Sail Life - Ditch bag, working shower, anchor setup & propane tank cover ⛵️
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- This week we put together a ditch bag - hopefully we'll never need it 🤞 I also finally get our shower up and running and finish our anchoring setup while Ava makes a cover for our propane tank.
00:00 Intro
02:01 What's wrong with the shower?
05:29 Propane tank cover
09:24 SCUBA tank covers
10:06 Jerry can template
10:42 Finishing the shower
11:22 Starbrite Teak Sealer
11:52 Mantus chain grabber
12:56 Ultra Marine Flip swivel
14:34 Marking the chain
16:09 Ditch bag
19:05 Next week
19:20 Cya!
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For some reason, I always thought Mad's ditch bag would have some sandpaper in it.
:)
Probably should. For patches.
😆
Sandpaper and some epoxy resin.
🤣 That’s spiffy!
Mads, please don’t stand still in one place for to long, Ava will be making a template to cover you 😂one of the best channels on UA-cam 👍🏻🇬🇧
I guess there would be a market for minatures of silhouettes such as 'Glorious sanding', a 'dohicky' creation.....
🤣🤣🤣🤣
ROFLMAO 🤣😅😂🤣😅😂
We have a proposal for the 250k subscriber challenge...do I hear a second....???
⬆️ anybody can push a button.
I must say Mads, that some of the things that stand out over the last few years, has been the building of your rudder, the deck, and just about everything you have done with the boat. The finding of Ava, is by far the best thing you have done from my perspective. Smart as a whip!! And will be, if she is not already, going to be an excellent sailor!! You are both , rays of sunshine, in this currently miserable world.
you guys are more professional than about 99% of professionals
Oh…btw…don’t forget to put ALL important papers and documents in your ditch bag while on passage, so that in case you DO have to use the life raft you have proof of ownership, passports, insurance und zu weiter
Super important advice!!
Or, at least, photocopies
Regarding the ditch bag - maybe add 2 head lamps so your hands are free with extra batteries ; smoke flares for day use ; clean microfiber towels and sponge to wipe condensation; those light "space blankets " ; fishing lures , line, fishing line weights to fight boredom ; and a multi-tool knife
Definetlly some fishing gear
Never underestimate a signal mirror. You don't need a big one, a small one will put out a surprising amount of sun (or even moon) reflection. Good stuff.
Only if you practice with it, they are simple but to work you have to know how to get the best of them. But that is true of almost anything. Charles
🤔
Do a test. I'll bet you can spot it at least a mile.
A parabolic mirror can help to make long distance signals and it’s an incredible fire starter
Two so you can signal into the sun's path.
Had an interesting discussion at Troon marina last week. The boat next to me was from Kircudbright and was a Trident Challenger. He knew Athena’s previous owner and also has Athena’s old engine in his shed as a spare for his boat. I guess we’re all connected more than we think! Fair winds on your sail north
I've been following this channel for probably 4 years now... and it still blows me away how many details there are to deal with. It's not like mads has been slacking off, either! This is going to be the most high-tech and optimized boat on the water when it's finally "done". So impressive!
After working for 10 years as a Trauma Tech in huge county hospital, the one item that I have *always* added to my first aid pack has been FHP's [Feminine Hygiene Products] and specifically, Maternity Pads. They come in clean wrappers. They are mega-absorbent. They have "tails" that are useful for holding bandages tightly over wounds, or even used as a tourniquet. For deep punctures, a couple of tampons can be pushed into a hole to help bleeding and to possibly prevent a pneumothorax in chest injuries.
I really have to question your training if you are putting foreign objects such as tampons into people's chest cavities...pneumothorax is treated with needle decompression or chest seals. You never pack abdominal wounds with anything, let alone tampons.
Also, improvised TQs are almost useless. If you can afford a boat, you can afford 4 NAR CAT TQs for 100 bucks.
I totally didn’t just steal one of my girlfriends tampons to test if the string could work as a tourniquet… I think they should use the ratchet strap for the propane tank instead 🤣 or just buy a few before they leave
@@jackl45 you're absolutely right and I'm wrong. All of those OD Green pads with long tails that were used in Vietnam, that were essentially Kotex on steroids, were never used on chest wounds. And he never mentioned how he had needles in his kit already. I stand corrected.
As far as putting "things" into a chest wound, please tell that to the cardiac surgeon who told me to retract a man's lung with a liter of Betadine poured over bare hands. The surgeon used his gloved finger to try to plug the hole in his heart caused by the bullet. In an *_emergency_* situation, you plug the holes and deal with infections later.
Or you can put equally sized and shaped abdominal pads and compressed absorbent gauze (that are also individually wrapped).
@@HugoHugunin Yep, bleeders come first was our mantra in the ambulance service and you stop it with whatever you can. I've had to wash bone fragments off my bare hands, but that woman survived and still has both of her feet. HIV wasn't a thing back then.
Hello Mads and Eva. You know that Cold Weather MRE Meals are mostly dehydrated.
You will have to use up a great deal of your water to eat them. If you eat them dry they
will suck up your internal water.
I suggest you get a conventional 24 Hour Ration. They will come with several FRH ( Flameless Ration Heaters )
to heat the meals. The heaters need just a few ounces of water to activate but if water is very scarce
you can eat the meals cold. A bonus is if you use the FRH on cold nights you can use them as hand warmers as well.
A fav book was “Adrift: 76 days lost at sea” and his greatest regret was not leaving an air gap in the water containers and they promptly sank. In your 20 L water container maybe have 17L of water.
A very worrying book that. How they survived and kept going is difficult to contemplate. Anyway, from our experience we find full 20 litre plastic water containers float as do diesel ones. The density of the seawater does that. Maybe metal ones might sink. We also carry a collapsable bucket. The thoughts of going to the toilet outside in choppy conditions is too much for my modest sensibilities.
@@philgray1023 what do you mean about they? He was alone. Indeed fresh water is less dense than seawater so I wonder about his observation there. Maybe I quoted him incorrectly. I think toilet functions would be the last of your worries in an emergency. 😝
That signal mirror is bigger than the one I used when lost on hill side... My dad said he saw a shine which got his attention.. I looked thru the wee hole an could see him... So I kept shining it at him... An he found me ... We were playing search an rescue... My Dad was volunteer firefighter an did search and rescue... that mirror is perfect an brought up a great memory... Athena is coming along beautifully ..I just love the new covers you made .. brilliant.... thanks for sharing your lives with us ✌🏼💗😊❣️
Numerous times we had to veer chain with a wind shift because another boat (or me!) didn't anchor with sufficient spacing. That's why a rolling hitch makes more sense. Just release the snubber line and veer chain; let the snubber ride into the water with the chain & retrieve it later. Then add snubber #2. Ditch bag: Add spare batteries for VHF & headlamps.
Great video...I have a bit of advice. If you NEED the ditch bag, you might not be thinking straight. You might want to put a note on the bag to grab the water, or anything else that you need. You might want to put a date on the bag to review the items to see if they are still good (like your batteries in your electronics or medication).
A Reminder Check List
@@ekavoian Knowing Mads, he probably has a checklist for all his checklists (in digital and paper form)
This is top advice! I'm going to write this checklist on the outside of my bag.
1. EPIRB
2. VHF
3. WATER
4. PHONE
I think the VHF should be fitted with NON rechargeable, long shelf life batteries. The self discharge rate of rechargeables (unless there has been a recent breakthrough I'm not yet aware of) makes them unsuitable. The batteries should be replaced at half their guaranteed shelf life.
@@Gottenhimfella I wondered about that just days ago when I took it with me in the dinghy. My vhf came with a rechargeable battery as standard, but it can use AAA cells. It is now 6 years old and still holds a charge for way longer than I expected. It is probably about time I looked into getting a replacement battery though.
Waterproof grab bags are never actually waterproof in my experience! I would put everything in individual zip-seal food bags .... Inside the dry bag. I have even had an IPX8 VHF fail through water ingress. Zip-seal bags are another layer of protection.
(1) Add a lanyard with a carabiner to the ditch bag & jerry can. You can clip them to the raft and heave them overboard, saving time. You can pull it aboard once you're away. Also saves you from losing it overboard in an emergency.
(2) If you have room, add a couple foam life jackets. It will help make the ditch bag buoyant, and may come in handy for you too.
Also, as another commenter suggested, make up a laminated checklist and attach to the outside of the ditch bag of what to take based on how much time you have such as: water can, food, other radios, clothing, etc. I live in earthquake and wildfire country and our evacuation bags are organized in a similar manner. All of the grab and go supplies and DOCUMENTATION are gathered in a single briefcase. An attached list tells us what else to take based on how much time we have before evacuation and how long we might expect to be gone. We have some friends who had a house in the town of Paradise, California. On the day of the fire, they didn't really plan ahead, and were getting conflicting reports about how the wildfire was progressing. Finally, the fire was upon them, and they had less than five minutes to evacuate, leaving behind a couple of cars, RVs, and their house. Then, they had to drive out on a single lane road with other traffic while flames and cinders swirled around them.
You should check out that MRE, some of the cold climate ones don't keep the food moist, they dehydrate or freeze-dry them, and they require water, unlike traditional MREs. if they are available perhaps open and try it out and that way you can get another one for the ditch bag or look into an alternative that doesn't require water.
anyone who doubts your tinkercred need look no further than your awe inspiring collection of hole saws. wow! :)
Make sure to schedule regular testing of any of the electronics in the bag. Overall expiration date checks wouldn't hurt either.
Also make a checklist to check contents before departure (putting in important documents and such).
And maybe attach a card with a prioritized list of things to grab if possible like the satcoms and extra water.
Back in 2011 when I was doing the 3 stars diver and advanced scientific diver courses we had an unannounced survivors skills practice when we did a simulation of fire on the boat and had to jump on the water and swim to a close island around 2km away, fortunately we had expected that that will happened and stayed tuned for that. So once on the island we had to explore what we had on there, and make sure that all things what we had would be correct to guarantee our surviving all the time we stayed there. Ive learned many things about that experience, all my kit was on the inside of a 10 liter dry bag, and having many things that I think would be helpful inside of an hermetic bottle , so the first thing I’ve found was despite the dry bag did an excellent job was not comfy hang on a hand while I was swimming, so the alternative was have that dry bag (redundancy it’s insanely helpful) in the interior of an inflate swim buoy that subject around my wrist, second one was having dry clothes on the inside too, and something sweet like gummy bears, small chocolates or a bag of sugar (also salt) it could make you alert, guide calories and use it to fishing( also I have a flat photo etched card with fish hooks, a strong nylon line and golf tees), the other addition was a little amphora with whiskey (yes it’s irresponsible drinking alcohol and dive) but it’s helpful as an antiseptic, as a fire starter and drinking on cold weather helps to maintain heat. Having a way to make fire is also an essential thing (even on a life boat) so its a good idea have waterproof matches, a lighter or a magnesium fire starter. And las but not least, when you are on the water (specially salted water) for a long time your skin gets wet and soft so it’s really easy injure it, a stitching kit it’s a great addition, nowadays there are other alternatives to the nails and threads, you can find a product called zip stitch an hybrid between abandoned aid and a plastic zipper that help you make easy skin stitching, also there are a medical grade superglue for that and liquid bandage to cover your injuries and make it water and dust proof.i really hope that you didn’t have to use it ever but it’s very important stay prepared for everything.
Ps the communication devices are now anywhere so it’s important have it well protected on a waterproof box, and having all their accessories and a powerbank with you. Cheers guys
Medical grade super glue is the same stuff that you buy in the hardware store. My cousin once owned the company.
@@suburban404 it make sense why the medical graded from 3M smells exactly like the one of Krazy and also had bloomish when it was in direct contact with water. I had suspicion about that, it’s the same thing but 10 times cheaper
Great tips but alcohol and cold do not mix. The reason alcohol makes you feel warmer is that it dilates the capillaries in your skin. This takes blood - and heat - away from your body core and accelerates the onset of hypothermia.
Hiya to you both,
Thank you for a great video. Ditch bag? Wind up flashlight, and radio, you never know. Gaffer tape, strong painkillers. Multi knife, fishing gear. Chocolate, oh and more of that, plus some more. Seal everything in the bag in zip lock bags. Desalination kit, more water, more chocolate, something to do! Kindle? Games, eye-spy is a bit limited in a liferaft at sea! Sunglasses, polaroid type, sunscreen, sunburn cream, sun hats. Dry clothes, good insulating tape, on a plastic reel. Nylon cord, chem light swung round head works well, 1 to 2 meters. Survival suits onboard, for Alaska waters, practice getting in/out. You do know we will expect weekly, on a Sunday, updates from the liferaft!
BUT STAY SAFE, Steve...
I have a suggestion about your second anchor: it should be a fine example of a different conceptual basis from the one you have. broadly speaking there are three families of anchor designs which are worth considering: Those based on the Spade, those based on the Delta, and those based on the Danforth. You already have a Spade knockoff (and one of the better ones) in the Rocna, and in the other two families there is really only one viable choice in each case, if you want the best, which is the Fortress and the Excel.
If you need a highly efficient kedge anchor (for taking out in a dinghy, say for salvage purposes or because of a windshift in tight quarters) the Fortress is a great choice: if you want a more versatile second bower anchor, then the Excel is the way to go. It outperforms the Delta by a considerable margin, and "covers the waterfront" just about as well as the best Spade type anchors.
Personally I think two anchors is one short of the minimum requirement if you plan to do a fair bit of anchoring, so I would recommend getting the Excel and putting the Fortress on your shopping list.
In your ditch kit put some extra floppy hats, a bunch of extra sunscreen…and sun glasses..attach a laminated card to the outside of the ditch bag, with a list of last minute items to grab. Place them in a waterproof pouch, and include items like your passports and documents…and spare reading glasses and charts if necessary. We also bought one of those inflatable stills that makes fresh water (from condensation) out of salt water.
Love that ditch bag addition of betadine and a staple gun in case "someone springs a leak". Funny but definitely handy. The MREs are hit n miss when it comes to flavor but they can be tasty. I like keeping some around just in case. Add some "last forever" Twinkies to the mix and you have something to take the sting out of needing a rescue.
I use the plastic insert chain markers. 5 yellow at 10 meters, 5 green at 20 meters, 5 red at 30 meters, then 5 yellow again, and so on. It needn't be complicated. I put them in bunches of 5 so it's easier to seen them on a dirty chain.
Your second anchor should be a Mantus broken down and stored in the bilge. If you get a big one, it's a storm anchor as well. We live on an 85 lb Mantus on our 28,000 lb cat and we sleep soundly.
I would get an oversized Fortress anchor as 2nd anchor / storm anchor. It is light and collapsible.
I agree, except I would suggest that if Mads is going to stop at two the second anchor should be an alternative bower anchor (different in concept from the current bower but similarly suited to all conditions. Say an Excel). The Fortress would be a great third anchor, but to my mind a second anchor (for a boat crossing oceans) should be able to deputise if the main anchor is lost or stolen.
Signal mirrors are extremely effective at long range. I was formerly a US Navy helicopter pilot, and have seen mirror SOS signals at 12-15 miles. Actual rescue, not just testing. Sea dye markers are also extremely effective for night signals when electronic signals fail. From a helicopter at night with search lights on, it is easily spotted, and then we simply follow the dye.
On passage, I would make a point of putting my credit/debit cards, driving licence and most important my Passport in a waterproof ziplock bag and place it next to the grab bag or preferably in it.
I would also consider putting some money (Dollars/Euros) in the bag as well, enough for a couple of day's accommodation and food wherever your rescuers deposit you and possibly a spare mobile phone.
The Mantus anchor would be my first choice.
Gosh, darn, but I LOVE your use of technical terms: "wonky, grabby thingie". Ahhhhhh, I can smell the salt air. :)
A suggestion I've seen for the water to go with the ditch bag is to have several half-filled containers. These will float if they go overboard. If you can get enough attached to your ditch bag, that's a little more security.
Ditch bag looks good. The comments on the MRE are spot on as well as the trash bags, and copies of all your impt paperwork, passports etc. I would have significantly more wound care, including wraps for sprains and pain creams etc. A check-list in a plastic luggage tag or something attached to the bag for additional "time permitting" items will help alot. Also toilet paper!
Lastly - I always admire your use of the Hive Mind - well done being open source and asking for advice.
Consider adding a few Dermabond pens to your first aid kit and your ditch bag. They are excellent for bridging the gap between a wound that requires a bandaid and one that requires the nasty stapler. They can seal up rather large and deep lacerations painlessly and without much skill needed. They're also perfect to avoid subsequent infections in healing wounds that can tend to make a minor problem much much worse.
Sugestion for Ditch Bag.
1. Emergency Space Blankets (hypothermia can kill quickly)
2. Pocket heater pads.
3. Hard boil candy. (For calories boost)
4. Swiss army knife. (To assist with any repairs or pouch , cans opening)
chocolate... never enter a liferaft without it!
Please consider adding first aid foil blankets to your ditch bag, they're small yet versitile items
Spiffing along, all coming together .
To use the signal mirror, here's a tip I learned in the Boy Scouts for back country hiking. With one hand, say your left hand, put your left thumb on the search aircraft or ship. With the other hand, the right in this case, angle the mirror with the sun to flash your left thumb with the mirror. Enough sun reflection will get by your thumb to reach the rescue craft. Keep flashing your thumb for as long as the rescue craft is in sight. This technique is also described in a 50-year-old book called THE MAN WHO WALKED THROUGH TIME (1968) by Colin Fletcher. The book is his chronicle of the first person to walk a continuous route through Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona in the USA. He talks about how to get resupplied from the air by signaling overhead aircraft without a radio, and the effectiveness of the signal mirror/thumb technique.
A couple of good sized shiny mylar survival blankets.
Being soggy whilst experiencing the joys of a liferaft isn’t fun. Being soggy and cold whilst doing so will beat you down fast.
Also, as mentioned by others, seasickness tabs and more pouched water if the Rat-Pack’s got dried food present.
Great episode, as always. 😎👍🍻
Mads & Eva - I continue to enjoy your weekly videos. Thank you so much! I have a comment regarding the covers made for your diesel fuel jugs and your propane container - based on my own sailing experience. The blue colour fabric will be fine in cooler weather but once you get into long, hot sunny days those covers are going to attract and retain a lot of heat - which will not be good for your diesel fuel and those containers or your propane container. You might want to consider making another set of covers made from white or off white colour fabric to use during hot weather periods. They will help to reflect heat away from your containers. Cheers & safe sailing!
A manual desalinator would be a good thing to have along with a knife a fishing kit Play compact machete and a small hatchet folding camping saw. Someone said a signal mirror but a whistle in there would be good too a fire starter could be handy too. Something no one really thinks about is compact solar panels to charge up the handheld vhf. If you had an amateur radio license for HF you could get a Yaesu ft-818 and be able to make contact with it also. It is portable and has a internal battery pack.
Sorry David but I do not think many companies make fireproof life rafts!.
Grab bag. Spare spectacles and hats. However a very important thing if you are sailing solo is a pack of playing cards. So if lost at sea you can play solitaire. In a very short time someone will look over your shoulder and say, "the 6 of hearts can go on the 7 of spades". They can then rescue you.
To your ditch bag I would add sunscreen, and some important copies of ID, insurance, emergency contact information, one of those compressible space blankets, garbage bags, playing cards, little knife/multi-tool, a compass? and yes sandpaper ;)
Great video. You should also include sun screen water proof and some type of sun burn treatment. Even in the Atlantic you still can get burned. Also a old pair of polarized sunglasses would also be a good add. I don’t think you would be likely to remember sunglasses when your having to grab the ditch bag and go.
get a better antenna for the VHF radio, a foot and a half or so whip
Fishing equipment, sunhats and rescue blankets
Second anchor, get a fortress of preferred size. Easy to stow away when you don’t need it. And it’s a great anchor.
I sail my 44 foot steel sloop. I use a 33 kg Rokna as my primary and carry a Fortress FX 37 as my backup. I have 330 feet of 3/8 hitest on primary and 30 feet of the same chain with 200 feet of 3 strand rode. This combo has served me very well over 10 years. Best of luck. I enjoy your videos.
Think about adding some liquid bandage. It's basically super glue that is safe to use on wounds. It's actually good stuff to have around because it dries in seconds, seals up the wound and you don't need to worry about it getting wet.
When you guys start visiting different places you need to test out the mirror. Put a camera on the boat, go for a hike and from a good vantage point signal back to the camera with the mirror. I think you might be surprised.
Add to your ditch bag a small amount of nylon and some fishing hooks. Takes up barely any space. This has saved many a life at sea!
Lazer signaling device. Marker dye for the water, makes you appear bigger.
The propane tank cover looked like a blue version of an all blue Menion. So good work :D
Jeg kommer altid i godt humør, når det er tid til jeres vids. 🙂👍👍
I'm a fan of a large fortress anchor. We have one on our 47' boat and it folds up nicely and when needed as a stern anchor, it's light and has a considerable amount of surface area. Add about 5 meters of chain and you're golden.
Ava, I am impressed with your sewing projects. A little effort and money in covers will save tons of time/money in the future by protecting stuff. UV is BRUTAL!!!
What a great coworker you have. Enjoy how you explain what you are doing. It turns something that I don’t quite understand but you walk us step by step and by the end I say “I can do that” 👍
Get your hands on some potato starch. It *arrests* bleeding. And, superglue is super useful for closing up cuts and gashes. And, it doesn't sting. I promise. It doesn't feel like anything. But, try not to use it on your face. The offgassing will sting your eyes and make your eyelashes tacky.
And, Delos has antibiotics and serious pain killers in their bag first aid kit.
You may already do this, but if not, try filing a float plan with your departure point (either a marina or the local Coast Guard facility or equivalent). When you arrive at your destination point, you can ask them to notify your departure point that you made it. We do that in the aviation community and it works well and adds a more comfortable margin of safety in your voyage. If one or both of you have a close relative or friend, make sure they have access to your GPS tracker and monitors you during your voyage until arrival at your destination.
5:58 "handy dandy" Sailing GBU
Mad I have been following you from the start. In theory your boat is absolutely top notch. But I have never seen you happy when sailing. It would be very disappointing that after 6 years of refitting Athena, you two came to the conclusion that sailing isn't your thing . So I 'm hoping that you 2 sail the heck out of Athena before crossing the Atlantic. Take it slow and out of your comfort zone as much as possible. Find that rhythm so Athena will be part of the team. I wish you both all the fun you can get when sailing.
A secondary anchor to complement your Rocna would be an aluminum Fortress. Lightweight and easy to stow but very high holding. The only disadvantage is that they don't reliably reset in a reversal of pull. The light weight makes it outstanding as a kedge anchor - you can deploy it by hand from a dinghy to pull yourself off if you run aground. It's also a great storm anchor because of its high holding. Get a fairly large one - FX24 or larger.
Great video as always. Thanks!
I chose the Mantus 125lbs as my second/storm anchor. My main is a 70lbs Rocna and I also have the original 45lbs spade now mounted as a stern “lunch anchor”
I second a Mantus for a backup anchor. Mantus makes a really nice stern rail mount that fits them exactly (naturally) or it can be disassembled and stored nearly flat in a locker for when it is needed if stern rail space is limited or you want to use a lightweight Fortress as a second anchor on the stern.
A Fortress works well for kedging off when you run around, especially since it is lightweight and easy to handle in a dinghy to row it out a ways. It is also easier to deploy and recover off the stern without the help of a windlass. A stern anchor like this is really handy to fore & aft anchor in narrow canals or inland rivers where there is not enough swing room without grounding on the sides or if swinging out into a busy channel would be bad -especially at night where there is barge traffic.
Add sunscreen to the dish bag. Also add a date reminder to change out the meds if they have best before date
they have stainless steel straps for air tanks on semi trucks that would work to wrap the propane tank and bolt onto the rail
Mads, we need to be really clear with you - the only thing in your ditch bag should be a spare laptop, cell phone with internet connection and small video - we are all used to your video every Sunday so this is clearly got to be a priority 😀 a good idea to have although hope it’s never needed. Great video.
old outdated flares still work-- fish handline- hooks/lures/ wound seal powder/ compass/map/ 10 dollar sextant /thermal body wraps/ patch kit. may all come with raft? and a rope u never know.
If your not sure about the small mirror you can add a couple thermal blankets, Their small light weight and can both keep you warm in the raft plus are highly reflective so they can be used both to keep the sun off you and signal any air rescue.
"Mix of good stuff" 😉
Wow your vessel is looking better and better ever video ya put out.
Great episode guys. I love how meticulously you've choose the contents of your grab bag. A good suggestion I got from a highly experienced off shore sailor, is to add a roll of small trash bags, they help for all sick & hygenic situations in a life raft. And if the two of you have a game you like to play togeter (like chess, card games etc.) this could be a stress reducing add on ;) But of course, I hope with all my heart, that you will never use the grab bag ever!!! On another note: Only a little bit of epoxy for the shower hole... tststs... one feels you are desperate to leave Mats :)))
You could also use partially inflated bags as thermal insulation if you tie them off and push them inside clothing
One thing from my (many) offshore survival courses was to take an anti seasickness tablet start after carrying out the essentials (get clear of the sinking boat, not that, that will happen after such a wonderful refit). After spending a short time in a life raft in calm conditions, they are not the most comfortable vessels. Happy sailing.
A hatchet in the grab bag and knife and sharpening stone
Chocolate and boiled sweets for the ditch bag. Can't go wrong with sweets😃
Brief Opinion on Securing the Propane Tank to the Deck. For a base that you can: 1. Lock down/bolt to the deck (since it sits right there on the lip, but could easily just be knocked off), and 2. To be able to remove/replace the tank easiest would be: To make a ring base, like a portable propane grill, where it's a circle, with spikes/angles coming out, 4 directions, that you could secure to the boat itself/bolted into the frame. Then have it as a basin mount for the Propane tank to sit on top of. With the new lower base and adding a few anchor points, you could just run a line/cable from the new base, up to the top of the tank (all inside the cover), and secure it there. That would make it tank itself secure to the boat via the top points/handle area being held down 4 ways to a new base it sits in, and that itself is secure to the boat. But when you need to remove/replace the tank, all you have to do it remove the ones from the top of the tank, as all cables would still be apart of the boat. (Kinda like one of those steamer tray things are metal, fit in a pot, they move to open up like a flower. Basically the feet would be to the boat attachment, and where the veggies would go into that steamer, your tank would be on top, and then you can just /^\ secure the top to the base in the boat. Would be easy to remove, the tank itself would be more stable going Into a base, instead of just sliding off. I hope that made any sense lol I love what you guys do, cool to watch/learn!)
A couple of additional items for your ditch bag, don’t only think of your short crossing but future long range passages
Para-cord, extra line is always helpful
A sun shirt, pants and hat for each of you, extra sunscreen too.
Paperwork for each of you, copy of passports, insurance, prescriptions, emergency contacts, credit card, etc. think about entering a country without the boat and all your normal thinks like wallet and purse, what would you need to get settled.
Flares are good, but smoke is extremely visible at sea
You can keep adding things until you are overwhelmed, but I’d rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
2nd anchor:
- similar weight but different shape (flat and plow)
That was our solution, and I don't think it's the best setting. The idea was to check the ground and choose the anchor accordingly... never did: usually too late and no obvious differences.
And in case of stormy conditions, rig the 2 anchors in tandem configuration... also too late to lift the main anchor, add a length of chain plus the second anchor behind. Usually this ended up as a V mooring on 2 separate lines.
Thorough discussions with yachties, I have considered 2 more anchors:
- a light stern anchor
For stern positioning only, but still relying on the main anchor
- a "last chance" anchor
It would have been a ridiculously too heavy anchor (50% above the regulation) but which can be taken apart, stored and reassembled in case of emergency (Mantus...).
Cons: Ava will have to sew another bag for the parts!
I can’t believe I’ve been a subscriber since 2015 and I have watched all you’re videos…went back and watched older videos that I missed and I still ca’t wait until Sundays to see the next video. Your’e both awesome and I wish you all the best. If you’re ever in Pula, let me know and we can host you at our marina, where I keep my sailboat. You’re always welcome!
Pula’s a beautiful place. I spent some time there during the unpleasantness in the 1990s…
Fortress FX as your 2nd anchor... it dismantles for easy storage, and is light weight, but extremely good holding power
I still cannot believe it has been since 2016 that you've been refitting Athena. i remember when you were doing work in your house...now...the house is gone, and Athena is free of the yards!f
As for that Starbrite Teak Sealer...I had AMAZING luck with it. I re-did all the teak when we had our 1985 Sea Ray 268 Weekender. It held up for the 3 years we owned it!
Those signaling mirrors are awesome, you can see even a small one like that for MILES! Now...just keep up on the maintenance schedule for that bailout bag.
Ava, you are becoming an amazing seamstress. Very nice work on the tank covers. Lots of small tasks accomplished. The ditch bag is like insurance, if you have you will rarely need it, if ever,: but if you don't have one, Murphy will know and it is guaranteed you will need it sooner than you think. Take care and looking forward to next week.
Lots of good suggestions in the comments. I would add some light cordage. Those chem-lights make an great signal when swinging around in a circle on a meter of line.
A Coast Guard cutter would be handy to have in your ditch bag!
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As a pilot, I added this comments to another channel that we follow. A hand held nav/cpm 2 way aviation radio is about the same size and price as our comm radios that we all use for sailing. It is line of sight but you can contact aircraft at 40,000 feet which greatly increases your radius of coverage and potential targets. All commercial airliners and military aircraft monitor 121.5 Mhz which is the international distress frequency. A MayDay call on that will get a response if any aircraft is in range and a distress situation can be forwarded to the proper people. Simcomm is a very common supplier of these radios. Amazon can supply these. We carry this in our ditch bag. Best of luck to both of you...
Grab bag looks good. There are charts and instructions for basic communication when an airplane spots you in the raft. And what to do if a helicopter Picks you up
I would consider Mantus for the second anchor. You can break it down for long storage and they hold and reset at least as well as the Rocna.
From a non sailor, I would include a dedicated Burn Kit in your ditch bag. I would want to be able to keep any burns sustained from a possible boat fire as clean and sterile as possible. Knock on wood...
Perhaps you have already done this, but in case: two battery packs for the handheld. One on charge, the other with the radio. Rotate every month. Grab the other battery when ditching if time. I would also suggest keeping the handheld in a sealed plastic bag. Ditching might involve hitting some water. Salt water and electronics.. well.. you know.
For a second anchor, I’d recommend a reasonably big Fortress. We have that and it complements our main Spade anchor well. I find it important that the second anchor isn’t only a backup anchor but that it fills a different role. The Fortress is very light for its power, so it’s perfect as a kedge and a stern anchor. Stern anchors are mostly used for a Scandinavian moor, bow to the rocks, which means the location is in a protected place where the bottom os often very muddy. That’s the conditions where the Fortress is really a lot better than most or perhaps all other anchors. It’s weakness to changing pull directions is also no problem with a shorefast or two.
Consider wrapping the radio in padding, or maybe using some feminine hygiene products as padding (dual purpose). As others have said put the radio in a waterproof bag, just in case the primary bag gets torn or leaks. Space emergency blankets and emergency sleeping bags could keep you dry and warm.
Strongly suggest more day-signals in the bag. Good options are dye packets and a SOLAS smoke canister. Flares aren't terribly effective in daytime and throw off slag which can sink your raft.
Great video as always. For an extra anchor and space being a premium on board, I researched and decided upon a Fortress Anchor and oversized it. It looks like it can do the job as well as our Rocna, but also flat pack and much lighter so manageable when we need to hall it out of the locker. We also bought the bag. But Ava can make one easily 😀
I am so intrigued by the sewing. This makes for a (dare I say) spiffy looking deck! Good job Mads and Eva. Really enjoy the detail and skill you two demonstrate each week. Love it !
I have the same swivel and Rocna anchor setup as Athena . Ultra marine swivels were designed for anchors with a single hole rather than a slotted shank like the Rocna and the manufacturer recommends putting a bolt in the slot to prevent the swivel from sliding in the slot. I am not really sure but I think holding improved when I added a bolt as per Ultra Marine instructions.
Love watching your channel.
The propane tank cover looks SUPER professional! Love it!
If you have a Delta/CQR or a Rocnar as first one, always go with M-Anchor for the second one. They contemplate each other quite well, and as mine is located in the aft, for "Schärensegeln" in Sweden/Norway/Finland, it holds itself quite well in the different scenarios, where the Delta doesn't seem to want to hold anymore.
Signaling mirrors are still standard issue to naval aviators. They are slightly larger than the one you showed. They have a very clever sighting gadget that works perfectly. Since they are MIL issue they might cost a billion, or so, but they work brilliantly. Also lifeboat style parachute rocket flares are about 100 times more visible at distance than the yachtish versions..
Don't forget an extra battery pack for the ditch bag.
Add extra batteries or a smaller solar charger for the batteries, You may also also want to put copies of your passport information and boat registration/paperwork in the go bag. Date the bag so you remember to inspect it for expired items. Think about a small solar still for water making,
You are making so cool bags for everything, looking so nice!