Why a Boat Kit Is Not a Home Kit

A first aid kit ashore sits in a cupboard, close to help, with clean running water and a phone signal. Afloat, you are the doctor, nurse and pharmacist until rescue arrives. That changes everything. The kit must be small enough to stow, tough enough to survive salt and damp, and organised so you can find a dressing one-handed while the boat rolls. The hazards are different too: rope burns, knife cuts, fish hooks, scalds from a kettle in a seaway, seasickness, sunburn, cold water shock and the ever-present risk of a man overboard. Build your kit around those realities, not around a generic box from a shop.

Wound Care: Dressings That Stay Put

Cuts and grazes are the most common injuries on board, and a dressing that peels off in spray is useless. Pack for variety and for wet conditions.

• Assorted sterile adhesive dressings (plasters) in mixed sizes, including waterproof and fabric types.
• Sterile non-adherent dressings, 5cm x 5cm and 10cm x 10cm, for larger cuts and grazes.
• Crepe bandages in 5cm and 7.5cm widths, plus a triangular bandage for slings or securing a dressing.
• Micropore tape 2.5cm and a small roll of zinc oxide tape for strapping fingers and securing pads.
• Sterile gauze swabs, 20ml saline pods for irrigation, and antiseptic wipes.
• Nitrile gloves, blunt-nose scissors, tweezers, and a small head torch.

Add a sterile eye pad, a few suture strips, and a small bottle of antiseptic solution. For a rope burn or knife cut, irrigate with saline, cover with a non-adherent dressing, and secure with tape or a bandage. If bleeding is severe, apply a pressure dressing and keep the casualty warm. Never use seawater to irrigate an open wound — it can introduce infection. Use it only for cooling a burn if fresh water is scarce.

Seasickness Tablets and the Green Crew

Seasickness can incapacitate a whole watch. Carry tablets containing hyoscine, cinnarizine or promethazine. Different people respond differently, so trial them ashore before a trip. Hyoscine suits many but can cause drowsiness and a dry mouth. Cinnarizine is less sedating for some. Promethazine works well but is often sedating. If you need to stay alert, ask a pharmacist about non-drowsy options. Include ginger capsules, acupressure wristbands and plain biscuits as backup. Store tablets in their original packaging with expiry dates visible. Keep a few in a small dry bag in your pocket so you can take them at the first yawn, not once you are already vomiting. Check for interactions with other medicines before you sail.

Burns Gel, Scalds and the Galley

A kettle of boiling water in a rolling sea is a serious hazard. For a minor burn, cool with clean cool water for at least 20 minutes. If fresh water is limited, seawater will do for cooling, but never use it on an open wound. Then apply burn gel from a sachet or small bottle. Burn gel soothes and covers the area, but it is not a substitute for cooling. Cover the burn loosely with cling film laid lengthways, not wrapped tight. Do not burst blisters and do not apply butter or greasy creams. For a larger burn, treat for shock: lay the casualty flat, keep them warm and call for help. Burns gel belongs in every kit, along with a thermal blanket for shock.

The Thermal Blanket and Cold Water Shock

A thermal blanket, also called a foil blanket, is light, compact and invaluable. It reflects body heat and blocks wind and rain. Use it for suspected hypothermia, after a man overboard recovery, for shock, or as an emergency shelter. They cost little, so carry several: one in the first aid kit, one in the grab bag, and one in your lifejacket pocket if it fits. Wrap the casualty with the shiny side inwards, leaving the face clear. Insulate them from the deck with a mat or spare clothing. Handle gently, do not rub limbs, and do not give alcohol. Warm the core first — neck, armpits and groin. A thermal blanket will not rewarm a hypothermic casualty on its own, but it buys time and prevents further heat loss.

Waterproof Storage and the Seasonal Check

Everything must stay dry. Use a waterproof hard case or a roll-top dry bag as your main kit, then subdivide into small dry bags by category: wound care, medicines, burns, tools. Label each bag clearly. Keep a laminated inventory list inside the lid so anyone can see what should be there. At the start of every season, check every item: expiry dates on tablets, sterile packaging still intact, gels not separated, thermal blanket still sealed. Replace anything used immediately, not at the end of the trip. Check the torch batteries and restock saline and gloves. Brief your crew on where the kit lives and how to use the basics. Consider a second smaller kit in the cockpit or grab bag. A first aid kit is only as good as its last check — make it part of your pre-season routine.