Important Safety Considerations when Offshore Cruising
Recently, two single-handed sailors have been lost in the Caribbean Sea, in spite of their activation of an EPIRB or PLB. Technology has changed and improved and it’s no longer necessary to just rely on your EPIRB as your safety net. Glen Tuttle, moderator of the SSCA HF Radio Service KPK, gives his thoughts on how vessels can better prepare, with a footnote from the Caribbean Safety and Security Net.
Published 5 years ago
The S/V SALACIA activated two EPIRBS during the early hours of 11 June 2019 while on passage from Jamaica to San Andres. Both EPIRB signals were received and a SAR was initiated, however, the vessel or debris field never found.
The second vessel lost at sea was the S/V TRINAVIS on passage from St Martin to Barranquilla, Colombia. He activated a PLB off the coast of Colombia on 22 June 2019 which pinged for at least 24 hours. He nor his vessel have been found.
There is now new technology which incorporates AIS into EPIRBs. Nobody will ever know whether that technology could have saved these sailors lives, but I think it certainly would have increased their visibility to nearby ships and boats. I have no financial interest in any company which manufactures EPIRBS. My only interest is to make offshore cruisers safer. See this article in Sail Magazine regarding this AIS EPIRB technology.
Another device which may have been a lifesaver for both of these sailors is a Garmin In Reach device which allows for two way texting, and continuous position reports. An EPIRB does not notify the SAR authorities as to the nature of your distress, be it a medical emergency, fire, collision, piracy event, etc. These devices are very affordable and allow two-way communication globally.
SSCA HF Radio Service KPK is dedicated to Cruisers Helping Cruisers, and partners with the Caribbean Safety & Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet.org) . We are on the air daily at 1215 hrs UTC (0815 hrs Eastern Time) on SSB Frequency 8.104, and ready to assist any vessel from Nova Scotia to South America and over to Europe. All vessels are welcome, you do not have to be an SSCA member to utilize the net.
Glenn Tuttle – Moderator
Kim White of the Caribbean Safety & Security Net comments:
Technology has changed and improved, but one of the most important things has not. The information and contact cruisers have with their shoreside family and friends. Those who are designated contacts should have a full description of the yacht, all of its communication equipment, a picture of the yacht (and perhaps the crew) and its general travel plan if not a specific float plan.
Related Reading:
St. Martin to Colombia: Single-Hander Activated PLB – Alert for All Vessels in the Vicinity
Honduras, Gorda Bank: Missing Sailor
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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.
Related to the following Cruising Resources: Cruising Information, Planning and Preparation, Safety and Medical
I believe technology plays an important role while dealing with everyday things and disasters too. Technology helps to fill the communication gap. I learned many things related to the importance of communication and technology from TheCompuLab https://www.thecompulab.com then I realized its need for us.