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| | | MOB search system | | |
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| | | w-fc PRACTICAL BoatOwner BRITAIN'S BIGGEST-SELLING YACHTING MAGAZINE | | |
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| | | Practical test | | |
| | | ^temng devices | | |
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| | | WAVEFINDER | | |
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| | | £1,495 | | |
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| | | This was the only set we used that took us straight back to the MOB even when we carried on moving away for up to three quarters of a mile. During our round trip, the dummy had drifted more than 200m (650ft). | | |
| | | - What else n can you do? ■ Don't go over in the first place - wear a harness and always clip on ■ Always wear a lifejacket whenever on deck or in the cockpit, whatever the conditions - they considerably improve your chances of survival Calling for help: ■ Personal flares such as waterproof day/night flares or Mini-flares can he fired from the water and alert everybody around you of your distress ■ Wear brightly coloured clothing so that you are easier to spot. Pull up the fluorescent hood of your oilskins and don a lifejacket spray hood ■ Wear clothing with as much retro-reflective tape as possible ■ Wear a lifejacket light even if you only day sail - you may fall in late in the day and your rescuers may not get to you until after dark I ■ Consider wearing a 406/121.6MHz PLB (with a built-in BOAT GPS) especially if single-handed sailing. ■ Carry a waterproof, hand-held MARINE VHF - rescue craft can home in on these as well | | |
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| | | Designed in Switzerland, thWavefinder consists of a compact transmitter held in a nylon case that fastens to youlifejacket. Its relatively high frequency means that the transmitter antenna can be housed inside the case, so there are no vulnerable external parts. The receiver consists of a neat 16-segment LED display coupled to a large remote marine antenna, which should be fitted as high as possible to gain the greatest range. Indeed, the manufacturer claims it has a range of up to 10 miles if the antenna is fitted high enough. Completely sealed, the transmitter is activated by pulling away a magnetic flap in its nylon case. Lifting and | .. .a the flap within 15 seconds tests the system. Leave it any longer and the transmitter will continue to broadcast until the battery, which can only be replaced at the factory, runs flat. While we understand the reasoning behind a sealed unit, we are concerned that a mistake early in a cruise could mean a member of the crew having to go without. For automatic activation, the transmitter has to be fitted to an automatic lifejacket. When the lifejacket inflates, the magnetic flap is pulled out of place and triggers the marine beacon. This is not ideal, since it relies on the lifejacket - but it works. Our helmsman loved the display. 'It was just so easy to | | |
| | | use!' he exclaimed. 'Simply keep the lit segment at 12 o'clock and you'll find him'. A five-bar signal strength meter in the middle of the display gives an indication of how close you are to your MOB. If all five bars are lit then you're within 200m (650ft). Easy to use but a little pricey. | |
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| | | rraisra,^r /Self help; | | |
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| | | J ■ Some skippers throw out and trail a long warp for the MOB to grab on to when they come to the surface, although in practice you'd be hard pushed to grab and hold it - especially if the boat's travelling at more than 3 knots ■ Fit an emergency ladder that can be lowered from the water From the boat: ■ Mark the MOB with a Dan-buoy ■ Provide extra buoyancy by dropping a lifebuoy - add retro-reflective tape, boat's name, a light and a drogue (to slow its drift) ■ Use a buoyant smoke flare to help mark the MOB and raise the alarm. Remember a marine handheld vhf that floats will also be a good marker to home in on with a signal I ■ Press the MOB button on the GPS ■ Broadcast a Mayday as soon as possible -you may well need help getting the MOB back aboard and time is of the essence. You can always stand down the rescue services should you get the MOB back on boat board yourself - they won't mind ■ find a lifting system that works aboard your boat and practise MOB recovery in safe waters with all your crew - It may be you that needs recovering from the water! | | |
| | | I All the systems were able to raise the alarm. Four out of the five would also provide an output that can stop your boat or release safety equipment. It is a shame, though, that the systems aren't allowed to send an automatic Mayday. ■ Sea Marshall's PLB and Crewguard system provides the cheapest way of raising an alarm. The Crewguard's output could be used to trigger a chart plotter or GPS and thereby provide a range and bearing back to the incident in a similar way to the MOBi-lert. You could, of course, use the Crewguard with a 406/121.5MHz PLB and thereby simultaneously raise both the onboard alarm and a shore-based SAR alarm. ■ We were also impressed with the MOBi-lert. With six pendants it provides a very cost-effective solution. Its pendants are small and unobtrusive and therefore more likely to be worn. The system even tells you if their batteries need recharging. ■ But for us, Wavefinder's simple operation made it our number one choice. At just under E1,500 for the display and only one transmitter, it's pricier than the others but it does the whole job - sounds the alarm and guides you straight back to the casualty. | | |
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| | | NEXT MONTH R6ad our Sroup test first! | | |
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| | | Practical Boat Owner akr m er 455 November 2004 | | |
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