EPIRB stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
When activated manually or automatically activated upon immersion, the EPIRB
sends out a distress radio signal that is picked up by the international satellite
system for search and rescue (SAR). Signals are monitored worldwide
and the location of the distress signal is triangulated
.
EPIRBs are not cheap. They start about $250.00 and go up. A
boat or boater in distress on a body of water is almost impossible to see and hard to find. The distress signal helps in locating a boat and or a boater
quickly.
The GPS track and chart plotters can also help locate you in a mayday situation. When the GPS is interfaced with your VHF radio you can get DSC functionality. (a function that provides the Coast Guard
with your location and identification automatically when a mayday call is made). Any boat that goes out in open water should have a GPS/VHF
radio pair with DSC functionality and a
EPIRB, if possible.
Many track and chart plotters can automatically remember the
course you follow without having to input each turn manually. They can also
tell you what speed you are going, the time it will take to get to the next
point, estimate the time it will take to get to your end point and all sorts of other
neat things. They can let you navigate at night or in fog when the visibility is low. Your VHF radio and GPS with DSC (distress call)
functionality and a EPIRB are all things an off shore boater should consider having.
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