JIC, Just In Case
How many pilot their own aircraft? How many wear a parachute or have a ballistic recovery system? I guessing not many. Why? Flying has become just another way of commuting. It's one of the safest ways to get from A to B. 1973 there were 2373 fatal aircraft accidents and in 2019 just 20, world wide. Although some do, just in case.
Aircraft undergo some of the most rigorous inspections. There are scheduled frame, wiring, flight controls and engine inspections throughout the life of the aircraft. There are strict laws on how aircraft maintenance is performed and to what standard. The pilots have extensive preflight, take off, and approach checklists. There are motoring systems all over the aircraft to give the pilot constant information about the aircraft.
I wish more boaters took being out on the water as seriously as pilots do when taking to the air. How many times have you seen someone launching only to find their battery is dead? How many boats have you pulled back to the marina? How many VSC Examiners have found and extinguisher with compacted dry chemical?
In the Boy Scouts the motto is "Be Prepared". I take being prepared very seriously. When something goes wrong, you need to be ready for it.
In 33 years of boating I've never had a fire don't plan on it but I'll be prepared for it. On our 24' Cuddy we have two B-1 Dry Chemical extinguishers but the state says I only need one B-1 Dry Chemical. The average time of spray of a B-1 Dry Chemical ABC Extinguisher is just 14 seconds. Our trawler has two 2lb, three B-1's, two B-2's and a 10 lb HCF Automatic in the engine room. Our extinguishers and inspected and tagged by an outside contractor yearly and checked by me every month. Just in case.
We added smoke detectors and CO detectors the week we got the trawler. They are in the bedrooms, engine room, and the solon. Batteries get changed and units are tested before spring launch. I added a new fume detector this year as I did not trust the one on the boat.
We have life jackets galore! Always spares and extra sizes onboard both boats. They are aired out and stored in the basement over the winter. In the spring they are checked and placed back into the boats. We have a set just for Lake Erie that have LED strobes and whistles. On the trawler there are two throw rings with 60' of line and a float.
I have a habit of over servicing the engines and carrying too many spare parts. Sometimes I wonder how much money in fuel I could save by not having spare props, starters, alternators, fuel pumps, belts, hoses, ignition parts, tools and fluids onboard......
Why, Just in case, I want to be prepared. An emergency can happen at any time and quickly get out of hand. Have the equipment and training before you venture out on the water this season and be safe
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