Ditch Bag

P

Pat Anderson

New member
Does anybody have a ditch bag? What is in it? Not a pleasant thought, but if you had to take to the dinghy because your C-Dory was in trouble, what would you want to have? Handheld VHF, flashlight, maybe those foil space blankets, food and water? Anybody actually put one together?
 
Pat – there was a short discussion on this subject just recently here. Maybe your post will generate more discussion on the subject, or maybe very few people have one.
 
Pat Anderson":3pi6olxn said:
Does anybody have a ditch bag? What is in it? Not a pleasant thought, but if you had to take to the dinghy because your C-Dory was in trouble, what would you want to have? Handheld VHF, flashlight, maybe those foil space blankets, food and water? Anybody actually put one together?
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I'd want to have Jennifer Aniston but both Joyce and common sense disagree with this idea. My list (from most important to least).
1) Handheld, submersible VHF (with spare batteries)
2) Handhelp GPS
3) Rocket style flares
4) battery operated strobe light
5) handheld compass
6) space blankets
7) fresh water
8 ) food

For the vast majority of usthe last few items aren't important if you have the first few - e.g in practice most of us are never more than 20 miles away from available help provided we can provide good details on our location to the CG.

However, a real captain would
1) Never put him or her self in a position in which ditching the boat was the best option and
2) go down with his ship.
 
Actually after last week-end and discussions with Bill and El, I have been putting together a ditchbag.

So far it has a submersable VHF, compass, two flares, matches, space blanket for two, (in case someone else gets to shore with me), 6 food bars, whistle, water-proof flashlight, good knife, pencil and paper (for writing a good-bye note). It is in a small dry bag with a tether. My vest has a strobe on it. Hopefully the three of us will stay together (me, the vest and ditchbag).

There is room for more. Good thing to think about. Hope to never use it.
 
Good thread. I guess I would add some kind of flotation for the ditchbag itself (unless the bag has integral flotation) and I'd probably go with a leatherman instead of a dedicated knife.

Barry
 
Mine has a SOLAS signal kit with flares, mirrors, flags, dye.
A submersible VHF radio with charged battery.
Strobe light with fresh batteries.
PLB EPIRB with current information filed as per online float plan.
3 extra PFDs.
Knife
Floating handheld GPS with fresh batteries.
Water.

Mine is bright yellow and floats.
I check the zippers and the velcro (hook and loop fastener) along with the batteries every 6 months. I am thinking about adding sea sick medication.
 
As many of your know, we have done a large amount of voyaging in larger boats. We have a small ditch bag, which we even take in the dinghy. Just recently we added a Personal EPIRB, GPS enabled.
This is a river rafter's type water proof bag, clear sides with scrim about 12" high, and 6" diameter, it has a shoulder strap.
List:
Personal EPRIB, GPS enabled. ARC)
Submersiable VHF radio, AA battery and rechargable battery
Submersiable GPS/plotter, AA battery
Mini Strobe, flashlight, ARC AA battery
Hand bearing compass.
Cigarette lighter
Space blanket (two if two of use are in the dinghy--and when on the main boat)
Flares, self contained,
Smoke pot, two
Signal mirror
Whistle, small air horn
Pair Vise grips,
Gerber multipurpose tool (like it better than Leatherman)
Spark plug wrench
Set of plugs for the dinghy
At least a dozen AA batteries in a sealed container
Red distress plastic flag about 3 x 3 feet
First aid kit:
Triangular bandage
Telfa square
Tripple antibiotic ointment
Betadine swabs & clear antiseptic swabs
bandaids
Meclazine
3" Ace bandage
4 x4 gauze pads and 3" kerlex bandage
Laminated copy of drivers license, credit card (both sides) and passports.
A small fishing kit.

We also have an ARC ditch bag, (Floats, 18" x 14" x 6") It is about with a large 406 EPIRB, more flares, two more strobes, some more batteries, a second waterproof VHF, hand held flares, some high energy food, hand water maker, several pints of sealed water, vitamines, some light but warm clothing, two extra space blankets, and trap. We are going to add a satellite phone. We have antibiotics and more first aid supplies plus some of our personal medications in sealed containers in this bag

We have two decks of cards, a water proof small sharpie and a notebook (to plan our next boat).


The small bag goes with us everywhere--on land, and in the dink if we are going to be anywhere with some risk. The larger ARC bag stays of the boat, but is velcroed and can be removed in an instant.

These are assembled with my experience of putting together medical kits for cruisers and corresponding with over 300 cruisers during the last 30 years.

We have never had to ditch a boat, but I have done some foolish things--one of which left me up a salt water rapids with the tide going out in a 12.5' RIB and I had to spend the night. Called Marie on the VHF, had enough food and water to be comferatable, used the space blankets and currled up until the tide came back in. We had to use the various tools a number of times, even cut a piece of hypralon out of the inflatable's foreward deck to make a diaphragm for a fuel pump on the outboard....
 
wow, what a comprehensive list. I just finished a disaster preparedness course taught by the one of the Navy's top emergency staff and it was quite an eye opener.

He carries a small kit EVERYWHERE.... He recommended Duct Tape for lots of uses: With newspapers, makes splints for broken bones, sling, etc. In a big pinch, just tape a broken leg to the good one or the broken arm to the trunk. In a hotel/motel fire, if the door is hot and smoke coming in, use the duct tape to seal the door and and seal off the incoming vent. Tons of uses. He puts a water bottle thru the hollow center of the tape. One small water bottle can keep you alive for 3 days, and when the water is gone, you use it to recycle....

A whistle is extremely important for emergency situations, he says. Since there is so much commotion and you are likely injured or exhausted, only a whistle can get attention or help ppl find you or get their attention to stop a panic.
Space blankets for sure, even if just to hand out at an auto accident.

EMT scissors are OK for flight carry on and can cut thru clothes, leather, straps, seat belts, etc.. Big gauze pads for pressure on bleeding points and cleaning.

He also said one of the most important things you can carry, esp. if there was a flu epidemic or bacterial problem, was packets and or jars of waterless disinfectant soap. Of course band aids.

In case of fire or smoke, swimming goggles, and filtration masks,,, good masks like the better sawdust masks at Ace Hardware and high quality, dual eye goggles. He said most injuries of firemen and victims at Trade Center were from inhaling smoke or becoming blind because the smoke got into their eyes.

there are several online sites sponsored by various government agencies, detailing emergency kits and training, but I don't have the paperwork witm me right now.

He also said some granola bars, sports bars, even candy bars are enough to eat on for 3 days in a bind. He rotates emergency food, snacks and water, using what is in the bag and replacing it.

the emergency bag strap can be used to drag a heavy person away from danger by either hands or feet....

I know alot of y0u have much training in this area, but the little kit this guy recommends goes everywhere. John
 
Also.... latex and nitrile gloves..... diode headlamp (in an emergency you want both hands free to stop bleeding, open doors, etc., and tiny diode flashlight, maybe self charging radio/light. John and Ace bandage....
 
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