PLB or EPIRB

[biscuit]

My sailing is mainly coastal/ offshore, not ocean. I am about to buy an Epirb or PLB. Apart from the personal vs. vessel indentification question, the technical specs. of each are now so similar that some are being advertised as a "PLB EPIRB". Ideally an EPIRB for the boat and a PLB for each crew... but if buying just one, I wonder if the PLB isnt the more versatile option?

 

[Gin]

Try a ybw.com search on the subject- there's been a lot of discussion on this subject in recent months

 

[PeterGibbs]

It's not an easy question, as you appreciate. I went through this recently, my old McMurdo EPIRB having lost power, as they do.

I went for a replacement with GPS position fixer. Not the cheapest solution, but I faced myself in the mirror and asked "in the event of a problem - boat or crew - do I want the best gear to hand?" So I found the extra £100 money.

PWG

 

[Otter]

The main issue is the battery life. An EPIRB will run for at least 48 hours, and shipping will take at least that long to get to you on the ocean. A PLB EPIRB will usually only be guaranteed to run for 24 hours (though my McMurdo says 48). I figure 24 hours is way enough for the North Sea/channel that we do. The PLB has the advantage that it's small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, the skipper carries it and that's the person on our boat that stands the biggest risk of MOB - this way they stand a chance of being found.

I question this "ask yourself, what would you think if you had to use it..." stuff. It just feels so arbitary, usually only applied to emotive purchases like liferafts and EPIRB's. No one ever suggests an annual rigging check by a proffessional or an annual CORGI gas check using the language of "Ask yourself, how would you face the widow of your crew member...etc". Both rigging failure and a fire are hundreds of times more likely to happen than using a raft/EPIRB in coastal waters. Maybe that's why we're so attracted to the "Just ask yourself.." argument, it makes us feel better about buying something we don't want to use!

 

[RAI]

Check if your planned PLB floats and operates while floating by itself. An EPIRB is designed to float alone and works better that way. An EPIRB can also be arranged to float free and self initiate, a PLB needs some operator assistance.

If operator assistance is available, then DSC radio and even GSM is likely to be more effective in coastal waters. Conversely, over the horizon, a 406 MHz EPIRB may be the only way to go.

Having said that, the SPOT system has some useful features for daily use, and you then know that it is really working.

Further, the Google Latitude system is coming to clever phones, as is chart software, so although not the recommended route, it does offer an alternative or back-up system, if you stick to coastal waters.