Helpful foundation rents EPIRB's!

Boat US Foundation provides a very reasonable EPIRB rental service. These units provide safety in addition to or when VHF and cell not in range and as a back up. Here is the URL. I have not used their service personally, however, it appears to be a legitimate service. Anyone who has used them please provide feeback.



http://www.boatus.com/foundation/EPIRB/

Looks like a good deal, But…
for my money I’d rent a sattelite phone- after reading about the first civilian who used one (actually he used it twice about a week apart). He’s now up on criminal charges regarding the rescues.

Best-

~Glenn

apples and oranges
It would be interesting to hear from folks about how when where and why they might want one over the other for sure. I am not sure where I am at over it.



I do know that there is a story behind that headline and the facts speak to him allegedly not being in good faith, not once but twice regarding the admonition to use only as last resort and serious emergency (I did not see his side of it however) My view only, I am not worried about using one.

Skalak was a jerk

– Last Updated: Nov-16-04 8:00 PM EST –

and in now way appropriately prepared for the conditions which he was likely to encounter. He would never have been charged if he had not pulled the trigger the second time. He probably wanted the publicity for his photographybusiness (part-time wannabe). I have yet to read about the trial. got any good sources?

I would have no hesitation about pulling the trigger, because if I am doing that, I would probably not survive immersion long enough to be rescued, (unless I found an island

When would I consider one? When my vhf would do me no good. Way far fron New england.

There was a pretty good article…
in this months’ Adirondack Explorer on the eposode, I agree that the whole thing sounds pretty fishy. I just hate the idea that you can’t cancel the call once it’s been made- it would make me think twice about pulling the trigger, but maybe that would be a good thing. Personal responsibility is the key to survival, not an PLB.

~Glenn

Personal Responsbility in age of gadgets

– Last Updated: Nov-17-04 8:52 AM EST –

IMHO you and Peter have it locked. There is a legit need but big dangers of using them too. There are situations that a personally responsible kayker being careful and excercising due caution could darn well have his or her life saved by EPIRB. In a weird way, EPIRB's especially those with GPS integrated or hooked up, could reduce the costs of searches, and the risks to rescuers by spending less time in the danger zone trying to find them.

The best way I heard someone say what is the definition of personal responsibility is making decisions as if none will come to rescue you. Closest thing we have to this is when people stay in their homes on the beach during approaching hurricane, they say, OK, but no rescue. When I have led groups, that is how I explain how we make decisions, so that we unconsciously don't feel entitled to be lazy in how we do stuff and don't feel entitled to have someone risk their neck for our dummy decisions. This has not always gone over well as this is such a part of things now.

It would be neat if anyone knew the track record of their use in sailing and small power boat use around the world and the % of legit to illegit use of them, repurcussions for SRS, etc.

Canada has had them for a while
and no records of abuse that I have seen.

The Problem…

– Last Updated: Nov-18-04 5:32 AM EST –

I think with so much sophisticated gear becoming more readily available is that it encourages some of the "gearheads" to accumulate gear as backups rather than acquire skills. I am not saying this applies to all gearheads. But when one sees gearheads out there with minimal skills, you have to wonder...

"helping" or "enabling?"

sing