The importance of hand held DSC enabled VHF radio and Flares

[thataway]

A few days ago, during a sailing race between San Francisco and San Diego (in several shorter legs). A Melges 24, with two sailors aboard, was dismasted in 10 to 14 foot seas, and winds of 40 knots. With the mast gone, the main VHF antenna was in the water. One of the crew had a hand held VHF with DSC (and the MMSI number in the radio), and activated a Pan Pan. Amazingly Coast Guard Morro Bay (about 30 miles away, and 3 of the other racing yachts answered the distress call. Two of the other racers immediately diverted to the position of the damaged vessel. Fortunately the crew had several aerial flares, and were able to fire one off as the nearest rescuing boat approached. Due to the storm and darkness, even a strobe light was not visible from any distance. One of the racing boats stood by until a coast guard cutter could arrive several hours later. By dawn, a second Coast guard rescue boat arrived. The CG deemed that it was too risky to attempt to pick the crew up from the water, or to attempt a tow. A helicopter was called. Because of the wreckage, the decision was made that the crew had to jump into the water and the rescue swimmer was deployed with a lift cage. (one of the crew's "inflatable" PFD, didn't automatically inflate. So it was blown up by lung power--difficult under the circumstances. The boat was left in clear water, with helm lashed so she was drifting down the coast. The chopper took the crew to San Louis Obispo, and there the crew's clothing was washed and dried by the EMS crew! Another Meldges 24 owner was returning to Morro bay. He had crew ready his 28 foot RIB. Even though the boat had drifted to within 12 miles of Moro Bay, it took several hours to reach her--and safety tow her home.

Moral--get DSC/MMSIO numbers in your VHF radio. Keep a DSC enabled hand held VHF radio--and the range may be more than you think! Keep self launching flares also on your life jacket. Be sure that you replace the auto inflate device on a regular basis, and check the old device by deploying it, before the replacement!

 

[hardee]

Thanks for passing that on Bob. A good story with a good ending. Also, good advice to check the inflator befor changing it out. I had one on a Mustang the inflated only half the inflation chamber. Fearing it was going to blow up, i started to take it off. The movement was enough to dislodge a fouled fold, and with a very loed BANG, the rest of the chamber inflated, the other side, which had been hyperinflated, equalized. One out of 4 tnat I did.

I called Mustang, they offered to take it back and examine it. Also, they told me what to watch for in refolding, and go do the manual inflation a couple of times to be sure the hangup did not reoccur.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[BrentB]

Good story, thanks

If you have PLB -

PLB registration needs to be updated every 2 years, and it is free!

One message said a new decal will be mailed and another comment that they have been discontinued but ws not clear for PLB devices

For more info, go to
NOAA Beacon Registration website at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov to verify, update, or renew your registration.

Take the time to update your info
_________________

 

[thataway]

Right on the PLB or EPRIB registrations...When out of range of other vessels the EPRIB or PLB are essential. The lack of the necessity and the rapid response of nearby vessels and the Coast Guard station were cited in this example as why a PB or EPRIB were not activated.

I am currently following a story of a 36 foot sailboat with a solo 68 year old sailor, where he send disturbing messages to his family via Garmin/DeLorme "InReach" satellite tracker/communicator. About 8 days ago the last messages, stopped, the beacon stopped transmitting, and did not respond to a "ping" from Delorme. The boat has Single Sideband Marine with DSC and an EPRIB aboard, but these have not been activated either. The last known position was about half way between Puerta Vallarta and the Marquesas. The question is piracy, run down by some commercial craft, lightning or hallucinations? Needless to say the family is distraught. The U S Coast Guard has asked commercial fishing boats in the area, to be on the lookout, and several are reported to have launched their helicopters for search to no avail. The issue here is that one has to manually activate many of these distress beacons. If the EPRIB was hydrostatically activated, it floated free, and the boat sank the EPRIB would have been activated.

In addition, I find that probably 200,000 fishing boats and commercial vessels are having their AIS positions monitored by Satellite receivers. One major issue for a satellite receiver for AIS, is that the AIS standard creates 4,500 available time-slots in each minute but this can be easily overwhelmed by the large satellite reception footprints. As I was accessing the satellite AIS web sites, I saw few yachts, but many fishing boats world wide. I suspect that the Class A AIS signals take president over the Class B (recreational vessels, which have a less powerful transmission, and may be over ridden by the Class A units in the Satellite footprint.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Also, they told me what to watch for in refolding, and go do the manual inflation a couple of times to be sure the hangup did not reoccur.
SleepyC :moon

I just refolded an inflatable that had gotten wet and looked like it had some mildew on it. The pressure cartridge was corroded and the little green plastic indicator (that shows the cartridge is okay) was missing even though the cartridge was still charged. I cleaned everything up and put it back together, but my confidence with inflatable PFDs has been eroding over the years. I loved the convenience of them and had more confidence when fresh off the shelf. Thinking about it now, I should have done a manual inflate just to check whether it is air tight.

When we went out this weekend, my wife and I decided to try the "new" old fashioned Stearns PFDs that came with the boat. Very basic PFDs that look like they would ride up around my ears. Still, from a comfort point of view they were not as bad as I remembered. And there is nothing to misfire if you have to use it.

It would be nice if the flotation on the back side of the vest was thinner for sitting. Maybe a larger but thinner perforated foam back panel? Also maybe a CG minimum flotation combined with manual inflation for super flotation? Maybe somebody's come up with a better mouse trap? Time to do some Googling.

Mark

 

[thataway]

There are already several "Hybrid PFD:" on the market. The Kokatat SeaO2 Hybrid PFD, is typical, and has 7.5 lbs of inherit floatation, and with bladder inflated, 22.5 lbs. I agree more, with perhaps a face hood, in the 35# flotation level would be great.

Distribution of the foam, is such that the PFD should keep the person upright, with face out of water..

Mustang gives a good inspection and care instructions Here.

The reason that low profile inflatable PFD are worn by racing crews, is that they are part of the safety harness, to keep the wearer tethered to the boat, with a quick release Spinaker shackle at the attachment point to the harness. The less bulk, the less the PFD is likely to be hung up when moving quickly around the boat in severe conditions. I don't remember the brand in this case--not sure it was mentioned.

Type I, II and V inflatables are available with total floatation up to a minimum of 33# I have seen several with 35# of floatation.

 

[thataway]

Pedromo had also read the same article, and pointed out that I had made several errors in my original post: The boat was a Moore 24, not a Melges 24, which is an open sport boat, not suitable for an offshore race. The specific Moore 24 which lost the mast had raced to Hawaii, and was a well known and outfitted offshore racing boat.

The second mistake I made was that the crew used the fixed VHF, although the mast was in the water, or at least at water level. It did send out a DSC signal, and that is what was honed in on by both a CG repeater, and several nearby raceboats.

That is what I get for not going back and re-reading the story which I had read before dinner.

My apologies that I missed some key features. However the moral remains the same--Be sure and have DSC enabled. Keep the DSC hand held on your person or at least near by.

 

[hardee]

" .... However the moral remains the same--Be sure and have DSC enabled. Keep the DSC hand held on your person or at least near by."

Worth repeating, until you do it. :wink:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[BTDT]

Good story, thanks

If you have PLB -

PLB registration needs to be updated every 2 years, and it is free!

One message said a new decal will be mailed and another comment that they have been discontinued but ws not clear for PLB devices

For more info, go to
NOAA Beacon Registration website at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov to verify, update, or renew your registration.

Take the time to update your info
_________________

FWIW - I received my NOAA decal last month for my PLB, but it was a new issue not a renewal. Seems like the process would be much easier and quicker via the internet versus manual processing and snail mail. I could have easily printed the same decal and added some laminate for moisture proofing.

[edit] I also learned that you must have received the NOAA decal in order to claim the $50 rebate. The factory won't accept the NOAA application

 

[thataway]

FWIW - I received my NOAA decal last month for my PLB, but it was a new issue not a renewal. Seems like the process would be much easier and quicker via the internet versus manual processing and snail mail. I could have easily printed the same decal and added some laminate for moisture proofing.

[edit] I also learned that you must have received the NOAA decal in order to claim the $50 rebate. The factory won't accept the NOAA application

I suspect that although you can make ti waterproof, there are any number of others who will not. The stickers seem to hold up well, and the adhesive has stayed "stuck". The renewal is an easy process--and only takes a minute to fill out the information..

 

[BTDT]

FWIW - I received my NOAA decal last month for my PLB, but it was a new issue not a renewal. Seems like the process would be much easier and quicker via the internet versus manual processing and snail mail. I could have easily printed the same decal and added some laminate for moisture proofing.

[edit] I also learned that you must have received the NOAA decal in order to claim the $50 rebate. The factory won't accept the NOAA application

I suspect that although you can make ti waterproof, there are any number of others who will not. The stickers seem to hold up well, and the adhesive has stayed "stuck". The renewal is an easy process--and only takes a minute to fill out the information..

I concur. I'm not sure my NOAA sticker is waterproof, and while it took about five minutes to fill out the application, it took weeks to get my sticker from NOAA. I was just thinking a NOAA web based application process would provide faster results and quicker coverage versus government employee hands on processing and snail mail. :roll:

 

[hardee]

"I concur. I'm not sure my NOAA sticker is waterproof, and while it took about five minutes to fill out the application, it took weeks to get my sticker from NOAA. I was just thinking a NOAA web based application process would provide faster results and quicker coverage versus government employee hands on processing and snail mail."

I for one am glad that the govt is actually doing something observable and beneficial. (OK, I know there is lots of other stuff that they do too but ....) I know my sticker, AND the ACR ResQLink+ is waterproof and floats. And I had mine in less than 10 days for my original a year and a half ago.

I have also done a test from the NW corner of Vancouver Is and the SW corner of Dominican Republic. Both worked well, and I had text message results within 5 minutes of the test, but the DR one took me 3 days to see it.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[thataway]

I have also done a test from the SW corner of Dominican Republic. Both worked well, and I had text message results within 5 minutes of the test, but the DR one took me 3 days to see it.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon

Harvey I know that those twins get you around a lot--but that must be a record voyage for a C Dory! And back to civilization in only 3 days too!