Ditch Bag

Chrisjs said:

We carry a ditch bag. It is a standard yellow ACR bag and stuffed with the same type of items mentioned previously. There is one consideration, regardless of where you boat, that had escaped our attention and did not seem to figure on ditch bag lists.
When we got our life raft serviced 3 years ago (it failed!!) the shop doing the service (LRSE) pointed out that getting into a LR is usually a very wet experience. You quite often need to swim to the raft even if it is attached to the mother ship - the concept of "stepping down" into the LR is something of a fiction. Consequently, we were advised to pack complete changes of warm clothing in the ditch bag. Especially since one of the biggest risks in that situation is hypothermia. We now carry extra clothing in a sealed thick poly bag inside the ditch bag. It also adds to the buoyancy of the ditch bag. Hopefully we shall never need either the LR or the DB but when you are a few hundred miles off shore it is nice to know they are available. One last caution about the DB. It can get kind of heavy if you are not careful. Too heavy means the admiral may not be able to handle it when the sh1T hits the fan and the captain is trying to launch the LR.
Chris

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Which was my point all along....99 percent of the time for boaters unless in upper Alaska, Canada or way offshore (>200 miles) you are more concerned with rescue and staying alive/alert/and able to signal till help arrives (usually less than a full day but reasonably up to 3). You can easily "survive" the week with nothing more than enough on your back to keep you from dying of hypothermia. A little water is great but not even necessary unless in a tropical environment.

I was involved in the rescue and debrief of an Air Guard pilot that punched out and survived a week in a 1 man raft off the coast of NC. All he had was a pint of water and a pack of those little candies I forget that they put in military rafts. He said the highlight of every day was waking up and licking the dew off the canopy of his raft. Survival is mostly about "will to live" and resourcefulness...less about "things".

A full bag is great...as long as it is reasonable to manage and it comes with you.

When I do off-shore deliveries I review and note what is on the boat. I have some obvious minimum requirements for the boat.

I take with me my inflatable pfd which has a whistle and strobe inside. A plb which I update online with boat info and brief float plan. A divers knife. An iPod. Laptop which I recently upgraded to a Toughbook with internal GPS. Charts will be loaded. Targus charger that will charge everything I take DC or AC.
I have a Mustang Survival Suit which I take if there is not one for on board that will fit me. It's bulky and heavy and not fun to travel with but a potential lifesaver. If there are multiple handheld vhf's already on board I don't take one. Perry had a satphone on the Guatemala trip and it worked great to stay in touch with Julie. I will take a small handheld gps and my SPOT (for family and friends I'll activate when I go on watch). That's pretty much it besides appropriate clothing.
Once on board I repack my gear which I keep together in 'my space'. If I brought the survival suit it stays in it's own little bag and accessible. Pdf is unpacked and accessible. Plb, iPod, knife, gps and few snacks go in a 'fanny pack' (which you'll never see me wear unless the sh*t hits the fan). The 'fanny pack' and a water bottle (wide mouth) goes with me on watch and pretty much is in my reach all the time. I'm bad about the pdf if the weather is nice but it goes with me on night watches and gets worn if I go out on deck. Laptops have a way of getting trashed on sailboats or upper helm stations in bad weather or by the sloppy coffee drinkers (me). I'm giving the TB a try. It's a disposable in an emergency.
If the weather gets really nasty, the pfd and fanny pack go on. I put the survival suit in an accessible place. I've never worn it at sea but I always put it on before I leave for a trip. Not fun for an old man.
Moving about a boat in heavy seas requires both of my hands. If it gets too bad I will crawl. Some boats are designed for heavy weather and have great hand holds and rails on the interior and exterior. Many do not. Take a header into a bulkhead or wall and I'm done before I start.
So where is the life raft? Up on top.(I've had them below too). Usually where I don't want to go and probably can't t without two hands and my ass to slide on.

That's how I roll (pun intended) at sea.

KJ said:

Very comprehensive list. What kind of container do keep it all in? Where do you stow it? Also, how much cash do keep stashed, and what the heck is a USCG fishing kit (besides the obvious)? KJ

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It's one of those orange ditch bags with flotation foam in the sides. Can't remember what brand. It's in the pilothouse right behind my seat and under the footrest on the Krogen 42 watch berth. I think I have $40 in there. The fishing kit is a little sealed pouch with line, hooks... can't remember the rest, but a basic fishing kit in a pouch about 6" x 6".

Keith, The magnifying makes sense. I have a little survival kit I carry if I go out in the woods. I put one of those thin fresnel lens in it for the same purpose.