1. Sailing Knife with Marlinspike
No tool has so many uses as a good 3″ blade sailing knife with an integrated or separate marlinspike. Use it to saw through rope, cut off a frozen knot, scrape away electrical insulation, or cut yourself free of a line or harness strap in an emergency. Use the marlinspike to lift up a rope strand for splicing or help open a corroded shackle.
2. Needle-nose or “Robo” Pliers
You must carry a small pair of pliers on your person at all times. Robo pliers are made by “Craftsman”, with a flat shape and coated handles. They’re lightweight, compact, and fit in a deep pocket in your sailing shorts.
They have spring-loaded jaws that will put a grip on a bolt or shackle pin like a barnacle on a boat bottom. You often need pliers to open a frozen shackle pin or get to that hidden bolt head on the small sailboat diesel or head toilet.
3. Small Stuff
Any strong, thin twine will do the trick when it comes to adding an extra lashing, stopping a furled sail in place, or holding a shackle pin to the shackle body in a pinch. Keep a few dozen feet of it in your pocket. It takes up the same amount of room as a balled up handkerchief and has a dozen uses on any small sailboat.
4. Foul Weather Gear
So it’s a beautiful day? And that marine weather broadcaster in the four walled room, says it’s going to be a beauty without a lick of rain in the forecast? Maybe not from where he or she broadcasts. But, you want to be ready.
Carry your foul weather gear–tops and bottoms. The wet stuff can come up at sea so fast it’ll make your head spin. And sailing when you’re drenching wet can be miserable. Wet folks lose body heat and that can be dangerous in windy weather. And it gets worse as the sun goes down and the air temperature cools. A good, breathable set of foul weather gear becomes worth its weight in pirate’s gold when the weather kicks up.
5. Caps and Hats for Protection
Carry two types of hats–a visored or brimmed hat, and a watch cap. Use the visored or brimmed hat to protect your eyes, face, and neck from excessive sun.
Use the watch cap to protect your head–where you lose 90% of body heat–when temperatures cool. Even in mid summer, ocean weather temps can drop enough at night to warrant a watch cap.
6. Full Undergarment Change
Men and ladies need to carry a full change-out of each undergarment. This includes underpants or panties, undershirt or bra, and socks. Women should pack an undershirt too.
When you sail you sweat. In hot, humid weather, each of your drenched undergarments will lie next to the skin and transfer that cool moisture back to your bare skin. This causes you to cool further. Even the new microfibers can fail to keep you dry enough.
Take one pair of each undergarment, fold them flat, and stuff them into one large freezer bag. Squeeze all of the air out and seal the top. Now you have a fresh, dry pair of underwear and socks to change into when the sun goes down.
7. Sailing Inflatable with Integrated Harness
You may wonder why the life jacket isn’t #1? But if you think about it, people just don’t board boats with life jackets on. At least not many do. So why do you need to carry your own personal personal flotation device (pfd)? Comfort. If your pfd gives you comfort, freedom of movement, and keeps you cool when it’s hot outside–you won’t mind wearing it.
If you haven’t purchased an inflatable personal flotation device, take the time to try out different brands and styles. They won’t all be comfortable, so spend the time to find the one you like. Look for the type that comes with an integrated “D” ring safety harness. It’s more comfortable to wear one piece of gear than have to don a separate harness along with the pfd.
Test it before you buy it with these simple steps. Raise your arms, squat down; simulate sailing motions like grinding a winch, pulling on a halyard, or hauling in on a sheet. If the pfd remains comfortable in all of these situations, then it’s the right one for you.
Learn to sail like a pro when you use these seven sailing tips to know what sailing gear you need for safety. You will be well prepared for anything that comes your way–wherever in the world you choose to sail!
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