Mini B 300 ILS by ACR

[BobE]

I think it was three years ago that the family (well two of them) presented one of these things to me for my combined Christmas/Birthday present (25/26 Dec)
It's been swanning around in the boat since then and all I have is it, and it's box.
It's called a "Minature Personal EPRIB and has a serial number 15282 and a battery date 8/2014 (which should see me out) on it.
What the BH should I be doing with the thing?
Seem to remember that the 121.5 MHz frequency stated on the back was going to be NBG soon?
Do I lumber around with it in the pocket of my old sawn orf jeans? (Is it in your pocket or are you please to see me dear?)
Do I fix it somewhere so others can gaze upon it's glory?
Do I attach it somehow to my unworn and unused life jacket or Harness?
Or do I sling the thing back in the bilges and forget it?
Mebbe it'd be good on my lawnmower?
Do I register something somewhere?
Seriously tho' is it of any use?

Cheers Bob E..

Waiting for the sarky funny replies as ever!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[cindersailor]

If you sail single handed a lot as I do, and use the tiller pilot while clambering around the deck, the prospect of falling over the side is rather a chilling thought. Without some means of letting someone know of your predicament all you can do is bob around watching your pride and joy heading off over the horizon (no doubt admiring how well she is sailing, damn her!) and thinking of all the things you would have liked to have said to your loved ones before your demise.

Although I don't have an epirb, I have a waterproof h/h VHF permanently attached inside the outer cover of my lifejacket (which I ALWAYS wear) so at least I have a chance of getting off a mayday should I take a dip. For a period I religiously clipped on to the jackstays when outside the cockpit whatever the conditions, but that is a pain, and how on earth would I get back aboard while being dragged along at 6 knots in any case.

So the answer to your question is that your epirb could one day save your life, but only if you have it with you when you need it.

 

[Capn Pugwash]

Sounds a great bit of kit! Perhaps it would be handy as a paperweight?

Seriously though, have a look at EPIRB

Hope it has the answers!

 

[Allan]

I agree with your thoughts on watching her sail over the horizon and getting back onboard. I met a guy in France who, I believe, had this sorted. When he got away from other boats, he trailed a floating line. the line was led through a cockpit drain, up over the autopilot and down to a lifeline fitting on the cockpit sole. This meant if he fell overboard he would have to swim to the line and hold on. This would pull the autopilot off and the boat would head up into wind. He would then pull himself to the stern and use the ladder to get onboard. He had tested the system, when sailing double handed and it had worked. I dont have an auto pilot and carry a waterproof VHF. Sorry to help with drifting the tread!
Allan

 

[cindersailor]

Sounds like a reasonable idea, but I think the line would need to be rather long to give you time to swim to it before the boat had gone too far. I may experiment.

 

[Allan]

I'm not sure how long his rope was but he said when he tested it he dived out off the forward coachroof. He was wearing waterproofs and hesitated when he surfaced as he thought in an emergency he would be disorientated. I thought a few loops in the rope might be a good idea.
Allan

 

[sarabande]

Say the boat is moving at 6 knots, which is a bit over 3 metres per second: Assume 5 seconds from falling overboard at the stern to re-orientate oneself about 3 meters from the line trailed astern, and swimming at 0.5 meters a second; that's 11 seconds. I guess the floating line would have to be about 40 metres long to give one a fair chance.

To help recovery prospects, you could arrange for the line to be connected to a piece of weak line to pull out a safety kill cord to the autopilot or main sheet so that the boat slows down.

Someone challenge the timings ? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Allan]

Nice to see the theory seems to prove the practical test to be correct. I think having the rope over the autopilot to free the tiller should be enough to allow the boat to head up.
Allan