likely bigger than a grab bag it can serve the same function or grab bag elements could be packed in a waterproof sealed bag inside the larger bag.

Reasons to have your own equipment inventory on a Charter

• The yacht may be poorly equipped with safety and other equipment
• Equipment they do have may be poorly maintained or out of date
• Personal equipment provided for crew may not fit each individual correctly e.g. lifejackets
• You may not be familiar with the operation of some of the boat’s equipment e.g. chart plotter, GPS, VHF and to learn while on board would be time consuming and dangerous
• There may be things that you and your family/friends may like to do which the boat is not equipped for e.g. snorkelling or fishing.

Some things not included in this list either:
• really must be on the yacht e.g. fire extinguishers
• are simply too large or bulky to be appropriate for your “ Bag” e.g. life raft or horseshoe buoys
• You can not fly or travel with them e.g. flares; or
• Are too specific to the particular boat e.g. engine spares, light bulbs.

For the Skipper

Captains Passage Case (carried in the cabin on an air flight)
Handheld GPS *
Handheld VHF with DSC * (personal, rather than vessel registered)
Iridium Go Satellite Hotspot*
iPhone (with various sailing apps) *
iPad (with chart plotter, Pilotage e-books, Tidal information, weather apps, other useful sailing software e.g. anchor watch) *
Laptop PC if you find this useful on holiday *
Rugged GPS Camera *
Bearing Compass
Handheld anemometer *
Barometer (may be on GPS if installed) *
Your Own Log Book
Charts for the area (some companies supply plastic photocopied charts to save wear-n-tear, rubbish to work with)
Mayday reference card
Strong head-torch* (with red and flashing functions)
Plotter/dividers/calculator*/pencils & rubbers/pens/waterproof notebook etc)
Set of your own checklists

Tube Bag (carried in the hold on an air flight)
EPIRB * (personal, rather than vessel registered)
Sailing Knife (because of cabin luggage restrictions)
Utility (Tool) Knife (because of cabin luggage restrictions)
Books and cockpit cards – your own reference material according to preferences
Nautical First Aid Kit to your specifications
Sea-sickness tablets
Compass/range Binoculars with backlight *
2 or 3 carabineers

For Individual Crew Members
Life Jacket fitted with LifeSaver (from Duncan Wells)
Safety Harness
Personal Locator Beacon
Deck/sailing shoes
Sailing Gloves
Sunglasses (polaroid) +strap/retainer
Good hat + retainer
Wet weather gear (if appropriate to climate)
Sea-sickness tablets

For the Boat
Pair of Jackstays and their attachments
Floating Line for Swim Rope
Paracord – 20m+
Day shapes (ball and cone)
Your own flags
collapsible radar reflector (in case of fog)
Strong hand torch *
Collapsible compact Dan Buoy systems with light to attach to a horse shoe buoy (still looking)
Throw-Bag
Multi-LED Temporary Cockpit/cabin Light*
Short length of anchor snubber warp

For Fun and Food
Snorkling Gear
Fishing gear (rod, reel, line, leaders, lures, pliers, net, temporary rod holder)
Fish filleting knife
Wasabi & Soy Sauce (for sashimi)
Compact beach barbeque


* remember to bring spare batteries, charging equipment or check that the factory-installed batteries are not out-of-date and that the equipment functions properly.

 

[Uricanejack]

Your going to need a big bag

 

[mjcoon]

You're going to need a big bag

And a bigger boat!

Mike

 

[Nico]

This is mainly aimed at people without their own boat, or those that borrow or charter regularly.

I am putting together a wish list of all those items (safety, navigational, practical or fun) that you must have with you either because you can't be sure it will be on board or you want to have your own.

There are some obvious ones like : hand-bearing compass, navigation equipments(plotter, dividers etc), good knife, good head torch etc. but do you have any interesting or quirky things that you find you can't go without?

Stainless steel cafetiere, white electrical tape and indelible marker pen, waterproof and shockproof camera. The camera is nice for the usual purposes but I've also used it to take photograph notes of e.g. of the way a traveller is rove before pulling it apart to fix something.

 

[Jamesuk]

Hand-bearing compass? When was the last time you used one?
Personally I much prefer my binoculars with built in compass.
Also, I would take my own handheld GPS.

Surely binoculars with a built in compass 'is' a hand bearing compass? Im sure in a sales pitch I may try and sell the built in system two birds and all.

Kit wise: the usual suspects that have already been mentioned. I also have a McMurdo AIS/GPS Beacon. The best thing is my skippers bible that I made up from many other 'skippers bibles'.

 

[Jamesuk]

Your going to need a big bag

Much of your list for 'skipper' will be on board already.

I would suggest for charter take the mentality "what would my grandad have packed on a family sailing holiday' and Leave it at that. Your list reading it is alot of things boat owners have on board as standard. So it is not realistic to have all of this for a charter to bring.

The list is so long for charter that im surprised the Nespresso coffee machine, convection oven and at least 4kw petrol generator to run them with all the other gizmos has been excluded ))

Did i read EU plugs on the list? Or Caribbean for that matter