Fly a Kite

The Sky-Alert Parafoil rescue kite is a nice addition to any cruiser’s abandon-ship bag. Does it look a little silly? Sure. Is flying a kite the last thing you want to be doing when floating in a life raft? Yes, it seems a little too relaxed for the situation. But if you’re trying get someone’s attention, they’re more likely to see a strobe light when it is floating 300 feet above you, and that’s that the point. Certified by the USCG as an orange flag distress signal (complete with circle and square distress markers), the kite measures 28in wide by 38in long and has a 12ft five-strand tail. It only requires about 8 knots of wind to stay aloft and can be launched in up to 25 knots of breeze. The kit comes complete with the parafoil, the tail, a nylon storage bag to keep everything together and a spool with over 300ft of line.

$52.95. Landfall Navigation, landfallnav.com