Above And Beyond Safe Boating Requirements??

[Dave R]

Great thread. Lots of great stuff mentioned so far. I have a comprehensive selection of spare parts, emergency gear, "MacGyver materials" and tools on board all the time. Much of my stuff has already been covered, so I'll just list things I have not seen yet:

spare mercruiser blue cooling system drain plug
1 5/8" expandable rubber "freeze plug"
assortment of hose clamps
new fuel filter and a bottle of gasoline to prime it with
mercruiser service manuals for my engine and my drive
Fluke 87 DVM
canvas snap parts kit and a tool to install them
spare manual bilge pump
bare SS wire
huge assortrment of SS screws, nuts, washers etc.
3M 4200
JB weld
zip ties
small torch
sealing heat shrink crimp connectors

throw rope (with bean bag weight attached)
2 boat hooks (you really need two to go through locks)
Chapmans

Xacto knife (for use as a scalpel) in my first aid kit.

There's more, but I can't recall all of it.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Mee-n-Mac

"...And duct tape. Of course..."

1) Absolootely—although a demonstration of "gaffer's tape" showed me some super-great versatility. Anyone know where I can buy a roll of "gaffer's tape"?

2) Governments—worldwide—closed down Halon production: Halon hasn't been manufactured since 1994. Any recharging has to be done with recycled Halon or exhausting the present stock. (That said, the present stock is very generous, as the announcement of Halon-cessation resulted in a huge over-production of Halon).

3) After checking on the Coast Guard's long-delayed approval of inflatable life jackets, this site has interesting commentary and graphs:
http://www.boatus.com/foundation/Fin...latablepfd.htm

"...All our testers agreed. If they had to drift around in the water, waiting for rescue, they would want to be wearing the bulky but tried-and-true, inherently buoyant Type I life jacket..."

( It's a pfd file )

'Better read-up on those "manual" inflatables.

3) The presence of spare bulbs is a good idea—which prompts me to suggest that a small piece of fine "wet-or-dry" sandpaper should be included to erase any corrosion.

4) I still have a "beer-can" type extinguisher. Though handy, those were discontinued, as the vehicle was carbon-tetrachloride (which turned out to be very damaging to one's nervous system).

5) Any "dry-chemical" fire extinguisher that has ever been discharged (even a little) will eventually leak down; however, there may stilll be some value to a "leaked" fire extinguisher.

I'd previously written of putting out a friend—who'd been enveloped by a gasoline fire plus a Triumph GT-6 at a traffic signal—Lucas electrics. (No injuries resulted).

But that's not the way to experience putting out a serious fire. I suggest fully-exhausting a "slightly-used" dry-chemical extinguisher in a demonstration by youthful boaters—in the presence of experienced boaters.

(But not actually using a fire in the demonstration).

6) Kamper's suggestion of maintaining a distance between extinguisher and potential fire is a good one; however, my extinguisher is mounted at the gas tank (bow), as the fire is more likely at the outboard (stern).

Maybe I should mount a second extinguisher at the engine.

7) A selection of tapered wood plugs (available at West® stores) might have saved the Dive boat from sinking. (Jamming a plug into the puncture—with a rag around it—would've slowed the incoming water).

8) "Zip-ties" are usually labelled as "cable-ties". Though the vast majority are made of plastic, cable-ties are available in stainless steel!

[Jonas Pilot]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...tialSearch=yes

[robmac]

Wow, someone else carries a spare blue merc. coolant drain plug I was told I was a little overboard for that one. Finally they can't talk about that one anymore.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...tialSearch=yes

Thanks for that "gaffer tape" link.

The demonstration I saw was by a genuine Hollywood gaffer, who told me that there was only one place who could supply it—and that store was in New York City.

I see it costs 80¢ per foot.

Well, I think it's worth it. It's stronger than duct tape, and doesn't have the drawbacks: because it's a cloth product, it tears evenly, wraps around items smoothly, and releases cleanly without leaving any adhesive residues.

The Tornado® whistle I bought at a West® store, but the blast is so incredibly loud, I'd hesitate to ever use it again. (And have used it only once!) I keep that whistle—and registration—attached to my personal PFD. (The whistle is secured so that it can be used without detaching it). If I'm not actually wearing the PFD, I store it visibly—to keep the MPs "happy".

Nowadays, I don't boat after dark—but if I did, I'd also attach a $27 "automatic strobe light" to at least one of the PFDs:


Y'never know...there may be a "rogue-wave" out there—somewhere....

[stingray60]

This is a great thread with lots of good suggestions and tips. Here's my two cents worth:

We go out on the water both day and night that usually includes several of the kids. Daytime is mostly cruisin' and tubin', while evenings and night-time can be a pleasant, easy cruise. The skipper always has good boat deck footwear and everyone aboard wears a PFD at night. Slow down (it's not a race); don't want to find it by hitting it. Don't have GPS, but I can read a chart, a compass and get my bearings. If the water gets rough everyone gets assigned seating and it's time to pay attention. All the kids know how to tie a bowline, half-hitch, and a clove hitch. The boat has six cleats and usually keep ample dockline attached to all of them. (You need it when you need it and not look for it.) Two batteries switchable, two anchors, tools, an extra stern light. Skipper has a whistle on a lanyard around his neck.

I've also learned (the hard way) to keep a minimag flashlight and GERBER tool attached to my belt. You need it when you need it and the Gerber provides small tools with a knife in one package. Same with the minimag -- you need light precisely when and where it's needed.

Other things I do have already been posted. I would like to add something on the subject of whistles, although it's not related to boating but the idea is the same. We often go hiking in the Lakes Region and White Mountains. Everyone in our family has a whistle (lanyard around your neck) in the woods. The kids know the rule -- it's a tool not a toy. Sit down if you get lost and blow the whistle ONCE. Let us find you. If you fall and/or get hurt blow the whistle THREE times. The whistle sound carries well through the woods. Can't shout out loud with cracked ribs.

Time to have safe and fun day.

[Ropetow]

Originally Posted by Dave R

Great thread. Lots of great stuff mentioned so far. I have a comprehensive selection of spare parts, emergency gear, "MacGyver materials" and tools on board all the time. Much of my stuff has already been covered, so I'll just list things I have not seen yet:

spare mercruiser blue cooling system drain plug
1 5/8" expandable rubber "freeze plug"
assortment of hose clamps
new fuel filter and a bottle of gasoline to prime it with
mercruiser service manuals for my engine and my drive
Fluke 87 DVM
canvas snap parts kit and a tool to install them
spare manual bilge pump
bare SS wire
huge assortrment of SS screws, nuts, washers etc.
3M 4200
JB weld
zip ties
small torch
sealing heat shrink crimp connectors

throw rope (with bean bag weight attached)
2 boat hooks (you really need two to go through locks)
Chapmans

Xacto knife (for use as a scalpel) in my first aid kit.

There's more, but I can't recall all of it.

That's a great list, but, where is the nearest set of locks located? Perhaps it is the set in Boston at the Science Museum? I don't think we have one in the entire state. But you are right about needing 2 boat hooks to navigate through locks.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Ropetow

That's a great list, but, where is the nearest set of locks located? Perhaps it is the set in Boston at the Science Museum? I don't think we have one in the entire state. But you are right about needing 2 boat hooks to navigate through locks.

Songo River in Maine has one and there are several on the Champlain Canal.

[Yankee]

I keep a spare drain plug in my tool kit. I'm not concerned about it coming loose and falling out. But I've made the mistake of not checking it ahead of time and getting to the boat launch only to find out that there's no drain plug installed.

I also have a manual bilge pump. Again, I learned from an experience with a leaky outdrive bellows that bilge pumps will only keep up as long as the batteries have juice, and when you need to get water out immediatley, one of these http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...Number=2845410 is the only way to go. They're inexpensive.

[SAMIAM]

Great thread....... 100' line to a throw cushion is a new one to me after 30 years of boating....going to take care of that today.Thanks
Also,after reading this thread,I'm going to cancel my TowBoatUS membership and just call OCDACTIVE if I break down.......he's got everything.