GPS in liferaft

[pugwash]

I'm puzzled by references in rescue and safety guides to carrying a gps in a liferaft. PBO's little freebie guide to emergency action reminds you to grab the gps before you jump into the liferaft. But what good will it do? It's unlikely you'll have charts. If you don't have a compass (surely more important) it might tell you which way to a safe waypoint. But the chances of making significant progress in a liferaft or surely near zero. Maybe you could tie it to a line and throw it at a seagull then drink the blood.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Ah, but you should also collar the h/held VHF as you leap, gazelle-like, into the comfort of your personal survival capsule. Then you can have a comforting conversation with your rescuers along the lines "No, not that liferaft, I'm waiting for you at ...."

 

[Guest]

If you only have 121.5 EPIRB rather than a 406mhz one you need to know the best time to set it off, i.e when you are most likely to be heard. This would be when you are under major aircraft routes. You should carry an emergency map showing you these routes and the GPS will then tell you when you are under them so you can set off the EPRIB. Alternatively just carry a 406 EPIRB!!

 

[pugwash]

Certainly true in far-flung parts of the ocean but in our neck of the woods -- on soundings, West Atlantic -- isn't everywhere an air route?

 

[HMCG]

I have never seen any advice about carrying a GPS in a liferaft. Yes it would be good if you have your radio and you can pass your position to us. As mentioned your best bet is to have as much as possible. Best advice for things to let us know where you are:
406/121.5 mhz EPIRB (sats still pick up 121.5 at the moment but are being switched off in a few years time) OR Inmarsat beacon-gives constant position updates to us.
SART - Probably one of the best. You dont need to switch it on and off to save the battery it will only activate when a vessel/aircraft is near.
HH Radio - You can con the vessels, lifeboat or helicopter to your position.
Flares - as above.
Torch/strobe - again as above
Mobile phone - If all else fails.

These are the main things needed in my own view.

Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas.

 

[alant]

As HMCG, can you explain why when giving your position in an emergency, it is expected as a bearing from a known point rather than position to that point.
If it is an emergency, people may be in a panic & expecting them then to convert a bearing to its reciprocal - getting it wrong perhaps - when this bit can easily be done by the rescue coordinator (who will be relaxed & able to think clearly), surely may make more sense.
eg Needles Light bears 343 may be easier/quicker for the cold/exhausted casualty to report than expecting add/subtract 180 for 163 from the Needles Light!

 

[HMCG]

I think it mainly comes down to tradition and the fact that we are a land based service. Most of the SAR units we deal with will ask for a position as a range and bearing from landmarks as they will be heading from the shore and the landmark is the fixed point. At the end of the day as long as it is made clear which you are using it makes verry little difference to us. We are probably getting a bearing line from your radio transmission anyway.

Best bet of all though is to pass a position as a lat and long.


Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas.

 

[davidhand]

Who is switching off the 406 EPIRB system, the Americans? Do you know when? Howcome they didn't tell me that in the store the other day when I was eyeballing one? Thanks for the info anyway.

 

[AndrewB]

406MHz EPIRBs are not being phased out.

Its the 121.5 and 243 MHz based systems that are being phased out under COSPAS-SARSAT arrangements. There will be a downgrading from 2006 and satellite watch discontinued on these frequencies after 1st Feb 2009. For full details, <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/download/R10OCT25.01.pdf>click here</A>.

Incidentally, the EPIRB satellite monitoring system system is run jointly by US, Canada, France, Russia.

 

[HMCG]

I did not say that they were switching off the 406 system. I said that they were switching off the 121.5 component. This is due to the fact that it is not an alerting system but is designed for homing. 121.5 is inaccurate for fixing positions from satellites but is very good fer using as a local area homer. The 406 system is an integral part of the GMDSS so will be around for quite some time yet.
Take a look at - <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/Index_Frame_English.html>http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/Index_Frame_English.html</A>

Click on the termination of 121.5/243 link on the left hand side.

Don't worry your 406 beacons are still a very good investment.

Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas.

 

[kdf]

I was on a sea survival course last year and the instructor was paticularly keen on the fact that the Epirb does not so into the liferaft but is chucked into the water via an automatic release. My view was that if my ship is going down and I'm taking to the vessel of last resort (liferaft) then that Epirb is coming with me and not floating off into the distance.

 

[HMCG]

You are quite right. During your mayday we will always advise that you take your beacon into the raft with you. The drift characteristics of an epirb are completely different to thos of a liferaft so they will move away from each other and will make finding the raft difficult. The one thing we dread hearing during an incident is that a lifeboat or helicopter has picked up an epirb on its own.

Safer lives, safer ships, cleaner seas.