Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Safety Gear
In preparing our sloop for departure, our biggest expenditures were safety gear and sails.
We upgraded to a Viking Resc-You life raft for two reasons: first, it's service interval is
three years, and second, there are service stations around the world. At the same time, we
repacked our grab bag with fresh flares and supplies and made sure to update the emer-
gency contact information on our EPIRB.
Just as important as that gear, however, is preventative safety equipment that costs a frac-
tion of the price, such as quality life jackets, tethers, and jacklines. Many boats run jack-
lines along the length of the deck, but surprisingly few install a jackline in the cockpit. We
find the cockpit jackline equally important since it allows us to clip in before leaving the
cabin. It's easy to make your own: just use a length of heavy line attached to U-bolts that
are securely mounted to the cockpit.
In terms of safety equipment, we also consider an SSB transceiver an absolute must. With
our SSB and a Pactor Modem, we could download email messages and weather reports, as
well as report our position to radio nets during blue water passages. SSB radio nets are a
great resource where problems can be solved using the collective knowledge of the cruising
fleet in multi-party conversations. Radio nets also build camaraderie and provide entertain-
ment during long days at sea. Satellite phones are expensive (both the device and minutes
of service) and do not offer the same range of advantages, in our opinion.
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