On Saturday, my 14 yr old son and I went to Shell Point, Fl to sail the
MiniCup and it was great wind before an approaching front. Wind was
from the south so there was no problem getting back to shore. By 3:00
the rain was coming down in torrents so we went home.
Sunday, we went back and there was only about5 kts from the north. I
told him to be careful as it was blowing away from shore and not to go
out far. Next thing I know, he is almost 1/2 mile out and having
trouble getting back in. I watched him for awhile and he very slowly
got a little closer and then the wind died altogether. He tried
paddling but the tide ws still running out. He took the sail down and
paddled, still no progress. Then the rain started and I watched him
for another 20 minutes. FINALLY, unable to bear it any longer, I found
somebody with an inflatable dinghy who took us out to tow him in. When
we got near him we saw that he was shaking violently from the cold so I
threw him my raincoat and we towed him in where he changed to dry
clothes.
So, what to do about this problem? Clearly we need some safety
equipment other than just a lifejacket aboard.
Consider, the MiniCups are 12' long with almost no room for storage,
think of a slightly enlarged Sunfish (yes, I showed him that article
about the two boys in N. Carolina). What would you consider for safety
equipment?
A compass, a pint of water, a space blanket, a tiny flashlight, maybe
three pen flares, fishhooks and line. All of this must fit into a
small box velcroed to the cockpit wall. What else?
I am even thinking about a small anchor but what kind?