ElFaro
Nomad
Posts: 231
Registered: 9-16-2007
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Ditch Bag (Emergency Bag)
I have never seen this topic come up on the board...but maybe it has and I didn't see it.
Do you carry a "Ditch Bag" on your boat or when you go out in the pangas/cruisers?
What do you put in it ?
I ask this because I had a friend who headed out of BOLA early one day in a friend's boat with some other guys. They were about 15mi. out and he asked
them if anyone had brought water along. They pointed to some beer stacked in a corner! No water on board!
There have been fisherman in the past who became stranded on Gulf islands with no water/ shelter who died partly because they had no survival gear.
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
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Yes.
I was in a small boat that capsized once in the SOC. We spent several hours hanging onto the hull.
I have a bag now, that I carry on any boat I go on. It has a lifejacket, flares, whistle, handheld gps, handheld vhf radio, spare hat, sunscreen,
water, first aid kit, etc. There is enough room for a few extra things to bring along that won't fit in the tackle box. But I believe you must check
to see that the boat has water, you cannot carry much of that in a ditch bag.
I'd like to carry an EPIRB but they are pricey and I have no idea if they are effective in the Loreto area.
Even more expensive would be a life raft...maybe someday...
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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When we're near shore, I carry just the usual Gatorade, lifejacket, a few snacks and a handheld VHF (normally someone is on shore with the other one)
and the right clothes for the occassion.
When we're farther offshore I carry the above plus extra drink, emergency snacks, extra shirt or rain slicker, hand pop flares and a small mask and
snorkel. I also like my own flotation seat pad if there are none on the boat. Hook your bag to your seat cushion and you can always find it. The mask
and/or snorkel can make life a lot easier in rain, blowing waves or just to float without effort for a while if you lose your boat. I also have a
strap on my tackle box to hook to the boat somewhere so it won't get pitched if you flip or swamp the boat.
I have had 2 wonderful experiences many years ago;
1. After a 75 minute scuba dive from a 17' Maco open fisherman, we came up from 35 feet into a squal. The boat was floating on too short an anchor
line with water up to the gunnels and our gear floating in the boat. Luckily, after an hour of bailing and getting some "dry"gas into the motors, one
of the outboards started and got us home (6 miles to the inlet) from 2 miles offshore in 5' breaking seas.
2. I was acting as asst dive instructor with a boat off Ft Lauderdale. The Triton was an older, 36' wood/fiberglass hull that disgorged about 20 new
divers for their first deep dive to 60 feet. After the normal bottom check out and some nosing around, we all surfaced, a few with near-empty tanks.
The Triton was halfway down and the captain was sitting in his chair with water around his feet trying to get the radio working. 3-4 foot seas had a
few student chumming and green by the time the coasties showed up about 2 hours later. Lots of blue lips, even in full wetsuits and warm Florida
waters. Maybe I should have had some motion sickness meds in my dry bag ? We did attract a lot of fish while we were waiting ! 
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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I always take extra hooks and swivels. Just kidding but my Arca panga has 2 big floatation chambers and PVC pipes full of air as cross braces so it's
hard to sink one. I'm going out in the AM for dorado/whatever and now that I've read this post you guys have me looking all over for my handheld
radio, my compass, sport drinks -- thanks, I think.
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