She Made Him Do It

Shelli Schmid represents Safety First Marine, a Jacksonville, Florida, company that sells, services, and inspects onboard marine-safety equipment in northeastern Florida. Shortly before an offshore fire of undetermined origin destroyed Tree House, Schmid told the boat’s owner Bucky Odom to replace his old, beat-up life raft with a new one, even though he was loath to spend the money. “I pretty much made him do it,” she says. As a result, Odom is a total fan of Schmid’s sage counsel today, as are numerous other Florida boaters she’s helped over the years. Here, according to Schmid, are the three most important things an offshore cruising boat or sportfisherman should carry at all times, no matter what:

1. A FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM in the ER that’s scaled and engineered to do a thorough job. “Do not,” she says, “open the engine compartment once the system deploys. Wait a good while instead. Some sources say for as much as an hour. That way you don’t get the fire restarted by feeding the thing oxygen.”

2. A PROPER EPIRB, meaning one that’s been recently tested and carries a fully charged battery. “Make sure everyone onboard knows exactly where it is,” continues Schmid, “and how to use it.”

3. A DULY INSPECTED, WHOLLY RELIABLE LIFE RAFT. “And duly inspected means duly inspected,” Schmid cautions. “An inspector will be aware of recalls and other problems that may prove catastrophic if you have to deploy. Most regular boaters will not!” Safety First Marine, 904-377-9933; www.safetyfirstmarine.com