Safety gear- What to bring offshore

What safety gear should I have when going offshore? Epirb? VHF?

chase boat is the best thing to bring

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06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.

yea.... How far off the coast do you mean with "Offshore".... on a getaway ?

I never sail more than a few miles (3 at the very most) off the coast...I carry a leatherman, some rope a few spare parts..mostly pins and a couple small blocks, a cell phone in a waterproof case

but yeah....how far offshore are we talking about here?!

Maybe just a few miles for fun. I just bought a set of submersible VHF's that float with GPS and distress. I haven't bought the boat yet, but how many foot seas can the getaway take?

Thanks, hopefully I can get the boat by next week.

We take ours out in the open ocean, you get going fast enough you can jump the swells...i don't want to say how big you can go but we've only decided to not go out once...due to high winds...we've been out in some pretty heavy conditions..

I sail on the Gulf of Mexico in Surfside, Texas with a group of other cat sailors. The group usually heads out in different directions so I make sure I have the following gear onboard with me.

1. VHF radio
2. Signal mirror on PFD
3. Whistle on PFD
4. Cell phone in Pelican Case stored in one of the coolers