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Small Boat
Offshore Safety (Part 2)
In our last issue, we covered some initial points about offshore safety in
small boats. Part 2 covers more critical topics.
Remember, this article is NOT a general safety article. It
discusses issues we found important or unique to small boats offshore, and
how we made the decisions for Toy Boat 2. For additional background
reading, check out some of the articles mentioned in our
sidebar article.
If you have any additions or corrections, please feel free to
email us, or
post something on our discussion forums. .
Fish Safely |
First Aid
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Seen/Heard/Found
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Abandon Ship!
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Getting Ready |
Conclusions
Let's assume we've decided to get off the boat. What can you do to
improve your odds of surviving your time in the water?
In our last issue, we mentioned exposure
or survival suits, so we won't go over them again. They
have their place, depending on the waters and seasons that you fish. The bottom
line, though, is that the longer you are in the water, the lower your chances
of survival.
Which brings up the topic of life rafts. Many experienced
offshore fishermen will not venture out without one. However, they are
expensive and bulky, and given that most skiffs are required to have level
floation (and theoretically can't sink), they seem to have less value to
skiff fishermen.
However, there are two situations on a skiff that would definitely make a life
raft necessary: a fire/explosion, or the boat flipping over. A
fire on board most skiffs is unlikely, but could happen, especially in the area
under the console.
Last year we had a real scare when we switched on a high-amp circuit with a
solenoid. The solenoid stuck briefly, which caused it to overheat. It got
so hot that it flashed off the Corrosion Block spray on the terminals,
causing a cloud of white smoke to come billowing out from under the console.
That circuit was on a circuit breaker, so we were probably in no real danger,
but it did scare the bejesus out of us. Keep in mind that most fiberglass boats
are not built with fire-retarding resins. If something actually manages to
light the hull, it will probably burn to the waterline - making it necessary
for you to get off the boat.
Most life raft companies offer small life rafts intended for people
operating in waters where the odds of being rescued quickly are
pretty high (i.e. closer to shore, near shipping lanes, you have an EPIRB,
etc.). Often labelled as "rescue pods" or "coastal" life rafts, they are
smaller, have fewer supplies, and do not offer as much
protection from cold water and bad weather as larger offshore rafts, but they
are substantially less expensive, and pack smaller.
We don't have a life raft on Toy Boat 2, due to both cost and space limitations.
However, we're thinking once we figure out how to mount radar, we might be able
to make room for a life raft as well...A cannister release model on the radar
arch might work...Of course life rafts also have a regular maintenance
schedule, so they might be cost-prohibitive for us to own.
  Another
thing to keep handy is something called a "ditch bag" or "abandon ship bag".
This is a bag containing all of the really critical safety gear along with
survival gear.
It does not have to be a specialized ditch bag, like our
West Marine bag, but specialized ditch bags
contain floation and tend to be fairly water resistant.
In our ditch bag, we put the handheld VHF, flares, signal mirror, first aid
kit, foul weather gear, life vest rearming kit, extra flashlights, batteries,
water, ropes, a knife, a hand compass, the spare GPS, space blankets, and an
air horn. We also toss our cell phone, wallet and car keys into the ditch
bag, rather than keep them in a pocket.
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