Making sure you are prepared for an emergency situation is essential aboard any boat. Of course the best method is prevention, but it things do go wrong you and your crew will need to have a contingency plan. Knowledge of the best search patterns and obtaining sea survival qualifications are a good start, but it is also a good idea to compliment these with safety gadgetry as it may give a better success rate.
WaveFinder is an autonomous man over board search system which alerts the crew if someone wearing a transmitter has fallen overboard. Each crew member is fitted with a personal transmitter. The 12cm, 130gram devices can be put on to a belt or inserted into a lifejacket so it is activated when it inflates. Once activated, it sends out a signal which is received by a solid-state directional antenna aboard the yacht. The waterproof LED display indicates relative direction and distance to the MOB's position.
Exceeding 6 hours of continuous signal and a battery life of 6 years, it appears that this really is a piece of kit you can rely on when the going gets tough. One antenna and one display will cover all members of the crew who are wearing transmitters. The manufacturers say that the instillation is very easy and it is just a case of 'Plug and Play' with no professional assistance required.
Having played with a display model at METS, it seemed an easy system to use. We hope to have one in to the MainSail marina soon to test more thoroughly.
For more information visit www.wavefinder.ch.
