Sumara of Weymouth

12:30 8th March 2026

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Nerdiness Quotient: 6/10

Later this year, I will be sailing towards Greenland. It is always my aim to be as self-sufficient as possible and not to rely on any outside help. During the trip I will be out of reach of a large hospital for about four or five weeks. The nearest hospital in Scoresby Sund would be at Ittoqqortoormiit which has Nurses and occasionally has a Doctor. A serious illness or injury would require a very costly air evacuation which I would prefer to avoid.

It was about time that I trawled through the boat’s First Aid Box. Grit said I need to throw away all the stuff that was out of date. Obviously I thought that was a most ridiculous idea, but I eventually relinquished when I found some expiry dates from as far back as 1996.

When I say “throw away”, it is not quite that simple, as expired drugs need to be taken to a Chemist for disposal. So off we went to the nearest Chemist who told us that their disposal bin was full. Not to worry, off we go to another Chemist but they said they didn’t have he appropriate PPE to handle old drugs – we are just talking about Aspirin and “Parrots Eat Then All”, not heroine! On the third trip, we were lucky.

I then trotted off to Boots to get the replacements. When restocking the box, I decided it would be a good idea to add the expiry dates to the contents list that would be included in the box. I was a bit miffed when I found some of my brand new purchases would expire whilst I was still away sailing on this years trip to Greenland.

So, here’s my tip – before you buy First Aid stuff check the expiry dates first. It could save you substantial beer money!

I have downloaded the contents list here. There are still a few bits to find.

It would be great if you could comment on anything that I have not thought of taking. I suppose powerful pain relief could be an issue, I’ll see if a Doctor is able to prescribe anything.

We don’t intend to do any climbing, so there shouldn’t be a high risk of broken bones but you never know. Just in case, I do carry a roll of Varaform which is a natural cotton mesh impregnated with a thermoplastic resin. When heated with hot water, or hot air, it quickly softens so that it can be worked into any shape, then it sets on cooling to form a rigid lightweight armature. Ideal for making a quick splint. Varaform will stick to itself in its warm state and it can be re-heated and re-moulded as many times as required. I used to sell it for theatre prop-making work when I owned Flints Theatrical Chandlers but it was originally developed as a medical product. It has many uses on board – rigid net trays for cupboards, fruit hammocks and, if moulded into a solid lump, it can make plugs for lost tank caps.

We will have the Ships Captain Medical Guide and First Aid at Sea on board. I will try to take another First Aid Course just before we leave the UK so it is fresh in my head. Maybe I can persuade a Doctor to be on the end of a satellite call in case we need advice?

Now I have gone to all this trouble woe betide any crew who doesn’t have at least a minor mishap!