Best marine GPS – For those who are intending to sail outside sheltered waters or planning a lengthy sailing trip, having a yachting tool kit that includes best marine GPS is essential. The main advantage of having key items all in one kit is that it becomes quick and easy to locate items required in emergency situations.
Sailing Safety Essentials – Yachting Tool Kit
Before heading out to sea for the first time or on a lengthy voyage, it is very important to have a basic yachting tool kit that has best marine GPS too, in case anything breaks or needs repairing/replacing whilst at sea. All items including GPS monitoring repair kit for such kits can be purchased from a Chandler’s or sailing centre. In The Sea Survival Manual, Howarth & Howarth (2005) highlight essential tool kit items, to include the following:
- Set of open-ended/ring spanners
- Assorted sizes/styles screwdrivers
- Large/small pliers
- Hammer, mallet
- Assorted files
- Allen keys
- Hacksaw, spare blades
- Drill, accessories
- Serrated knife/rope cutter
- Electrical connector, crimping tool
- Assorted hose clamps
- Assorted glues
- Penetrating oil
- GRP monitoring repair kit
- Sandpaper
- Puncture repair kit
- Spare light bulbs
- Water-maker spare
- Plumbing supplies
- Electrical tool kit
- Best marine GPS
A puncture repair kit is an absolutely crucial item for ensuring liferafts or inflatable dinghies remain in good working order. This is particularly vital in man overboard (MOB) situations where inflatable devices can mean the difference between life and death. Rope cutters are also essential when sails get caught and rope needs to be untangled quickly.
Yachting Essentials – Sail Repair Bag, Equipment Manuals
Another yachting essential is a sail repair bag, which is usually necessary when out at sea for long periods of time, or in areas where professional sailmakers are not easily accessible. Howarth & Howarth recommend that a sail repair bag should include the following:
- Needles
- Palm thread
- Spare material
- Special self-adhesive tape (to repair torn sails).
The main reason why including a sail repair bag whilst out at sea is crucial, is down to the fact that a small hole can be very easily turned into a significant tear through wind damage.
In order to handle any onboard equipment failure, it is also vital to have each manual easily accessible for making any necessary repairs.
Before heading out to sea for lengthy periods of time or for the maiden voyage, having a basic yachting tool kit including best marine GPS is necessary to remain safe. Essential tool kit items, include rope cutters, GPS monitoring repair kit, plumbing/electrical repair supplies and puncture repair kit for maintaining liferaft or inflatable dinghy equipment. In addition, sail repair bag items to ensure sails can be easily fixed include needles, thread and spare material.
The Sea Survival Manual for Cruising and Professional Yachtsmen
The Sea Survival Manual is a fantastic resource for anyone planning a sailing trip, regardless of whether one is a professional yachtsmen or relative amateur to the sport. This book has the potential to save lives, particularly as it also includes the Personal Survival Course syllabus.
The Sea Survival Manual for Cruising and Professional Yachtsmen: Overview
The Sea Survival Manual for Cruising and Professional Yachtsmen contains practical, easy to follow information on essential equipment required to survive a whole range of circumstances which may occur whilst at sea. Divided into two main parts, being prepared and survival at sea, a brief overview of The Sea Survival Manual by Howarth & Howarth (2005), includes the following:
- Being prepared – training courses, regulation, passage preparation, weather
- Safety/survival equipment – RYA recommendations, man overboard equipment
- Global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS) – distress signalling devices
- Life raft – life raft types, regulations, life raft emergency packs, size/position
- Grab bag – regulations, grab bag items, categories
- Medical training, equipment, advice – preventing illness, medical supplies
- Firefighting equipment – warning devices, firefighting systems, escape routes
- Emergency situations – collision, fire, flooding, heavy weather, man overboard
- Urgency pan pan – medical advice by radio, medical evacuation, towage
- Emergency MAYDAY – distress signals, pyrotechnics, rescue by ship
- Taking to the life raft – abandoning ship/yacht, boarding life raft, righting capsized life raft
- Survival in the life raft – immediate/secondary action, rescue, attracting attention.
In the appendices, there is also plenty of helpful information, including as follows:
- Code of practice by Cruising Association
- Passage plan and checklists
- Safety equipment and checklist
- Medical stores for vessel categories, A/B/C
- Radio Medical Advice form
Yacht Safety and Sea Survival Equipment
One of the most practical and useful chapters within The Sea Survival Manual is chapter two, which offers the reader detailed essential information on a whole range of different safety and survival equipment, necessary to cope with many different circumstances whilst at sea. The manual’s list of key sea safety and survival equipment includes the following:
- Emergency steering
- Rope cutters
- Anchors
- Drag devices
- Bailing, bilge pumps
- Flood prevention equipment
- Emergency non-radio signalling equipment
- Radar reflectors
- Pyrotechnics
- Life-jackets
- Buoyancy aids
- Clothing
- Guardrails, lifelines
- Safety harnesses
- Man overboard (MOB) equipment
- Navigational equipment
- Galley equipment
- Spares for engine
- Generator spares
Whether you are a professional yachtsman, flotilla sailor or relative amateur to the sport of sailing, the same safety and survival equipment will be required. In addition to safety essentials such as life-jackets, buoyancy aids and distress signals, medical equipment medication and first aid kits are vital to help protect against diseases such as HIV and malaria.
