Be Prepared to Abandon Ship

Items needed for survival

If you are not rescued right away, your second priority becomes survival.

Food and water rations, sunscreen, lip balm and life jackets are all important for making any period of time that you have to spend in the water safer and more comfortable.

An off-shore life raft is also a good idea to have on board. For long-term survival, the most important thing is water. Fill plastic bottles with fresh drinking water, but not all the way - leave air space at the top to ensure the bottles will float. When packing food, choose high-energy items like cereal, canned fruit and hard candy.

Practice makes perfect

Once you have your abandon ship kit assembled, it's a good idea to go through some practice runs with it. Try a drill that involves the entire crew as if the event were really happening. You should go through this drill at the beginning of every boating season.

One use — and one use only

Make sure that the items in your kit are only for use if you have to abandon your boat. They shouldn't be for general use. Chances are, if people are taking things out of the kit, they will forget to put them back or the batteries will be run down when you actually need to use them.

Stay with your vessel

It is important to remember to stay with the boat as long as possible. You should stay in or on it as long as it is even partially afloat, and until you're sure that your safety is in jeopardy. This will help you stay warmer and also makes you much more visible to other boats and passing aircraft.

But in the event that you do need to bail out, it is important to know that you're prepared, and you have all the necessities to ensure a prompt rescue as well as your survival. Hopefully you'll never have to use your abandon-ship kit, but if you do, nothing can take the place of being prepared when the unexpected occurs.

When going out for a day on the water, the last thing you want to think about is what you'd do if you had to abandon your vessel. But it is a fact that things can happen out there. A fire could break out. You could hit submerged debris and take on water. In any case, it is important to be prepared.

There's not much time

If your boat sinks out from under you, chances are, you'll have a limited amount of time to react. Having the right emergency equipment on board and knowing how to use it is crucial to your survival. An abandon-ship kit, prepared in advance and stocked with emergency gear, just might be the key to staying alive and signaling for rescue if you have to leave your boat behind.

Different types of abandon-ship kits

There are several types of abandon-ship kits that you could use. There are pre-assembled kits that you can buy that already contain most of the items you'd need. They don't cost a lot, and if you ever need to use it the return on your investment is priceless.

Most pre-assembled kits (abandon-ship bags or ditch bags) are brightly colored, waterproof and buoyant. If you create your own kit, it should be brightly colored and labeled "ABANDON SHIP."

Where you stash it

The kit should be kept in a convenient location where it is easily accessible, and every passenger on board should be made aware of its location.

If you choose to create your own kit, be sure to put anything that can't get wet in separate smaller plastic bags. It should also be attached to a floating lanyard or other buoyant item.

A lot of different things can go in

Many factors will determine what you put in your abandon-ship kit. What type of boating you're doing, where you boat, how many people are on board and your personal budget may all influence what you keep in your kit.

In most cases, if you have to abandon your boat, your primary concern will be to alert potential rescuers.

Must-haves for every situation

Some key items to have in your kit should include flares, an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), a VHF radio, a handheld GPS, extra batteries, whistles and signal mirrors. With an EPIRB, your coded signal identifying you and your boat will be sent via satellite to the nearest rescue station.

This is possibly the very best means of getting the attention of a rescuer. A VHF radio can help you contact nearby boats and a GPS will allow you to tell them your exact position. From that point, flares, signaling mirrors and whistles will all help identify your location.