Long cruise equipment check list

Thanks everyone! Very helpful. Keep it coming if any of you have additional ideas.

I will compile an overall list and post it to the forum (once I get my crabbing out of the way.....crabbing opens today in the San Juans :D).
 
I didn't see this one on the list so here goes. I guess it depends on how mechanical you are and how much you are able to do yourself.

A Boat US membership. It has towing available but the thing I use most (in the USA) is the tide table.

Have a Waterproof flashlight, and a good Spot light. The light I use most is a Luci Light, an inflatable, solar rechargeable LED light.

Heat (the dry type is best) because you are going to want to dry things out at some point. The electric ceramic heater does wonders but you have to have 110 VAC power for that.

A small tarp, 5 x 7 at least, to cover the forward hatch both for light and rain, and it will also cover the forward center window to allow both to be open when it rains.

Water purification is a very good idea, as many of the places up north have boil water notifications up.

If you are anchoring, chain is your friend, and a boat length is absolute minimum. Double would be good and more is better.

If you have hydraulic steering, I would recommend carrying some fluid for that.

Be sure you have capability of charging any electronic devices aboard with what ever connectors needed: USB, MicroUSB, Cig Plug, or 110 household plugs, grounded 3 prong on 2 prong only.

If you are going near the Canadian border, have PassPorts available, just in case.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

1_10_2012_from_Canon_961.thumb.jpg
 
The first year we went to the pnw, we probably could have just sat when visibility got low. Last summer in AK, we would have been sitting for some extended times (might even still be there) and would have, for sure, overstayed our limit in Glacier Bay. Maybe it was an unlucky year, but we did a lot of cruising in near 0-0 conditions (instrument boating). AIS receiver was a big help too, but there are lots of boats (like ours) that do not have an AIS transmitter including some (piloted, I think, by the deranged or suicidal) out in inflatables that have, at least on our radar, a weak intermittent return. It was also nice when the radar return agreed with the chart plotter.
 
hardee":2whmjn5r said:
Water purification is a very good idea, as many of the places up north have boil water notifications up.
Click to expand...

I carry a LifeStraw (and probably should have it in my ditch bag), but there are other options for a tank. I personally feel best about the "chemical" purification, since the biggest problem with water on the Inside Passage is the possibility of gut bugs. I don't worry about leaves and mosquito larvae as long as they are sanitary. Aquamira can be used with marina or creek water to purify only my relatively small flexibag of direct drinking water (the rest gets boiled during cooking). You will have to wait 4 hours for it to kill Cryptosporidium but, believe me, it's worth the wait.

I also carry an Idophor type of sanitizer. I use that when doing dishes and on the fish cleaning station. Sushi and ceviche are always on the menu and the fish cleaning station is always suspect. That includes the fish cleaning station at a marina, so it's nice to have this stuff aboard.

The only thing worse than using a PortaPotti is having to use it frequently.

https://switchbacktravel.com/best-backp ... -purifiers
https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00FA89XM ... UTF8&psc=1

Mark
 
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