Ditch Bag and other Safety Issues

Asureyez

Asureyez

New Member
Apr 22, 2007
1,535
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.
Boat Info
Sea Ray 460 Sundancer Hardtop 2001 - SOLD
Engines
Cummins 450 Diesels
Question: Do you keep a "Ditch" or "Abandon Ship" bag?:huh:

If so what's in there?
 
Yes.

EPIRB, Hand held VHF, Hand held GPS, hand held mirror, small first aid kit, fresh batteries, signal flares, whistle, 4 pints of water. That's all I can remember off the top of my head...
 
I carry one at all times, but then I'm in the ocean at least several times a month.

My bag was purchased some years ago from the Apollo Beach, Fla firm Survival technologies, Now Switlik. It is a large valise type of red ballistic fabric with heavy fabric loop handles.

Looks Like this: http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-sabag.html

I plan for survial for 24 hours for 4-6 people and I take the point of view that this bag and survivors is all that will get off a rapidly sinking boat. So I never assume I'll ever get to supplies in the disabled boat or in a deployed life raft. We have to survive, treat injuries, obtain rescue and live from inside that bag. Further I assume two people will get off without life preservers;

So inside is:

1) Vacuum sealed trail mix type food bars, the bars are individually foil sealed. count 12
2) 16oz bottles of water count 12
3) All my out of date SOLAS flares and smoke signals, one 12 gagae water resistant pistol kit
4) Small First aid kit
5) vacuum sealed sun screen bottles (2)
6) vacuum sealed personal articles like sunglasses, reading glasses, small binoculars, metal signal mirror, Rx in waterproof bottles, copy of passport, boats papers etc.
7) Water proof chart for the SOFLA & Bahamas #100
8) Vacuum sealed water proof flash light with fresh batteries inserted
9) four separately sealed batteries
10 A 406 EPIRB
11 a waterproof bagged waterproof VHF with charged batteries.
12 Sealed anti seasick tabs
13 Two coastal life jackets *
14) a 25 ft hank of thin floating nylon line to tie shipmates together.

I will also tuck in anything else that makes sense at the time of departure or from my guests requirements.:smt101

This bag weighs about 30-40# when loaded. too heavy for many women or an injured man to get up from below and over the side. I keep it in the cockpit when underway offshore. It will float as loaded, but to assure that and to help find it while swimming I tie my largest fender to it so it will for sure float and will self deploy should we go down quickly.:thumbsup:

A Ditch Bag need not be "Marine" just brilliant colored and stuffed with extra flotation. A knapsack could do as long as it didn't run its fabric dyes on your seats or carpets.
 
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Ahhh yes... sunscreen and a flashlight too.

Mine is definitely not that big,

19"W x 15"H x 7"D
15256.gif


Of course, the primary strategy if my boat were to sink would be to sit on the flying bridge and wait for help (the Chesapeake is not that deep).

However, I still keep the ditch bag in case of fire. I hate fire.
 
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I've got a small one for my boat.
(4) 6 ounce bottles of water
(4) power bars
(1) flashlight
(1) portable VHF
(3) old flares
(2) cigars
(1) water proof lighter
(1) sunscreen
 
You may want to do a search on this, we had a good thread about it a while back.
 
I have one but it does dual duty. In case of an earthquake or something at home (we trailer), I should have access to it...
MVC-001aS.JPG


The disaster bag as it came from Costco came with: USCG Approved dehydrated food "Mayday brand", USCG approved "Mayday brand" water with a 5 yr shelf life, USCG approved Mayday survival blankets, "Mayday" 12 hour light stick, First aid kit, 2 emergency ponchos, whistle, mirror, 2 particle respirators, sterized napkins, battery free flashlight and FM radio, plastic hazard waste bag, zip lock bags and alcohol wipes.

I added my flare gun kit with additional mirror, whistle, seawater dye, more flares and 6 shells in a water sealed box, 3 long burn marine flares, MRE's, water proof matches, butane lighter, VHF handheld radio, old cell phone, fillet knife, leatherman, condoms, and emergency contacts information. I need to pick up a solar charger for the cell. (Cell phones, though inactive, are required to activate 911)... So, it may be a wise investment to have an old one on board...???

Since I am not on the water everyday and keep the boat at the house, I felt it is a good compromise for us to keep more than the standard ditch stuff in the bag and have a few other food items in the boat in case we have a huge disaster and have no access to our home...

The condoms are really a necessary item for emergency use (no jokes)... They can be expanded greatly to take care of many wounds on arms, feet, etc.
 
I knew I kept a condom in my wallet for a reason.

And it's a good excuse for you guys that are married.

"Honestly honey, it's a first aid item in case we have to jump over board and you get cut. Doug said so".
 
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Give it a few days and THIS thread will pop up.
 
Most of my boating is in fairly protected waters so I have the following:

glow sticks, whistle, sunscreen, chapstick, mirror, first aid kit, flashlight with strobe

We're planning a longer trip this summer and will add water and powerbars to the mix.
 
TurtleTone said:
I knew I kept a condom in my wallet for a reason.

And it's a good excuse for you guys that are married.

"Honestly honey, it's a first aid item in case we have to jump over board and you get cut. Doug said so".
Click to expand...

Yep, I'll take the heat on that one... :smt038

One more thing... Don't forget the dehydrated water...
 
Chad,
I posted on this under the heading "420DA safety upgrades", I think. My ditch bag has about the same stuff yours does, and this year we added a Revere Coastal Commander 6person emergency raft (valise model) that has on onboard safety kit as well. It was around $1500 delivered, courtesy of our friendly site host.
I hope I never have to use it, but bad things happen sometimes. I also watched Four Suns' safety practices and now my wife and I wear auto-inflating PFDs.

regards
Skip
 
When Skip came over with his kids, we played with pyrotechnics in the backyard out of the ditchbag... how fun.

DSC_0730.jpg


Just so you all know, if you shoot a flare gun into the woods horizontally, the woods will catch on fire and require 3 fire extinguishers to put out.
 
I started putting one together about six weeks ago. A previous thread about this subject got me to move off my butt and do something about it.

With the new EPIRB & ditch bag purchased from Jim at BOE I got it in gear and under way. It stays up deck ready in a moment and I feel allot happier that I finally did what I should have done day one. While the cost delayed the process there is no way I could ever justify not having one.

My wife taught me sometime ago that S__t happens and she's right. No matter how well you think your boat is prepared and or safe, it's fully replaceable but life isn't.
 
 
Skip said:
Chad,
I posted on this under the heading "420DA safety upgrades", I think. My ditch bag has about the same stuff yours does, and this year we added a Revere Coastal Commander 6person emergency raft (valise model) that has on onboard safety kit as well. It was around $1500 delivered, courtesy of our friendly site host.
Click to expand...

I bought one of the rafts from BOE too. It seems kind of hokey but I've made everyone in the family watch the video that came with it twice. Nobody has complained because it really does give you an idea of how to use the liferaft and what to expect as opposed to trying to figure it out during a panic.

I have visions fo something happening to me and then somebody pitches the raft in the water without tying it off or one of the many other ways something could go wrong.
 
Four Suns said:
When Skip came over with his kids, we played with pyrotechnics in the backyard out of the ditchbag... how fun.

DSC_0730.jpg


Just so you all know, if you shoot a flare gun into the woods horizontally, the woods will catch on fire and require 3 fire extinguishers to put out.
Click to expand...


Gary - If YOU shoot the gun horizontally.....I would expect the gun to blow up, the ditch bag to catch fire, the rest of the flares would explode, the fire department and EMTs would be called, and we would all get to see your kids cell phone pics of the resulting inferno the next day.......You're lucky all that caught fire was the woods! :smt038
 
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