Ditch bags are designed by the type of boating you do! When I did offshore tuna fishing I had the ditch bag incorporated into the Offshore Solas Lift raft self deploying! It included the following equipmentl
Rapid Ditch Bag with floation, Survivor 06 water maker, 406 EPIRB CAT II
Handheld VHF, Hand Held GPS, Water about 6 quarts with reusable containers, Food Rations enough for 6 days for 6 people, 6-Drinking Cup,
Inova 24/7 Multi purpose light, Super Saber Light, Sea Sick Pills, Signal Horn, Signal Mirror, Dye Marker, 3 -Rocket Parachute Flares, 6 Red Hand Held Flares, Orange Smoke, Safety Knife, Fishing Kit, Bailer, 10 - Light Sticks, Repair Clamps, Patch repair Kit, Folding Radar Reflector, Sea Anchor, Spare Line 100' Polypro, Sponges, Sunscreen, Waterproof Notebook, Waterproof/Windproof Matches, Compass, Spare batteries, Weather balloon with inflator, emergency VHF antenna and wire. 6 - large suits Waterproof/Windproof, 6 - Emergency Blankets, 6 - lift harnesses.
Also a Fieldtex Trans Ocean first aid kit a nice compact kit comes in its own Water proof floating bag.
Along with these items everyone had there own pre fit Life preserver with whistle, strobe lite, and personnel locator beacon, didn,t have personnal 406 EPIRB's back then. We were required to also have gumby survival suits and the boat had its own 406 EPIRB CAT I.
This is about $10,000 worth of stuff mainly used for offshore fishing 50 to 200 miles out. Where you may be a several days before someone found you! That you hope you never use!
Some safety things to leave behind, always leave behind a intinerary of where you are going and when you are coming back! A contact time and Person!
Since you are in Conn. I assume yo will be going no more than 3 to 5 miles offshoe in traveled waters. You can eliminate most of this stuff.
Definately would keep the Hand Held GPS and VHF. Now they have personnel 406 EPIRB's with strobes one should do, as long as the parties stays together. I would also keep any signal devices maybe reduce the count. A suitible first aid kit, not the one for the boat! You are planning on being found within 24 hours or sooner!
Your major concern here is that you will most likely ditch in bad weather and rough sea conditions. You need to be located and then seen. A person in the water in high seas is difficult to see. I would not worry about a raft particularily if you have a dinghy and you can deploy it quickly.
One last note everyone should have their own life preserver that is pre-fit to them. DO NOT make them nice and neat still in the plastic bags they came in. Try them on, adjust to fit and write names on them. Store them without readjusting any of the straps. In a quick ditch situation you don't have much time so keep them readily available, NOT down below in some cabinet, better yet wear them.
The secret to quick Ditch is that everything you need is available NOW! Also practice makes perfect give everyone a job to do! You are going to be worthless because you are going to be attending to the boat, everyone needs to know what to do in a quick ditch situation.
Hope this helps, it is not a subject that is to comforting to talk about! Let see, don't think I left anything out!
Mike -
