Make this excellent abandon-ship kit for next to nothing
Issue 29 : Mar/Apr 2003
I put together an abandon-ship module because I wanted to have just one safety item to grab if we ever have to go over the side. It needed to float and to be easy to secure to the Avon Redcrest that we use as our life raft. It’s made from a short piece of 6-inch PVC irrigation pipe to which I glued an end cap and a threaded adapter.
I attached a 6-inch nylon cleat to the threaded cap. When I bedded and torqued it down, the cleat base conformed to the crown of the PVC top, making for a very clean installation. I attached a Sea-Dog transom step/handle to the body of the module and added a strip of adhesive-backed, white non-skid all the way around the side of the end cap. I applied SOLAS-grade (Safety of Life at Sea) reflective tape and orange vinyl tape to the outside to make it more visible in the water. And finally, I attached 20 feet of polypropylene line with a plastic snap shackle to the cleat. There are acorn nuts on the ends of the fasteners to protect things from getting torn up on the inside.
To open the module, I hold it between my knees with the step handle against one leg. My feet grab the end on the non-skid, and I use the cleat as a handle to unscrew the threaded cap. It’s totally waterproof; I even greased the threads to facilitate ease of opening and to keep water from creeping in. It resides in our starboard lazarette, but could be stowed on deck if painted to protect the PVC from the sun.
We primarily visit the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast and have filled the module accordingly with sunblock, hats, sunglasses, space blankets, dried food, water, and energy bars for two people for one day. I’ve also added flares, a signal mirror, a first-aid kit, a strobe, a flashlight, a knife, a handheld radio, a Class B EPIRB, and a sea anchor. If I had wanted to put more in the module, I would have made it longer. As it is, everything fits, and it floats well enough to support one person holding on to it.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
