It's the off season here in New England and for many of us that means either frost-biting or working on boat projects. Having just acquired a new boat (new to us anyway) and being focussed on commissioning and winter projects I have begun to think a little more deeply about a ditch bag. We bought the bigger boat so we could go farther afield - Narraganset and Buzzards bays of course, The islands, Cape Cod Bay, Long Island sound, maybe a night trip up to Maine or across to Nova Scotia sometime in the future and with that in mind I felt we should think more seriously about the ditch bag.
Now, we are not blue water sailors, we are coastal sailors and I don't think we need the same level of equipment as in a blue water ditch bag, we are never going to be hundreds of miles offshore, even if we run direct from Provincetown to Nova Scotia sometime in the future (way in the future) we are 'only' 100 miles off the coast of Maine, truth is though most of the time we will be well within 25NM of land. If you are in blue water you are probably talking about survival first and rescue second. In 'coastal waters' I would suggest that rescue is likely to be faster so the focus of your ditch bag contents will be different, more on attracting and then waiting for rescue than on pure survival. Also right now we don't have a life raft and many of you probably don't either. Eventually (maybe) we will have a coastal life raft (I like the Winslow products very much), but for now the plan would be to use our West Marine dinghy as a rescue platform if we ever needed it. I would encourage you to think about your plan if your boat sinks or burns faster than you can say get her to shore, what is your rescue platform going to be ? At worst it's you treading water hopefully with a PFD on. Anyway in my research I found that most of the articles on the web are really focussed on the blue water type ditch bag (links to some of these resources are at the bottom of this article) and whilst interesting they are not I think what most of us need.
A ditch bag is of course one of those items that you hope you will never really use. One of the many articles on the web likens it to packing for a journey of unknown location and duration that you hope you will never take. The other point I would offer is of course that whilst the ditch bag is important you should be focussing as much if not more of your attention and no doubt limited budget on a seaworthy vessel, careful and prudent review of the conditions for your trip and suitably experienced and trained crew - exactly where you draw this line is of course up to you. Stepping up into your life raft with your ditch bag is or should be a last resort - your primary objective must always be to prevent yourself from getting to this situation in the first place.
Now you can buy a blue water bag stocked and "ready to go" from LRSE Inc or McMurdo[ at approaching $1,000 and these are probably available ready-to-go from other vendors too, I didn't find these until after I put my thoughts together for this article, however even after reviewing those products my thoughts here are not changed.
So, these are my personal thoughts shared with you all for the purposes of discussion and stimulation - I am not an expert in this area, nor am I proffessing to be one, I am sharing this so you know my thinking, so I can perhaps stimulate your thoughts and so that maybe I can get your input and feedback.
The ditch bag itself (container/valise).
There are a number of commercially available ditch bags out there (some links below) but being budget conscious like most sailors, I would suggest that you don't neccesarilly need this nor it's expense and you could spend the money instead on the contents of the bag.
Below are a sampling of commercially available ditch bags (prices correct at time of writing) :
>> ACR 'Rapid Ditch Jr'.
>> The $110 ACR 2272 (with dual EPIRB/GPIRB pockets - pictured right).
>> The $95 McMurdo 'Survivor' bag
>> The $100 West Marine bag
>> The $200 Landfall Navigation Abandon Ship-Bag
>> The $260 'Waterproof' sailors ditch bag
and below are some 'bargains' I found priced * under $40 :
>> The $40 Plastimo Safety equipment bag from Marisafe
>> The ACR 2273 at just under $40 + S&H
* As with all internet bargains look at the total price to you - which includes the Shipping and Handling.
Overall Size - Does it matter ? I guess there are three factors to this. First can you fit all of the items you select into the bag, second can you lift it or can all memebers of your crew lift it in an emergency and third - can you store it somewhere. Those of you on smaller boats including trailer sailors may need to think a little more about this third point.
If you just want a regular yellow or orange bag for this purpose then Froogle for it or go down to your local discount warehouse or sports warehouse and see what they have on the shelf - in selecting a bag make sure it is well made with good stitching, strong handles and a well made zipper. As it could be getting wet it should not have cardboard in it or if it does you should be prepared to remove / replace it. Something that is highly visible (red, orange, yellow or any fluorescent shade of blue or green) would also be beneficial. I did a quick Froogle search for ("sports bag yellow") and came up with the following possibilities :
>> Yellow dry bags (float bags) from Tadspoles and from Top Kayaker dot net.
>> 28" Sports duffell (orange) from bagsbuy.com.
>> 30" Nylon duffell also from bagsbuy.com.
>> Half Dome Duffell (orange)
>> 20" Nylon / Neoprene sports Bag from Ebay.
My guess is that with a little patience you can find something locally for under $30 that you can inspect and 'test' before you buy. Though to be honest there isn't much price wise between these and the $40 ACR2273 or Marisafe bags above. Of course you probably don't want a big canvas bag that will sink either but as an alterative to a traditional sports bag described above or a purpose made ditch bag, a good dry-bag would also suffice and I would suggest that if you buy a 'transparent' one you will be able to see at a glance exactly what is in it and where. So, plenty of options - what is important is that you have the bag, that it is properly stocked and that it stays stocked if you borrow from it, that it is easily accessible and everyone knows where it is and finally as I noted above that every member of the crew can lift it and throw it overboard or into the "life raft".
Handheld VHF.
In a coastal rescue situation I would opine that this is one of the most important pieces of equipment. You can use this to contact the authorities as well as other mariners - It is entirely plausible that in a coastal rescue situation you are as likely to be picked up by another boat as you are by the USCG. Assuming you have issued a VHF MayDay call (a MayDay call of course being entirely appropriate if you are in the position of abandoning ship) and given a good position, anyone in your vicinity is or should be en-route to your location anyway. You can also use it to guide in any rescuers once they get close - being low in the water you will probably see them before they see you.
I would strongly recommend a good waterproof (submersible - not just splashproof or water resistant) model with a clear display and one that takes regular AA alkaline bateries. Thus you can put new batteries in your ditch bag (in a waterproof container) at the start of each sailing season and not have to worry about neccesarilly keeping the handheld charged. Of course if you borrow the handheld for a dinghy excursion or something, you must remember to replace it. A purpose made waterproof case for your vhf is nice if you are into the belt and suspenders approach.
Below is a selection of brands and models available
>> COBRA MR-HH90 $44.45 *.
>> Uniden MH120 $58.00.
>> Hummingbird 55S $72.12.
>> Standard HX270S $83.15.
>> Atlantis 250 $85.49.
>> Standard Horizon HX270S $94.44.
>> Uniden Voyager (Ebay) $137.99.
>> ICOM M2A $142.49.
* We have this model (the Cobra MR-HH90) as a dinghy / convenience radio and it is a capable unit, but I don't think I want to rely on it for my ditch bag radio as it is not submersible to the level that I want.
Flares.
The flares in your ditch bag can be or can include your primary USCG mandated flares and I recommend that they in fact do so. In either event if you are abandoning ship to a life raft or life raft substitute (eg: Dinghy) you should be trying to take all the flares with you anyway. You are required to have them on board and that's where your ditch bag is, so why double up if you don't need to? Put your flares in your ditch bag.
I would suggest though that you should supplement the minimum USCG requirements with some additional flares too, maybe some good SOLAS flares (big coffee can ones), some dye-in-the-water type signalling devices and probably some good smokes too - see below for some links to products available from Landfall navigation and other suppliers. Also, pack your expired flares, 90% of them continue to function way after the expiry date but be clear to differentiate them for any USCG inpsection.
I am assuming that you know what your minimum requirement is in terms of USCG requirements and that you probably have more than that on board. ( Also note that by federal law, flares 'expire' 42 months after the date of manufacture and must be current to count. Dates are stamped on the flares. )
From the West Marine web site :
When are SOLAS flares required?
"In some instances you must use SOLAS flares instead of conventional Coast Guard-approved flares. One is commercial fishing, and the other is sailboat racing organized under the Offshore Racing Council. Commercial fishing boats that venture more than 50 miles offshore must carry a modest inventory of SOLAS flares. including 3 parachute flares, 6 handheld red flares, and 3 smoke flares. Vessels operating from 3-50 miles offshore aren't required to have SOLAS-grade flares, but we sure think it's a good idea."
My next comment / question relates to storage of your flares - How do you store them ? In the 'standard' Orion type barrell case or in a 'blow molded' case? (both pictured here) Or do you have an ORC / SOLAS type 'cannister' ? Personally I have reached the conclusion that whilst convenient that the Orion cannisters tend to not stay closed and both tese and the blow moulded cases are 'wasteful' of space because you can't supplement them with your own flares.
One other recommendation I hear from time to time is to vaccuum bag your flares inside whatever canister you use. This will keep them dry and if you have to break open that vaccuum bag, well you probably really need the flares then anyway - right ?
I would suggest based upon my research that any one of a number of generic cases, such as those below would suit this purpose :
>> A simple plastic orange box from Landfall Navigation.
>> A Large 'plano' case.
>> A Small inexpensive 'plano' case.
>> An Otter box.
>> Shallow Dry Storage Box (west Marine).
>> A Pelican case
>> A soft sided Orion flare case
>> A flare container from a store in Nova scotia.
>> The SeaSense Boat Bailer
>> A purpose made flare container from an Australian chandlery
>> A selection of containers from a UK store.
>> A poly bottle from landfall navigation.
>> Maybe a used T5500 case
>> The ocean safety poly bottle (UK vendor)
Of course for the USCG inspection you will want to differentiate your 'current' flares from your 'expired' flares.
Now, in terms of what should you have in your flare kit - that's a much bigger question and probably one of some debate. We all see the Orion kits on sale at the big marine stores and truth be told we all probably have some of these in our inventory (I do) - and yes, they do appear to provide value for the dollar. However I would suggest that we could / should also consider supplementing them with some additional items and I have listed some of the ones available (without either recommending or criticizing any of them) below :
McMurdo Pains Wessex SOLAS Smoke Cannisters : $45
Revere 3 minute smoke cannister $35
Pains Wessex Smoke cannisters $42
Landfall "near Coastal" (basic) Kit ]/a] $150
[url=http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-ssohs.html]McMurdo Hand Held Smoke signals (3 pack) : $50
Hand Held Red Flares : $15 ea.
Orion Dye marker : $8
Fluorescent Sea Dye $20
ACR Marker flag : $10
There is more info on Landfalls main 'Distress Signaling' page and to put this into perspective Doug Ritter on his survival website recommends the following (albeit for a larger endeavor than coastal cruising):
8 to 12+ - SOLAS Parachute Flares
6+ - SOLAS Handlheld Flares
2 - SOLAS Smoke Flares
24+ - Pen or Pistol launched Meteor Flares
Whatever flares you choose and however you choose to store them is of course up to you but I would encourage you to give this matter some thought.
One word of caution when shopping for flares and that is that most of them are categorized as HAZMAT so shipping will be lengthy and expensive. If you can find the products locally I suggest you compare total price. Local spring boat shows or periodic sales may be your best choice for a bargain - just be careful your bargains are not products that have been on the shelf for a while and you are getting as much of the 42 months (basicaly 3 seasons, 4 if you are very lucky) as you can from the product.
I know that none of this is cheap but what in boating is ? Remember that some of these flares will "need" to be replaced every 3 or 4 years to stay compliant with federal regulations (though it is likely that they will continue to work for many years) whereas items like the foghorn and the marker flag will last much, much longer before they need replacement.
EPIRB / PLB
Beyond the flares this is likely to be the most contentious topic and solutions here again are not cheap. To put this into perspective, on his survival website Doug Ritter states "I consider a 406 EPIRB the single most important piece of survival equipment in the life raft." Now, Doug is talking blue water survival and whether you believe that the same holds true in a coastal situation is your choice - PLBs, EPIRBs and GPIRBs are not cheap and you can buy a lot of equipment for your ditch bag or to make the boat safer in the first place for that kind of money.One thing for sure here you don't want something that 'might' work and you also don't want to buy yourself into end of life technology without fully understanding the implications of that decision. Whilst all of the equipment described in this article are things we hope we never have to use, we do need them to work flawlessly if called upon to perform. As I have said EPIRBs are not cheap - they start in the low $500 range. So if the cost of an EPIRB is too much for you then you could consider a mini EPIRB, an older (non 406) EPIRB or a PLB such as the
"ACR 2766.6 Mini EPIRB", the
"ACR #2768 MAGNUM B EPIRB" or the
"ACR B300 Mini ILS EPIRB" for a little over $100 PROVIDED you understand the implications and limitations of doing so.
PLB's will (for now) do some of the same thing, ie: send out a rescue signal so that your rescuers can locate you - but only for a limited period of time and if you go the "non 406" route (ie: 121.5 technology) you should understand the restrictions of what you are buying.
For example the B300 Mini and some of the lower end EPIRBs (versus GPIRBs) are not GPS enabled so it will give a less precise location than a GPS enabled (external GPS or integrated GPS GPIRB), but with your other devices (flares, vhf, etc) you should still get rescued, especially in a coastal situation. Also the Mini300 is a PLB not an EPIRB so it has a shorter battery life (24 hours v 48) and 121.5Mhz availability for this PLB as well as the the older non 406 EPIRBs ends in 2009 so don't buy these with long term use in mind.
You MAY be better of buying a 406 PLB model (such as the GyPSI PLB), BUT they start off at $400 and go upwards from there and when you look at that price you may as well buy a full 406 EPIRB such as the "ACR Satellite2 406 MHz EPIRB" or the "Revere Smartfind 406 Manual II" for a little bit more ($540 or $500). The challenge here comes from where you sail and whether a PLB and 24 hours of signal for rescue, versus the 48 hours you would get from an EPIRB (even a 'legacy' 121.5 model such as the Magnum) will suffice - only you can make that call. Note as Don Ritter says at EquippedtoSurvive.com "A 121.5 EPIRB is not a substitute for a 406 EPIRB " but I would suggest that if funds are tight that "anything is better than nothing" and to some extent Doug backs this up in "A ditching article gone awry" where he states :
"Failing that, pilots should at least consider a pocket-size personal 121.5 MHz EPIRB. The new Sea Marshall costs only about $130 and could save your life. Not a substitute for a 406 beacon, but much better than nothing and easy to carry at all times."
If it were me (and I am still thinking about it) and looking at the coastal cruising we are envisaging, I would spend my money on other items for my ditch bag or for the safety of my vessel if I could not stretch to the 406 EPIRB/GPIRB. If you are going on a longer journey you always have the rental option that's worth considering or you can buy it for that trip as part of the trip expense and if you have many people on the trip you can spread the cost amongst them.
NOTE : Landfall navigation have a good article on EPIRB v PLB here.
One final note on EPIRBS - If you do buy one, don't forget to register it.
Knife.
We carry two knifes in our ditchbag plus whatever I have on my person - one is a regular stainless steel lock knife on a lanyard with a clip. The other is a utility knife with pliers, screwdriver etc (multi purpose tool) - also with a lanyard and clip.
Spare cartridges for your inflatable pfd.
We have debated carrying the spare cartridges for our inflatable PFD's in the ditch bag. The rationale being that if we have entered the water our PFD's will have automatically inflated and we may want to deflate them while in the "life raft" PROVIDING they are set to auto inflate again if we go overboard. If we do this we would likely switch them to manual inflate mode. Whilst still ambivelant on this we will probably pack them anyway (vaccum packed) given they don't take up much space.
Cyalume Light sticks.
We carry a selection of Cyalume light sticks in the ditch bag and replenish them as they expire or are used. We actually pack them with our flares. If you ever need to refuel from a jerry can or at night on a poorly lit dock Cyalume sticks are also great for 'safe' light' - you can tape them or zip tie them to a toe rail or a stern rail if need be or you can buy the ones with the hook on the end that will hang from a lifeline.
Signalling mirror
These come with some of the Orion flare packes referenced earlier or you can accquire them relatively inexpensively - alternatively cheap CD's (like those AOL CDs that used to be in Circuit city) may suffice for you - and they come with a nice hole in the middle to squint through.
GPS
If you carry a handheld GPS as a backup to an onboard system, then I would suggest that you carry it in your ditch bag (in a waterproof case). Again AA alkaline batteries are a plus if not a must. The advantage here is that you can give (if you were not able to get a VHF call issued from your vessel) or can continue to give updated GPS position by VHF to your rescuers as you drift etc. As with all things in your ditch bag be sure that you know how to use the GPS before putting it in the bag.
Sea Anchor or drogue
Definitely optional but you could consider some form of drogue such as a drift control fishing anchor for your dinghy to limit the amount of drift- if you have a liferaft then it should come with a sea anchor or drogue anyway.
Fishermans drogue
Flashlight.
We carry two flashlights. One is the 'battery-less' type (shake-a-light - pictured right). The other is more of a glow light type which runs on AA batteries and provides a soft glow and can also be used as a beacon. In retrospect we might want to consider adding additional flashlights, if for nothing else but to be able to read the instructions on the flares when it is dark !
Raft repair clamps (clamshells)
Clamshell seals are reportedly useful for repairing holes and gashes in your liferaft or inflatable dinghy. Which would be great if you had a puncture in your zodiac or life raft AND a means of reinflating the tube. If you don't have the latter than the seal may not be much use.
The Barton clamseal (pictured right) won the National Marine Manufactures Association Product Innovation Award in 2004. If you are going to carry a clamseal anyway for more general repair purposes (such as when you are cruising and our ride to shore springs a leak, then maybe you should pop it into your ditch bag for storage anyway.
First Aid.
You have a well equipped first aid kit on board (you do, don't you ?) and if you have the time I am sure you will take it with you, but if you are abandoning ship you may not have the time or the clarity of mind to do this. You could always store your first aid kit in your ditch bag (remembering to replace it every time you use it), that's one option. Or you could put a rescue specific kit in the bag and hope that you have time to grab the big kit too. Depending on where you sail the contents of your kit may differ but you should think about seasickness, infection of cuts and bruises, lacerations, sunburn and other sailing type ailments. As with any first aid kit make sure you know what is in the kit and you know how to use it - unlabelled medications, pills and salves can be dangerous and that the contents are reviewed periodically and disposed of appropriately.
Sponge, pump or bailer
To some extent you can improvize on this - a cut down laundry detergent container will suffice, store it in your dinghy (on lanyard) all the time or add a Beckson type Thirsty mate pump to the transom of your dinghy. Of course again if you have a liferaft then it should come with a bailer.
Duct tape (Gaffers tape)
If it's good enough for Ed Smylie to use in engineering solutions of the crippled Apollo 13 mision then it surely has a place in your ditch bag too. We will carry a roll in ours.
Strobe light .
I was fortunate to find a never used Forespar WL-1 strobe on Ebay that just needed a new battery. The WL1 is an automatic floating strobe that turns on once it hits the water and rights itself. It comes wth a bracket to be mounted to your vessel, ours will probably mount on the transom or stern rail somewhere as opposed to being in the ditch bag and I'll probably add a lanyard to prevent accidental release. This particular unit was still in the box and had never even been aboard a boat. If you are planning on using a strobe to signal to another vessell or to an aircraft you could consider the handheld ACR Rapid fire at under $40, either for the ditch bag or one per individual, attached to their PFD. Note many EPIRBs also contain a flashing strobe.
Energy bars
You are probably not going to starve in a coastal situation so any food is going to be about keeping warm and providing energy. High sugar, high fat type energy bars will suffice, you could also add some sugar type product like Dextrose for a more immediate boost. Of course if you have any secific medical needs including type 1 or type 2 diabetes then you should plan differently. Interestingly I have learned that protein takes more water to absorb than sugar or fat does, so avoid the protein for now if you think you are going to be short of water. If you really want to add some vitamin pills. I am sure you all know what energy bars work best for you.
Vessell info, contact numbers, money ?
We have a waterproof bag that contains our vessel information, our insurance carrier, some key phone numnbers, our medical carrier information and other useful information. It also contains a calling card and will contain some cash for when we get to shore and we need to restore our life or salvage our vessel.
Charts
We carry our old outdated charts in the ditch bag.
Binoculars
We carry a cheap pair of binoculars in the ditch bag so if we are 'abandoned' and we see another vessel we have the chance that we can read the name of the vessell and hail them by name (for rescue). Additionally I imagine that they can also be useful for locating landmarks to provide location if the GPS is not working.
Fog horn
Depending on where you cruise you may be adrift in a fog situation. It would be mournful if you were able to get into your "life raft" only to be run down by another vessell in the fog. I would not recommend that you rely on comprssed air - it could leak in your ditch bag and when you need it you'd get nothing, rather I would rely on a loud whistle or manual fog horn - like these.
Shop.com
From Boatersworld
Discount Marine Supplies
Landfall Navigation
Of course if you have a boat bearing down on you, use your flares and use your VHF to prevent a collision - once you attract their attention they will probably be your rescuer anyway.
Pen, pencil, paper.
As you work with the rescue authorities you will be providing information and receiving information and you may need to write things down such as call back time, GPS co-ordinates etc. You could also write down your experiences for that bestseller "4 hours adrift in Vineyard Sound" that will fund your new boat !
AA batteries.
Every year a new pack of AA batteries is added for the flashlights, VHF and GPS. In the fall the batteries are removed and used over the winter for other household purposes (ie Christmas). Brand new batteries are added in the spring. Batteries are packaged in ziplock bags.
Fresh water.
In our climate and our coastal environment it may not be neccesarry to carry the full 5 gallons of fresh water that seems to be recommended. Our ditch bag contains eight bottles of 'off the shelf' water. Again these are recycled through household usage in the fall and replenished in the spring. YMMV.
Staying warm.
Depending on where you sail your "staying warm" problem will be different, however even in the Carribbean you will probably get cold at night. In New England (especially Down East) this problem wil be greater. Considering that your abandon ship situation will probably have occured in less than pleasant conditions you are probably dealing with inclement weather anyway. Our ditch bag will contain 'space blankets' and maybe a fleece blanket if there is space. However as important is the need to be appropriately clothed when you leave the vessel.
Note I am looking to see if I can supplement the space blanket with some 'thermal protective aids' but they run at around $50 each (except here where they are $36 ) and we should evaluate whether there are other supplies that we can better spend our money on. Note also that there are some reports that thick plastic sheet can be as effective as space blankets - your choice.
Sunscreen.
We carry high SPF sunblock in the ditch bag as we can't guarantee that we can get in the shade when in our 'life raft'.
Relief bands
The motion of a life raft or zodiac in conditions that have caused you to abandon your manin vessell is likely to be turbulent. If relief bands work for you then pack some.
Vicks vapor rub
I had read somewhere that this product when applied under the nose can combat the smell of nausea, so that if one crew member is sick there is a chance that others will not automatically join them. I am not sure how much belief to invest in this, but it sounds plausible.
Freezer bags
A selection of zip lock freezer bags can be useful, not only for time aboard the life raft but generally aboard the boat anyway.
Ginger / Pregie pops
In order to combat sea sickness you can consider either regular crystalized ginger or a commercial product like dramamine or Preggie pops. Scopolomine patches tend to need to be applied ahead of time and if you have that much notice that you are going to be abandoning ship, well maybe you wouldn't be embarking up your trip anyway.
Lanyard.
We have a floating lanyard with an 'accessory clip' attached to the bag. We may need to attach the bag to the boat (life raft / zodiac). In the event that the life raft fails to deploy, gets blown away or sinks it may be necesary to attach this to ones person. It is also useful for preventing the ditch bag from getting lost overboard given that space on the 'life raft' may be limited. We also have polypropolene lanyards with small accessory clips on most items in the bag.
Packing list
We keep a list of bag contents in the bag so in the ehat of the moment we don't get frustrated looking for something that is not packed as well as to refresh our memories when it comes to packing again in the spring.
Links to articles on BLUE WATER ditch bags :
Passagemaker.com
MedicalOfficer.Net
SailCharbonneau.com
Equipped to Survive (Doug Ritters website)
A Ditching gone awry
This is of course just one mans opinion on the topic - all feedback is welcome and encouraged.
