Safety Issues

[Jon Bastien]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a boat that stays on a mooring ball most of the time; This means I will be using a dinghy a lot to get back and forth. My dinghy ride is about a mile through a crowded harbor. My question: What kind of safety equipment do you carry on your dinghy? I'm putting together 2 dryboxes that I plan on stocking with the following equipment:- Flashlight- Multi-purpose tool (Leatherman, or similar)- Small anchor (i.e., 2-lb PWC type- Just enough to keep me from washing out with the tide) with about 100' of line- 2 Handheld flares- 2 Self-contained aerial flares (no need to carry a flare gun)- 1 Liter of water- 1 Large towel (Can be used as blanket, sun shade, rag, bandages...)- 1 small air horn (or maybe whistle)...And enough room left over to carry a handheld VHF. There is also a small fire extinguisher mounted on the dinghy, along with all the other USCG required equipment. Am I missing anything?--Jon BastienH23 '2 Sheets to the Wind'H25 'Adagio'

 

[Melody Miller]

Sounds good

Hi Jon:I guess the flashlight will serve to make you visible at dusk and dawn? Perhaps an extra line if you need towing. Otherwise sounds about right.Melody

 

[Justin - O'day Owner's Web]

Dinghy stuff...

Jon,I would add a compass, and I would replace the flashlight with one of the rechargable search lights (something like 500,000cp). This is good for attracting attention where the flashlight might get missed. I would definitely carry a little airhorn, not a whistle, and I would make sure that your VHF is either submersible or that it is in a dry bag that will allow use with removing the radio from it.I have a long dinghy ride too, and my list is not quite as comprehensive as yours, but I think you'll find that its comforting to have all that stuff with you when the engine dies, the storm comes, and the drunk boaters are trying to run you down.Justin - O'day Owner's Web

 

[Don Fitzpatrick]

Shear pins

An essential in any dinghy bag is spare shear pins for the outboards prop. I hit "something" submerged once which broke the pin in my prop and had to row only 1/2 a mile but against a 3 knot current and 20mph breeze. Not an easy task in an inflatable. I now always carry spare pins and the tools to fix it in my bag (that is not as complete as yours).

 

[SteveC]

Also bring 'ships papers' for

the local gendarmes. I borrowed the club's dink once to clean my waterline & was pulled over. The only thing the dink had was an anchor & you should have heard the crap I listened to..... Thought they were gonna execute me..

 

[Gary Nichols]

Other Equipment

Ahoy Jon:Great list, one thing that could be important is something to bail with! A one gallon plastic milk container, with 1/2 the top cut away, would be good. Fair winds to youGary