Which EPIRB

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pissativlypossed

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I am going to buy an EPIRB, mainly sailing along the South Coast and across the Channel, any recommendations please? I want a GPS enabled one and it seems a good idea to get one with battery that can be changed without returning it to the manufacturer. Should I get an automatic release mounting. Boat is a Sun Odyssey 42ds.
Thanks in anticipation.
 
I bought a Kannad SafeLink Cat 2 GPS EPIRB from Marine Super Store at LBS this year. It looks like a solid unit and I believe it is made by same company as McMurdo ones (same parent company).

I haven't even mounted it on my 42DS yet so can't comment on longevity but it meets the specs. you gave. I think I paid £425 (haggled) and it is advertised at £450.

I didn't get an auto-release version as that would need to be mounted in the cockpit. I decided to save worries about theft and money by getting the cheaper model. It starts automatically when in the water so OK as long as I tie it to the liferaft when it it deployed (ever hopeful!).
 
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Given the sailing range you are suggesting, do you really need an EPIRB? OK, hire one for going cross-channel if it makes you feel better, but you're not going to be out of VHF range of the S&R services, so a suitably-connected DSC radio should be all that you need. EPIRBs are really intended for those venturing far enough offshore, i.e. crossing oceans, that they are out of the VHF radio safetynet.
 
greenalien said:
Given the sailing range you are suggesting, do you really need an EPIRB? OK, hire one for going cross-channel if it makes you feel better, but you're not going to be out of VHF range of the S&R services, so a suitably-connected DSC radio should be all that you need. EPIRBs are really intended for those venturing far enough offshore, i.e. crossing oceans, that they are out of the VHF radio safetynet.
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Well you are probably right of course - but the view I took thinking I would have family aboard etc is the same as for a liferaft or other OTT safety measures. I would rather have one and not need it than not have one and then need it. Bit like a condom really!
 
Sorry I can't remember the trade names, but I was impressed by the AIS Mayday transponders which came onto the market recently; they give a 'mayday here' symbol on any AIS eqquipped boat or ships' screen, allowing them to home in, not just the rescue services; especially cross -Channel, seems a good idea to me ( the rescue people do get the signal as well but I think no actual satellite info on current models ).

One of the models has a strobe light too, which has to be a good thing for people looking for you.
 
Given the sailing range that you're planning, I'd definitely put an AIS transponder as a higher priority than an EPIRB, on the basis that it's better to avoid disaster in the first place, rather than be rescued from it subsequently!
 
Seajet said:
the rescue people do get the signal as well
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Not sure about that; I believe Chanelyacht said that they do get a symbol appear on their plotter screen, but no specific alert so someone would have to notice it (and presumably have the relevant bit of sea displayed; don't know if they always have one screen covering their whole patch or if they all zoom and pan around as required). I may be misremembering that, but certainly the system he described wasn't the ideal you'd hope for.

Separately, will even a Coastguard aerial pick up an AIS signal from a battery-powered (how many watts?) ten-inch aerial at sea level thirty miles away?

I think AIS beacons are a useful idea for man-overboard recovery by the vessel that lost them, but I don't reckon they're a suitable replacement for an EPIRB for the boat.

Pete
 
Thank You all for your feedback, I have an AIS transponder and a personal AIS beacon that is attached to my life jacket, incidentally when activated this transmits a number with a prefix that identifies it as such.

Falmouth Coastguard actually includes in it's security bulletin that the quickest way to attract attention in a rescue situation is to activate a GPS enabled EPIRB.

The ACR 406 GPS it is then, next question, Where is the cheapest place to purchase one?
 
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I want to hear a story like...."as we sank I activated my Mcfasfind EPIRB and in an hour we safely on the deck of Ocean Saviour".
Like a lot of safety equipment you have to take it all on trust and the best bet is to buy a well known make....or is it????
 
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