Marine First Aid Kits

The title of this article is Marine First Aid Kits, in the plural.

Now don’t get me wrong I'm not suggestion that you carry enough kit to stock a hospital.

What I'm suggesting is that you separate the medical supplies you need to carry into easily identified and accessed categories.

Front Line kit. Personal Kits. Local Boating. Coastal and Offshore Cruising.

There are numerous pre-packaged kits available commercially which have been put together with expert medical knowledge.

These will often contain more than half the stuff you will ever need and most are worth investing in.

However, if you are like me, most of the time the first aid required is simply a sticky band aid to stop the bleeding from a minor cut.

This multimedia CD covers all aspects of safety at sea including equipment and how to handle nautical and medical emergencies.
This is not the time to be rummaging among all those bandages, eye wash, field dressings etc.

So the first line of defense should be a waterproof, easy to open container with the basics for treating those every day scrapes and cuts.

And this is equally important in the workshop.

Of course no kit is of any use if you have left it at home or forgotten to restock it, put it on your logbook check list.

And add to you passage plan the specific medical needs of any of your crew members.

Front Line kit.

This basic first aid kit is one you can make up yourself without much in the way of medical knowledge. Boat Books on-line

It is not really an emergency kit, just an everyday minor patch up kit, which will be quick and easy to grab and clearly ladled as such.

It should contain just a few items.

• The main one being those band aids, personally I prefer the type that comes in a strip so I can cut off as much or as little as is needed.

• So, you’ll need a pair of small scissors, a pair which must always be put back for the next time.

• Antibiotic Ointment, event the most minor cuts and scrapes can become infected.

• Hand sanitizer or wipes to clean both the wound area and the hands of the first aider.

• And some disposable Latex Gloves for the first aider.

• A pair of Tweezers for removing splinters, thorns, sea urchin spines, etc.

You may also want to add some Gauze Roll and small Gauze Pads.
And a small Portable Flashlight just in case the light is bad.

This will be the most used marine first aid kit on board, especially if you have a family of normal health kids but then if you have children you have probably already been there and done it.

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Personal Kits.

As I have already said the pre-packed kits you can buy will contain all you need for most situations.

However for anyone with any medical problems or anyone who requires specific medication it is a good idea to have a separate clearly labeled container for their own needs.

How much to carry will obviously depend on how long you intend to be away from civilization or a source of resupply.

The ideal would be a smaller marine first aid kit containing what you require for the duration of the trip plus a bit extra just in case.

Take with you a copy of your medication prescriptions, this will help make sure that if you should need extra supplies that you get the correct substance.

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Local Boating.

I hope I'm not giving the impression that you should carry vast amounts of marine first aid kits for every eventuality. Boat Books on-line

For the average boater with little medical knowledge there is no point carrying anything complicated, even with medical knowledge real emergencies will usually require outside assistance. 

This is especially true when boating in home waters where nearby friends or family can summon assistance within minutes or emergency rescue services can be called by radio or even phone.

It is a good idea to carry a marine first aid medical emergency reference book on board, as much for the first aider’s reassurance as for the patient.

The vast majority of boating trips pass off without anything remotely approaching an emergency.

However, it is not uncommon for a trip to be ruined because one or other crew member is suffering from something minor such as bug bites, sun burn, or diarrhoea.

The idea of the ‘local kit’ is to carry enough to treat those common on board health problems as well as some extra Gauze Roll, Gauze Pads, band aids, a few safety pins and another small pair of scissors.

Now I am neither a pharmacist nor medical doctor so I have no intention of recommending products, besides everyone has their own favorites.

All I can suggest is that you carry some off the shelf products of the kind which are unlikely to produce side effects.

• A seasickness remedy.

• Some pain killers, some of which also and reduce fever and an anti-inflammatory product.

• Perhaps an antihistamine for allergies.

• An anti-diarrhea medicine.

• Sun screen, it is surprising how easily it is to get badly burnt while out on the water.

• Some more antiseptic wipes and hand cleaner.

• A thermometer or one of those temperature strips will help determine if it really is a fever and how bad.

Hopefully, you'll never have to open this kit but the point is to deal with the non-emergency problems that don’t require medical assistance.

Many of these minor problems can spoil a trip yet are relatively easy to deal with using everyday medicines, but only if you have them with you.

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Coastal and Offshore Cruising.

If you are intending to travel to ‘exotic’ destinations it is worth finding out all you can about local medical facilities before you start stocking up with a trunk full of equipment. Boat Books on-line

There are many cruising destinations, where until only a few years ago medical facilities ranged between non-existent and primitive but which have now improved enormously, though it might be advisable say, to take your own hypodermic needles.

Check out all the most up to date cruising blogs for first hand information and of course your own national tourist information bureaus.

For the long distance cruiser today, the main time for concern is when in mid ocean.

This is where your best marine first aid kit could be your long range communication equipment.

Advances in satellite communications means that someone with an emergency situation in mid ocean can talk to their own doctor thousands of miles away and receive immediate advice on how to treat or at least stabilize the condition.

And in coastal waters VHF will connect you to coast guard emergency services.

But even so it is worth acquiring some basic medical knowledge before setting off, as well as carrying a comprehensive first aid manual.

While the basic marine first aid kits will cover everyday events, harsher climates and out of the way places may require supplementary supplies.

buy on-linehere a number of retailers selling boating medical kit that contain most of what you might need.

However, check with your physician if you have specific requirements and with some planning put together a marine first aid kit specific to your own requirements and capabilities.

Match the kit with your own medical knowledge as well as the size of your boat, the health of your crew, the areas where you are sailing and your pocket.

Unless you are prepared to spend many years at medical school your marine first aid should be just that until you can get outside qualified assistance.

And of course you will need a kit to go with your grab bag.

While this will need to cover basic first aid it will also need to address other more extreme considerations.