The final piece of the jigsaw for getting our boat ready for the Fastnet is now in place: we have an Epirb (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) on board.
It's something we should have done ages ago, really. If you get into trouble in a race there are likely to be other boats around to help you. It is when you are cruising alone that you are more likely to need to call the cavalry.
Now we have the reassurance of knowing that we can call for help in the most efficient way possible, should the worst happen. The Epirb is what you need if you have to abandon ship. Take it with you when you get into the liferaft, and it will continue to broadcast your position, hopefully until you are safely rescued.
Beating from Harwich to Burnham last weekend in a full gale, and standing by a yacht which had gone aground on a sandbank in those conditions (Cathy's Blog: Trysail tested) it was certainly comforting to know that we had all the best possible safety equipment on board.
McMurdo unveiled a new range of Epirbs at last year's Southampton Boat Show. They impressed for a number of reasons: compact size, robust construction, claimed accuracy and innovation: they were the first Epirbs with non hazardous batteries and LED strobe lights.
They were also more affordable than earlier 406 MHz beacons, with prices starting from £375 for the Smartfind E5, with manual activation, and rising to £750 for the Smartfind G5 with “float free” hydrostatic release.
The basic difference between the E5 and the G5 is that whereas the E5 transmits a homing beacon to aid search and rescue, the G5 incorporates a GPS and so transmits an actual position, which can speed up the rescue process significantly. (Epirbs with GPS are sometimes referred to as Gpirbs.) Both models have a battery status monitor, five-year warranty and a five year battery change interval.
We felt that the additional cost of the G5 was well justified. If you need to be rescued, you want to give the rescue services the best information possible - to help them get to you as quickly as possible.
However, we didn't go for hydrostatic release - which means that the Epirb launches and activates itself automatically as the yacht sinks. This is basically intended for ocean crossings.
If the Epirb is prominently positioned near the companionway, as it should be, it ought to be possible for a member of the crew to grab it when abandoning ship. The manual release system is cleverly designed to prevent the beacon being removed from its bracket accidentally, while at the same time making it instantly accessible if needed.
Equally, the switch to activate the beacon is well protected from accidental misuse, but simple to understand and operate in an emergency situation. Having examined all the options, we felt the manual activation Smartfind G5 was what we wanted.
Of course, acquiring an Epirb is only the start of the process. Each one broadcasts a unique signature ( a 15-character “hex” code), and so if it is activated, the rescue authorities not only know that someone is in trouble, but also the identity of the vessel concerned.
So the first thing you have to do is to register your beacon with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. They keep a database record with details of the vessel, including description, radio systems carried, number of people likely to be on board - and emergency contacts ashore.
McMurdo sensibly supply three copies of the registration form with the beacon, so that any change of ownership or transfer to a different vessel can be notified and these vital records kept up to date.
We also had to fill in a warranty form for McMurdo, add details of the Epirb to our CG 66 registration with the local Coastguard, and of course notify the RORC: all in all, quite a bureaucratic procedure - but one well worth following to the letter for peace of mind at the end of it.
It took a long time (seven weeks) for the UK Epirb Register at MCA Falmouth to respond to our registration, presumably due to a backlog of applications, but this week they sent us the adhesive labels that are required as proof of registration. One has to be attached to the beacon itself, the other included with the ship's papers. So we are completely legal now.
But, as we told the two people who kindly agreed to be nominated as emergency contacts, we have absolutely no intention of ever putting the system to the test!
For more information visit www.mcmurdo.co.uk
and www.mcga.gov.uk
