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ppem45

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May 6, 2008
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Location
Charlestown RI
It is a little windy here in the northeast so I decided that the first thing I was going to do was check all the Safety Gear
I went for the Life Preservers-- The zipper on the bag that holds them was corroded shut to the point that I had to take 2 pair of pliers to get it open ( I lubricated it with WD-40). I add a safety device to my Life Preservers each year so this year I bought the last of the Strobe Lights to the LP. The first 2 had no problem but the third and forth had dead batteries. I took care of them and this year I added Signal Mirrors to them so now all 4 LP have Strobe Lights, Whistles and Signal Mirrors. Next year I will add some sort of Small SS Knife. If you add a little each year the cost isn't so bad.
I checked everything else and all was fine. The flares were all up to date and the First Aid kit is stuffed with goodies. Another important item I keep on board is a Hook Removal Kit, it has a new pair of strong wire cutters, antiseptic, bandaids, gauze, needle and thread, scissors etc.
I am heading out to check out the rest of the boat and make sure she is ready to commission. Be Safe, check all your gear!
 
I'm adding a rescue streamer to the ditch bag this year. One on each type I would be cool, but expensive.


SURVIVOR_d.jpg
 
I have never seen one of those, where do you get them and how much are they. A nice bright international orange would be great.
 
Did you get the Mariner?? Thats the one I want, let me know how it looks when it comes in, You should be all set for the Canyon now. :D :D
 
With all due respect, who needs that when they can home in on your EPIRB beacon, day or night ??

An EPIRB is your best investment followed by a RAFT, followed by a survival suit. If you are really serious about safety wear your PFD at all times. Oh, not that serious ?

Me neither, maybe let's all agree to wear an inflatable PFD this year ? Not easy, but very worthwhile ... This is a good thing to do for the new season ....
 
The rescue streamer is just another piece of the puzzle. Even with the EPIRB, they still need to see you to get you.

Remember the KISS principle.

Besides I thin ppem45 is more than prepared. :D :D :D
 
With all due respect Paul, you be safe your way and I will be safe my way.

When I was a child I was taught that if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anythiing at all!
 
I actually had something very good to say, suggesting you get an EPIRB if you don't have one is a very sound piece of advice......
 
For the past few years, I've had my priorties out of order...Fishing gear came before survival gear. As of last year, I no longer needed anything for my offshore arensal. I am loaded to the gills with Penn 50vsw's and every other bell and whistle lure. This year I realized the need for more than life jackets.

So far this year I've added:
-GlobalFix™ iPro, Cat I 406 MHz GPS EPIRB with Digital Display and Dual GPS Technology
-ACR PLB
-Winslow Premium Liteweight Life Raft
-ACR Ditch Bag


Among all that fun stuff, I will be adding this rescue streamer. Sometimes the most simple things can be the most useful. Besides for not tying it off, there really is nothing that can go wrong with the streamer. I also like to have as many things working in my favor as I can physically deploy.

That's just how I look at the whole safety equipement thing...
 
I actually like the streamer idea better than the dye packs. The only thing is, the dye packs are fluorecent and can be seen at night. <I>
 
PaulH / Emily S":3sa42ka3 said:
With all due respect, who needs that when they can home in on your EPIRB beacon, day or night ??

An EPIRB is your best investment followed by a RAFT, followed by a survival suit. If you are really serious about safety wear your PFD at all times. Oh, not that serious ?

Me neither, maybe let's all agree to wear an inflatable PFD this year ? Not easy, but very worthwhile ... This is a good thing to do for the new season ....

by that logic, why do we need flares? :wink: while it is true that the CG can home in on the 121.5 mhz signal, its not a pinpoint science. it will get them to within a few hundred yards, on average. from there, its visual. add some driving rain, a bit of fog, maybe sun setting/rising, heavy seas and spray preventing low-altitude searching, which means the chopper has to stay high, and that streamer might save the Coasties a few circles around your position, and it might save you 10-15 minutes in the water. in cold water, you might be very happy to have that time. plus, lets look at some contingencies. suppose you launch your raft, but before you can get into it, wind tears it away, or it flips over and the line snaps, or something flukey goes down and the da*n thing plain doesnt deploy. your ditch bag is clipped to your PFD, of course, so youve got that at least.

now, you and your crew are tethered together in the water, your epirb is happily transmitting and blinking away next to you. however, for whatever reason, maybe youve got crappy luck, but your EPIRB cord snaps, or the person you gave it to to "hold" while you tighten your PFD straps lets it slip. now, the CG bird is already inbound, but now theyve got a position thats a couple hundred yards downstream and their RDF only gets them within a half a mile. they find your epirb, but no you. now, theyre flying circles around the beacon, but seas are heavy and conditions are deteriorating. without a bright orange raft to spot, you and your crew are a bit of a tough target to spot. however, with your 40ft long, foot wide streamer out behind you, youre throwing alot of international orange out there. for an extra $50 (which is 4 unrigged green machines) you might have a chance of getting spotted, instead of spending the night at sea while the Dolphin refuels and a couple 210s head to the scene. add whatever variables you like, injuries, cold water, etc, and that $50 starts looking REAL insignificant.

ill be buying one. :wink:
 
Oh boy, tough crowd, lot's of inputs are constructive, that's good.

Your EPRIB with GPS will broadcast it's precise location. Without GPS, they will head to the approximate area then use a direction finder to PRECISELY home in on your beacon. If they go past you the DF tells them as the relative bearing will do a 180, so they will narrow down any search very quickly. They will find your EPIRB if it's working, hopefully it is close to you.

This topic started with laundry list of safety products that DID NOT include an EPRIB so I rightly suggested that it be prioritized. Yes, it will work day or night anywhere in the world. That's pretty good.

Flares, streamers, dye, etc are great if someone is there to see them. The EPRIB will get people there .... How about we compromise and tie / keep a streamer to each EPIRB ?
:) :)
 
I am the one who started this thread so it's time to chime back in. I do have a PLB, Dye Markers and almost any safety tool you could iimagine except for a raft. I am anal about my boat and it's equipment and my friends also think i'm anal. I am 64 years old and I am on my 13th boat and thru the years I have learned what to have and other things that are not nessasary but I have them anyway, just because you never know when you might need them. I carry a spare battery if I travel too far and have 4 Fire extinguishers about 300 extra feet of line, SOSpenders, portable radios and even a crank radio, crackers, water and I am not done but will stop as I have bored all of you enough. My point is you can never have enough safety gear on your boat. Be safe out there and keep up your gear even if it takes you all day as it does with me and you will live to see 64 also. I just invested in a Seaspension Mitagating seat today so next year I will buy an Epirb. Amen
 
I bought a Mariner Rescue Streamer a few months age, before the incident in the Gulf. They are nice people to deal with.

My PLB is enroute from BOE.
 
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