Safety Gear Aboard

Inflatable PFDs — Bluestormauto-inflate w/ ACR lights

ACR GlobalFix V5 EPIRB406 MHz + AIS

ACR ResQLink PLB ×2AIS · Return Link · MOB

Lifejacket lightsACR Auto-HemiLight 3 / C-Strobe

Mustang Throw Bag75 ft floating line

First Aid — AMK Marine 450USCG-approved

Pyro FlaresOrion handheld + aerial · Hold Marine · orange flag

ACR ResQFlareelectronic LED night signal (LNK-ERS1) — no pyro expiry; test & replace batteries

Cyalume SnapLights6 inch green, 12-hr

Sta-Plugemergency hull/hose plugs

406 Beacon Registry (all active · renew every 2 yrs at NOAA)

Full NOAA registration (all 3) · renew at beaconregistration.noaa.gov · next due: Aug 14, 2027 (PLB #1)

How to Use It

Life Raft

• Ocean Safety Regatta — ISO 9650, 4-person valise, stowed in the compartment next to the helm (easy to reach). Watch the service-due date.
• Deploy: grab the valise, tie the painter line to a strong point FIRST, carry it to the leeward (downwind) side, throw it clear, then pull the painter hard to trigger inflation.
• Board by stepping UP from a sinking boat — only get in the raft when the boat is truly going. Cut/release the painter once everyone is aboard and clear.

ACR GlobalFix V5 EPIRB (AIS 974572001)

• 406 MHz beacon → alerts the Coast Guard with your identity + GPS position. Keep registration current; check battery & hydrostatic-release expiry.
• Activate: switch to ON manually, or it floats free and auto-activates in the water. Keep it with a clear view of the sky; take it into the raft.

ACR ResQLink AIS PLB (×2 · Return Link · MOB)

• Two personal beacons — clip one to each key crew member's PFD. Activate manually if someone goes in the water or is separated from the boat; the AIS man-overboard alarm also alerts nearby vessels. Each is registered separately and backs up the EPIRB.

VHF + DSC Distress

• Fixed VHF + Standard Horizon HX891 handheld (DSC, MMSI 338534716, GPS).
• Fastest call for help: lift the red cover and hold the DSC Distress button ~5 sec — it sends your MMSI + GPS position to the USCG and nearby vessels automatically. Then make a voice Mayday on Ch 16.

Flares & Signals

• Orion red handheld flares · Orion 12-gauge aerial · Hold Marine red signal flares · Cyalume 6" green SnapLights · ACR ResQFlare (electronic LED night signal — no pyro expiry; test/replace batteries, pair with orange flag for day) · orange distress flag.
• Fire aerial flares when you see/hear a potential rescuer; handheld to mark your position close-in. Point downwind, away from the raft and fuel. Pyro flares expire ~42 months — keep them in date and dry.
• Compliance: this exceeds the USCG day/night visual-distress minimum (3 in-date signals). The ResQFlare (electronic SOS) + orange flag keep you legal even if the pyro lapse — but only in-date pyro count toward the requirement. Offshore upgrade: SOLAS parachute/aerial flares for distance.

ACR ResQFlare (electronic LED · LNK-ERS1)

• USCG-approved electronic distress flare — turn it on for a high-intensity flashing SOS visible 360° for ~6+ miles; runs ~20 hrs on 2 C-cell batteries. It has no pyrotechnic expiration, but you must still inspect/test it and replace the batteries on schedule. It counts as a night visual distress signal — carry the orange distress flag for the required daytime signal. Keep spare C batteries aboard. Manual & spec → Reference ▸ Safety Device Manuals.

PFDs & Throwable

• Bluestorm auto-inflate PFDs (one per person) with ACR Auto-HemiLight 3 / C-Strobe lights attached, plus a throwable and the Mustang throw bag. Wear them in any developing emergency, at night, or in rough water. Check the inflator/CO2 cylinder and rearm kits.

Garmin OnBoard MOB System

• Wireless man-overboard system — the GOS 10 hub plus wearable MOB tags (wrist / belt / PFD). If a tag hits the water it sounds the alarm and drops a MOB mark on the Garmin plotter automatically; if the captain's tag goes over it also triggers engine cut-off. Pair and arm the tags before leaving the dock, give one to each crew member (set captain vs. passenger), and practice the alert + recovery drill.

Fire Extinguishers

• Know each location. PASS: Pull the pin · Aim at the base of the flames · Squeeze · Sweep. Only fight a small fire with an exit behind you.

Bilge Pumps & First Aid

• Know the bilge pump switches and where the manual pump/bucket is.
• Adventure Medical Marine 450 waterproof first-aid kit (USCG-approved): bleeding/trauma control, seasickness meds, burns, splints, epinephrine auto-injector (medical supplies).

Emergency Procedures

Mayday — life-threatening

1. Press the DSC Distress button on the VHF (red cover).
2. Voice on Ch 16: "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is LOLA, LOLA, LOLA, MMSI 338534716. My position is [lat/long from the Garmin]. [Nature — fire / flooding / man overboard / medical]. [Number of people aboard]. White 33-ft Grady-White, triple outboards. Request immediate assistance. Over."
3. No reply? Repeat. Activate the EPIRB. Prep the raft.

Man Overboard

1. Shout "Man overboard," hit MOB on the Garmin (or let the MOB system auto-trigger), throw flotation immediately — then steer back to the MOB mark.
2. Assign ONE spotter who does nothing but point at the person.
3. Turn back; approach slowly from downwind/down-sea; engines in NEUTRAL alongside — never put props near the person.
4. Recover over the swim platform/transom with the ladder or a sling.

Fire

1. Cut the fuel/ignition source if safe (kill engines/generator, close fuel; electrical fire — kill the battery switches).
2. PASS the extinguisher at the base.
3. Crew into PFDs; ready raft + EPIRB; Mayday early.

Flooding / Taking on Water

1. Find the source — seacocks, hoses, bilge.
2. Stem it (plugs, towels, close the seacock); all bilge pumps ON; manual pump/bucket.
3. Mayday early; prep raft; head for shallow water/shore if you can.

Loss of Power / Adrift

1. Triples give redundancy — run on the remaining engines. Total loss: anchor if depth allows to hold position.
2. Pan-Pan on Ch 16 (urgent, not life-threatening); call USCG / TowBoatUS.

Medical / Serious Injury

1. Control bleeding (direct pressure / tourniquet); treat for shock.
2. Pan-Pan or Mayday by severity — USCG can patch a doctor and arrange evac.

Severe Weather Caught Out

1. PFDs on; slow down; take the seas on the bow at an angle; close hatches; secure loose gear; head inshore early; use radar to dodge cells.

Abandon Ship — last resort

1. Mayday + EPIRB first. PFDs on. Grab the ditch bag (flares, PLB, water). Deploy the raft (painter tied first). Step UP into the raft only when the boat is going. Stay with the raft.

Before Every Trip

• File a float plan with someone ashore (where, who's aboard, return time). Check: fuel · raft in date · EPIRB/PLB batteries · flares in date · VHF working · PFDs aboard · first-aid stocked. Brief crew on where the raft, EPIRB, flares, and extinguishers are.