Blue Heron
Guru
Santa brought me an EPIRB. Question is where should I mount it? Cat I auto.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Santa brought me an EPIRB. Question is where should I mount it? Cat I auto.
Thoughts?
Santa brought me an EPIRB. Question is where should I mount it? Cat I auto.
Thoughts?
I have been pondering this exact question. The admiral has her opinions also. Lots of good points about in the ditch bag option. However i am leaning towards the have it release automatically (the coasties make rules for the commercial guys for a reason). My reasoning is for a worst case scenario: cruising along at 8 kt at night, someone else at the helm, i am asleep below, semi submerged container rips the side of my boat open from stem to stern. I may be lucky to get out of the boat before it sinks in 1 to 5 minutes. If i forget the ditch in my stupor i am all alone with no EPIRB. i have quick release shackle on my dinghy for this very scenario. I am going to mount mine on the side of the fly bridge just above the side deck and below the canvas where it can be reached from deck if needed but will float free and is out of harms way. Mine will tell the satelite where i am and it has a strobe so i am going to go get it with my dinghy if i am able.
Agree with Keith!
If your unit has the capability to accept coordinates from your GPS, I would very highly recommend you wire this in to your unit. What happens is your EPIRB will take a reading from your GPS X number of times a second. If it is activated the first thing it flashes out is the very last reading it got from the GPS, along with your vessel information. Then it starts to search for satellites, which can take up to 5 minutes. The USCG will have a fix on you based on the info the GPS gives the EPIRB.
The difference between the main 2 models of Epirb sold here is the more expensive version has its own built in GPS which on activation signals position, quite independent of any onboard GPS system.Agree with Keith!
If your unit has the capability to accept coordinates from your GPS, I would very highly recommend you wire this in to your unit. What happens is your EPIRB will take a reading from your GPS X number of times a second. If it is activated the first thing it flashes out is the very last reading it got from the GPS...
In that situation we all hope never happens, isn`t the best place for the EPIRB beside you in the dinghy or raft, not 1 mile away still with the boat or floating/drifting where it sank?If when the poop hits the fan i and my crew end up in my dinghy with the EPIRB transmitting within 1 mile of me i will consider myself lucky. I if also have my ditch bag with handheld VHF and all the other goodies, well thats iceing on the cake. In my neck of the woods i would expect a rescue within 6 hours with a working EPIRB.
Go ahead and disagree .... as on scene commander or SAR coordinator for thousands of SAR cases....I know and you should too that the average GPIRB 99.9 percent of the time is sending position data long before the SAR unit even gets underway. There are lots of reasons there's confusion in the early stages of launch but I don't ever think it was because of the difference between the 2 types of GPIRBs.Some with thei own GPS can also be hooked up as i described to get the position out there faster. Most EPIRBs will find not know the exact position until it is activated. Meaning it sends out the first message with only your boat information, not the position. However, if your unit is hooked up to your GPS, the first message will be with your boat information to include your position.
PSNEELD,
I respectivly disagree. I have been involved in many SAR and the extra time could mean the differance between living and drowning.
Securing my epirb is not as easy as removing it from the mounting bracket and hiding it on the boat. My McMurdo has a water deactivation magnet built into the mounting bracket (I think all McMurdo's do). I had my epirb activate while the boat was in Guatemala and I was in the states, received 2 calls from the Coast Guard and had to replace the battery. The problem was caused by storing the epirb while it was removed from it's mounting bracket, the device that activates the unit when it is submerged turned the unit on. I had stored it under a drawer, in a ziploc, in a dry location on the boat. I now remove the bracket to store/hide the epirb. Something to consider when choosing mounting locations.
Until now I was unaware the EPIRB to onboard GPS connection even existed. It certainly exists between my GPS and VHF with DSC, the latter sounds an alarm if I turn off the GPS.
Not wishing to be a wet blanket Heron, but have you thought of the vulnerability to the weather - sun, wind, heat, cold etc, long term I mean - of course they are designed to be immersed....and also theft. I figure it is unlikely one would not have time to pluck the EPIRB from its bracket on the way to abandoning ship, but more likely one might well activate it and leave it in the holder as long as feasible, as unless actually sinking or on fire out of control, it is safest to stay with the vessel as long as possible. I therefore put mine right next to the pilot door, with activation diagrams/instructions now afixed beside it. (added since photo taken).