A great aspect of boating is getting away from it all. However, in this day and age of digital connectivity and the fixation of instant gratification, leaving it all behind at the dock is a challenge. How many of us are addicted to that cell phone, Blackberry and GPS unit so that we stay connected to what’s going on out there?
When leaving the dock one must really force oneself to turn off the phone, ditch the Blackberry and focus on getting to a secluded spot where there is no digital coverage, drop the anchor and relax. But then there’s the rub – if you get to where no one can reach you, how can you reach somebody if you need some help?
Indeed, it is pretty hard to find destinations of isolation without going offshore but there are nooks and crannies in every bay, lake and inlet where you may not have VHF radio coverage and cell phone towers are usually directed to land, not out to sea. If you find yourself over the side, or your vessel is in a situation of distress whether it is in a coverage black-hole or not, when the unexpected has put you in a pickle, it may be difficult to keep your composure and remember to hit the DSC VHF Distress button or get back to the person in the water. Worst case scenario: there’s no button to hit since the boat has succumbed to the weather and waves and left you alone bobbing in the water. So what’s left? Electronic alerting systems.
An EPIRB is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. These have been around for a while but of late there have been some system upgrades that make these devices pretty potent in terms of identifying a vessel in distress, locating it and getting help to it. In 1979, the former Soviet Union, the US, France and Canada created the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system to track signals from these fancy units. Here’s how it works.
There are three kinds of electronic devices – ELTs, PLBs and EPIRBs. Electronic Locating Devices (ELTs) are designed for aircraft and based on regulations, almost all aircraft have them. Personal Locating Devices (PLBs) are designed for people – hikers or workers in remote or dangerous locations. EPIRBs are designed for marine environments which means they are very robust, can float and are often self-activating (if a vessel sinks) and can continue sending a signal for 48 hours.
All of these devices now transmit on one frequency, 406 KHz, and this can be detected globally. This is new as of this February, 2009; rather, it’s more accurate to say that the Cospas-Sarsat system now only tracks 406 KHz signals and no longer the original 121.5/243 KHz signal. The change was made so that EPIRB signals could be clearly recognized amid a whole mish-match of digital information floating around in the ether world. The 406 KHz units have a signal that is 50 times stronger than the older units and this has resulted in faster detection and better location accuracy and much more information received via the EPIRB. Embedded in the coded signal can be your name, address, phone number, vessel description and a contact on shore who is aware of your sail plan. The 406 KHz can be detected in a matter of minutes and location confirmed in a few minutes more, using both geostationary and low-earth orbit SAR satellites. The 406 KHz does not involve earth-based satellite stations; it can be detected in a single satellite pass and location can be determined within 100m if a GPS position is encoded in the message! WOW!
The signal that is detected by a satellite is downloaded to a Local User Terminal (LUT) that automatically sends it to one of 26 Mission Control Centres (MCC) located around the globe. In Canada, the MCC is at the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) based in Trenton, Ontario, and is known as the CMCC – the first ‘C’ in that acronym is for Canadian. Of note, in Canada the RCC’s are jointly operated by the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) with its marine resource focus and the Department of National Defence (DND)/Air Force with air resource focus, so they are known as JRCC’s, J for Joint. Once the signal is decoded, the CMCC will send it on to the appropriate RCC in the country, either in Victoria or Halifax or perhaps right there in Trenton. In Canada, there are additionally two Maritime Rescue Sub Centres (MRSC) located in Quebec City and St John’s, Newfoundland. They are part of the mix that ultimately tasks rescue resources to track down the source of the signal – the vessel foundering or the PIW (Persons In Water). There – the acronym paragraph is complete!
All this works best when your beacon is registered with the Canadian Beacon Registry and this can be done on-line (www.beacons.nss.gc.ca) or via e-mail or fax. All very convenient and important as the info there (owner’s name, vessel description, emergency contact information) allows Search and Rescue (SAR) authorities to cross reference data through a phone call to quickly confirm that the signal is legitimate and not a false alert.
Disposal of an old or no longer used EPIRB is important since a discarded EPIRB may set off a wild goose chase for SAR resources if it is activated when knocked over in a box in the garage or going down the road in a dumpster or buried in a landfill. Not good for the environment and certainly not a benefit to the SAR system. If an EPIRB is to be discarded, do so properly and close the loop by updating the Canadian Beacon Registry.
Storage is another important factor for EPIRBs since in Canada most recreational boating activities do not take place throughout the entire year. It is of utmost importance that the battery is disconnected to, again, reduce the potential for a false alert through accidental activation.
Accidental activation can happen and to nip any response in the bud, a call to the CMCC (1-800-211-8107) will shut things down. And no worries, there is no fine for setting it off IF it was accidental and not a case of gross negligence, carelessness, improper storage or handling, or a hoax. No fine but perhaps a ‘shucks-darn’ feeling for setting it off in the first place as well as a greater admiration for the power of the units and the extensive system and well-trained people running it.
Yes, digital signals can be detected in many ways and EPIRBs ensure that no matter where you are, you and your vessel can be found. The EPIRB/SARSAT system is indeed huge and one would not expect the typical recreational boater to have a need for such a distress notification device. In fact, in Canada, EPIRBs are required only on commercial vessels (cargo, fishing, tugs) and are just ‘recommended’ for recreational vessels. No doubt though, there are recreational boaters who undertake voyages that would best see their vessels outfitted with an EPIRB. Any offshore sailing or racing or transits of large bodies of water – oceans or Great Lakes. Any international sailing to southern climates sees EPIRBs side-step language barriers and perhaps less capable or less effective SAR systems in small or island countries.
The cost of an EPIRB is not cheap. Then again, this is relative to the price you paid for your vessel and the price you put on safety. Figure around $1,500 for one that does everything described above, but shop around and find the right one for your boating application and in your price range. And remember the responsibility that goes with owning one – registration, storage, handling and disposal.
Crew-overboard (COB) is not an event anyone wants to experience – neither the person in the water (PIW) nor the folks back on board. Although stories abound about the difficulty of getting a COB hoisted back up over the side, the important step is to notice that they are gone in the first place and to be able to keep an eye on them in the second place. Sailing at night or over long transits that sees crew watches share wheel time and bunk time should involve harnesses and safety lines, but catching a toe on a cleat in the dark, a lurch of the boat off of an odd wave or a full knock down can see someone end up between the devil and the deep blue sea. An electronic device on them can both set off an alarm that indicates they are over the side and send a signal that can be tracked back on board to help locate them.
There are various devices on or coming out on the market. Some are proximity based; if the unit worn by a person is determined to be beyond the extremities of the vessel, then an audible alarm sounds alerting everyone else aboard that someone is no longer with them. The boat-based unit receives a signal that can be honed in upon. Other units activate when immersed in water and communicate back to the boat (in some cases) through the boat’s systems to notify land-based stations or to onboard plotters to give waypoints so the course back to the PIW can be steered. Others, again, send a signal that can be tracked by aircraft on specified frequencies. For offshore or long distance sailors, this personal type device fits to a ‘T’ and should be considered as an addition to safety harnesses, life lines, personal strobe lights and personal flotation devices – that are worn.
All in all, electronic notification of distress locations are the norm today and boaters should evaluate the voyages they wish to take to determine what is right for them. Make the right choice, be responsible with the unit and be that much safer on the water.