On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:36:34 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:
On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:55:38 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/6593206.html
This is odd as hell.
Coast Guard had called off the search.
Something not right here.
What's not right is that they went at least 75 miles offshore without
a liferaft or an EPIRB, and in an unsuitable boat. Other than that
everything went well.
"Unsinkable" so-called off-shore fishing boat, no wreckage found.
Flat sea conditions. Predictable currents put them where they were
found by a pleasure boater.
Coast Guard can't find them, and gives up.
You damn well better have an EPIRB or liferaft.
PLB's might be called for in some circumstances.
A sat phone in a ditch bag might be your best friend.
Looking for some clarity in state of art EPIRB versus PLB's I ran
across this:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...e-epirb-2.html
"Just a quick note, not entirely helpful to the thread but might be
interesting: I took a tour of a Coast Guard Station last week on the
Maine coast. I was asking about response times, eperbs and such..I was
told that the Coast Guard gets so many eperb signals that they don't
do anything unless there's some other information to back it up.
Sounds like the eperb ought to be the last form of comunication in an
emergency."
Doesn't that just tickle your heart?
According to this guy, the Coast guard ignores EPIRB signals unless -
basically - they get a phone call.
You would think that if an EPIRB (or PLB) sends a GPS signal from 10
miles offshore there would at least be a proactive protocol to follow
via the EPIRB/PLB registration database to confirm the validity of the
distress signal.
I don't know how the CG is handling EPIRB/PLB distress signals, but it
might be comforting to know the answer - or maybe not too comforting.
Your wait for the calvary might be longer than you think, even with an
EPIRB.
Those 3 guys sitting on an upturned hull in the Gulf for a week does
NOT inspire in me much confidence in the CG.
Best not count on them, which is why personal preparation is so
important.
Not taking anything away from the CG, of course.
They can't be perfect.
--Vic