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Abandon Ship Bags
Author: MariSafe
The survival equipment stocked in most liferafts is minimal at best. Even offshore rafts are not equipped with survival gear necessary for an extended period (for more information, see the MariSafe Gear Guide to Liferafts). Abandon ship bags are used to augment these meager liferaft supplies.
THE BAG
Not only is the equipment inside the bag important, but the bag itself should be carefully selected. Conditions may be extremely rough when abandoning ship, and trying to pass the abandon ship bag to a liferaft in churning seas could result in the loss of the bag. A bag with 30 to 40 pounds of equipment and food inside will sink unless it has built-in flotation, it is waterproof with plenty of air volume inside or it has a lanyard to attach the bag to the liferaft. Even if the bag floats, it should have a lanyard made of a few feet of line with a carabiner or snap hook at one end for quick attachment.
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Check the bag carefully for durability prior to purchasing—are the seams well stitched then glued or heat sealed, is the fabric waterproof and sturdy and are the seams watertight? Not all fabrics are waterproof and not all bags float. Some commercially available bags have flotation but are not waterproof. Seam stitching will allow water in unless the seams have been heat sealed or glued. For more information on this topic, see the MariSafe Gear Guide to Boat Bags.
You won’t know what size or how many bags will you need until after the equipment and supplies have been gathered. Once you have your abandon ship gear, ask yourself these questions:
- Is there enough equipment and food to justify buying two bags, one for equipment and one for food or other supplies?
- After loading one bag, is it too heavy to lift or maneuver?
- Does the weight exceed the buoyancy rating of the bag?
- Will one bag be too big to fit its designated storage space?
EQUIPMENT
Just like liferaft selection, the gear for an abandon ship bag needs to be chosen based on the type of boating you’re doing and will vary greatly between a coastal cruise and an offshore voyage. For instance, if you’re close to shore with its traffic and access to VHF radio, a handheld VHF and a good supply of flares are more important than long-term survival supplies. Remember, the ultimate aim is quick rescue, so pack for that first and foremost.
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