What kinda gear do you take on a month-long yacht trip?

[scott.cr]

I have a friend who's going on a month-long yachting trip in January and I'd like to give him a "load-out" for Christmas.

They're starting in Florida, sailing around some islands nearby, going through the Panama canal, rendezvous with the wives in Baja and sailing up the California coast until they get home.

Of course... yellow Surefire G2 is on the list. ;-) Go ahead and throw me your suggestions.

 

[Valpo Hawkeye]

Barf bags, some good reading material.

Seriously, though, I saw a devices somewhere that is a small fob that can attach to keys or a lanyard or whatever... when it touches water it automatically expands/inflates to keep it from sinking. It would be great to attach these to lights, gear, etc.

Also, a multi-level light with long runtime would be a good idea.

 

[TedTheLed]

maybe it's my advancing age and the loss of the feeling of imortality, but the concept of traversing large bodies of deep water with the people-munching fish just beneath the surface scares me.. so anything to keep one afloat and alive appeals to me. Like the key ring device mentioned above, there are also jackets that inflate the moment they hit water..

and what about pirates?

 

[DaFABRICATA]

Captain Jack Sparrow is in jail at the moment, so they should be OK in that respect.

Lights, lights, more lights, and extra batteries and bulbs

 

[Lightmania]

Headlamps!

 

[tradderran]

I don't know his itinerary but in the waters off and south of Florida
a .50 Browning comes to mind.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Foul-weather gear
Proper deck shoes (including boots for foul weather)
Motion-sickness meds
Sun block/lip balm
Mariner's gloves
Polarized sunglasses (eliminates glare on water)
Princeton Tec Impact XL, Attitude and EOS
Waterproof strobe light (PT Aqua Strobe not bright enough for ocean-going)
EPIRB (helps to locate bobbing sailor in ocean)
Book on nautical knots (and a short line to practice with)
Multi-tool
Safety harness (great for keeping body on deck in raging seas)
Musical instrument (button accordion for entertaining crew)
Sea shanty lyrics (for entertainment, raising sail and swabbing deck)

I'll add to the list later if I can think of anything. :thinking:

 

[65535]

A decent sized solar cell that can be strapped to unused deck, good for extra juice for anything that may drain power that could be better used elsewhere, they probably have a generator on board, but a solar cell is nice for battery charging. A pair yes 2x lights for every passenger should be had, I would recommend something like a U2, maybe that new light in the CPF marketplace, the titan killer.

 

[kelmo]

Books, booze, and a fishing pole.

Oh yeah, and a decent flashlight or four...

 

[Numbers]

On a trip like this you friend better already have all of the necessary safety equipment. All you should have to do is add to what he already has on board . As was said earlier - specifically his bar supplies and his self defense capability (with the .50 cal.) and a flashlight too.

Not mentioned before, aside from the Eprib, is communications equipment - he better be able to recieve continuois weather information, and be able to stay in touch with the coast guard or land based stations via VHF and/or HF. Cell phone alone is not acceptable. Make sure he files a float plan, say with you, so that some one knows where he is supposed to be at all times. Touch base regularly to make sure all is ok.

 

[jumpstat]

I you plan to use the both hands frequently, the best bet is a head lamp, preferbly an incan since those can cut through fog/mist....

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Kelmo -- you crack me up!

Seriously, when I sailed the Straits of Florida twenty years ago it was one of the three most active areas for piracy on earth (along with the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.) For that reason alone I would require a good captain -- one who really knows the story.

I would also recommend that anyone who needs any meds has a 24 hr supply in a watertight container attached to their belt at all times. All persons should also have a watertight twisty flashlight with a plastic body attached to their belt at all times. Throughout the waters mentioned all travelers should also have their passports attached to their belts at all times in the same way.

I won't bore you with the reasons for those recommendations but I will state that there is nothing new under the sun and if anyone encounters misadventure they will be far better served by following those rules than ignoring them.

I've logged quite a few miles on ships in those waters and while they are not particularly hazardous per se, very bad things can and do happen from time to time and they may be complicated by regional politics -- so one should always be prepared for any eventuality. Many years ago an old friend of mine was 'crewing for passage' on a sloop in the carribean when the boat hit a reef in the dark and quickly sank. He escaped with his life and little else. He swam to a nearby island but inspite of being a US citizen he was detained under very creepy conditions for six weeks in the local jail because his passport went down with the sloop and he couldn't prove who he was.

When someone books that 'Adventure of a Lifetime' cruise they should bear in mind that there is always a chance that it may just work out that way.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sub_Umbra, you are right on the mark.

BTW... The PT Impact XL and Attitude that I recommended are plastic, waterproof and twisties. The XL has more lumens than the Attitude but both have long run times. The Attitude is more of a back up and for below-deck navigating.

 

[BIGIRON]

I'm lining up with Sub and UBob. If the friend with the boat isn't very experienced, I would hire a captain or a good crewman with knowledge and experience of the area.

Only other thing I would add is a good knife, usable with one hand, at all times.

 

[TedTheLed]

I sent the list to a friend who has done a lot of sailing and she wrote back:

"definitely lots of books and music. ---
you sound pretty well equipped for anything.
good coffee (obviously) and depending on the sea conditions, an oil (parafin?) lamp on a bevel..
and did you say a harness to strap you into the galley during rough conditions? (definitely necessary)
will let you know if we think of more stuff.."

 

[springnr]

Source of ideas.

For Land Ho

 

[raggie33]

dont forget the yacht

 

[Uncle Bob]

and did you say a harness to strap you into the galley during rough conditions? (definitely necessary)

The safety harness is designed more properly for being on deck. In rough seas it's a good idea to wear the harness while the other end is attached to grab rails or other hard points topside to prevent being tossed overboard. It's comforting to have it on (and in use) when you need to go forward to change sail or perform other tasks on deck in a raging sea.

Here's a link for more stuff to take along:

http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/033199btip.htm

 

[DM51]

UncleBob, SubU, Bigiron, TedTL have it right. Raggie too, lol. In fact there's no shortage of good advice here.

Salt water is highly corrosive and in 1 month at sea in a small-ish boat it will eat anything that isn't waterproof and kept totally away from it. (Of course, if you are going to be on a 400 ft floating gin-palace, that's another matter.)

Your lights should be snorkel or dive-rated, and if possible all your other electronic stuff too, if there is any possibility that it will get splashed by salt water. Cameras are especially vulnerable.

Look into getting some decent w'proof boxes (Peli, Otter etc) or at the very least some good heavy-duty Ziplocks.