Now that's it legal to buy a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) in the lower 48 states as of yesterday, I wonder if it will replace the EPIRB in coastal and inland waters? The literature on the PLB states that it's for land based use, but in some publications they state that it can be used in coastal waters. In one boating publication they came out and evaluated it's benefits on the water. There are some differences between an EPIRB and a PLB. The signal from a PLB is monitored by the US Air Force who must then relay the information to the US Coast Guard, the EPIRB is monitored by the US Coast Guard. The PLB has a short battery life requirement of 24 vs. 48 hours for the EPIRB. The PLB is only rated for a submersion of one meter, but you can always get a water proof bag. In general the EPIRB can withstand a lot more abuse than a PLB, but with a PLB it goes where ever you go, an EPIRB stays with your boat, even though you might be on the water on someone else's sailboat. I notice that the PLBs are now listed along with EPIRB on online boating stores like West Marine. I like the ideal of carrying a PLB when I'm going to be sailing on someone else's sailboat, it's like bring your own PFD instead of relaying on the sailboat owner's safety equipment. I like the ideal of using a PLB as a safety device when I go hiking in the mountains or when I'm sailing in coastal waters, inland rivers or lakes. I would get an EPIRB if I was going to do a Transpacific crossing, but for the Pacific Northwest in Puget Sound or on the Columbia River, a PLB might be a better option. I know that the PLB is begin marketed to hikers and mountain climbers, but I wonder if trailer sailors who sail inland and other sailors who sail on other peoples sailboats are thinking about buying a PLB instead of an EPIRB? NOAA web site: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s1157.htm Dockside magazine: http://www.docksidemagazine.com/May03/Equipment/plb1.html Fair Winds, Clyde