safety – The Sea Safety Group Coastwatch

Safety Equipment Explained

The Marine VHF Radio is an essental part of your equipment, but it has some limitations as it can (at times) have limited range. Channel 16 is monitored at all times by HM Coastguard, all Coastwatch stations and other vessals. Modern hand held units are easily carried and are relatively inexpensive. Users should make them selves familier with the correct procedures for their use. A licence is required for normal daily use.

GSM Phone – even though we would advise you carry a CHARGED mobile phone. Most are not water resistant so should be carried in a custom waterproof case. The ability to get a good GSM signal is very limited along most of the coastline and especially at sea. Call 999 or 112 – its fee and you do not require credit on your phone also it will connect to ANY NETWORK if it cannot connect to your provider.

A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a personal electronic transmitter used to alert rescuers that there has been a life threatening man over board (MOB) situation with a need to be rescued. When activated, the PLB sends out a signal on either a 406MHz frequency or Local Area System using 121.5MHz, VHF DSC and/or AIS. Often used in addition to other MOB protection equipment such as life jackets (PFD) or survival suits, PLB’s perform a critical function in the MASLOW of survival during an MOB situation.

Search And Rescue Radar Transponders (SARTS) These are radar transponders that are normally used in a life raft and provide Search And Rescue units with a homing signal, when they are ‘interrogated’ by a radar set at 9GHz.

Note: this is not a complete list of equipment that you might require. Please get professional advice for a relevant organisation such as the RNLI. Sea Safety Group take no responsibility for any possible errors or omissions in the details displayed.