Our Offshore Sailing Safety Gear - WHAT IS NECESSARY?

[@rustie4242]

The one thing I wouldn't go offshore with out is competence and experience.... Too many people head off in a boat full of safety gear but completely lacking in skills...... Seamanship, knowing what you're doing is the most important thing to take offshore.... Cheers from Down Under, Rustie,

[@barrybuchner5517]

We are cruisers, off shore. This is one of your most informational videos to date. Thanks and Happy thanksgiving

[@mikehoward70]

PFDs should have leg straps. The straps stop you sliding out if you are being towed by the tether or if someone is trying to lift you out of the water

[@jeffj7391]

Second that, was looking at your inflatable PFD's but did not see crotch straps which you definitely want to keep the vest from riding up and/or you sliding out. We went with the Spinlock Deskvest PFD's as they have the tether mount point, crotch straps, spray hood and light. Jeff

[@jparsons121]

Well done! Covered all the key items that came to my mind. Only addition would be a sharp knife of some kind. Standard on my pfd as, particularly on a sailing vessel, there are a multitude of lines that you could become entangled in and need to cut quickly.

[@jansmith9922]

Phenomenal video!! With the amount of viewers you have on your you tube channel, why don’t you contact a manufacture builder of emergency life rafts and work up a partnership where you get a free life raft with service and possible some money to do a full demonstration of how it works & how to survive in one until you are picked up and they get free 100k you tube plus adverting space. No doubt the manufacture of these types of rafts have excellent training programs. As a professional pilot, I would recommend that you guys get one of these emergency rafts. For pilots/aircraft, if you are flying over open ocean or large lakes the FAA requires the vessel to have a emergency life raft on board. Emergency life raft training is typically done in a pool & class room lecture. This type of training school opens up the mind to the worst situation of having to ditch. One thing that always stands out in those classes is to have large plastic bags ready and put all food & water bottles/jugs into those bags to put in your life raft when evacuating in your case a sinking vessel. The issue with using your dingy as an “emergency” life raft is the fact it does not have a closed top cabin. If the swell is big you can easy sink your dingy or flip your dingy in this type of chaotic ocean swell environment. Also, I live on a small bay where many boats that either moor out or transitional boats come and go. One evening a transitional boat that was very well maintained caught on fire & the fire spread so rapidly to the entire deck of the boat. It was absolutely shocking how fast the fire engulfed the boat. There would be zero time for you guys to get your dingy into the water should you have such a catastrophic event on your boat in open ocean. Which is scary. In this case the fire was caused while cooking. Within minutes the mast had fallen. I kid you not, it was absolutely scary to watch this situation unfold. The only thing I could do was call 911 (along with all my neighbors). The fire trucks came & stayed on the beach/road as there was nothing they could do. About an hour into the fire the boat was still burning a fire department boat came without fire fighting capability. About two hours after the fire started the boat was burned down to the water line but was still burning a fire fight department boat with water hoses came. They put out the rest of the fire & moved the boat to the local marine for inspection. The boat was a total loss within 10 minutes. The flames where 30, 40, 50 feet in the air...the thick thick black smoke billowed a hundred feel. The reason these people were able to get into their dingy was the fact they had it tied up to their boat still not up on a lift. Sadly to report one of two pets parishes in the tragic fire & one of the boat owners burned his lungs & lost their boat home. Very sad. Typically this boat owner would move their dingy to the top front of their boat for storage. Thankfully, they did not do this on this evening. Otherwise they would have had to jump in the water & swim to shore which was not a long distance. But, what if you guys are sailing in open ocean & a fire happens. You would not have time to get your dingy in the water. This is why having an emergency life raft is key to survival in all boat emergencies. You guys have done an amazing job with all the emergency items & back up items. I would also recommend when you are in port with other boater friends that all of you practice a “man over board situation’ with everyone being the guy in the water & also the person that has to turn the boat & get to the man over board. Obviously, do this in calm water & have your dingy in the water & close to the person who is playing the “man over board”. In aviation captains must go to recurrent simulator training every 6 mons and co pilots every 12 months. This training is priceless. So come up with some emergency drills & put steps in writing ...memorize the steps of these types drills. Also the other key to survival in a life raft is making water. Lean to do this in a raft. Love your videos. This one is excellent. Take care. 👏💜🌴🍍

[@petertarantola786]

A life raft has parachute like things that keep it from capsizing and also sun protection. There usually is another ditch kit in there too. An inflatable dingy can capsize in the ocean very easily. Also, no sun protection.

[@quarlow1215]

Here in the Pacific Northwest because of cold water temps we like to have a ditch suit. More commonly called a survival suit. If you go overboard it will keep you alive much longer. But for foul weather we use cruiser suits also. They just keep you warm and dry in crappy conditions.

[@zachnattrass]

Great Video! However I'd recommend beef up those carabiners on your tethers. Climbing ones have locking systems and are rated for a lot higher of a load than the standard ones.

[@jacksbackable]

zach nattrass just needs to be stainless!

[@richardmason902]

There are biners specifically designed for this purpose and two lines attached to a dedicated harness is the go.

[@SV_Aroo]

The shackle you clip to the PFD should have a quick release that works under load. If you're over the side and dangling or being dragged by the tether, the biner will only release if you can get slack in the tether. May make the difference. The soft shackle seems like I great idea, if it's easy enough to work for you. Maybe with gloves on. I like the Kong Tango snap hook for its ease of use, but I'll give a soft shackle a try.

[@jacksbackable]

I agree with the dinghy as/is your life raft! However I'd have a separate grab bag for it, including obviously food and water, but also a tarp for shade, water collection, drogue and possibly as a sail. Of course it would be a highly visible colour. There's other options for essentials. Thanks for sharing and safe passages.

[@chrischapman2955]

Great video as always! Especially like the soft shackle idea as I worry about banging up our deck with a metal shackle. Thanks!

[@sailingavocet]

it really was a great idea - noted!

[@sethrowe3583]

Good stuff..Being safe and prepared makes for more fun on the water!

[@tallahatchiewoodcrafts8696]

man y'all are my heroes,I really admire what you are doing! Stay safe and have fun! G.

[@irishmickoo]

Good one guys. Such a delight that the two of you are such a great team. All the best, Mick

[@bradleyb7210]

I got to tell you guys that I sometimes check out some of the other sailing videos on KZbin but by far your channel is the best. Would love to see your adventures if you guys sailed around the world someday! That would be really cool! 😀

[@westonbadke5434]

Id probably include extra fuel in Jerry cans as backup. Depth sounder/fish finder for equipment. Not just the screen, but the transponder under the boat too. I knew a guy who just had the screen and was wondering why it didn’t work.

[@darkerbrother1]

For your handheld VHF radio. You may want to get one with DSC. DSC is kind of a Universal survival band. You register and basically file your cruise plan. In case of emergency. You press the DSC button and the alert goes to all boats within range that have a DSC receiver It also allows the Coast Guard to come directly to your location.

[@thelava_co]

Love seeing you guys grow as a channel. Great Job. Sub'd - I want a boat now!!! LOL

[@thedaiseyproject8742]

To your future endeavors which we all will enjoy you guys being safe is a comfort to see. Now if we can just get a certain individual to at least get engaged (billy) so nothing could happen to Sierra, that would be good safety issue.....Ha Ha ...you have to work on this jetty it's up to you. Some of us have tried. Happy sailing.

[@tomscott3939]

life saving things great video. AIS is also good if you get around ships you can call if you are on a collision course.container ships will not see you for a long ways!

[@briancote8892]

Rocking the RR t-shirt. Awesome. Great video with lots of info. Thanks again.

[@SVImpavidus]

Offshore flare kit? Just wondered if you have them in the states? Also AIS. We have found that many vessels that should have AIS dont. And many that do do not respond to AIS /DSC calls on VHF. Do you have horseshoe buoy with flag drogue and light? Throw it over in MOB situation. Casualty has something to get hold of and you have something visual to focus on. Just a few thoughts. Sail Safe. Ant, Cid & the Pooch crew.

[@21mozzie]

I haven't gone offshore 'yet'. But I would attach a scuba safety sausage to my life jacket. It's an inflatable orange tube that you can wave for attention. They cost $10 or so and make finding a person in the ocean so much easier...

[@Michael-cf9lf]

Good stuff guys very important. How many days did it take you to go from St Croix to Grenada?

[@akbmunsell]

Inflatables don't count unless they are worn. At least according to the coast guard here in Alaska.

[@davidbyrd5065]

Would a HF radio be an asset , I am a ham radio operator I talk to cruisers occasionally. Also the maritime net on 14.3 mhz. Could be a resource for you.

[@MrRedeoarknot]

Love your channel one of the best.

[@Craigs_car_care]

You guys are so much fun. Thanks for a million new acronyms. 😃

[@robertlaird6746]

Very informative. The best safety gear video I've seen thus far by far!

[@gmoose777]

great video guys I tend to agree with all your stuff and this is splitting hairs and not applicable to your situation anyway because your boat already had radar but if I was fitting out a boat and had to choose between radar and AIS I would get an AIS transponder first every time, also a very valid point you made on the liferaft never step down into a liferaft only ever climb into it a boat floating or neutraly boyant is always better than a raft.

[@garyp3425]

Do you have a radar reflector? Do you think you should?

[@mikehoward70]

Independent tests have shown that passive radar reflectors add very little to the target provided by your mast. Active reflectors are better but scarce and expensive. AIS Tx doesn't cost much more; is more likely to be monitored by large and fast vessels (the ones most likely to run you down); and the Rx capability goes a long way towards replacing radar at a much lower cost

[@garyp3425]

@@mikehoward70 Thanks for the info!

[@lisalarose7050]

Brian and Karin of SV DELOS named their baby Sienna too!

[@bokendrick6553]

Sierra...

[@lisalarose7050]

Oh right. Sierra. I was thinking of Below Deck MYSIENNA. My bad

[@katherinesage]

Jetty actually said "Hi"!!!!!!!!!!

[@walterhunter4011]

Very great vog !

[@Drvanosdrand]

I think the dingy would become the life raft worst case until help arrives right ? I think you guys are well prepared

[@mikehoward70]

A dinghy is better than nothing, but a liferaft is streets ahead in a survival situation. That said, it's a lot of money for something heavy and awkward that you hope you will never use.

[@sailingavocet]

Great video!

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

Hi Guys I hope you're well where ever you are anyway Have a great Thanksgiving no matter where you are !

[@motor-head]

The best safety equipment is skill, knowledge, experience and a well found boat.

[@christinestange4813]

This information is SO important and you did a terrific presentation! Safety equipment has evolved since I first sailed when we basically had not much more than kapok PFD's (I'm REALLY dating myself!). One clarification ... does Jetty's PFD auto inflate? Thanks for defining the safety equipment acronyms....it sorts out the 'alphabet soup' of safety devices. This was excellent! 👍

[@brianpetersen3429]

Excellent information.

[@agentrobtaylor]

do you guys flush your small outboard engine after hoisting on your sailboat?

[@jamess2248]

There is a lanyard under the rubber band in the center of the EPIRB. Attach it to your life raft. Rescue will fly to the raft. Stay with the raft.

[@bayardtaylor2990]

Thank you guys for the. Information

[@jeffreylane6098]

Nice job crew!! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

[@kaskl5403]

Makes sense that these would be required on board. I keep a go bag at home just in case. Be prepared for the unknown.

[@jodyodell6159]

Was that a shark that tried to hit ya while your where kite boarding in the intro?

[@littleboatcaptain6962]

A wondered if you Guys I've ever been in this situation where you thought you was in trouble!!

[@sailingavocet]

great question, I know it has happened to us a couple times

[@littleboatcaptain6962]

@@sailingavocet not good, are you on Instagram!

[@sailingavocet]

littleboat captain yuppers! @svavocet

[@sgtkingking2228]

You need 'Getterback rod recovery product' to attached to your cameras in case you drop them in the water. Good for up to 100' depth. Check it out on youtube. Good job on the videos.

[@williambrown4090]

How much is an AIS?

[@damoncarlos2796]

Ok what life raft company is going to step up and sponsor you guys. It doesn’t hurt to be over prepared....

[@christorrance2876]

Fantastic, informative video.

[@bayardtaylor2990]

Great job. Guys.

[@JimmyJo-ol9lp]

Y’all should have your carabiner or karabiner, on the side side of you. Say right or left side so it won’t brake away as easily. So put them on the side strap that goes around to your back. What kind of emergency do u have for res leasing your dingy into the water. Example like having a cutting device right next to your lines.

[@mikehoward70]

Nope. Karabiner on front so you stay face up in the water if there's any tension on the strop

[@JimmyJo-ol9lp]

Are u a professional in this area and if so what is your skill set and level

[@mikehoward70]

Well, I have over 40 years of practical experience plus a bunch of certificates from one of the world's leading maritime training organisations that says I am competent. And I've spent the last 13 months researching the best ways to avoid a mob situation and how to recover should it happen.

[@Sirena_Edonismo]

Hi Guys, great information. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

[@michaelrouse627]

Great video you two!

[@bayardtaylor2990]

Very educational

[@txhypnotist]

Safety first! Always have a rain coat when going to bars.

[@marceld6061]

Don't think Billy needs one. But still a good idea!

[@webheadusa9377]

Sierra & Billy - Hi! Does the USCG require PFDs to be worn when using the dinghy? Would you be cruisers if you did not have electronic gear? I am justifying to myself that when I was your age 35 or so years ago, I would not have had computers, IPads, cell phones, sat gear, GPS, Predict Wind, lithium batteries, solar panels etc. for use on a boat I owned. Also, I consider that you are not lucky to have your lifestyle because of the technology, but rather that you are taking advantage of this electronic era. Be well, and look at the Milky Way for me. :¬) Webhead USA

[@sailingavocet]

Theses are REALLY good questions!

[@webheadusa9377]

@@sailingavocet Hi! Yes, they are. I wonder if a majority of cruisers know how to use a sextant, plot a course on a chart, sail without wind and weather reports, know how to use a timepiece to determine position with the sextant, for example. I would say there are old-timer cruisers with 30+ years experience who know how to do so. And I have seen Uma using charts on their Atlantic crossing while mentioning how they want to learn how to use a sextant. Oh, using a hand held calculator would be okay since they were available in the 1980's (I think). Anyway, be safe. :¬) Webhead USA

[@srqlisa7881]

Happy Thanksgiving : ) peace

[@MrHAPPYHAWAIIAN]

Do you bring King alcohol? 🤯🦄

[@richardmason902]

Great vid

[@pavichapin]

Inflatable PFD must actually be worn to meet the USCG carriage requirement for having one PFD onboard per person-unlike inherently buoyant life jackets, which are not required to be worn at all times (except by children) but which must be readily accessible.

[@marceld6061]

First Aid kit (advanced) = Must have Defibrillator = Luxury item.

[@mugustabjeonklei2613]

Hi Jetty!

[@rocketlife9549]

Required Coast Guard requirements are 100% required if you want to meet all 100% of their required requirements😎

[@brokerhc]

Of course, it is your money, not mine but I must disagree with the suggestion about the AIS an the Life Raft. In ocean cruising, they are not a wish list item, they are a "must have" item. I would add a Satellite phone to your wish list. If you want some examples of what I am saying, watch a few Delos episodes.

[@secondstartotheright]

Never go without fly fishing gear!!!!!!

[@digitalfotonetz]

I wouldn't say that capsizing is the most likely scenario to happen to a cat. Fire, either Gas or engine room I would guess is much more likely to happen. The Momentum needed for a cat to capsize is enormous, you would have to badly overpower it. Making a mono heal over too much should be much easier.

[@gilcore5245]

Famous last words, the Titanic sank... HMMM LOL

[@jeffking8168]

I just added ais to my cabin cruiser. I use the quark elec without GPS. It was only $80. It shows up on my navionics on my tablet and through nmea to my garmin. Here is a link to one of the models. Quark-elec Wireless AIS Receiver with GPS and NMEA. (QK-A026) www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNYHR3T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dGD3DbNHVYWPV They have others on their site. Bonus is that it can allow other nmea inputs to be sent via wifi. Its nice to see depth on my phone while in the cabin.

[@danieloliver20]

Great content but you forgot Single Malt Scotch.... for medicinal purposes

[@littlebustersoysters9229]

Survival Suits!

[@jrock836]

For the tropics? hhmmmm...

[@littlebustersoysters9229]

@@jrock836 in lieu of a raft? Yes! Even 75 degree water will have you shivering within an hour or two. Nothing like having flotation warmth and a signal all in one small package that costs a few hundred.

[@mrdave22]

thumbs up, God bless

[@allenwilson9656]

Thurd

[@maxpain9111]

Secun

[@daneatherton7886]

In my opinion your dinghy is far superior to any liferaft, PERIOD. Your dinghy stays inflated and ready 24/7. While on passage keep your ditch bag/survival gear secured in your dinghy. The only time for a liferaft is if your dinghy won't safely hold all onboard, but stow it securely in your dinghy while on passage

[@kenpole3058]

AIS: Avoid Impeding Sailboats! 😜⛵️🇨🇦

[@snapstring3134]

👍

[@petertarantola786]

PLB’s are registered to the individual and a eburp to the boat.

[@tomdrummy4984]

Cookies !!!

[@bayardtaylor2990]

Ais

[@lisalarose7050]

But u probably already know that. Being in the community. Anyways .. fair winds ... seas

[@riverakers]

Never too much over kill on safety.

[@Steve-ec6ed]

Billy you do know we're gonna need a sunset proposal video eventually, right?

[@petertarantola786]

AIS is almost a necessary now. Some countries won’t let you check in without one. It enables you to see boat and ships before you could see with your eyes. More importantly, the ships can see your tiny sailboat. NOW, over lay that on radar and you can pick up storms moving in your area, and other boat/ objects( oil platforms like in the Gulf oh Mexico). Offshore, there is no need for your chart plotter if you have the above.

[@MrHAPPYHAWAIIAN]

WEAPONS, Secure hatches and entry points, put lockable rods across entry points. Access hidden 20 gauge shotguns and go to town on home invaders.💀😳

[@mk-jf1ux]

need: ais. no run me over.

[@beeamerica5024]

👍👍😎👾

[@macktotman]

Furst

[@robfraley4210]

And Yet Again more “Wish Lists” .....!! 😩🤭😱 What if Everyone in the World 🌍 did this ...

[@22Mikeref]

Billy when are you going to marry that young lady?

[@gg5115]

And babies can go on that wishlist..

[@bayardtaylor2990]

Ais

[@bayardtaylor2990]

Ais