A few weeks ago we told you about AMVER and where your signal goes in the unfortunate event that you set off your EPIRB in a boating emergency. But do you have an EPIRB? Did it come with your boat? Do you know which type to have onboard and which type definitely will NOT save your life?

In general, an EPIRB is known for sending a signal for help in case of an emergency on your boat. There were several types, but make sure you have the latest technology when it comes to EPIRBs. If you have an older 121.5 or and 243 MHz EPIRB, the signal it sends out will fall on deaf ears. The signals they send out have not been monitored for over a year now, so they are useless to carry onboard.

The newer EPIRBs – and the only ones that are useful now that the aforementioned frequencies have been phased out – work on a more reliable, digital 406 MHz frequency. If somebody is trying to sell you anything but a 406 MHz frequency EPIRB, walk away.

But wait, there’s more!
The 406 MHz EPIRBs come in two very important categories:

Category I: automatically activated.
Category II: manually activated.

Should you save a hundred bucks and get the manual one? Think of it this way. If there’s an emergency and your boat is going down, you are searching for life jackets, maybe a life raft, and helping other passengers, it’s a great benefit to know you don’t have to go find your EPIRB and flip a switch.

A quick check of West Marine showed us EPIRBs in the price range of $700 to $1200 with various features including battery type and life, GPS, the brightness of the LED flashing locator lights, overall size, durability of the casing and submersibility.

Is an EPIRB worth the cost? For most recreational boaters, it’s a personal choice as EPIRBs are not required on most personal vessels. However, in our opinion, an EPIRB is an indispensable addition to your arsenal of onboard safety equipment.

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Labels: Boating Tips, Products, Safety

With the warm weather this past weekend here in the northeast, many boaters are tempted to break the boat out of its winter confinement and get spring started a little early.

But before you launch your boat for the first time in several months, make sure your vessel is as ready as you are to get back on the water. There are several websites with checklists on how to de-winterize your boat and get it prepared for the new season, so we thought we would direct you to a few of the better guides.

Check out these sites even if you are not doing the work yourself so that you can ensure that your service provider is covering all the major points.

Thanks to Ericka's Powerboating Blog for reminding us this past weekend that if you prepare now, “on that first nice day of spring, you'll be ready to take advantage of the warmer weather and be able to get your boat in the water that much faster.” Ericka also has a more detailed task list to help de-winterize your boat. Read it here.

Alan Sorum’s Boating & Sailing blog has a very good article on how to prep your boat for the spring, broken into three simple sections. One of Alan’s best tips is to “Schedule yard work well in advance and avoid the rush that comes with the first nice spring day.” Remember that Alan boats in Alaska, so if these tips work for getting a boat ready after an Alaskan winter, they should certainly be helpful to those of us in the lower 48. Read Alan's de-winterizing article here.

If you are more of a visual learner, this 2 minute video from Sunbrella walks you through a live checklist of items to clean, prep and check before you launch your boat each year.



What is your spring ritual? Can you recommend any other good de-winterizing guides? When are you launching your boat for the season, or are you lucky enough to live in a year-round boating climate?

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Labels: Boat Maintenance, Seasons, Weather

When an old friend turned us on to Redneck Yacht Club a few days ago, it was a no-brainer that it would be our next Sea Song of the Week. Craig Morgan performs the perfect party tune for regular joes rocking the boat, all summer long. Check out the video and you'll see what we mean.



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Labels: Sea_Songs_Mar10, Social