Safety thoughts from medical pros

Two former nurses describe their safety setup

- Norman Gregory

Our background of being registered nurses, volunteering with emergency services, and having been part of the emergency planning for a major medical center has helped us think about how to keep safe on our offshore Nordhavn 46, Salish Aire. Our experience has given us perhaps some unique perspectives.

A great place to start, and which ties into our working experience, is a look at our medical gear. As RNs, we likely carry one of the larger first-aid kits on the water because we are familiar with how to use the supplies in it. A boat should always have medical supplies on board and at least one crewmember who is capable of using and will handle a medical emergency until it is reasonable to expect help to arrive. In our case, we often assume that help may be up to two days away, so we are prepared to handle significant emergencies. When we boated on the Salish Sea, we assumed we would have help within one hour and so we carried considerably fewer supplies. Another approach to addressing the needs of the crew and ship for longer-distance voyages is to travel with other boats that have crew or supplies on board that could be made available to you if needed. In any case, each voyage, boat and crew combination creates a different situation, and your emergency equipment and knowledge should be up to the task.

First-aid kit

Our current first-aid kit consists of a large waterproof case that we have loaded ourselves. However, you can also find companies online that make cruising-quality first-aid kits. Our kit includes:

• Blood pressure cuff and stethoscope

• Otoscope

• Various medical “clamps” and scissors

• Surgical glue