Personal EPIRBs

[Boatman]

Going (seriously) offshore for a few weeks, question is has anyone any experience or even just comments on personal EPIRBs ?

Are they worth having?
Do they work ?
Are they a substitute for a boat based one?

All comments welcome

 

[bedouin]

I bought one of these at the beginning of the season - in preference to a boat-mounted one. FWIW, my answers are YES, YES and YES (almost). Although I haven't had to use it.

Yes they are worth having - by carrying it with you it also copes with the MoB situation as well. That is particularly important to me when sailing single-handed. A boat-mounted one isn't a lot of use if you're in the water and the boat is sailing away on its own.

I imagine they work okay - although mine requires manual activation and probably needs to be hand-held, so there is more scope for getting it wrong.

The advantage a boat-mounted one has is that it can be activated automatically if the boat sinks, making it somewhat easier to use than personal one (I think the big boat one's also have longer battery life - 48hrs vs 24 hrs). However I have severe reservations about automatically - deployed emergency equipment.

Each person is different - but I like having it just for the extra peace of mind it gives; if things got hairy it should help reduce the skipper's anxiety levels and so aid safe decision making (same's true for the liferaft).

 

[alant]

Depends where you sail.
There is a low cost 121.5 variant still available which activates automatically upon immersion - great if your unconcious.
The expensive 406 + GPS version, needs manual operation, does not function if it has been dunked below 10metres (could be on a lanyard) & will not float. Also imagine sailing eg down the English Channel, in February, almost certainly wearing several pairs of gloves, to activate first remove gloves, then with fingers still having both function & feeling, take PEPIRB from pocket (or wherever else its secreted), lift off cover & press botton. Of course remembering not to panic while treading water checking your lifejacket (hopefully an automatic one) as your boat sails away from you.
Whoever designed (& apparently rigorously tested - of course the MOB was totally unaware this was going to happen - to make conditions realistic) a device which sinks, can fail if immersed this way, is not automatic & didn't even have a lanyard when introduced last year, has obviously never been out in 'cold' conditions, which can last until end of June even in the balmy south. Sounds suspiciously like something designed for a Government/MOD contract. Maybe you'd be better off buying extra harness strops.

 

[Guest]

Is it not true to say that the 121.5 version relies upon an overflying aeroplane to make itself heard whereas the 406 signals to satellite and there are usually at least 4 SARSAT or COSPAS in"view" anywhere on the earth's surface at any time?

 

[alant]

But I think the 121.5 is then used by location aircraft etc to finally home in by location aircraft et al.
An airline pilot told me that they could fix the location of a 121.5 using other commercial aircraft quite easily.

 

[42_South]

Treat personal EPIRB's with kid gloves - I have had two failures with them, last one filling with water during a recent Sydney-Hobart - not good when you need to use them. RFD did however replace them for free.

Ensure that you find a place for them on your kit where they cannot get damaged (eg sitting on them or knocking them). I had a special pocket cut on my offshore inflatable jacket on the upper chest, but they are rather bulky when you have the strobe, die marker etc etc.....

 

[42_South]

Treat personal EPIRB's with kid gloves - I have had two failures with them, last one filling with water during a recent Sydney-Hobart - not good when you need to use them. RFD did however replace them for free.

Ensure that you find a place for them on your kit where they cannot get damaged (eg sitting on them or knocking them). I had a special pocket cut on my offshore inflatable jacket on the upper chest, but they are rather bulky when you have the strobe, die marker etc etc.....

 

[incognito]

Can\'t resist this...

'does not function if it has been dunked below 10metres' - nor would most wearers of the P-EPIRB

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I have recently bought a McMurdo Fastfind Plus, the principal reason being that it was the only EPIRB that has user replacable batteries, thus you can extend its 24Hr operating life and service it (replace batteries) yourself. Cost of replacement batteries £103 against service replacement for other models of £300 plus. Yes it can be used as a personal beacon but it also fullfills the class 2 beacon criteria. It is bouyant if you use the battery pack designed for opperation at -20 degrees minimum. Yes there are restrictions re its antenna but its likley to be used on the boat or in the liferaft so probably not that much of a problem, if you are in the water on your own your chances are not good unless its warm and calm regardless of an EPIRB. It transmitts on both 406 & 121.5 MHz. I think it is a cost effective EPIRB.
If however your question relates to 121.5 Vs 406 MHz transmitters I would go for the latter every time. 121.5 MHz beacons are essentially homing beacons that will allow a suitably equiped vessel to locate you from 20 to 30 K. Aircraft can detect the signal but it is by no means reliable or certain that they will. With a 406 beacon the Coastguard will be organising the search within two hours of the beacons first transmission. If you are not convinced speak to the Falmouth Coast guard and the manufacturers.
Good luck!


RAG @ STICK