| When you are out on your boat, there is no well-stocked pharmacy close at hand and
you are beyond the reach of quick-response medical assistance. You will be helpless
to deal with onboard illness or injury unless you have medical supplies aboard and
the knowledge of how to use them.
Most medical "emergencies" are minor cuts, burns, sprains, stings, and punctures,
to name a few-and if you have the appropriate bandage, ointment, cold-pack, medication,
or tweezers aboard, you can usually take care of these events. Otherwise your boating
day is over.
Think of a First Aid Kit as a tool kit for keeping the crew in working order. What
should it contain? That depends on how you use your boat. The farther from shore
you venture, the more self-sufficient you will need to be.
Don't overlook the fact that you could be the one ill or injured. Provide a visual
clue of where you have medical supplies stowed by marking the outside of that locker
or cabinet with a prominent Red Cross symbol. Keep all of your first aid supplies
together, not distributed around the boat. Having them in a box or bag lets you
quickly take the whole kit to the victim.
Be sure to include a good first aid manual as part of your medical kit. Absent medical
training or a doctor among the crew, you will have to rely on a first aid manual
to show you how to handle any unfamiliar emergency. The first aid manual belongs
with the medical supplies, not with the mystery novels and cruising guides. |
Boat Outfitting