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PLB vs EPIRB what and why?

8K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Rasputin 
#1 ·
Greetings,

Question - What are some thoughts on PLBs? vs. EPRIB. Looking at keeping it simple with a McMurdo FastFind or ACR 406 but I hear a lot of positives about the DeLorme inReach and marginal comments on the Spot. I'm not really all that thrilled with annual subscriptions but some of the DeLorme and Spot communication features sound neat. But are they really useful or necessary for familiar coastal cruising? I do have a Verizon Aircard and Droid which works fine just about everywhere I go. And then if the used price is right based on battery replacement costs, is used okay or go with new? And finally, does one skip PLBs and go big with an EPIRB? And why?

I'm a fair weather and fair seas guy with the family. Now that we have an 11 month year old daughter, I'm looking to not take chances, even on familiar water. (she's already been to Catalina 4 times!) With good crew, that's another story. Anyhow, it's time to step up and add a PLB or EPRIB to the list of safety gear.

Sailing out of San Pedro to our Catalina mooring, yacht club cruises and our personal runs to coastal spots from San Diego to Channel Islands and Ventura as well as the occasional run to Ensenada. No runs to Australia planned. ;-)

Huge thanks for your thoughts.

~Scott
 
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#2 ·
In my mind a PLB is fine for coastal and near-coastal sailing.

A PLB battery is good for about 24 hours, an EPRB is good for 48. There are other differences, but the PLB should be fine,.

I use one for near-coastal (100 miles offshore from Vancouver Island) and I teach on different boats.

Offshore its an EPIRB.

I will not rely on a cell phone. The VHF radio is a good choice for my Vancouver Island trips as the CG has good reception and the area has lots of traffic. There is no cell service for most of the outside of the Island.
 
#11 · (Edited)
In my mind a PLB is fine for coastal and near-coastal sailing.

A PLB battery is good for about 24 hours, an EPRB is good for 48. There are other differences, but the PLB should be fine,.

I use one for near-coastal (100 miles offshore from Vancouver Island) and I teach on different boats.

Offshore its an EPIRB.
Interesting stuff..

Over here, if you're likely to be more than 2 miles offshore you MUST carry a registered EPIRB on board - preferably GPS equipped. PLBs are fine for individuals to wear on them in case they get separated from the yacht (ie. washed overboard), but they don't replace an EPIRB - which is designed to float with the antenna clear of the water for more reliable detection.

Perhaps it gets a little rougher over here.. ;)
 
#4 ·
I have an ACR AquaLink. I have not used any other.

This does permit me to use the 406link web site to let folks at home know I am OK. Last summer we had a Yellowbrick that did the same thing more effortlessly and automatically.

Vic Maui 2012 Return - Powered by Yellowbrick Tracking

( I was on board Turicum)
 
#5 ·
Frankly the one problem I have with the PLB's is all the features they try to cram on them. To me they are a piece of life saving gear and all I want them to do is sound the alarm for the SAR guys. Everything else is just stuff that will drain the non-replaceable, and non-rechargeable battery.
 
#6 ·
The batteries are not user replaceable, but they are factory/dealer replaceable.

The only extra feature associated with mine is the 406link, which I rarely use.
 
#8 ·
Mine recommends 12 over the length of the battery. I have used it mid ocean and that is about it, other than testing the test function.

The text that is sent and the recipients have to be chosen in advance.
 
#9 ·
The real important point to keep in mind here is that the Spot and the Delorme are NOT emergency beacons and you should not buy one for that purpose.

Spot and Delorme are neither EPIRB's nor PLB's. Instead they are satelite messenger services intended for convenience not emergency use. Unlike the satelite messengers, the emergency beacons communicate directly with rescue services, have established and predictable battery life, water resistance, etc; and, in addition to initial burst information (ID, GPS coordinates), have additional localized beacons to direct emergency responders when they reach the area. The messenger services provided none of these features.

You can go to the ACR website (or McMurdo or one of the other major players) and read concise descriptions of the differences between EPIRB and PLB - Jack hit the major points.

Here is an article from Soundings:

PLB vs. EPIRB - which is right for you?

and another from Landfall Navigation:

PLB or EPIRB?

Good luck. There is a ton of info on this if you google it. If I were you, I would want to read the source materials in addition to forum opinions.

-M
 
#10 ·
Good explanation of the differences above.

If you're worrying about the safety of your crew (child), you should also think about how long you might be in the water and I believe its pretty cold water there. The response to an EPIRB or PLB will be 6 to 24 hours. They will not just launch at the signal. First they will attempt to confirm its authenticity, by dialing the phone numbers you register, checking with your marina to insure you're gone, issuing a securite call, etc. Then they will come look, if they believe its real.

You may also want a waterproof VHF radio with internal GPS receiver. In your cruising grounds, I suspect you will most always be within a mile or two of another boat and could hail them on ch16 and give them your coordinates. In fact, they could confirm the SARSAT signal to the USCG for you and then they would launch immediately.
 
#13 ·
I like the PLB for when I'm singlehanding. It stays in my pocket, in case I fall overboard.

If you always have someone with you, wouldn't an EPIRB make more sense, on the basis that there'll always be someone aboard to set it off, or the boat is sinking, in which case it'll set itself off automatically?
 
#14 ·
Like I said, I’m a fair seas and fair weather guy. An EPRIB just seems like overkill for the coastal and line of sight cruising (even with all my electronics) we do as long as I go with a good PLB 406 that floats. The only argument I can see for an EPRIB is my infrequent night sailing when even small emergencies become catastrophic, a freakish boat failure such as explosion or hitting unseen debris and rare weather and sea changes. It’s rare that I would have no cell reception and even more rare that I would be out of VHF range. But the article posts make a good argument.

Thanks to blowinstink for the article posts:

Here is an article from Soundings:

PLB vs. EPIRB - which is right for you?

and another from Landfall Navigation:

PLB or EPIRB?
 
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