What should I have in my grab bag? A boat safety essential

by Calanach Finlayson 21 Aug 13:00 EST (used with permission from Sail-World)

A grab bag is an essential piece of safety equipment for bluewater cruising and offshore racing alike. In the event of an abandon ship, the grab bag may be the only item you have time to take with you before climbing into the liferaft, so should contain all essential items for your survival.

While some racing rules stipulate the contents of a grab bag, there is no such definitive checklist for cruisers. Here we list some of the essentials and other items you might want to include.

The Liferaft

Some liferafts contain basic survival items such as food and water, depending on the specification. Be sure to know exactly what is in yours. Check the information from the manufacturer or look at the certificate from the last inspection. The grab bag should contain additional kit which is not part of the liferaft pack. If in doubt, take what you need in the grab bag anyway!

the complete list can be found here.