FIRE a reson to

[Kal-Kevin]

This is to all that think why should I carry a safety gear on board my boat?

     In Michigan it is the law to carry safety gear on-board all boats some must carry more then others and some less. Yesterday I was out fishing to kill a little time between the launch and weigh-in at a charity tournament. When I looked over at this big speed boat with four adults and a small child on board. They had stopped to check the back motor compartment and  out rolled smoke. They had a fire extinguisher but that was about all they had on board. The one adult was waving at passerby for help but they just did not notice the problem. I drop my pole and headed over to them, handed off my fire extinguisher as I got closer to them. Then towed them back to the docks and safety after the fire was put out.
     If they had a whistle or horn they could have had a way to get more attention from others on the lake. As it was if I had not been looking around at that moment it could have been a real bad day on the water for a family.
     So if you have the room to carry safety items you should think is it enough or should I take a little tackle off to make room for it? I'm as bad as most fishermen and women with so much gear to carry for a day on the lake, is there something I am missing, or is there something I have foregot to put on board?
     What do you carry on your boat that others might need to in a time of emergency? I think it would be good to share the items you care and others might not have thought of. So to help us all be better on the lake list the thing we all should think of. This goes for on a boat or just on shore were ever others might need help!

[Steve_W]

I always have 2 extinguisher's on board 1 in the front and 1 in the back.the gas tank is in the front and the battery is in the back,if their a problem I don't want to be running from the front to the back looking for it.I have a air horn and a whistle,always have a backup

[Yitbos78]

I always carry a separate tackle box with new fuses, tape, airhorn, stainless clamps and tools just in case I have a problem on the water with motor or electronics. It might ruin my day of fishing but give me a couple of hours and I can fix just about any problem on the boat (except internal motor problems). I would also recommend keeping about 4-5 ft of wire on your boat, just in case you need to rewire!

Yitbos78

[DAWG]

I want to add something about Fire Extinguishers  It is a good  to take a rubber hammer every so often and tap on them to keep the chemicals inside of them loose and free. They have a tendency to pack together when laying around ,even though the gauge says it is charged ,it may not work if it is packed together.

Just something my brother a fireman taught me.

[Mike Cork]

That is a great idea Dawg, mine has been sitting in the same place in my boat for 7 years now. You just never think to mess with it. Thanks for the reminder