Off Topic What’s in your boats safety kit

[GPS]

I really enjoyed the “what’s in your toolbox” post and answers so I thought I would ask what’s in your safety kit?
I’ll start, here’s mine.

 

[Octavius Brine]

Good idea @GPS , and I sort of had that thought too… it’s a bit hazy sometimes between safety kit vs toolbox.

My list:

kicker motor
Full size wood paddle (not much for propulsion, more for steering)
Everything in the standard “safety bucket”, a few things upgraded though
A decent folding knife (+ always one in my pocket)
Anchor + 100’ extra rope for various uses
First aid kit (with gravol, bug spray, sunscreen)
A bucket and Folgers coffee tub (for bailing and other “wastewater”)
Magnetic compass
Whistle/horn (the kind you blow into)
A second battery if I’ve had problems lately…
VHF with DSC (haven’t actually installed that yet!)
iPhone with the new satellite SOS texting
Binoculars
Fire extinguisher (not required by law but worth $30)

Been thinking about flare gun. I bring more if I am camping by boat access, including small solar panel set.

 

[G.Mech]

Here's a checklist I made for boats under 6m based on the Transport Canada book. I keep it in my safety kit box and every time I've pulled it out the inspection seems to end quite quickly. Appearing organized seems to be the key.. This list is the minimum but I have a few other items that are not required such as flares, handheld VHF, air horn etc in my kit as well just in case I hit a straw hat and have to ditch. I attached a pdf and also the excel file if you want to customize it.

 

[stomp]

just in case I hit a straw hat and have to ditch.

Maybe add "extra straw hat" @G.Mech?

 

[hvyhaul]

I've started working on mine.

It's getting a little embarrassing now that I see it all written down in a list. LOL

I'll have to look under the cover once the rain ends to see what I've forgotten.

Edit: I really like the item/location sheet @G.Mech I know where everything is, with that sheet everyone else has quick access without me if needed.

 

[G.Mech]

Edit: I really like the item/location sheet @G.Mech I know where everything is, with that sheet everyone else has quick access without me if needed.

I did that so that when the cop is standing in my boat I don't look like an idiot hunting for stuff....the first time I pulled the list out the cop said "Never mind" and moved on so I kind of stuck with it.

 

[Old Cut LongPointer]

Don't forget to check the batteries in your flashlights and/or expiry dates on your flares.

 

[G.Mech]

Another tip; "Just you" is not the correct answer if they ask you if there's anything on board that shouldn't be there....

 

[G.Mech]

Maybe not in your safety kit but you need a copy of your Pleasure Craft License (for the boat) and your Pleasure Craft Operators Card (for the driver).

Also, and I hate to reopen this can of worms, some jurisdictions insist that you need to carry a paper copy of the latest navigational charts based on some interpretations of the Canada Shipping Act regulations (it has been a thing on Lake Ontario mainly in Hamilton & Peel Region areas). In the past, the OPP on Lake Erie have said that they are not generally in agreement with this interpretation and would not be likely to enforce it but people have been ticketed in some areas on Lake O. I spoke to one of the Norfolk County Marine unit officers yesterday and he confirmed that they do not normally require charts on board in Lake Erie as long as the boater is reasonably familiar with the area. He promised to review this again and confirm with me later on.

If you want to read all the past info, here is a good place to start:

https://www.longpoint.on.ca/forum/index.php?threads/inner-bay.73719/page-4#post-151677

 

[Octavius Brine]

Another tip; "Just you" is not the correct answer if they ask you if there's anything on board that shouldn't be there....

Lol I made that mistake once at the RIDE program about 10 years back.

Officer: Anything to drink tonight?
Me: No thank you.
Officer: I wasn’t offering.

… and it kind of continued like that, but he didn’t get mad. I was nervous and just trying to be polite and added the “thank you”

 

[hvyhaul]

Lol I made that mistake once at the RIDE program about 10 years back.

Officer: Anything to drink tonight?
Me: No thank you.
Officer: I wasn’t offering.

… and it kind of continued like that, but he didn’t get mad. I was nervous and just trying to be polite and added the “thank you”

Similar at Putnam scale.

OPP in bypass lane middle of the day, I stopped and fully opened my door, not just opened my window.

"You got any pills driver?"

"Why, you having trouble staying awake?"

He cracked a big smile and said, "Get out of here."

 

[Porkpie]

Another tip; "Just you" is not the correct answer if they ask you if there's anything on board that shouldn't be there....

I don’t know, that’s worth a laugh!

 

[hvyhaul]

Ok here's my safety list, some things could also be listed here but I considered them more part of my tools.

Fishing Buddy (The Neighbour)
VHS Radio with programmed MMSI
Mustang and regular life jackets
Fire Extinguisher 5lb abc
Multiple first aid kits (3)
Flares and gun
Epipens
Orange CTC safety kit
2 times throw rope
Anchor chain and rope combo
Very long rope 300ft or more?
Multiple whistles
Multiple air horns
Multiple flashlights floating
Rechargeable headlamps
Cable cutters
Side cutters
Gravol
Sunscreen
Bugscreen
Raid
Hand Sanitizer and wipes
Foam soap
Bags of towels
Multiple different sized garbage bags
Towing bridle with float
Long and Short handle gaphs
Pens and pads
Binoculars
Cell phones
Chargers / bank
Flight plan
Water / ice
Coffee cans, detergent container bailers
Manual pump bailer
Secondary portable emergency electric bilge pump
Spare drain plug(s)
Primer bulb
Pull start rope / tourniquet

And I like @G.Mech item/location list so I'll be adding a laminated copy of my stuff to my glovebox laminated documents.

 

[G.Mech]

I don’t know, that’s worth a laugh!

Ya, we think we funny but they've heard them all before and don't really have a sense of humour to begin with. That said, if you're getting a ticket anyway, send 'er!

 

[Porkpie]

Ya, we think we funny but they've heard them all before and don't really have a sense of humour to begin with. That said, if you're getting a ticket anyway, send 'er!

Anyone in enforcement that doesn’t have a sense of humour has a long hard career!

 

[walleyeman]

Ok here's my safety list, some things could also be listed here but I considered them more part of my tools.

Fishing Buddy (The Neighbour)
VHS Radio with programmed MMSI
Mustang and regular life jackets
Fire Extinguisher 5lb abc
Multiple first aid kits (3)
Flares and gun
Epipens
Orange CTC safety kit
2 times throw rope
Anchor chain and rope combo
Very long rope 300ft or more?
Multiple whistles
Multiple air horns
Multiple flashlights floating
Rechargeable headlamps
Cable cutters
Side cutters
Gravol
Sunscreen
Bugscreen
Raid
Hand Sanitizer and wipes
Foam soap
Bags of towels
Multiple different sized garbage bags
Towing bridle with float
Long and Short handle gaphs
Pens and pads
Binoculars
Cell phones
Chargers / bank
Flight plan
Water / ice
Coffee cans, detergent container bailers
Manual pump bailer
Secondary portable emergency electric bilge pump
Spare drain plug(s)
Primer bulb
Pull start rope / tourniquet

And I like @G.Mech item/location list so I'll be adding a laminated copy of my stuff to my glovebox laminated documents.

 

[walleyeman]

Hvyhaul. May I ask- What does MMSI mean for your VHF Radio. Thanks.

 

[hvyhaul]

Hvyhaul. May I ask- What does MMSI mean for your VHF Radio. Thanks.

It's a number you apply for, (free) it identifies you, your boat, emergency contacts etc.for that oh life threatening moment.

Your radio requires it for the DSC (big red button) feature to work.

Maritime Mobile Service Identities (MMSIs) are nine-digit numbers used by maritime digital selective calling (DSC), automatic identification systems (AIS) and certain other equipment to uniquely identify a ship or a coast radio station.

 

[Bartman]

Hey GPS, thanks for starting this post. We can't be to safe when out on the water. I don't often post or comment (frequent reader) but when it comes to safety we should all work together. I'll share an experience I encountered while heading out of Port Glasgow last summer that has stuck with me ever since. I was about two miles off shore heading out , it was probably a two foot chop this day, nothing too alarming. I have a Princecraft 176 with a 115 merc four stroke which handles Lake Erie water quite well. Off too my port side I notice a blaze orange flag which appeared to be waving likely 1 mile away. It caught my attention so even though I was anxious to get fishing I thought well I'd better check this out. Off I went and came across an older gentleman in a 12 foot tin boat out trying to enjoy his day and hoping to catch a few fish just like the rest of us. As I got closer I noticed he had a soft cotton blaze orange safety vest tide to the top of his 8 foot vhf antenna.. Because it was a little bumpy this day , at a distance it appeared as though he was waving this flag for help. Turned out everything was find and he explained that he had put this on his antenna so that the larger boats could see him on their way out and not run him over, Not a bad idea even though he maybe shouldn't have been out there this day. He thanked me for checking on him and we both carried on with our day. MY POINT BEING, although a lot of us have the modern technology, VHF/DSC . This is all useless if our batteries drop below 12 volts. You might have a cell signal, charge phone maybe. But once this all fails. I THING THE BLAZE ORANGE HUNTING/SAFETY VEST MIGHT JUST SAVE YOUR LIFE. So grab one of these soft vest and stuff it in your safety kit or anywhere in your boat. You might wave for help and not get noticed but I'm sure if you wave a blaze orange vest/flag it'll catch somebody's attention when you might need it the most. I know the blaze orange survival suits can be seen a far as 5 miles on the lake. I fish Lake Mindemoya on Manitoulin Island every fall. Five miles across the Lake on a reasonably clear day you can't see the boats but you can count the guys wearing survival suits. I 'll apologize in advance for the lengthy post. Just hoping this helps better some ones shitty day one day ! STAY SAFE

 

[GPS]

I like that idea Bartman