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SaltyMonkey · 03-03-2015, 07:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatman61

...
Its taken me 41 days from Horta, Azores to Poole, Uk in the past with a disabled boat and light summer variables

Oh yeah? If you had that SPOT you would have got there quicker.

Southern Star · 03-03-2015, 07:26

Boatman, here's to hoping that you are right and that they are now proceeding under jury rig.

**a64pilot** · 03-03-2015, 07:34

Boatman, I hope your right, but if you are, then I would almost guarantee they would have used the Sat phone, as far as it being dead, every time I have used one, I turned it on to use it, then off after I used it, never left it on.

I'm afraid this might not be a happy outcome.

**boatman61** · 03-03-2015, 08:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Oh yeah? If you had that SPOT you would have got there quicker.

No.. but it would have saved a couple of SW Approaches alerts.. concerned friends calling the coastgaurd..

2Hulls · 03-03-2015, 09:37

Aren't all EPIRBs auto actuating when the get sufficiently wet?

Was this a new boat and reasonably would have a new EPIRB - with a fresh battery? Those batts don't last forever. It's up to the boat owner to keep track of when the batteries expire. A sticker on the side indicates the expiration date on mine.

Dave

Dhillen · 03-03-2015, 09:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Aren't all EPIRBs auto actuating when the get sufficiently wet?

Was this a new boat and reasonably would have a new EPIRB - with a fresh battery? Those batts don't last forever. It's up to the boat owner to keep track of when the batteries expire. A sticker on the side indicates the expiration date on mine.

Dave

Nope. Most EPIRBs only activate when you keep treading water with one hand and then use the other to grab the activation tab and rip it back to set the thing off. The water-sensitive ones cost more.

Dhillen

pierrrre · 03-03-2015, 10:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Aren't all EPIRBs auto actuating when the get sufficiently wet?

Was this a new boat and reasonably would have a new EPIRB - with a fresh battery? Those batts don't last forever. It's up to the boat owner to keep track of when the batteries expire. A sticker on the side indicates the expiration date on mine.

Dave

EPIRB can be "float free" or not. the float free ones will, well...float free of the boat when she sinks and start transmitting automatically. The non float free will have to be launch manually, if not, they will sink with the boat. Not good...

pierrrre · 03-03-2015, 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dhillen

Nope. Most EPIRBs only activate when you keep treading water with one hand and then use the other to grab the activation tab and rip it back to set the thing off. The water-sensitive ones cost more.

Dhillen

Hummm, not really. All EPIRBs are automatically activated. Sometime it is by removing them from their container and flipping them upright, sometime it is by touching the water. I believe you are talking about Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), not EPIRB.

**boatman61** · 03-03-2015, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Boatman, I hope your right, but if you are, then I would almost guarantee they would have used the Sat phone, as far as it being dead, every time I have used one, I turned it on to use it, then off after I used it, never left it on.

I'm afraid this might not be a happy outcome.

How good is the coverage.. I had one for a trip to OZ I did and the coverage was pretty spotty on the widest leg.
Apparently one is better than the other..

RTB · 03-03-2015, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierrrre

Hummm, not really. All EPIRBs are automatically activated. Sometime it is by removing them from their container and flipping them upright, sometime it is by touching the water. I believe you are talking about Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), not EPIRB.

....or not - A Boaters Guide To EPIRBs | ACR ARTEX

Ralph

onestepcsy37 · 03-03-2015, 11:24

We bought Spot 5 years ago when our worry wart daughter hadn't heard from us in two days and called the coasties. What with facebook and cell phones kids today expect instant communication.

**a64pilot** · 03-03-2015, 12:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Aren't all EPIRBs auto actuating when the get sufficiently wet?

Dave

A cat I is self deploying, a Cat II is not, in my particular instance the EPIRB I have is a Cat I by virtue of the case it's in, same exact EPIRB is sold as a Cat II EPIRB without the self deploying case. Both if thrown into the water will activate, difference being you have to throw a Cat II in the water, a Cat I will automatically deploy. Maybe that's not true for all brands, I don't know

But, in my case I'm a little leery of it successfully auto deploying and not get caught in sails or rigging, so I keep it below with the idea of self deploying the thing.
I came from a powerboat background and the idea there is mount it on deck and if you sink it will float free and activate itself, I believe what actually frees the thing from it's mount works off of pressure, not being wet, so the boat has to sink a bit before the thing will pop free.

2Hulls · 03-03-2015, 12:15

That's what I thought. I have a Category II and I knew it was self actuating in the water.

So back to the topic - if the missing vessel's EPIRB has not actuated, let's hope it's because the sat phone is disabled and they're jury rigging someplace and not because the EPIRB malfunctioned or has a dead battery....

Dave

**Jim Cate** · 03-03-2015, 12:19

FWIW, we have the latest GME EPIRB, GPS equipped. It is neither self launching nor self activating. I prefer this to worrying about inadvertent activation. YMMV.

Jim