Wow.

I just skimmed through your 113 page report. Amazingly detailed.

What's incredible is both that these systems exist and how much background knowledge is actually needed to use one successfully. Unlike my digital camera, these are not really "push here dummy" devices.

The last time I went on a real adventure (6 years ago, sigh), we had a suitcase satellite phone but were so far south it was close to useless. But all that meant was sailing further north to get reception. Had we been stranded somewhere, it would have been dead weight. (Our Mustang dry suits extended water survival from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Being in the water wasn't an option, which is why we were always tied to the boat when on deck.)

I frequently wear a water activated PFD (the older pill type) and they are comfortable. I have never seen one "go off" in the rain but one inflated in a puddle of water in the bottom of the boat. Three times my partner has caught his pull-cord on something and blew himself-up!

Mike

I should look at getting the newer Hydrostatic model.

I always thought that an inflatable 2-3 man raft (with oarlocks & oars) would be the perfect small boat/lifeboat. Attached to the line that is run along the topsides of the raft would be the PVC tubes with Abandon Ship supplies.

I would make a couple of 4"x4' PVC pipes, capped on one end and with a watertight threaded plug on the other end.

Supplies would consist of:

2-4"x4' PVC sealable tubes lashed to port & stbd sides of liferaft
(stores abandon ship supplies & will hold rain water caught by the tarp)

406MHz registered Epirb
(attached to the liferaft via a halyard clip/lanyard while mounted on the boat in the "safe" position)

4 water pouches per person
(for open ocean sailing-6person crew x 4 = 24 water pouches)

1 pack of Datrex 3600 calorie food bars per person
(for open ocean sailing-6person crew x 4 = 24 Datrex packs; shiny aluminum foil can also supplement signal mirror)

1 orange or red tarp, large enough to cover the raft (6'x8')
(shade during the day, wind and temp protection during the day & night, & a rain catcher; shelter if landed)

1 deep sea fishing kit
(you can fish for "sushi" while waiting to be found & if landed)

2 different firestarters + 2 Bics in 4 qt size Ziplock bags
(if landed, fire to: signal, cook, heat source; Ziplocks-too many uses to recite)

1 large pocket/lockblade knife

1 signal mirror on a lanyard
(kept around the neck of who's on watch, in the liferaft)

1 flare pistol on a lanyard, with 6 red rocket flares
(kept around the neck of who's on watch, in the liferaft)

Note: Depending on the size of the crew, fill any remaining spaces in the tube with water pouches.

The person on the boat, standing watch, always keeps a handheld VHF-FM radio (turned off), in a radio condom, around their neck on a lanyard.

Each person in my crew has regular duties, collateral duties/specialties, and emergency duties via a Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill (WQSB).

The WQSB lays out the reponsibilities of each crewmember for every type of emergency that can be expected to arise at sea. For Abandon Ship, 1 person is charged with getting blankets, 1 is to grab whatever extra water they can grab, 1 is to get out Distress Calls for as long as possible, 1 is to grab extra food, 1 is to grab the logbook, charts, and nav gear, and so on and so on.

There are other things that I'd want to have with me but this is the general outline for a small sailboat with a small crew.

NOTE: Those 4" PVC pipes also make great anchor buoys.

I hope it goes without saying any and all gear should be USED periodically to insure familiarity and functionality. The Coast Guard lost two ships; a 180' buoy slinger and an river tender in the early 1980s. Both were involved in inland or harbour collisions. One capsized with loss of crew. Many were found with OBAs ( oxygen breathing apparatus ) partially donned. Only one was properly worn, and it's victim shoved the cannister in wrong.I forget how many training sessions I went to and watched others moan and complain, or even quietly slip out when a film was started.

Amen to all of that, Brother!

I did a tour on the USCGC RARITAN, she had rescued the only two survivors from the USCGC ESCANABA (WWII).

My family lost the son of a friend on the USCGC White Alder.

One of my best friends is a survivor of the USCGC Blackthorn.

I was glad not to have known anybody on the USCGC CUYAHOGA.

I had friends/former shipmates on the USCGC MESQUITE, all of which were lucky enough to have survived intact.

"...training sessions I went to and watched others moan and complain, or even quietly slip out when a film was started..."

Sadly, it happens in all areas. I was a training officer for many many years, getting officers to practice the stuff that could save their lives was like pulling teeth. Then when something bad happened, they wanted to claim lack of training...

Understandable, but...

And then you have secondary folks - CERT, and other groups that are VOADS (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster) that would LOVE to have training, often basic stuff. I can tell you that I've ended up parked on the side of the street, right behind a Red Cross ERV, I I would have loved FORMAL training on how to park to set up a safer zone (as we know, the side of the road, even one with a 20 mph speed limit, is never REALLY safe), how to properly set out flare lines (the police on scene did help us, but they wont always be there) and the like. I've had folks in various FDs (not FDNY) and other Police depts give me some safety hints, and it helps. It also helps becasue I can look at the guys we are working with, and ask for/give information in "their language" (despite NIMS and the like, knowing what to call XXX helps, instead of having to say "you know, the tink that looks like a Y, with but with a blunt end, blah blah blah"

My intended berthing area is about 70 miles or about 12-sailing-motoring hours from the open sea through sometimes narrow ship channels dredged out of the San Joaquin - Sacramento Delta. I don't expect I will feel comfortable sailing into the Pacific soon, but that is my ultimate goal. Now where the heck should I sail to in a wide-scale emergency situation?

Very Simple. "Some place the "emergency situation" isn't, and where you have a a sure thing getting of supplies".

I am sure I did something in a former life so that I deserve that repsonse.

Nonetheless, assuming I sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge safely into the Pacific Ocean because at least all of central California and the SF Bay were coping with some emergency situtation, would you turn left / south, right / north, or perhaps just keep going to the Hawaiian Islands? Are there specific locations you would head to / avoid??