PLB Anyone got one

I have a McMurdo FastFind that I used to keep in the grab bag as a poor-man’s EPIRB. I originally got it before a cross-channel trip when I suspected the VHF on that boat was dodgy. It expired last winter and I replaced it with an actual EPIRB, the price having come down in the meantime. I don’t have a definite role for the FastFind but I’ll keep it around just in case.

I’m a little unclear as to the intended purpose of wearing PLBs on a yacht except for single-handers. If the yacht sinks or is in grave danger then a PLB is good but an EPIRB is better since it doesn’t need to be held upright to work. And if you go overboard then you’re better off with an AIS beacon that lets your crew find you straight away - they can always use the yacht’s comms systems (including the EPIRB if necessary) to call for outside assistance. I suppose individual PLBs help if the boat sinks suddenly and the crew ends up scattered instead of together in the liferaft, but that seems quite an extreme situation.

The EPIRB I have is the Ocean Signal one, corresponding to the PLB you linked to. I imagine they work quite similarly. I’ve read the instructions and run the self-test and it all seems fine; I doubt there are many here who’ve gone to the next step.

Pete
 
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Dennis, I think it depends how far offshore you'll be going. I'm about to buy one but that's only because we're starting to take the boat offshore (35 miles from land) so we're unlikely to get a VHF signal back to land, let alone a mobile phone signal. I know that you have Ribs as well as your Sealine, do you have a DSC hand held? That might be a better bet than a PLB.

Saying that, there's nothing wrong with having both if you can afford it.
 
I have a PLB in my grab bag. If the boat goes down, even if we go to the life raft, the PLB will give signal to our position and alert the authorities, especially if mid channel etc. I think it’s an important piece of kit to have.
 
I have a PLB mainly because I go single handed a lot and also I enjoy fishing in the winter months and at night so if I do go in then I have small chance of making it. But in reality in the winter I probably won't but at least I hope they would find my body for the closure of the family. Also I was told that insurance won’t pay out for 7 years if no body is found but don’t quote me on this.
 
jamie langstone said:
I have a PLB mainly because I go single handed a lot and also I enjoy fishing in the winter months and at night so if I do go in then I have small chance of making it. But in reality in the winter I probably won't but at least I hope they would find my body for the closure of the family. Also I was told that insurance won’t pay out for 7 years if no body is found but don’t quote me on this.
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That’s cheered me right up :)
 
We (my wife and I ) have PLBs attached to our lifejackets/harnesses. They are only small. I think two PLBs are more sensible than single EPIRB. When I purchased them the price for these two options was similar, although since then EPIRB prices have reduced.

The PLB is almost identical to a GPS equiped EPIRB apart from the fact the unit does not float (obviously no problem attached to a lifejacket) and the aerial does not automatically sit upright (not hard to fix as long as you know they will work better with the aerial in the right orientation). Finally the battery life is less, but it is long enough especially as the unit is continually broadcasting a GPS position.

A PLB is of little use in a MOB situation, but by attaching the unit to our lifejacket/harness it ensures the unit is more likely to be available in an emergency situation.
 
noelex said:
We (my wife and I ) have PLBs attached to our lifejackets/harnesses. They are only small. I think two PLBs are more sensible than single EPIRB. When I purchased them the price for these two options was similar, although since then EPIRB prices have reduced.

The PLB is almost identical to a GPS equiped EPIRB apart from the fact the unit does not float (obviously no problem attached to a lifejacket) and the aerial does not automatically sit upright (not hard to fix as long as you know they will work better with the aerial in the right orientation). Finally the battery life is less, but it is long enough especially as the unit is continually broadcasting a GPS position.

A PLB is of little use in a MOB situation, but by attaching the unit to our lifejacket/harness it ensures the unit is more likely to be available in an emergency situation.
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Lots of them do float now.
 
My wife and I both have PLBs which normally live in pockets attached to our lifejackets. The advantage of a PLB over an EPIRB is that it is portable and you can carry it around with you. When my son went to the Arctic side of Canada to visit friends, he was warned about a highway he would need to drive - several hundred miles with virtually no settlements, little traffic and moose which caused frequent accidents - no cellphone coverage either! We lent him a PLB for the duration - any breakdown or accident around there is quite likely to be fatal!
 
jcwads said:
I have a PLB in my grab bag. If the boat goes down, even if we go to the life raft, the PLB will give signal to our position and alert the authorities, especially if mid channel etc. I think it’s an important piece of kit to have.
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i have the same for the same reason, also cut down on pyro`s carried o/b as i have the PLB
 
petem said:
Dennis, I think it depends how far offshore you'll be going. I'm about to buy one but that's only because we're starting to take the boat offshore (35 miles from land) so we're unlikely to get a VHF signal back to land, let alone a mobile phone signal. I know that you have Ribs as well as your Sealine, do you have a DSC hand held? That might be a better bet than a PLB.

Saying that, there's nothing wrong with having both if you can afford it.
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Pete

I don't go very far offshore myself but I am often solo. I think for £190 it is a very good thing to have and can also be used on land for non boating activities should the need arise.


for me £190 is not too expensive and the peace of mind this could bring to both yourself and other loved ones is I think worth it
 
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