What safety gear do you carry when you head off in the dinghy? That was the question that I got from some new cruisers who had a bit of a scare when their dinghy engine quit, the tide was taking them out and they realized they didn’t have oars, an anchor or any way to call for help. Luckily they were in an area with lots of other boats, someone saw them, and they got a tow back to their boat.
Here’s what Dave and I carry, as our basic kit on the dinghy . . . plus anything we need for our planned activities.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Everywhere has slightly different rules, but the bare bones usually includes (check laws as may apply to you):
- Life jackets (PFDs) for each person
- Sound device
- Registration
- If motorized, a fire extinguisher
- Lights if you’ll be out after dark (the light requirements vary considerably from state to state and country to country, so be sure to check whenever you change locale)
- Bailing device – many states have size requirements but if not, one to two quarts is usually a good size; cut the bottom out of a detergent or water bottle
- Some places may require flares or other signaling devices
So that keeps you legal . . . and in places that may not have laws, it’s a good starting point. But you really need a few other things . . . and the more remote the area you’re in, and the fewer other people nearby, the more additional gear you’re wise to carry.
BASIC DINGHY SAFETY GEAR
If you run out of gas or have engine troubles . . . and the tide/wind are going the wrong way . . . what’s to keep you from going out to sea? What if you fall out of the dinghy?
- Engine kill lanyard (and wear it!)
- Oars
- Anchor and plenty of rode (we love our easily stowed Mantus dinghy anchor and rode)*
- Handheld VHF; possibly cell phone in waterproof case
- Way to get in the dinghy from the water – don’t just assume you can pull yourself in. It takes more upper-body strength than you think, and some dinghies (particularly hard dinghies) can be very tippy. Try your setup in a safe place before you really need it! And if you’re going to use a ladder of some type, make sure you can launch it from the water – should you go overboard accidentally when alone in the dinghy, you have to be able to get back in by yourself.
NOTE: To effectively row, you need a seat in the dinghy. Many people, such as us, take the seat out of the dinghy to make it easier to carry “stuff.” In this case, the oars work better as paddles – one on each side or if you’re alone, at the bow and alternating sides.
ADDITIONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY
- Cable and lock in places where there is a theft problem
- Bow line – and we like having a stern line too as sometimes it’s helpful to tie up bow and stern
- Water bottles (if your motor conks out or the current is too strong for you to row, don’t compound the problem by getting dehydrated)
- Sunscreen (ditto with sunburn)
- Roll of duct tape – it can make an emergency patch as well as an emergency bandage
Before heading out in the dinghy – particularly for a longer excursion – be sure to check your gas level and that the VHF is charged.
*FULL DISCLOSURE: Mantus sponsors The Boat Galley and we earn a bit on Mantus purchases through the links here. However, we wouldn’t be using Mantus products if we didn’t think they were the best . . . someday our lives may literally depend on our anchor choice!
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Diana K Weigel says
I had not thought about everything for the dingy. Thank you
kevin ashton says
Check out this post
https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/what-kit-do-you-carry-on-your-sib-42712.html
Rob A. says
I have all of those things and just a bit more… I bought a snowmobile tool roll off of eBay and added the following tools/parts: a multi-screwdriver (the kind with both phillips and standard heads), small pocket knife, spark plug, spark plug wrench, pliers, cyalume stick, 10 ft of 550 cord, a dinghy patch kit, piece of sandpaper, solid aluminum gap tool (the small circular kind) and an adjustable spanner wrench. Then… all of the tools get a light coat of oil, back into the roll and the roll put into a ziploc bag with rubber bands.
You can use the cyalume stick for light or attracting attention at night. To use an attractant, tie 3-5 feet of the 550 cord to the end of the cyalume stick and swing in a circle. It creates a large circle of light easily seen by all observing.
BTW… love your site. We have used many of the ideas on our boat… Thanks again!
Carolyn Shearlock says
Good ideas — tools are great if you have the knowledge to fix an outboard. And I love the cyalume idea — we have a bunch of those and I’m going to put one in the dinghy with some line!
Dave Skolnick says
One addition and a comment:
An extra coil of 1/4″ or 5/16″ line to use as a stern line – sometimes you have to anchor the dinghy and tie the stern to a tree or something else on shore. Besides, when have you ever had too much line? *grin*
The handheld VHF for your dinghy really should be waterproof. It is amazing how little water in the bottom of your dinghy will drown a VHF that is not waterproof.
The Boat Galley says
Hi Dave! Actually, I did mention a stern line . . . and yes, good comment on the VHF being waterproof. Ours is and it just didn’t hit me to mention it!
Vicki Speakman says
You can never have too much ‘Line’ thats for sure. Last time he came up short 2′ inches, I was not happy. It seems as though the smallest thing you can hold in your dingy could come in handy when you least expect it. So tuck it away safely because you night need it or you might Not. Thanks for sharing all your great tips , be safe out there everybody!🚤🛶🎣🤿
Jonathan Caldwell says
All the items you mentioned plus additional stuff, we keep all this in a large Rubber maid Action Packer, plastic tote with a lockable lid. It fits snugly under the seat.
Thermal protection aid, folds into tiny package, or Space blanket or plastic panchos
Dinghy oarlocks
Really loud whistle, like a Storm
Spare dinghy drain plug
Dry bag
Dinghy registration, boating license
Key for outboard lock
Small set of repair tools, spark plug
Tom Kober says
Thanks for the list.. One thing I always have but did not see on your list is the foot pump. Am I being overly cautious? I like the anchor you mentioned.
The Boat Galley says
Foot pump is good if you have a leak and you could potentially fix a hole with duct tape . . . but there is limited space in the dinghy and the chances are that if you have a slight leak you’ll be able to get back to the big boat okay without putting more air in and if its a big hole, you won’t be able to patch it well enough that you can pump as fast as air is going out. Not bad to have, just may be that other items are more important.
Larry Whited says
Cut gallon milk jug secured by the handle makes a great flat bottom bailer.
Janice Waldock Rowland says
Happened to us. All we had were oars. Try rowing an inflatable against the current and wind in choppy seas. Fortunately we were rescued. No VHF, no anchor, no water, no food, no Mylar blanket, nothing. We would not have lived long adrift at sea. Now we have a full ‘ditch bag’. We were so inexperienced when it happened, but something like that doesn’t happen to you twice. You’ll be ready for the next time your engine dies! I would also add to travel the windward side of the island if possible, so you are blown to shore rather than away from it.
Hillie MacDonald says
A Manus Dinghy Anchor is definitely on the Wish List for the next visit to the U.S.
In a dry bag I also have a couple of energy bars, SlimFast/Ensure, Gatorade, moisture wicking socks, airline fleece blanket, poncho, small AM/FM radio and pet food. It gets really chilly especially overnight if showery even when over 70F.
If in a really remote place a solar charger would be nice.
If solo, having the anchor easily launched would help since are busy with the paddle steering in tide.
Erik Hajkowski says
A cooler of adult beverages. 🙂
Sharon Foster says
I had not considered the need for dingy fire suppression until my cranky outboard caught fire one morning in the marina. The float valve in the carburetor had stuck and the bottom of the cowling collected some fuel and then the engine backfired; instant fire inside the cowling. The gas burned off quickly but the lifting strap below the cowling caught fire and burned hot with open flames and was difficult to put out. Fortunately a neighbor saw my dilemma and threw me a bucket. One bucket of salt water and the fire was out. In retrospect a flaming outboard connected to a 5 gal. fuel tank is a real bomb waiting to happen..
Carolyn Shearlock says
In most states, a fire extinguisher is required in any vessel with an engine, no matter the horsepower. And the bailing bucket can serve double duty in case of a fire. I’ve seen two outboards catch fire in my life, and yes, it’s scary with all that gasoline!
Deborah Wright says
We go FAR in our dinghy (like miles offshore sometimes) so we have it pretty loaded up on the “just in case” items. I’d like to share one item we have used several times-a handful of zip ties. Unlike tape, it’s okay if they get wet. They can make loops, splints, fasteners….. Zipping one to another, you can make them as long as needed and they won’t stretch. (They can even fix a broken pole spear 🙂 ). Good topic!
Tina Riley says
This is terrific information. Do you just leave all this stuff in the dingy when you go to shore ? How do you prevent theft? Or do you cart it around? This site is terrific. We have just started to cruise (now in the Bahamas) and I refer to it all the time and tell any cruiser I meet that isn’t already a convertee! Thank you.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Most of it stays in the dinghy (ours has a storage compartment — it doesn’t lock but things can’t fly away). VHF, light and cell phone go in a day pack, as do water bottles. Anchor is often deployed. Things like kill cord and oars are just in their normal places. If we were in a high theft area, we might put more things into the day pack (which goes with us when we’re ashore).
Alison Dooley says
I would add a mirror, Superb for signalling on sunny days.
Melanie Cole says
Great tips and for sure your cell phone but only in a ugo dry bag, check out this NEW and INNOVATIVE product http://www.ugowear.com
The Boat Galley says
I love mine! Review coming . . .
Brett Boutle says
Wine and plenty of it
Amy Marincel says
Excellent! Thanks for the tips.
Thought this was and interesting way to board the dinghy in a pinch from the water. Might have to give it a shot and see if it’s as easy as it looks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7FZL3Conqg
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’ve seen it many places. Some people who try it find it works, far more say it’s not for them. I know it doesn’t work for me!
Tati says
I made one step rope ladder, its not take much space but helps to get in dinghy.
Brian Kepner says
Need a lock box
Karolyn Seeley says
I never leave in the dinghy without lunch, bottled water, a blanket and a good book. One never knows!
Norbert Wedler says
Fire extinguisher? Registration? funny
Carolyn Shearlock says
It’s the law here.
J Lang says
As a foreign flagged vessel in the US, would I still be required to get registration for my tender? My home country does not require it.
Carolyn Shearlock says
If you are in one state long enough to trigger the registration requirement, the answer is usually yes. They don’t seem to differentiate between country of title.
Henry Neeter says
I will need a second transport dinghy to carry all that stuff. I am not a sheik.
Madeline says
No kidding. My husband and I recently filled our 11′ dinghy with all the safety gear mentioned in this post, and more. Now we barely have room for ourselves (much less the daughter/boyfriend we thought we could also transport).
Ronald Stanko says
A water maker and a garage and then you are on my boat. Just kidding Dave maybe a handheld one. But point well taken. Can’t have enough if something goes bad. Like your dance underway vids keep em coming Brother man.
Ernie Lorimer says
A fun little project if you don’t have a locker is to make an anchor bag for the dinghy anchor. It’s just cylinder bag sewn up in Sunbrella, with a grommet in the bottom and shock cord or a line closure on the top. Run the rode through the grommet and tie an overhand knot on both sides of the grommet. Stuff the anchor and the rode in the bag and leave it in the dinghy. When you want to use it, pull it all out; stow it when it isn’t in use. Helps to protect an inflatable floor, and of course better with a mushroom or grappling hook style anchor.
Laura says
Do you think the extra $100 is worth it for the SS collapsible mantus anchor vs. the fixed galvanized mantus anchor? We have a tiny (8′) dingy and will probably have to upgrade in the future, but for now I’m wondering if I will regret not getting the collapsible. Thanks!
Carolyn Shearlock says
If you only “occasionally” anchor the dinghy, I think the extra money is well worth it to make it easier to stow. If you use the anchor frequently (so you always leave it ready to go), I don’t think it’s as big a deal. That said, I love the stainless one for having absolutely no rust marks and am thrilled we have it.
Jonathan Caldwell says
We find that we anchor the dinghy at unexpected moments and would not want to be assembling it at short notice. Have the Mantus galvanized dinghy anchor. Very happy with it . Grabs instantly and holds way beyond your expectations.
Terry Hurley says
Great ideas–thanks for sharing! We had a real newbie-near-miss experience the very first time we tried out our dinghy, and, much smarter now, am highly motivated to be better prepared next time. I’m surprised no one’s mentioned a simple first aid kit. Space issue? Also, does anyone know if the requirement for a fire extinguisher applies to an electrically motorized dinghy? (I suspect the letter of the law just says “motorized”.)
Carolyn Shearlock says
First aid is definitely something to have along if you’re going further away or doing more injury-prone activities. I don’t know about fire extinguisher requirement for electric motors, and it may be different from one state to another.
Anonymous says
Thank you for this – despite being prepared for all sorts, and although it’s obvious when you think about it, it had never occurred to me to carry a fire extinguisher.
The Boat Galley says
Glad to have triggered the thought!
Mark rotondo says
All good ideas, one thing I have learned over the years is to use polyprolene line , especially as your tow line , it will float , when towing , you stop , dinghy comes up to your stern , regular line sinks, gets tangled in prop, now you have BIG problems, also I tie a length of about 20’ to a life jacket, now it can be thrown past a person and the person in the water can grab the line and be pulled. Back in.
. The other thing is, you need to really come up with a way to get you or a another back into the boa, that will actually work for you!, if you are young and fit and not injured , might not seem like a big deal, believe me, even going over for a swim or a pee break and you will have BIG problems getting back in.
Cap'n Dave says
I can’t stress that engine kill switch and lanyard enough, nor can I stress WEARING your PFD, not just having one aboard.
I went out in my dink on San Francisco Bay one chilly December morning. I had an old 2-stroke Tohatsu that didn’t have a kill switch. I had JUST come up on plane when the tiller extension slipped off, so I turned around to put it back on and *BAM*!!! Just like that, it veered hard to starboard. Where was I? Suddenly overboard. What happened next? I was nearly run over by my own boat – TWICE – before I could get out of the way. (I literally thought, that first time it came back around to me, “So this is how I’m going to die.” It grazed me before I could move – it was that close.)
I was only about 100 yards from shore, but that water was COLD and, as anyone who has ever gone overboard knows, you’re already fighting exhaustion from that initial panic moment.
My whistle was, where else, on the dink, and not tied to my PFD (which, fortunately, I was wearing). So I started hollering to the few people I could see on the shore. Thankfully, someone came out and pulled me out, but I was already hypothermic by that time.
It doesn’t take long. One careless moment can spell disaster. Avoid it – attach your whistle to your PFD (AND WEAR IT!!!), if you have an old motor, rig it with some kind of kill switch and attach a lanyard to yourself EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
It’s a mixed blessing now – someone stole that old motor. Later, I got rid of that old dink. Time to get myself a small RIB and a new motor – something a little more forgiving.
JB says
I also carry a small plastic tub the size of a shoe box — to rinse my feet off in so that I don’t carry sand onto the sailboat.
Ronald C Trossbach says
The VHF handheld should be waterproof and have DSC capability. Properly programmed, one push of the red button (held for 5+sec) will tell everyone that has their radio on, including the USCG, who you are, where you are, and what your problem is. Ron T.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Just remember that a handheld has a range of about 2 miles, tops.
Bent Bugle says
I hear you about the fire extinguishers – I have a pvc inflatable with a 44lb thrust trolling motor connected to a 40a/h sealed battery, this afternoon going ashore I heard a pfffttt noise & smoke started arising out of the battery holder lid,pulling the lid off I saw the wiring melting into the top of the battery, & the motor had stopped by this time…I had grown complacent, with no lifejacket, anchor or extinguisher, but had oars so rowed to a nearby mooring ball undid the nuts connecting the battery( I carried a spanner in the dinghy ). I was lucky, the melting wire didn’t progress & damage anything else..not sure yet what caused it .. the motor is fused but I should have put a fuse at the battery…anyway a good wake up call. I’m on the east coast of oz, love your website..