Imagine that your worst nightmare has come true; a catastrophic equipment failure, irreparable damage due to a collision at sea or human error puts your vessel in peril. You find yourself getting ready to abandon ship, but how prepared are you?
Last year in western Canada there was a massive, quick-spreading wild fire that destroyed a whole city in under an hour. Many residents had fewer than 20 minutes to grab possessions and abandon their homes to the blaze. As I sat a half a world away onboard Kate reading about the tragedy what held my attention were the stories that detailed what items people grabbed when fleeing; ice skates, kitchen appliances, a few items of clothing. It made me pause and wonder, “How would I react in a sudden emergency situation that forced us to flee our home and what items would I grab on the way out?” Thankfully I didn’t have to wonder too long; sitting right next to the companionway was our ditch bag. Read more.
