Boat Sank, PLB did not send signal, man found by passing boat

[PBcatfish]

How common is it for people to have portable PLBs rather than one permanently installed on the boat?

PLBs are cheaper. For the average Joe with a small boat, it's pretty common to get the little one.

 

[clownfishsydney]

I am amazed by some comments here. PLB means Personal Locator Beacon. That is, it is for a person, not a boat. It has never been meant to be used as a beacon for a boat or a plane or whatever. It is for a person who ends up in the water (or on land, lost).

An EPIRB is Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon. These are primarily for boats, but also can be used by planes or vehicles. The standard one, which is legislated in some places to be used (eg in NSW more than 2 nm from shore), does not need to activate itself nor does it need to float free of a sinking vessel. My understanding is that most places in the world have similar rules. So, this boat did not need an EPIRB that could activate or come free. A PLB was probably more than was required.

Virtually all of the dive sites, if not all, that I take my boat to do not require an EPIRB. However, I have one, as well as AIS and an PLB. You can never be too safe and the cost is so low for the items concerned to make it crazy to not have them.

 

[CuzzA]

I am amazed by some comments here. PLB means Personal Locator Beacon. That is, it is for a person, not a boat. It has never been meant to be used as a beacon for a boat or a plane or whatever. It is for a person who ends up in the water (or on land, lost).

An EPIRB is Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon. These are primarily for boats, but also can be used by planes or vehicles. The standard one, which is legislated in some places to be used (eg in NSW more than 2 nm from shore), does not need to activate itself nor does it need to float free of a sinking vessel. My understanding is that most places in the world have similar rules. So, this boat did not need an EPIRB that could activate or come free. A PLB was probably more than was required.

Virtually all of the dive sites, if not all, that I take my boat to do not require an EPIRB. However, I have one, as well as AIS and an PLB. You can never be too safe and the cost is so low for the items concerned to make it crazy to not have them.

Yeah, we already covered that.

Do you have an AIS transmitter or is it just a receiver?

 

[clownfishsydney]

Yeah, we already covered that.

Do you have an AIS transmitter or is it just a receiver?

My boat has an AIS transceiver, that is, both.

So many comments are that PLBs are for smaller boats. No they are not, but I suppose that they are better than nothing.

By the way, I spend a lot of my time volunteering for Marine Rescue NSW saving people who do (sometimes) do stupid things.

 

[CuzzA]

My boat has an AIS transceiver, that is, both.

Good. Most people just have a receiver which would do yourself little good in terms of search and rescue.

 

[CuzzA]

My boat has an AIS transceiver, that is, both.

So many comments are that PLBs are for smaller boats. No they are not, but I suppose that they are better than nothing.

By the way, I spend a lot of my time volunteering for Marine Rescue NSW saving people who do (sometimes) do stupid things.

PLBs are perfectly acceptable for smaller boats in the recreational market and are marketed as such. In the commercial market they could be used for personnel, but most who opt for man overboard technology would use a MOB alert and tracker or a combo of both so the ship can find the crew member rather than wait for SAR assets to be deployed.

Marine Products by ACR Electronics, Inc. | ACR ARTEX - ACR ARTEX

 

[letterboy]

On/off topic....

Specialized in emergency beacons for all outdoor activities - ACR ARTEX

You can filter by fishing/boating.

The first story I read in the fishing was off pine island, steering failed, radio wasn't working properly so they had to use a beacon.

 

[nolatom]

Many may already know this, but if not, here's a long epistle from the Coast Guard about AMVER and how it came into being. Almost all merchant ships participate, and once hailed to assist, will without question or second thought, alter course in fair weather or foul, to get to the distress caller. Doing this had long been the "unwritten rule" for merchant ships, but AMVER gives them the needed location info, and lets the Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center ("RCC") know which participating ship is closest to the distress call.

Amver.com - Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System - History of the Amver System

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

PLBs are perfectly acceptable for smaller boats in the recreational market and are marketed as such. ...

This ^^.
I am sure lots of people know the difference between a PLB and an EPIRB. But I also assume there are more than zero boat owners who don't.

From my understanding it seems that the owner treated a PLB like it was an EPIRB and hence rendered it mostly useless.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

This ^^.
I am sure lots of people know the difference between a PLB and an EPIRB. But I also assume there are more than zero boat owners who don't.

From my understanding it seems that the owner treated a PLB like it was an EPIRB and hence rendered it mostly useless.

The major differences are:

- Functioning life: PLB is 24 hours, EPIRB is 48
- Floating: EPIRBS float and transmit on their own, a PLB must be held upright and out of the water to work
- Strobe: EPIRBS have strobe lights, PLBs do not
- Registration: EPIRBS are registered to the boat, PLBs to an individual
- Deployment: EPIRBS can auto-deploy*, PLBs do not


* Can, not must. I don't have mind rigged to auto-deploy, nor do I consider that a desirable feature in a center console dive boat.