Epirbs - Lifesaving Sailboat Equipment

Epirbs - Lifesaving Sailboat Equipment

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An EPIRB, which stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon is a device which is used to send an alert message to the search and rescue authorities when there is a life threatening situation. It is almost always used on a boat and has the capability of being activated either manually by using the activation button, by throwing into the water or automatically through some sort of auto release housing bracket.

The distress message is sent on the 406 MhZ frequency through a system of fourteen satellites which give pretty much complete global coverage. This frequency is permanently monitored so the message will always be received and acted on by being passed to the local response centre.
In the majority of countries EPIRBs legally must be fitted on any commercial shipping; on leisure craft such as yachts and boats they are not mandated by are recommended for any boats which cruise along the coast or voyage further out to sea.

Many EPIRBs also have GPS built-in to the unit which enables a very accurate calculation of your location, actually to within 50 meters which means that the rescue services can locate you more quickly.
Most EPIRBs will also transmit a signal on a secondary signal frequency of 121.5 MHz. This is used by the search and rescue helicopter or boat to home in to your position.

The distress message contains information not only about where the signal is being transmitted from but also information about the vessel the EPIRB is registered to. In this way the search and rescue authorities know about the type of vessel they are dealing with.

Of course an emergency situation which occurs on a boat may not require the activation of an EPIRB. Often the authorities can be notified by the ship's VHF radio. However, in many situations there may not be time to use the radio; it is possible that the boat has had a catastrophic accident such as being hit by a whale or hitting a submerged tree trunk. In these cases the boat could sink within a matter of moments; you may only have enough time to inflate the life raft, check all crew are safe and put some emergency rations, flares etc into the raft. In any situation like this having an EPIRB could well be the difference between life and death. The EPIRB could be grabbed, put into the life raft, and activated. Once activated it will continue to send a distress signal for a minimum of 48 hours.

About the Author:
Kannad Marine manufactures EPIRB and PLB emergency locator beacons for use when sailing, cruising, kayaking or diving.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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