RIB Safety – Important things to take on the water: #1 – Grab Bag

Part of being a good skipper is knowing how to look after your passengers and crew. When it comes to safety, this should be no exception. Be prepared for a variety of scenarios with some helpful tips from the guys at Team JBT.

Grab Bags are a great way to keep you safe on the water and to conveniently have a number of useful items to hand in case of an emergency. Here are a few bits that you may want to include in yours:

Flares. The most commonly used are red hand flares and parachute rockets. If you are heading out into The Solent for example, I would take a red hand flare (which can be seen from up to three miles away) and a parachute rocket which can be seen from twenty miles – pick up a flare pack from your local chandlers depending on what sort of boating you will be doing; be it inshore, coastal or offshore.

Knife. It is always handy to have a knife on board – not just in case you encounter the Kraken! Keep out of reach of the kiddies, but it will come in useful for cutting rope in an emergency. Check out the ‘Race Rescue Knife’  which has a rounded tip which would be ideal on a RIB.

Multi-Tool. Not the type you get for £4 in a petrol station, a decent multi-tool such as a Gerber or Leatherman that won’t rust. Pliers are always useful on a boat, as are the screwdriver heads – not to mention the bottle opener.

Cable Ties. Need to attach something to your A-frame or grab handles? Use some plastic cable ties (here at Team JBT, we find the mixed packets the best).

First Aid Kit. Fairly self explanatory, pick up a ‘space blanket’ (giant foil sheet) from a camping shop to aid warming the body if someone falls overboard.

Tape. Gaffer tape is the best to have as it shouldn’t leave much of a mark if stuck to stainless steel or the deck also can come in handy if you are in a jam.

Ski Goggles. When driving a RIB in the rain, there is nothing worse than water in your eyes. Ski Goggles are often polarised to protect your eyes from the sun and anti-fogging to keep you seeing clearly.

Waterproof Bag. Keep all your safety items dry in a decent waterproof bag.

These are just a few examples of the stuff that we take when we head out in RIBs – if you have any extras that you find handy, let us know! You can obviously customise your Grab Bag with extra stuff, the important thing is to be prepared in an emergency and to always put the safety of your passengers first.