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ESSENTIAL EMERGENCY GEAR
FOR OFFSHORE ANGLERS
By CWO4 Douglas C. Luper
Safety Compliance Officer
U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division
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A life jacket is one of many essential pieces of gear offshore...
Anglers in the Gulf remember this tragic event: three friends, two of them NFL players, lost after their boat capsized during a fishing trip in March of 2009. A fourth was rescued after clinging to the hull in 63-degree water for almost two days. As an offshore angler, you would never want to find yourself unprepared in such a desperate situation. Having essential emergency gear onboard can help you survive.
Being smart about your boating habits is the best way to stay out of trouble. For offshore fishing trips, make sure you know your limits, including the vessel's capabilities, make a risk assessment and file a float plan before you ever leave shore.
Education is important for every boater. Boating courses are available everywhere, and include classroom and online training offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Power Squadrons® and state boating agencies. Advanced training in navigation, seamanship, boat handling, and weather are important to know before you venture into open seas. Informal education can be valuable too, getting local knowledge and recommendations from experienced captains who run offshore fishing charters can be valuable.
Experienced boaters conduct a simple risk assessment before each trip, considering all of the parameters: the boat, the crew, the course and potential hazards that may arise. Of particular importance to offshore anglers is the weather, which can change dramatically in the time it takes a small vessel to transit between home port and favorite fishing grounds. Take the NFL anglers for example, when they left the harbor the weather was calm, but the boat was riding 15-foot swells when it capsized. If any value in a risk assessment is too high, a boat trip offshore should be canceled or modified.
Filing a float plan - like
a pilot's flight plan - is always a good idea. Leave a note with family
members or the marina office listing your boat name, passengers' names,
time of departure, destination with coordinates, and expected time of return.
A float plan can be a tremendous aid in search and rescue should you fail
to appear at the appointed hour.
Accidents are possible even with the best preparation, however, so here's your emergency-gear shopping list:
Get yourself an EPIRB (Emergency Position Radio Beacon). EPIRBs are available in a variety of models and can be manually activated or automatically activate when released from their storage bracket. Modern EPIRBs not only provide a homing signal for rescue they can provide exact GPS coordinates. The job of locating a small boat in the vastness of the open ocean can be overwhelming; an EPIRB can make the difference between days of searching or a speedy rescue. The costs of today's EPIRBs have become comparable with that of the latest fish-finding equipment. Consider an EPIRB as important a piece of equipment as your fish finder: a fish finder helps you locate fish, an EPIRB will help you be located in an emergency.
Provision your boat with life jackets that you and your passengers will wear. Modern life jackets - in contrast to the traditional orange "horse collar" styles - are unobtrusive and can be comfortable enough to wear throughout an offshore voyage. A life jacket that is worn helps protect a boater thrown unexpectedly into the water or too hurt to swim. Bright colors and personal signaling devices - such as a signaling mirror, whistle, or day/night flare in the pocket - aid in recovery, too. Larger boats can even carry a small life raft that can automatically deploy in the event of capsizing.
Never depend upon cell phones for communication offshore, as cell signals rarely reach more than a mile or two from the coast. Instead, carry a good marine-band VHF-FM radio, and know how to use it.
Don't forget a set of tools and basic replacement parts for the boat.
Spare hoses and clamps, extra "V" belts, spark plugs and pump
impellers are all helpful to have on board. Breaking 
down far from
shore can put you in as much jeopardy as heavy weather or a boating accident.
In the same vein, carry emergency food and water, enough to sustain you
and your passengers for several days if rescue is delayed.
Finally, as part of your situational awareness, remember that federally mandated requirements for safety equipment - such as visual distress signals and life jackets - are minimums. Consider the additional hazards that may be present far from land and prepare accordingly.
While it can't be said for certain that these preparations or pieces of gear would save lives in an offshore emergency, but there is no question that responsible behaviors such as acquiring boating education, conducting a risk assessment and filing a float plan, along with well-maintained equipment like EPIRBs, can add to your safety no matter when or where you boat.
Assess Your Risks Before Setting Out
Consider the risks presented by the following factors and any others that may be present in your particular situation; if the risk value of any parameter is too high, the trip should be called off or modified.
o Weather (current, forecast, inland, offshore)
o Overall experience and knowledge of the boat operator
o Experience and knowledge of passengers
o Vessel capacity
o Emergency equipment
o Destination
Recommended Gear
o EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
o Visual distress signals (flares, rockets)
o Life jackets designed for offshore/heavy weather use
o Personal signaling devices (mirrors, flares, whistles) attached to life jackets
o Inflatable life raft/life float
o VHF-FM marine band radio
o Parts and tools for emergency repairs
o Emergency food and water, enough for each passenger for several days
* * * * *
The U.S. Coast Guard is asking all boat owners and operators to help reduce fatalities, injuries, property damage, and associated healthcare costs related to recreational boating accidents by taking personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their passengers. Essential steps include: wearing a life jacket at all times and requiring passengers to do the same; never boating under the influence (BUI); successfully completing a boating safety course; and getting a Vessel Safety Check (VSC) annually from a local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Power Squadron® or your state boating agency's Vessel Examiners. The U.S. Coast Guard reminds all boaters to "Boat Responsibly!" For more tips on boating safety, visit www.uscgboating.org.