What personal PLB/AIS/MOB device?

davethedog

davethedog

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 Feb 2016
Messages
847
Visit site
Afternoon all and am looking to purchase some safety kit for the wife and I, as we sail a lot just the 2 of us, and what do people recommend for our lifejackets?

We currently have a Raymarine C80 and AIS transducer on the boat, as well as an EPIRB (which we are going to upgrade soon anyway).

So, should we go for:

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/ocean-signal-rescueme-mob1-ais-dsc-beacon

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/mcmurdo-fastfind-220-gps-plb

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/ocean-signal-rescueme-plb1-with-gps-plb

Thanks

DTD
 
Probably depends on where you sail and do you want to find each other from the boat (personal AIS beacon) or notify Falmouth (PLB). We have one PLB for the boat at the moment but if we were getting one for each on the lifejacket I’d get the AIS as that allows immediate location from the remaining person on board.
 
If you opt for AIS (which I think is the right choice for MOB from a boat with crew) then be aware that an older device like the C80 might not understand the special alarm message from the beacon.

They do also emit a standard position report, so the plotter should always display something, but if it doesn’t know about MOB beacons then it will show up as a ship and not raise any particular alarm. Whether this matters depends on your type of sailing - fine if you’d always be aware of the MOB and just need a steer back to them, but if you stand watches then it won’t alert the off-watch person.

Pete
 
I usually sail either single handed or with my wife. For me the PLB is the better choice. On the other hand if I were on a fully crewed offshore racing boat I would go for the AIS.

With the PLB when you press the button you know someone will come looking for you eventually. With the AIS you are dependent on there being someone within VHF range of you to receive and act appropriately. If you are bobbing up and down in the sea VHF range might be much shorter than you think. In effect you are depending on the people left on board your own vessel to come and get you.
 
In coastal areas I keep a dsc vhf with me, a bit bulky but I personnally find it a lot more convincing than the ais beacons; offshore I keep a plb on me. Epirb on the boat. This is singlehanding, +false singlehanding with people totally uninterested in learning anything boaty (ie family).
 
davethedog said:
Afternoon all and am looking to purchase some safety kit for the wife and I, as we sail a lot just the 2 of us, and what do people recommend for our lifejackets?

We currently have a Raymarine C80 and AIS transducer on the boat, as well as an EPIRB (which we are going to upgrade soon anyway).

So, should we go for:

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/ocean-signal-rescueme-mob1-ais-dsc-beacon

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/mcmurdo-fastfind-220-gps-plb

https://www.marinesuperstore.com/safety-beacons/plb-ais/ocean-signal-rescueme-plb1-with-gps-plb

Thanks

DTD
Click to expand...

We now have a couple of both of the first two (for slightly different risks)
- two McMurdo PLBs - a current one and the old one theoretically past battery life but still testing fine (bought second rather than spending money on replacing good battery). Bought first as handles more emergencies including abandon ship.
- recently added one then just today a second MOB1 AIS - specifically for the situation when shorthanded solo watches on longer trips.
PS. Gael Force was significantly cheaper than your link for the MOB1 AIS with prompt free postage
 
bedouin said:
In effect you are depending on the people left on board your own vessel to come and get you.
Click to expand...

Yes, that’s precisely the idea, them being the closest vessel and also best motivated to assist. Don’t forget they can also send out a Mayday to summon all the resources that a PLB would do, and do so faster and more decisively, when within VHF coverage, than the PLB.

It might not be the best bet if you routinely take out total novices as passengers, but if the crew can work the boat and the radio then I’d rather have them involved in the rescue effort rather than bypassing them entirely and going straight to Falmouth and thence Fareham.

Pete
 
prv said:
Yes, that’s precisely the idea, them being the closest vessel and also best motivated to assist. Don’t forget they can also send out a Mayday to summon all the resources that a PLB would do, and do so faster and more decisively, when within VHF coverage, than the PLB.

It might not be the best bet if you routinely take out total novices as passengers, but if the crew can work the boat and the radio then I’d rather have them involved in the rescue effort rather than bypassing them entirely and going straight to Falmouth and thence Fareham.

Pete
Click to expand...
However with the PLB if the crew are competent they can get on the radio and get the position from CG anyway so they have all the information they would have if you had the AIS beacon.

Of course you could always carry a RDF for 121.5 and get the best of both worlds
 
The whole point of MOB is to stop it. The harness should have one long and one short tether which is used on deck so you can't go over the guard rails the long one is to put around the mast when reefing or vice versa, plus a U-bolt in the cockpit and jackstays. Clip on in bad weather and always at night. All we carried was an EPIRB.
 
prv said:
If you opt for AIS (which I think is the right choice for MOB from a boat with crew) then be aware that an older device like the C80 might not understand the special alarm message from the beacon.

They do also emit a standard position report, so the plotter should always display something, but if it doesn’t know about MOB beacons then it will show up as a ship and not raise any particular alarm. Whether this matters depends on your type of sailing - fine if you’d always be aware of the MOB and just need a steer back to them, but if you stand watches then it won’t alert the off-watch person.

Pete
Click to expand...

The DSC alert should make a decent alarm Pete.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top