Abandon Ship

Although it is a very rare occurrence, you must be prepared to abandon ship if and when a sinking is imminent. Fortunately, there are very few instances in which a well-found cruising boat would find itself in a sinking situation The checklists in this section will help you as you assess your needs and select emergency gear for abandoning ship.

Abandon Ship Equipment

	Item	Link to Detail
Emergency Gear to Pack in the Ditch Bag
	Emergency Provisions - Emergency Water: 5 Gallon jerry can (with 1/2 gal of air space) lashed on deck with 20' polypropylene painter.
Communication
	Handheld VHF in watertight bag with spare batteries
	Cell phone (as backup for calling the USCG)	List of USCG Phone #'s
First Aid
	Offshore first aid kit	Detailed list of supplies
	Seasickness pills (e.g. Dramamine)
Light
	Package of 6 Cynalume light sticks
	Manually activated LED flashlight ("shaker" type)
	Waterproof flashlight (e.g. Pelican SabreLight) and spare batteries
Minor Repairs
	Life raft repair kit (patches, glue, clamps)
	Life raft repair clamp ("Clam seal" type)
Misc.
	Bailing sponge or chamois
	Fishing kit (optional)
	10 zip-loc bags (gallon size)
Personal Gear
	Flashlight - "shaker type" that doesn't need batteries
	Flashlight - Pelican SabreLight
	Glasses or contacts (spare)
	Photocopy of passport
	Prescription medications
	Sunscreen lotion / hat
Provisions
	Food - energy bars (such as "Clif" bars)
	Water packets
	Hand operated water maker
Summon Help
	Dye marker packets
	EPIRB / GPIRB (usually kept in pocket of ditch bag)	BOAT/US EPIRB rental program
	Flares (3 red parachute, 3 red handheld, 1 smoke canister)	BOAT/US Foundation review of different types of flares
	GPS (handheld) with spare batteries
	Sound Producing Device s (manual horn, whistles, etc.)
	Signaling Mirrors (2)
Warmth
	"Hot hands" hand warmer packets
	Space blankets (one for each crew member and a spare)
	Wool watch caps (one for each crew member and a spare)

Life Raft
	Life Raft - Suitable style and construction for the areas you'll be sailing in - Large enough for the entire crew
Emergency Provisions
	Emergency Water: 5 Gallon jerry can (with 1/2 gal of air space) lashed on deck with 20' polypropylene painter.
	Emergency Food:
Waterproof Canister of Visual Distress Signals (in addition to the Ditch Bag)
	Visual Distress Signals (SOLAS grade highly preferred) - Three (or more) red parachute flares - Three (or more) red handheld flares - One (or more) orange smoke canisters - Two (or more) dye markers
	Other signaling equipment - Whistles / horn - Signal mirrors

	Item	Link to Detail
Articles on Choosing Survival Gear
	Article on choosing gear to put in the ditch bag.	Link
	Another article on equipping the ditch bag.	Link
	Choosing a liferaft - article from WestMarine	Link
	Choosing a liferaft - buyers guide, based on intended use	Link
Liferaft Manufacturers
	Avon	Link
	Switlick	Link
	Winslow - Top rated by Practical Sailor. Link on this page for a free copy of the report.	Link
	Zodiac	Link

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