On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 07:09:16 -1000, renewontime dot com
wrote:

And one last thing: NEVER leave port without a 406 EPIRB, and test it
monthly.

If you and your yacht are not prepared to do these, then you are not
ready or fit to go to sea.

I agree with everything you said (pretty easy as we're not talking
politics, guns or the mental state of some posters), but in my "inland
waters" case of Lake Ontario, I consider a 406 EPIRB overkill.

A Danbuoy-style MOB pole, a MOB button on an always-on GPS, a handheld
and a nav station VHF monitoring 9, 13 and 16 (as you've indicated),
wearing PFDs at helm and on deck, jacklines, lifelines, flares both
handheld and gun, a "crash box" with spare flares, GPS and handheld
and the fact I frequently tow a RIB while on passage is, I think,
enough.

And let's not forget that 50% of the time I can whip out the cell
phone and dial 911. G

Were I to go offshore or even out of sight of land in ocean water or
in fresh with few shore resources, like Lake Superior, I would sing a
different tune.

R.

I agree with everything you said (pretty easy as we're not talking
politics, guns or the mental state of some posters), but in my "inland
waters" case of Lake Ontario, I consider a 406 EPIRB overkill.

Hi R.,

I was not referring to the Great Lakes (or any other inland lake for
that matter), but rather offshore, bluewater cruising. I must profess
that I haven't sailed the Great Lakes since I was a kid, so I don't have
any recent experience to draw on.

Generally speaking though, a cell phone is better than nothing at all,
but has several shortcomings for emergency communications, in
particular: the CG cannot take RDF bearings of your signal, so no
position can be found from your signal alone. There have been several
cases of sailors and fishermen here (Hawaiian Islands) who have run into
trouble, had only enough power or signal for a brief call on their cell
phone to the USCG, but the CG was unable to assist. Because the CG
wasn't able to take bearings of the signal, no position or even rough
idea of the distress caller's position was known, so CG assets weren't
deployed.

A marine VHF would have probably been better, but is still limited to
line-of-sight distances (which because the CG antennas are on top of
mountains equates to about 24 - 30 miles). In these particular
situations a 406 EPRIB would have been many times more effective in
summoning help.

It may be overkill, but I'd still give it serious consideration on the
Great Lakes.

--

=-------------------------------------------------=
Renewontime
A FREE email reminder service for licensed mariners
http://www.renewontime.com
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On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 16:40:38 -1000, renewontime dot com
wrote:

Generally speaking though, a cell phone is better than nothing at all,
but has several shortcomings for emergency communications, in
particular:

Of course. Digital is only about 1.5 miles range, IMO.

the CG cannot take RDF bearings of your signal, so no
position can be found from your signal alone.

I am in more trouble than a cell phone can solve if I can't provide a
bearing, a lat/lon or a range.Even from the log and estimating a DR
pos based on course and time since last plot.

Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus. So I
suppose if I get hit by lightning in the fog and am knocked out until
the water lapping over the coamings wakes me up.

That might be bad.

There have been several
cases of sailors and fishermen here (Hawaiian Islands) who have run into
trouble, had only enough power or signal for a brief call on their cell
phone to the USCG, but the CG was unable to assist. Because the CG
wasn't able to take bearings of the signal, no position or even rough
idea of the distress caller's position was known, so CG assets weren't
deployed.

A marine VHF would have probably been better, but is still limited to
line-of-sight distances (which because the CG antennas are on top of
mountains equates to about 24 - 30 miles). In these particular
situations a 406 EPRIB would have been many times more effective in
summoning help.

Offshore (as in "out of sight of"), or in busy sea traffic, fishing
fleet areas, I would definitely consider it, if only because it goes
off if you are bobbing in the water unconscious.

Good argument for an automaitc PFD, too, but I have the manual and my
wife has the dual man/auto SOSpender models.

R.

"rhys" wrote in message
...
Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus.

Do you think they will still be working after a lightening strike - unless
of course they're in a sealed metal "go" box?

Graham.

How about if you wrapped them in tinfoil before packing them in box?
Seriously would that adequately shield them from stray rf? Kirk.


"Graham Frankland" gdfltdatnospamglobalnet.co.uk wrote in
:

"rhys" wrote in message
...
Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus.

Do you think they will still be working after a lightening strike -
unless of course they're in a sealed metal "go" box?

Graham.

"Kirk Robertson" wrote in message
...
How about if you wrapped them in tinfoil before packing them in box?
Seriously would that adequately shield them from stray rf? Kirk.

Don't know what the minimum thickness of material needs to be to form a
Faraday cage. At the first sign of lightening, our EPIRB & handheld VHF go
into the oven - and no you can't light it without first opening the door!

Graham.

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 23:50:01 -0000, "Graham Frankland"
gdfltdatnospamglobalnet.co.uk wrote:

"rhys" wrote in message
.. .
Even if the boat's hit by lightning and immediately sinks, I have a
handheld VHF and GPS in a sealed "go" box, and even a pelorus.

Do you think they will still be working after a lightening strike - unless
of course they're in a sealed metal "go" box?

Of course!

R.