experience with PLB - Personal Locator Beacon

[Nashville_Blues]

Buying and wearing a PLB seems like a good idea. Who has experience with one of these - any information you can share would be appreciated.

 

[dlochner]

Depends where you sail. On the ocean, yes. Inland I doubt it.

The PLB broadcasts a distress signal to the satellite network which relays the signal to a central dispatch facility, which then sends the signal to the regional or local rescue organization. Once it is received by that organization, they try to contact the Emergency contacts on the account and then a search is initiated. It takes a few hours to get through the process.

On an inland lake with good cell coverage, you'll do better with a cell phone and a call to 911. On the Great Lakes or near shore a GPS enabled VHF with a DSC panic button will work more quickly as it goes direct to the regional Coast Guard station.

 

[colemj]

While I don't have any experience using a PLB, we do have personal AIS beacons in our lifejackets and ditch bag (which I also don't have any experience using them - knock on wood).

The main reason for deciding on a PAIS rather than a PLB was that if one of us went overboard, there was a vastly greater chance of saving them with the mothership or a nearby ship than there was waiting for a professional rescue.

When we bought them, the only choice was PAIS or PLB. Now, there are combined models. Those would probably be the best to get.

Mark

Edit: I realized I may have inadvertently gave the wrong impression of our ditch bag. We also have a regular EPIRB in our ditch bag. The PAIS is in addition to that, and would be used if a ship was spotted nearby. I put no confidence in flares or their ability to be seen, and they would be my last choice of getting attention.