Shown attached to a user above and as the complete package
to the right, the Autotether is a wireless automatic switch that
shuts off an outboard if the wearer falls overboard.
$1,800 for a coastal inshore model and between $3,000
and $5,000 for an offshore model. Most people buy a raft
to accommodate between four and eight passengers.
Ideally, if you need to abandon your vessel, you’ll
have a ditch kit ready to take onto the liferaft with you.
ACR makes a floating ditch bag that sells for about $80.
You need to stock it with your desired stuff. The bag
has a pocket for a locator light and additional dedicated
pouches that let you access an Emergency Personal
Indicator Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or handheld GPS for
quick activation. You can record an equipment inventory
on an external waterproof card. ACR’s Rapid Ditch
Express Bag, which is a more basic model, sells for $50.
If you’re really prepared, you’ll be able to avoid
having to grab a ditch bag or deploying the liferaft
because you have a good damage control kit. SeaKits
makes a number of kits including a Damage Control
Kit, an Engine/Gear Oil Analysis Kit, a Hydraulic
System Kit, and a Generator Spares Kit. The Damage
