DROGUES: Jan has only needed one in 3 of his 41 ocean crossings. On short trips the weather information is good enough that you should not need to put yourself in the conditions to need a drogue. Research at this stage suggests that the Jordan Series Drogue has the best results. http://www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/  Here is a link to a you tube series of tests using various drogues.   

FIRST AID
Rule # 1 80% of maritime accidents can be prevented.  Sail Safe.
To the left is a spread sheet on medical supplies.  It’s a combination of what’s packed into an Adventure Medical Kit, ideas gleaned by reading articles, and a consult with a friend who is an Emergency Room doctor.  I’ve left it in excel so that you can edit with you own items based on your personal health issues.

There are two apps that I like.  Both available in the Apple APP store and both have an Android version.  The links I have provided are for iOS devices.   The Red Cross has a free app on First Aid comprehensive, nice graphics, user friendly.   First Aid Afloat…from Safe Skipper.com, my favorite.  

And a downloadable e-book…Marine Medicine, A Comprehensive Guide by Eric Weiss.  I bought the kindle version and found it very informative, well organized and easy to read.

 Seasickness is one of the most common issues facing sailors. There are lots of good strategies for preventing & ameliorating ‘mal de mer’. This DanBoater article is a great summary of the most effective strategies.   And another very good article on the topic from Practical Sailor.

You probably know this from your own experience but the most common injuries on boats are musculoskeletal injuries.  Dan Boater has been releasing a series of downloadable handbooks covering a range of medical issues and the most recent one addresses these injuries.  Here’s a link to the Dan Boater page where you can download a copy.