The Grab Bag Book: Your Ultimate Guide to Liferaft Survival

by Frances Howorth, Michael Howorth

Overview

The purpose of this text is to ensure the survival of skipper and crew in the event of their boat sinking. It features: advice on the essentials to pack into the emergency grab bag for a short or long cruise, hot or cold climate, coastal or offshore trip; flowcharts to prioritise abandon ship procedure; techniques for survival in the liferaft, short- and long-term - the why, when and how of liferaft survival; and checklists and tables.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472907660
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	09/17/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Frances Howorth is a seasoned author and sailor. She has thousands of miles of sea time and is currently a freelance journalist for a number of international magazines, including Boat International and Seaways. She is also co-author of the Sea Survival Manual and The Grab Bag Book, both published by Adlard Coles Nautical.
Michael Howorth is a seasoned author and sailor. He has thousands of miles of sea time and is currently a freelance journalist for a number of international magazines, including Boat International and Seaways. He is also co-author of the Sea Survival Manual and The Grab Bag Book, both published by Adlard Coles Nautical.

Table of Contents

	Authors' note	viii
1	Being Prepared
	Proper preparation and training	1
	Liferaft emergency packs	2
	Why you need a grab bag	2
	Your yacht and its equipment	3
	Radio and an overview of GMDSS	3
	Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon	4
	Lessons learned from disasters	5
	Shoreside preparation	5
2	Your Liferaft and its Contents
	Choosing a liferaft	6
	Liferaft types	7
	SOLAS liferaft	9
	Size and position	9
	Liferaft emergency packs	10
	Additions to your liferaft	10
	Servicing your liferaft	10
	Renting a raft	12
	Training	12
3	Your Grab Bag and its Contents
	Choosing a container	13
	What to pack in your grab bag	15
	Search and rescue equipment	15
	Maintenance and protection	23
	Medical aids	27
	Food and drink	28
	Survival and morale	33
	Personal	35
	Miscellaneous	36
	Last minute grabs	38
	Shopping lists	42
	Maintenance and service	46
4	Abandoning Ship
	Emergency signals	48
	An urgent situation	49
	Preparing to abandon ship	49
	Summoning help	51
	Staying with the yacht	52
	Abandoning the yacht	52
	Action once in the water	55
	Righting a capsized raft	58
5	Initial and Subsequent Actions in the Liferaft
	Immediate actions in a liferaft	59
	Secondary actions in a liferaft	61
6	Long-Term Survival in a Liferaft
	Water	70
	Food	73
	Protection	77
	Location	78
	Psychological disintegration	79
7	Initial First Aid and Emergency Treatment
	General assessment	80
	Unconsciousness	81
	Near drowning	83
	Bleeding	84
	Shock	86
	Hypothermia	86
	Burns	88
	Fractures	89
	Fuel oil contamination	89
	Prescription drugs	89
8	Ailments
	Seasickness	90
	Cold injuries	91
	Heat illnesses	93
	Salt-water boils	95
	Dry mouth and cracked lips	95
	Swollen legs	95
	Constipation	95
	Urine retention	95
9	Rescue
	Who might arrive	97
	Attracting the attention of rescue units	97
	The arrival of fixed wing aircraft	101
	Rescue by helicopter	102
	Rescue by ship	104
	Landing and beaching	105
	Ashore	107
	Appendix
1	Voyage details plan	108
2	Mayday VHF procedure	110
3	Mayday SSB procedure	111
4	Sources of supplies and information	112
	Index	119