[SCOW] If you are sailing on the ocean, maybe go with a PLB instead of a SPOT

Hi friends,

I thought this article related to the tragic sailboat wreck off of California earlier this year was worth the read. 

For those of you sailing in the islands or offshore, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a nice tool to have along (I like the ones from ACR that are part of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) that relay distress signals directly to search-and-rescue agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard). When you relay the distress signals directly to the Coast Guard, it can save a lot of time in getting the rescuers zeroed in on your location.

There's a similar tool that the sailors had on board (a SPOT) that is not quite as tied in (though they do have some other functions). In this instance, it looks like if they'd had a Personal Locator Beacon instead of a SPOT, it might have helped save some lives.

http://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/-10824-1.html

Chris

Commodore Chris McGraw

Sailing Club of Washington

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