Safely crossing big water on a small budget

Safely crossing big water on a small budget

I recently had a friend ask me for advice about taking his single engine cuddy cabin boat away from the coast about 25 to 30 miles. My recommendation to him was to not do this is such a small single engine craft however he is determined.

Given that talking him out of it was not going to happened and knowing that budget is a consideration I put together my advice for the above described situation. This would also apply to Great Lake crossing as well. I did not want him to become a statistic.

Again, cost is a significant factor so given the budget limitations I offer these suggestions for crossing big water on a small budget.

1 Education & training
2 Inspection
3 Planning
4 Safety equipment
5 Checking the weather
6 Wearing your life jacket


#1) Education / training Cost $0. You can take courses that cost money however they tend to be very economical. Come to think of it, taking the course is good advice for all boaters.

Boating classes are offered by the coast guard auxiliary, the local power squadron, the DNR and you can also take the boating safety course FREE online here http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/
If you take the final exam there is a fee of $10. Upon passing this course you will get a certificate / wallet card. Many insurance companies give a discount upon providing them documentation that you successfully completed this course.

#2) Get a free vessel safety inspection. Cost $0. Like the above boating class, this should be done for all boaters. You contact the local coast guard auxiliary or the local power squadron and if you are launched they may offer coming to you to perform the inspection. Upon passing this inspection you will get a vessel decal to display on your boat. One place you can go to sigh up for this free inspection is here: http://safetyseal.net/

#3) File a float plan Cost $0. A float plan is a written document that includes a description of your boat and where you plan to go and when you plan to return. You leave this with a responsible person and check in with them as agreed. If you do not check in at the agreed time and can not reach you they contact the authorities and provide the information in the form.

Although there is no required from you must use the coast guard has made one you can download for free. You can download the form for free here http://floatplan.uscgaux.info/download/USCGFloatPlan.pdf

#4) Have the proper safety gear. Above the safety equipment required by law and reviewed in the free vessel safety inspection you will be in a higher risk activity. Because of this I have assembled the below risk.

A) Budget Life Raft - Assuming you are on a tight budget and have no paying passengers you can save money by purchasing a NON-USCG/SOLAS rated one. A 6-preson Valise (soft bag) Revere brand Cost $1,600. It will be 29” x 12” x 15.5”

This life raft is the size of a slightly large duffel bag, 29” x 12” x 15.5” and it has the actual life raft + CO-2 inflation system plus a equipment pack containing:
• 3 Red Hand Flares
• 1 Red Parachute Flare
• Bailer
• Signal Mirror
• Water Tight Flashlight
• Extra Flashlight Batteries
• Floating Knife
• Rescue Throwing Quoit
• Sponges
• Paddles
• Seasick Tablets
• Repair Kit

Using the buddy system, meaning you boat with other boats at all times can also work with or instead of a life raft however you must share the same schedule and be willing to mirror your boating movement.

B) PLB EPIRB GPS. This is a long acronym. It stand for (PLB) Personal Locator Beacon (EPIRB) Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons with internal (GPS) Global Positioning System. This device allows you to alert authorities that you need help and lets them know your location. Read the owners manual and register the product.

Keep this on your lifejacket you are wearing or in your ditch bag. The cost and size has come way down. A personal Locating Beacon or PLB with built in GPS runs about $550-$600. Consider the ACR 406 GPS I/O EPIRB or MCMURCO Fastfind 406 PLB with GPS.
Cost $600.

C) Hand held VHF in addition to the main 25 watt. Cost $100. Use marine band radios instead of commercial cell phones, which have limited coverage and are unreliable when out of sight of land. Get one that is waterproof and can take standard batteries and carry an additional set of batteries. A budget handheld waterproof VHF is the Uniten Atalntis 250 or cobra MR HH90 or Standard Horizon HX270S.

D) Floating ditch bag. A small ACR RepidDitch is $50. 19” x 15” x 7” Keep your safety gear in here and keep it in a spot you can grab easily. I recommend filling the bag with your PLB (unless you are wearing it, which is even better), your handheld VHF and spare batteries, your distress signaling devices (flares) and a first aid kit.

#5) Check the weather forecast early and often. Although you can spend thousands of dollars on sophisticated equipment you can get this information free via the VHF radio on the weather channels. Cost $0. If the weather is not favorable the trip needs to be delayed.

#6) I have saved the most important for last. Wear your life jacket. Cost of not leaving the life jacket stored = $0. Epically if anything goes array be it bad weather or a malfunction. They make life vests like the Type V that are inflatable so you can wear them without movement restrictions. A Type V vest must be worn to be counted as one of your onboard life vests.

So there you have it. The six most important items to reduce the risk to help you safely cross big water on a small budget.


This information was prepared by Presentation Rentals a audiovisual equipment rental company in Appleton Wisconsin now renting offers flat panel LCD displays and plasma televisions. Visit them on the web at http://www.presentationrentals.net

Boat - SeaRay Sundancer 240
Port - Slip #2A, Skipper Buds, Oshkosh, WI
Lisa