Like a Flea on a Big Hairy Dog…Not Easily Seen!

In a small low dinghy on open water, you can be like a flea on a big hairy dog. It is there, but it is not easily seen. A mirror and big signal flag are wonderful to have at those times, just in case you need them.

My wife is obsessive about taking what she calls the dinghybox with us when we go out in the small sailboats or the dinghy. That is a good thing. It is one of those bright orange plastic boxes that have a waterproof seal around the top. She has filled it with important things that you should have with you if you have a problem.

Even filled, the box will float, and the bright color makes it easy to see. She has  some neat goodies in it and when I look in the box I almost always find something new. She goes through the box about once every two months to check the stuff (or when we plan to go gunk-holing) and keeps it up to date.  I just grab the box.

The box contains a few basic tools. A multi-tool pliers, heavy pliers with a wire cutter, screw drivers and an ice pick like tool. There is a plastic bag  with a hand line fishing setup, a mini first aid kit in a bag,  a bag with sunscreen and accent meat tenderizer (for Jelly fish and coral stings), a mixed bag of if screws,  bolts, electric connectors, a peace of sand paper and the like, and a signal mirror. There is also a cheap plastic distress flag, a bar of soap, and a bottle of fresh water and these round out what is always in the box. The hand held VHF and cell phone go in the box and a zip lock bag with the boat registration for the boat we are taking and personal ID, is put in just before we go out.

The neat goodies change with what we plan to do. They range from dog biscuits, soda biscuits, granola bars, Vienna Sausages, raisins, celery sticks and snacks, a little mad money. The wife can be creative.

When my wife read this she said that she has an ammo box she uses at work that has basically the same stuff in it but without the fishing stuff. She is a Florida Forest Ranger and gets out in areas on a ATV that are way off the beaten path. She said she might add a fishing kit to her box.

In a small low dinghy you can be like a flea a on a big hairy dog. It is there, but it is not easily seen. The mirror and the big signal flag shine with importance here. These and the other things in the box can make your outing much safer.