Abandon Ship PFD

TonyG13 · February 2021

Been contemplating this over the last few months after I saw that video of the guy hugging the bow of his boat as it was bobbing around for hours - his EPIRB supposedly trapped below, unable to activate.

So, I tried to come up with a customized PFD for use in fresh water, near-shore, and hopefully a quick response. This is what I came up with. Plan is this would be within reach to grab and quickly don during a Mayday situation. (All of this stuff used to just be in a tackle box labeled "SOS")

Everything is attached with a reflective paracord tether so even if it's dropped and doesn't float, it'll still be there.

1. Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
2. SOS Strobe light
3. Whistle
4. VHF Radio
5. Knife
6. Signal Mirror
7. Dye Marker
8. 8' Reflective Paracord with Carabiner (to attach to other MOB to keep people together in water)

Plan is to have two of these on board, pre-fit, one for the Captain, one for the Admiral. Transient guests would have access to the typical PFD with a whistle and glow stick attached.

Thoughts? Anything I'm forgetting or that you'd recommend?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020499/uploads/editor/xe/k2laz8jxay89.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020499/uploads/editor/8b/i1f50t01sll0.jpg

mattie · February 2021

Good stuff Tony...gave us all some things to think about.
You appear to be 98% ahead of most recreational boaters.

Might have to use that knife to fight off the unprepared boaters swimming beside you.

edit: I really need to go thru my safety stuff. I'm pretty fastidious - I updated my First Aid kits last year. A lot of stuff was out of date.

LaRea · February 2021

I like it. How do you keep the lanyards secured so they don't get tangled up in storage and handling? The last thing you need in a panic is an arm tied up in a tangle.

TonyG13 · February 2021

Thought about that. I tried to make the lengths "just right" based on how I think I would use it. With the exception of the carabiner/tether, which is about 6' long, everything else is on a 2-3' leash - and wrapped neatly around itself, so when it's pulled out it just falls naturally without catching on anything else.

I plan to do a real world test this summer by "falling" off the boat to see how it all works in the water.

reneechris14 · February 2021

I love the real world test. I think all captain's should practice. I have a ditch bag with the things you have, like the idea having everything at arms reach.

Liberty44140 · February 2021

Nice. My admiral wears her inflatable vest with our plb attached for any run that is farther out than we can swim to shore... which is most. I’ve been getting better about wearing my inflatable but still a work in progress