Fortunately, many of the myths of man overboard (MOB) recovery, including hypothermia and drowning, have been debunked and new ISM and IMO safety procedures have reduced the occurrence of MOBs.

One truth will always remain…

If the man overboard is not found, he or she will not be recovered.

New devices exist to increase the chance of recovery.  First up AIS SARTS:

AIS SART

EasyRescue Portable AIS SART

I have long been a proponent of Personal Locator Beacons (PLB), the handheld sized versions of EPIRB’s, and I have even gone as far as saying “that one of these devices should be required inside every lifeboat and liferaft that goes to sea“.  I also believe, due to their diminutive size, these devices belong clipped onto the lifejackets of all persons who go on deck in rough weather.

But, as great as they are, EPIRBS are a global positioning system.

They are excellent at notifying the Coast Guard of your location, but are poor in helping nearby vessels track MOB victims. In the past, we have suggested throwing both the EPIRB (you do have more than one aboard, right!?) and SART overboard to help track a victim’s progress through the water, this way you have both global (EPIRB) and local (SART) tracking abilities.

Wouldn’t it be better if you could identify the exact location of a Man Overboard?

EasyRescue, a portable AIS SART that’s small enough to clip to your belt. The manufacturer, the german based company EasyAIS, tells us:

The Easy Rescue is a personal Automatic Identification System transmitting beacon. With a built in GPS it transmits an emergency AIS-SART sentence (MOB) which triggers an alarm on all AIS enabled chart plotters / PC’s within range, along with the Lat/Long of the victim. The GPS is a new generation fast acquiring type and the VHF AIS transmitter repeats the message and position several times per minute. This enables all vessels within range to assist with the rescue if they have an AIS receiver or transponder.

Apart for an AIS receiver or transceiver connected to a chart plotter / PC, nothing. The Easy Rescue maybe attached to a life jacket or kept on a lanyard. To operate just slide the safety cover off (releasing the coiled antenna) and press ON. A test button allows regular test of GPS function, battery state etc. Continue Reading…

Kannad Safelink R10 – AIS SART

Another company, Kannad Marine, has taken the concept a step further with the release of the new SafeLink R10 SRS (Survivor Recovery System), a small AIS SART which can be packed into inflatable lifejakcets. Clipping onto the inflation tube (or just secured to the front of a traditional PFD) the unit automatically activates when the vest is inflated.  The SafeLink R10 transmits target survivor information, including structured alert messages, GPS position information, and a unique serialised identity number back to the onboard plotter*. An inbuilt high precision GPS receiver provides accurate position information to assist in quick recovery of survivors.It will transmit continuously for a minimum of 24 hours and has a 7 year battery storage life.

It also features a flashing LED indicator light; to aid detection at night and a self test facility with battery use indication. Here’s a video demonstrating it’s use:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I tested the EasyRescue a few months ago and was given a hands-on demonstration of the Safelink R10 at a recent conference. Both units are small and appear to be well built. The EasyRescue appears to be the perfect unit for mounting aboard FastRescue boats to track SAR patterns in an emergency or included inside the emergency kits of liferafts and lifeboats. While the Safelink, due to its size, seems perfect for individual (especially inflatable!) lifejackets.

But what happens once these devices are activated?

AIS SARTS are built similar to EPIRBS but they work on a local level. EPIRBS collect your position via GPS and send that information to a Rescue Coordination Center which organizes a rescue but they do not notify nearby ships – the same ships that are your best chance for getting rescued in a MOB situation – of your immediate distress. AIS SARTS also collect your coordinates via GPS but they take this information and (like older RADAR activated SART) broadcast it to all nearby ships.

Upon activation, all nearby ships, and boats equipped with AIS receivers, will be notified with messages popping up on their AIS device and connected ECDIS systems, and will get a range and bearing to your exact location which is updated, in real time, as you drift away from your ship.

The Drawbacks

Like any emerging technology the new AIS SART units aren’t perfect (yet). The biggest problem is, because they are so new, many ECDIS systems don’t properly recognize the alert as a distress. Many other ECDIS systems sound the same alarm signal for MOB as they do for high bilge levels and other nuisance alarms. But systems are being developed to fix this problem. The following video explains the problem and one solution being offered by marine electronics manufacturer Digital Yacht:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Another drawback is that some industry insiders claim there are better systems for locating MOB victims. As one example the excellent marine electronics boating blog Panbo discusses the future of DSC (Digital Selective Calling) MOB beacons for activating a ship’s GMDSS system in the event of a MOB. In an article titled “AIS & DSC MoB devices, the standards revealed” Panbo editor Ben Ellison writes:

The DSC MoB spec, for instance, allows for a much fuller featured device than what we saw with the ORCAdsc MOB Alarm back in 2010. An upgraded ORCAdsc could automatically go from “closed loop” mode — that is, only alarming the vessel or fleet it’s associated with — to “open loop” mode after five minutes in the drink. Then it would transmit “a standard all ships DSC distress alert with nature of distress ‘man overboard’ and GPS position automatically inserted…to all DSC equipped ships and shore stations in range (normally about 2 nm).” I don’t know that such a device exists yet but they will additionally include a VHF Channel 70 receiver so that the crewperson overboard will know that his or her alarm has been acknowledged and (I think) that also means that device will stop sending off alarms at that point. Sounds smart, but so does the AIS spec.

What do I carry?
While these units are available internationally, US mariners will have to wait on the approval of the FCC and, even overseas, Regulators and manufacturers are still studying AIS SART technology but I believe these tests, including a large field study being conducted by Kannad and a large pacific seafood company, will make it clear that every professional mariner should owe a personal AIS SART device. But until the units are available in the US and familiar to local Search and Rescue organizations the following is what I carry when sailing gCaptain’s test boat, a 43′ sailing yacht, in the waters of the Pacific:

• Waterproof Handheld VHF – I maintain that the best chance for recovery is talking  - in person on channel 16 – to your rescuers directly which is why I keep a handheld VHF strapped to my lifejacket in bad weather.
• PLB – The handheld version of an EPIRB, my PLB is the lifelink to the Coast Guard when no other ships are in the area. Built to higher specifications and containing a GPS receiver my PLB won’t let me talk directly yo rescuers but it will out-survive and outreach the VHF. (confused yet? Here’s a video gCaptain produced showing the difference between a PLB and EPIRB).
• Harness – The best way to avoid a MOB is to stay aboard the boat and since the S/V gCaptain is relatively small I stay safe by strapping myself to the vessel in bad weather.

What is the future?

While some believe that DSC based SARTS are the answer, I’ve seen too many false alarms broadcast over the system in recent years. I like the AIS SARTS a lot but I think the ultimate solution will be a hybrid of the existing systems and I believe that AIS will soon replace the 121.5 homing signal still present in most 406 epirbs.

But what I like most is a simple waterproof radio so I can talk to nearby ships from the water. So the perfect system for me would be a bluetooth handheld VHF with integrated AIS that I can clip to my lifevest. Here are the features I’d have in my ideal unit I would like to clip to my lifejacket:

• I’d like the unit to serve as a microphone to a base VHF (I have the RS-82 system abroad the gCaptain test boat) when in bluetooth range. When out of bluetooth range (like if I fell overboard) an alarm sounds on the base unit.
• Water Activated, I’d like the following to go off when the unit is immersed
•      -Strobe light
•      -AIS tracking
• Integrated GPS EPIRB
• Two batteries
•      -One for the emergency functions & one for the rest

I know I’m reaching for the moon here but I think your best chance of survival in poor conditions (especially if you are the captain of your own boat) is being able to actually talk with the surrounding boats.

Surrounding boats (especially commercial ones) are likely to ignore a DSC alert but will NOT ignore someone asking for help on Channel 16.

What is your ideal personal locating system?

gCaptain has long been a fan of the idea behind SPOT’s personal locator devices but gCaptain readers have pointed out a major concern, a SPOT it is not a PLB (the personal equivalent of an EPIRB) . The SPOT device can send a distress message with your location but it doesn’t go directly to the Coast Guard, rather it must first get routed through their private rescue coordination center. The other problem is that it doesn’t meet strict design standards of a certified PLB and, let’s face it, when you are in major trouble you want something that’s bulletproof.

So it is with open arms that we welcome ACR’s newest device the ACR AquaLink View PLB which comes compelte with ACR’s 406Link service which, like the SPOT, allows you not only to send a distress signal but also send an emergency or I’m OK signal to friends and family.

Here is Panbo’s take on the device:

The first time was the best. I was tootling down the Bay in May when I tested the ACR AquaLink View PLB. I’d already appreciated its high build quality, and how neatly instructions about how to activate its two self test modes and primary distress function are explained right on the casing. Then when I pressed the GPS Test button for five seconds, it was very nice to have the small LCD screen show the procedure step-by-step and advise me to give the antennas a good sky view. And it was impressive that the GPS — perhaps never used before, or at most tested in Florida — got (and displayed) a position in well less than a minute. (In fact, the whole test procedure is so quick that I’ve had a hard getting a good photo with the scrolling screen in action.) But the kicker was how my cell phone buzzed a moment later with a text message confirmation that the beacon’s test signal had made it through the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system, along with a link to its accurately mapped position…

Because I’m also testing the Pro version of ACR’s 406Link service, the same “All’s well” short message and location link could have been emailed and/or texted to four other recipients. Frankly, though, I consider that Spot-like messaging feature quite secondary to the reassurance felt when you can test a critical safety device like this PLB all the way through the system (short of the rescue center). Continue Reading Panbo’s Review…

gCaptain believes that one of these devices should be required inside every lifeboat and liferaft that goes to sea and we fully endorse the Aqualink but their is still one problem… the communication is still one way! To actually communicate with rescuers you need a two way emergency locating device, of which our favorite is currently Solara Data’s Field Tracker 2100, a device currently in use by the park service as well as our favorite emergency evacuation company. Standby as gCaptain waits for its own 2100 to review.

A few months ago we received a press release from McMurdo on a revolutionary product, the Fast-Find 210 PLB, a portable version of an EPIRB, The revolutionary part was not a change in the way distress signals are sent from the device but rather the size (very small) and price point ($299 list) of the device. Subscribing to the theory of Too Good To Be True, we have held off on writing about the product until we had confirmation on the quality of the unit from a trusted source. Today that verification came, via Panbo, from friend of gCaptain and survival expert Doug Ritter. Doug writes:

Bearing in mind the limitations inherent in our tests we conducted as outlined above, bottom line is that this new McMurdo Fast Find represents a significant advance in performance in a much more compact package.  It isn’t perfect, the cap design and not quite single-hand deployment issues are a bit annoying, but they are not deal killers and the combination of the truly pocketable size, significantly improved GPS performance and low cost makes it a compelling distress signaling device. McMurdo have essentially leapfrogged the competition with this one. The new Fast Find is small enough and affordable enough to outfit your entire family in case someone gets separated from the group, falls overboard, etc.

Carry a Fast Find together with an effective pocket survival kit with essential survival and basic signaling gear and you’ve got most wilderness emergencies covered with just a pocket full of gear and not at a huge cost. These new Fast Finds are much more enticing due to their small size and low cost, hence more will carry them and more lives will be saved. Win, win, all the way around.

What does this mean for the average mariner? First, with greater acceptance and knowledge of PLB’s, shipping companies will start to equip each lifeboat with individual units to augment the vessel’s base station. If the trend catches on you may even see them included in liferafts or clipped onto individual lifevests.

Regardless of whether shipping companies adopt these units on a wide scale it is now economically possible for the average mariner (or passenger) to purchase his own unit independent of the vessel’s GMDSS equipment. This leads us to the question: “What are the safety implications of mariners and vessel passengers having the ability to transmit distress communication independent of the Captain’s orders?” and “Will individuals stringently assure these devices are properly registered and maintained?”

Be sure to read Doug Ritter’s full review, and keep up-to-date on the latest marine safety electronics by bookmarking gCaptain’s GMDSS category and Panbo’s Marine Safety section.

We also want to thank our friends at West Marine for making Doug’s review possible and for offering gCaptain readers $25 off the purchase of a McMurdo Fastfind 210… just use click on this link and use coupon code use code AFFSPCL to visit their store and place an order.

But, did you know that there is a critical piece of life-saving equipment that will also be affected with a change from analog to digital transmissions?

If you own or use an emergency distress beacon on a boat or on a plane, you should know that starting on February 1, 2009, the older beacons that transmit only an analog signal (121.5 or 243 MHz) will no longer be “heard” by search and rescue satellites. Just like checking your TV, you need to ensure that your distress beacon is capable of transmitting a digital signal (406 MHz) in order for it to be recognized.

There are three types of emergency distress beacons: EPIRBs (Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacons) for use in the maritime community, ELTs (Emergency Locator Transmitters) found on aircraft and PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) for individual use. Although PLBs have always been manufactured to transmit to satellites on the 406 MHz frequency, older models of EPIRBs and ELTs were made to transmit to satellites on the 121.5 and 243 MHz frequencies. It should be noted that all 406 MHz beacons in the U.S. also contain a low powered homing signal that transmits on 121.5 MHz. This signal doesn’t reach the satellites, but it allows search and rescue teams to home-in on the beacon once in close range.

The decision to stop satellite processing of the 121.5 and 243 MHz frequency bands was made by the International Cospas-Sarsat Program with guidance from the United Nations. 406 MHz distress beacons have been used successfully for over 15 years now and they have proven to be more powerful, more accurate, and they are verifiable. Because of the digital nature of 406 MHz beacons, every beacon in the world has a unique ID encoded in its signal. As long as the beacon is registered (which is required by U.S. law), search and rescue forces can quickly confirm that the distress is real and have access to important information about the beacon owner.

When a person in distress activates an EPIRB, ELT or PLB (or an EPIRB automatically activates when a vessel sinks or an ELT automatically activates when an aircraft crashes), a signal is transmitted to search and rescue satellites. This “alert” is then relayed to a network of ground stations on Earth. If the signal originates in the U.S. the alert is sent to the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC) operated by NOAA. The USMCC processes the alert then distributes it to a U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center depending on if the location is in a maritime or inland environment. In the past five years (2003-2007), 406 MHz beacons have directly contributed to the saving of 1,224 lives in the U.S. alone.

Mariners should know that 121.5 MHz EPIRBs became prohibited for use in January 2007.

Aircraft owners and operators should be aware that, although 121.5 or 243 MHz ELTs still meet FAA carriage requirements, the distress signal will not be automatically sent to search and rescue personnel. The only way an alert will be realized is if a radio in close proximity to the beacon is tuned to the 121.5 or 243 MHz frequency and the operator passes the alert information to proper authorities. Even if this takes place, without the amplifying information provided by 406 MHz beacons, the results of a successful search are greatly diminished. That being said, pilots and other aviation interests should increase their attention to monitoring the 121.5 MHz frequency any time they have the chance to do so.

If you decide to replace an old 121.5 MHz EPIRB or ELT, please make sure you disable it by removing and properly disposing of the batteries. Also, remember to register your 406 MHz beacon at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov. Registration is free, easy to do and mandatory. You can include and update important information anytime such as emergency contact numbers, a description of your boat or aircraft, a person’s medical condition, or even a simplified float or flight plan—anything to make it easier for us to find you!

All beacon owners and users should check their beacons (just like those TV sets) before the switch to digital takes place in February 2009. Your life may well depend on it!

This information is provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue (CG-534).

Panbo, the marine electronics blog, brings us today’s gCaptain Holiday Gift Suggestion. The unit is the SPOT Satellite Messenger & Emergency Locater and it’s fairly amazing.

First a note. This is not a substitute for the most important safety item aboard ship an EPIRB. If you are looking for the best personal emergency solution we recommend the ACR – ResQFix 406 GPS Personal Locater Beacon (PLB) . (EPIRBS are know as PLB’s when used for personal use and ELT’s in aviation).

So what can the SPOT do? Basically it is a unit that updates your position on a google map which your friends can log into and track your position. It also has extensive emergency locating features at a fraction of the price of a PLB or EPIRB. Panbo tells us;

The just announced Spot is a waterproof Globalstar messenger and GPS combo that will purportedly let you alert the authorities (at least the U.S. ones) [we know it uses GEOS SAR but doesn’t have global coverage) with your position, or ask for help from your friends or just notify them of where you are, or build an online track of your travels. It will be available in November for $149 with an annual service contract ranging from $99 upwards depending on what features you want to use. There’s not much detail on the Spot site yet, except for some pretty extreme fear marketing, but I’d guess that this product will get some real attention, even from some boaters. And I’m glad that, unlike TracMe, Spot is not confusing the market place by using the term Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).

For $149 at Amazon this seems like a bargain to give your family some extra peace of mind and let your kids track your position at sea from your home computer (check with your ISPS DP for your company’s policy).