Garmin inReach mini as safety device at sea for a couple

[jpsp]

Hello everyone!

A question to everyone who has experience with a Garmin inReach mini.

Our friend recently went missing after solo sailing from Catalina Island to San Diego. His boat was found near Guadalupe Island. Tragically, our best guess is he fell off the side while underway...

This inspired us (and our families) to take our safety a bit more seriously. My wife and I live on our Catalina 36, and are thinking through the scenario of a man overboard while the other is asleep. We are considering buying a pair of Garmin inReach Minis.

I know these devices can communicate with each other and have GPS, so my thoughts are that if one of us falls in, we could use the device to send our position to the other person who could come back to rescue the man overboard, even if they kept sleeping a few hours after the man overboard incident. Also, worst-case scenario, the man overboard can use the distress feature to try to get a rescue from the Coast Guard. Finally, these would serve great when we are at anchor and doing dinghy adventures or hiking adventures. At least, that's the idea! I've never used one of these...

I've heard these devices are a bit clunky in use, and I was wondering if anyone had ever used 2 of these to communicate back and forth and could speak to how possible it would be to use 2 such devices for this kind of a scenario? Also, any recommendations as to whether the inReach Mini 2 would be better or worse for this use case?

Or alternatively, if you have other devices you would recommend for this type of scenario, I am open to suggestions based on personal experience with equipment.

Thanks for any thoughts or ideas!

[requiem]

Regarding the Mini, the intent is that you mainly interact with them via phone app. You can do crude messaging on the device itself, but the interface seems rather tedious and I really would not want to have to attempt either method in the water. Also, it doesn't give a homing signal the way an AIS device would.

A more fit-for-purpose device would be an AIS MOB device like this one. You'd need an AIS receiver onboard, and ideally your plotter detects the signal and sounds an alarm. It also sends a DSC call to an MMSI of your choice, so you can also get the VHF to sound an alarm.

If you're sailing in range of the California coast, the Coast Guard should also be able to detect this. (I've added their group DSC MMSI into mine, since it also makes a DSC group all after 30 minutes in the US.) For travel abroad, I recall seeing the introduction of a combined AIS+PLB device, which I might pass on for the cost, but might consider at some future point. Remember, response time for PLBs can be measured in hours or days, and survival time in water is... limited.

As for dinghy and hiking, handheld marine VHFs or even basic FRS radios should work fine.

[smac999]

You’d be better off with something like an ais overboard beacon. Then any boat with ais will be notified with gps data.

https://www.acrartex.com/products/ai...is-mob-beacon/


You are not going to be pushing buttons or typing on the inreach while bobbing in the water.

[Snore]

I am going to be direct. Sorry if that is offensive.

With just two of you, if you go over, the odds of wifey getting you back are about 100-1. You might do better getting her back. But, those devices will allow the USCG to recover your remains.

Every boat I delivered REQUIRED, as in it was in the crew agreement, those on deck to clip in. If you are clipped in, and the hard points/jacklines are set right, you cannot go over.

Please do not expect technology to compensate for good seamanship. A spinlock deckvest and. 2-legged tether is a smarter move.

[Marathon1150]

I agree with the above posts an InReach mini or any InReach is not the best bet for COB incidents. We have a Garmin InReach as a backup for our IridiumGo but I would not consider the InReach as a COB device. Instead we have personal AIS beacons attached to our PFDs.

The AIS COB beacons are small enough to not get in the way, seem to be reasonably easy to activate, are waterproof and are designed to be located by any vessel or craft with AIS receive device onboard.

[Hope123]

Regarding your mentions AIS MOB device would be more suitable for your needs. What you think???

[Marathon1150]

Originally Posted by Snore

With just two of you, if you go over, the odds of wifey getting you back are about 100-1. You might do better getting her back. But, those devices will allow the USCG to recover your remains.

Every boat I delivered REQUIRED, as in it was in the crew agreement, those on deck to clip in. If you are clipped in, and the hard points/jacklines are set right, you cannot go over.

Please do not expect technology to compensate for good seamanship. A spinlock deckvest and. 2-legged tether is a smarter move.

Agree 150%. It is really best to not fall off the boat. The AIS Beacon COB device is a last chance device. Better to use the Spinlock and tether, and have it set up so that when tethered, it is impossible to go over the lifelines. The jackline needs to run down the middle of the boat. Our rule is that everyone clips in before leaving the companionway for the cockpit. And nobody goes forward without being clipped in and with a crew member watching from the cockpit.

[Ded reckoner]

The best advice is don't fall off the boat. You won't easily be able to fall off the boat if you're always tethered onto a cockpit or deck jackline. Always.

I recommend you take the US Sailing course called Safety at Sea. The point is made that the 406MHz water-activated beacons work fine but you likely won't survive to be rescued (due to hypothermia, panic induced drowning, shark attacks, etc. and the long response time). The purpose of a personal water-activated AIS beacon on your lifejacket is to provide a signal to any boat in proximity within range of the horizon. So, you can go straight to someone even if they have been lost from sight for a significant time.

Your chartplotter should have the capability of leaving a breadcrumb trail. Notwithstanding currents, this can be very helpful turning the boat around to effect a rescue by going back on the exact path. If your chartplotter doesn't do this, it's time to upgrade.

Your wife can certainly rescue you or anyone else if you're properly rigged. If you have an outboard motor davit system capable of lifting 300 pounds, then you're good to go. Else, you will need to rig a system onto the boom such as a threefold purchase rove to disadvantage with line sufficient for all the turns of the line within the block system from the boom to the water level plus length from the boom end and to get to a winch to pull. Your lifejackets need to be of the strong harness type or else you will need something like the LifeSling to lift someone out of the water who is likely exhausted.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by Ded reckoner

Your wife can certainly rescue you or anyone else if you're properly rigged. If you have an outboard motor davit system capable of lifting 300 pounds, then you're good to go. Else, you will need to rig a system onto the boom such as a threefold purchase rove to disadvantage with line sufficient for all the turns of the line within the block system from the boom to the water level plus length from the boom end and to get to a winch to pull. Your lifejackets need to be of the strong harness type or else you will need something like the LifeSling to lift someone out of the water who is likely exhausted.

Please try what you recommend! Go out in winds in the 20's and seas running 12-14, and have the person with the lowest body strength execute the plan. It ain't gonna happen.

Rule #1 on my boat is "Don't fall of the @#$ boat." Hence the tethers and the custom spliced dyneema loops at strategic points.

[Ded reckoner]

Did you read my first paragraph? Re: my last paragraph, are you suggesting the best strategy is to be unprepared?

A threefold purchase rove to disadvantage has an advantage with friction of 4.38. This means a 300 pound person would present a load of 69 pounds. Particularly when using a winch to lift this load, a person with lower strength can still be successful effecting a rescue. Much higher loads are presented when taking in/out sails. It is imperative to have such a system in place because an MOB likely will be exhausted when back at the boat and have limited capability to help himself much.

[wrwakefield]

I concur that texting with a person overboard [POB] is not practical [at sea anyway…].

One thing not yet mentioned is a handheld Marine VHF radio. Ours are [of course] immersion rated DSC capable [so POB could transmit an automated DSC distress signal if needed; you can also poll DSC radios for a back-up tracking method.] The radios are kept in a case affixed to the belt on our PFD’s so the POB has the option of conversing with the mothership and/or other nearby responders, or, as mentioned above, broadcast a DSC MAYDAY.

We ascribe to everything else mentioned so far; especially concentrating on staying onboard. Our measures include:

• Jack lines positioned amidships [where feasible] with individual teathers affixed to the vessel where not amidships [trapeze between teathers while still on a Jackline]
• Spinlock deck vests with leg harnesses and auto-lighting of inflated bladders and strobe, webbing cutter, auto-activating POB AIS transmitter [just in case…] mounted on each vest [including guest vests].
• Marine DSC VHF radio in purpose made belt pouch
  
  Our MFDs [B&G] alert to AIS POB signal and provide for [manually activated] automatic homing [autopilot ‘go to waypoint’] to AIS GPS position [updates every 15 seconds]
  
  Each PFD also has a Spinlock pouch containing: [everything has a thin bungee lanyard tied to the pouch]
• SCUBA Sausage [bright colored 2m inflatable marker pole with reflectors and strobe]
• Roll of bright color vinyl floating banner to enhance overhead visibility [e,g., aerial]
• Miniature dye marker [also for aerial visibility]
• Knives [one blunt tip; one pointed tip]
• LED Flashlight with strobe and SOS functions [with extra batteries]
• Aerial pyrotechnic flairs [3]
• Light sticks [3]
• Laser signal beacon
• Storm whistle
• PLB [in case the mothership is in distress or unavailable for any reason; we always use the example of the mothership being hit by a meteorite; not likely, but makes the point… Applies to land excursions as well…]
• Chewable seasick pills [Bonine; although rare to occur when floating in seas…]
• etc.

In case any of this is pertinent to your needs.

Cheers, Bill

[jpsp]

Great replies! Thank you to everyone for chipping in. I'll try to summarize what I've learned:

We have spinlock lifejackets and all the equipment to rig up jack lines. The advice here on how to do that is excellent. Also, adding lots of single-point d-ring style connections to jack into seems smart, for example at the helm or near the control lines. We'll do this before our next offshore passage. Thanks!

We do have a DSC enabled handheld VHF that we clip onto the on-watch person. It's good to hear that others see the same value in this. Ours also has a GPS which would serve as a backup (assuming COB is conscious) to an AIS MOB beacon. I'll see about finding a case to secure ours to the lifejacket.

It sounds like the consensus is a good MOB AIS beacon. We do have an AIS receiver so I think this will be our decision. If we can afford it, maybe even the one with a satellite transponder.

I also like the list of things that @wrwakefield suggests attaching to a life jacket. The spinlock chest pack seems like an awesome way to fit these things.

Luckily, we have a swimladder and super low transom on our Catalina 36 MK ii so getting back aboard would be relatively easy. We've done this a few times after untangling lines stuck in the rudder in a seaway.

Thanks so much to everyone for the great advice. Feel free to add on any other thoughts that I or someone else may find valuable!!!

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by jpsp

Great replies! Thank you to everyone for chipping in. I'll try to summarize what I've learned:

We have spinlock lifejackets and all the equipment to rig up jack lines. The advice here on how to do that is excellent. Also, adding lots of single-point d-ring style connections to jack into seems smart, for example at the helm or near the control lines. We'll do this before our next offshore passage. Thanks!

We do have a DSC enabled handheld VHF that we clip onto the on-watch person. It's good to hear that others see the same value in this. Ours also has a GPS which would serve as a backup (assuming COB is conscious) to an AIS MOB beacon. I'll see about finding a case to secure ours to the lifejacket.

It sounds like the consensus is a good MOB AIS beacon. We do have an AIS receiver so I think this will be our decision. If we can afford it, maybe even the one with a satellite transponder.

I also like the list of things that @wrwakefield suggests attaching to a life jacket. The spinlock chest pack seems like an awesome way to fit these things.

Luckily, we have a swimladder and super low transom on our Catalina 36 MK ii so getting back aboard would be relatively easy. We've done this a few times after untangling lines stuck in the rudder in a seaway.

Thanks so much to everyone for the great advice. Feel free to add on any other thoughts that I or someone else may find valuable!!!

Very good response, but the last line is a bit worrisome. DON’T ASSUME YOU CAN BE LOCATED IF YOU GO OVERBOARD. Sorry for shouting, but it can’t be emphasized enough. Use dual tethers, so you can always be clipped in.

[leecea]

Things that may be obvious to others...

If you need glasses to operate whatever device you have, perhaps a spare pair somehow attached to the PFD is in order (I carry small folding readers in a sturdy looking container in a pocket on my PFD).

I read somewhere a first hand account from someone rescued and they mentioned how much easier it was for them to see the boat than the boat see them. If I am conscious, I hope I can use my VHF to help direct a boat that's within my visual range.

We added crotch straps to our PFDs after seeing a demo on YouTube.

[davil]

Originally Posted by Snore View Post
With just two of you, if you go over, the odds of wifey getting you back are about 100-1. You might do better getting her back. But, those devices will allow the USCG to recover your remains.

Every boat I delivered REQUIRED, as in it was in the crew agreement, those on deck to clip in. If you are clipped in, and the hard points/jacklines are set right, you cannot go over.

Please do not expect technology to compensate for good seamanship. A spinlock deckvest and. 2-legged tether is a smarter move.