EPIRB recommendations

jff

jff

Member
Mar 29, 2008
510
Atlanta
Boat Info
2017 Crest Pontoon
Engines
Yamaha
I'd like to get a small but powerful/state-of-the-art EPIRB for an upcoming Florida trip. Without going nuts, I'm generally not worried about the price (I try not to cut corners when it comes to safety). Curious what you guys would recommend, specific brands/models? I want something that if it gets wet will broadcast an emergency along with my exact location automatically.

fyi - this is the one I am considering:
http://tinyurl.com/6pevg6

Thanks,
Jason
 
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I won't argue the safety feature of having an epirb on board, but if you are a coastal cruiser and stay pretty near boating centers in Florida, our USCG and marine patrol coverage is excellent so a cell phone and VHF may suffice. However, if your Florida trip includes some open water cruising like a crossing to the Bahamas or the Big Bend, an epirb is worthwhile.

406 epirbs are sellling for about $800-$1000 now so if your need is for a single trip, you might want to look into one of the rental programs like the one Boat/US has, since it will cut your trip cost significantly. I believe they charge $40/week + shipping. If you forsee a continuing need, then I would suggest you contact a trusted retailer like the owner of this forum, BOE Marine, and get their recommendations.

Kind of a rule of thumb in our area is if you do open water crossings you should have an epirb and if you need an eprib you should also have an approved life raft (and I don't mean a blow-up toy either.

Hope that helps............
 
Thanks Frank, great advice. I'm going with another boat, from Destin -> Panama City and back. Sounds like VHF and cell will be fine, however I think I will rent an EPIRB from BoatUS just to be ultra paranoid ...

Regards,
Jason
 
Great advice Frank. I went to Bimini a few weeks ago and rented one from Boat US. Even though we were going with 20 other boats, and though we all left at the same time from the same area, as everyone finds their own cruising speed, unless you have someone that cruises around the same speed as you do, it's a big ocean and better to be safe than sorry. For the $40.00 it was easy and gave us a little more peace of mind.

Barry
 
The EPIRB you posted is fine. However, you might consider a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) instead. Same distress frequency, built-in GPS. Difference is slightly shorter battery life (not a real issue in temperate climates), and they are registered to you as an individual; not the boat as an EPIRB is. Their comapct size allows them to be worn on your person, and their portability is a plus if you ever go hiking, camping, skiing etc. in remote areas. I own this one:

http://www.byownerelectronics.com/store/product.php?productid=16956&cat=2495&page=1
 
Make your own choice, but the Destin to Panama City run is a 2.5 hour trip on the outside and about 3 hours via the ICW. You are not out of sight of land or walking distance home either way. Both locations are within cell tower range for 100% of the trip both routes and depending on antenna heights you are probably not out of VHF range from one or the other place.

Sea Tow has multiple boats in both Destin and PC. Boat/US also has a boat in PC, but we don't see them on the water much anymore.

I don't know that you can count on other boaters but for the most part this area of the coast is inhabited by courteous, concerned fellow boaters and there is a huge commercial charter fleet in both Destin and PC. The few times a year when a Mayday call is issued, the CG is not the first help on the scene, it is a charter boat. That isn't a criticism; its just that the CG has to come from Station Destin or Station PC and the charter boats are usually within a few miles of the troubled boat. So, it is not likely that you will be out of sight of another boat or 20 on the outside, but most folks avoid the ICW and there is limited fishing so you won't see many other boaters that way.

It is a quick and easy run...we do it regularly.
 
Thanks for all this information everyone, looks like we'll be well within VHF and cell for most/all of the trip. Since BoatUS has a low price EPIRB rental program I'll go ahead and do that.

Does anyone have or know of a compiled emergency list (who to call for emergency, towing, sea ray maintenance, other key numbers) for the Florida Panhandle?

Regards,
Jason
 
Jason,

I have a little different view of the EPIRB and safety thing. I have that same model on my boat mounted in the cockpit.

I don't think you have to be miles out of sight for an EPIRB to be a good item to have on board. These things are built to withstand a lot of abuse and still work. Here's one that was struck by lightning and still activated:

Burnt-EPIRB.jpg


Things like your VHF and your cell phone are generally fragile electronics and will fail in the event of a catastrophic event. If you look at where your batteries are that power your VHF and other electronics, you have a very very short amount of time to get a mayday out if the bilge fills with saltwater and shorts out the batteries. Likewise, a cell phone getting wet with saltwater will die almost instantly.

A friend of mine was coming up the James River one night (midnight-ish) and struck a daymarker in the middle of the river a few years ago. It put a gash 12 feet long down the side of the boat and the boat was gone in less than 2 minutes. One person was injured with a dislocated shoulder (his wife) and the VHF died almost instantly. They got one phone call out before the cell phone died from saltwater and stayed in the 7-mile wide river with the tide taking them out to sea until they got lucky and a guy fishing found them.... no ditch bag... no flares were saved... no liferaft... no communication... pitch black.

The other issue with portable VHF radios is they have a range of 1-2 miles. It's not good enough to yell for a mayday being 10 miles from someone. You can hear people but you can't talk to them.

I'm a firm believer in EPIRBs and they should be standard issue on any coastal boat IMO (along with a liferaft) like airbags are in a car. They are rugged and will probably survive most catastrophic events and give you time to let people know you are in distress. VHF and cell phones work in a "controlled distress" situation but hey... what are the odds of that?

Another good item to carry is a "GO Phone" from AT&T (or Verizon but I don't know what they call it) that is a prepackaged pay-as-you-go phone with like 30 minutes on it. Put it in a waterproof bag and stick it somewhere in case your real phone gets wet during an event.

I don't like the "cheap-o" EPIRB substitutes like the SPOT device as they are not proven for this rugged environment IMO. Your catastrophic event may not be a 2 inch hole. It may be a heart attack or lighting strike that kills half your crew and blows a 12" hole in the hull when it exits. Also, make sure you read a review on the personal EPIRBs because some of them have had issues with transmission when submerged just a few inches...

I've only sunk one boat in my life... and that was when I was 15... got caught in a storm in my small sailboat and broke the hull when the dagger board hit a sand bar a mile from shore... So I'm paranoid now.

My 2 cents.
 
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Thanks Gary. We'll be travelling with another boat so I consider them to be our life-raft ... but just for the unlikely scenario of something catastrophic happening I'm also renting an EPIRB for sure.

Regards,
Jason
 
Well Iam no expert but IMHO YOU CAN NEVER EVER NEVER EVER be to safe. We carry epirb, life raft, ditch bag, prepaid satellite phone, etc... I wont go on. You never know what circumstance will arise and I would rather be over prepared than under. Last year we got a May Day from the Ginger breads where a USA boater was on auto piliot and ran over a Bahamian. We used our Sat phone and called uscg. Unfort he died. You never ever know what will happen. Ive had to attend to cuts, broken arms, etc... Anyway I hope you have a GREAT and safe trip. JC
 
If you are serious about purchasing safety equipment, then you should buy quality safety equipment. It does you no good to put your faith, and life, in something that might not work. Therefore, perform your due diligence!

Equipped to Survive is a good website. They have tested a good variety of EPIRBs and PLBs. They have also reviewed stuff such as SPOT. Before you buy, know if the device you are buying will save your life and the lives of your friends and family.

Best regards,
Frank C
 
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