Alan de Enfield

Are there any new announcements from the commission ? Are C&RT applying for Government time to discuss new legislation ? Are C&RT increasing the licence fees for "FAT CCing boats" by 5x ? Or Is nothing happening, and the can gets kicked further down the road until Cambell Robb hands over to another CEO ?

You continue to seem to have very little knowledge in areas I'd have thought a single handed (blue-water sailor would have known. Maybe you are referring to the 121.5 Mhz PLBs that did not use the satellites but relied on passing commercial aircraft (who were legally obliged to monitor 121.5) The 'modern' PLBs operate on 406Mhz and automatically send the location signal and owners data to a satellite, which automaticaly sends it to the rescue centre (Yes it is Falmouth) The unit still has a low power 121.5Mhz for traingulation over the 'last mile'. But that is not what we are talking about - in that case it would be a ships EPIRB not a personal PLB and a heli would not reach them, and by default resue is not days away. For a paddle boarder, or inshore boater who has fallen overboard the heli / lifeboat is close enough to react. So what’s the realistic real‑world timeline? Based on how the Cospas‑Sarsat system works globally and how the UKMCC handles alerts: Typical timeline (realistic estimate): 0–1 minute: PLB transmits distress signal to satellites 1–3 minutes: Satellite relays signal to UK Mission Control Centre 2–10 minutes: UKMCC verifies registration and notifies the appropriate emergency service (HM Coastguard, Police, Mountain Rescue, etc.)

As do bow doors.

I'd happily do so - if telling folks about them saves just one life it'd be worth it. For something so simple, so small, with no running costs, no need to recharge the battery every day (lasts 6 years) and, relatively inexpensive its a no-brainer for anyone with an active outdoor life.

I'd strongly recommend one to anyone who goes out into areas (potentially) without a phone signal. You could be just half a mile from a main road and civilisation and get a serious fracture simply falling off a boulder, stile or whatever. SWMBO is a bit accident prone - a couple of years ago (March as it happens) she fell off a step - only about 2 feet off the ground - and completely snapped her foot off, it was only hanging by the artery, and only her boot stopped it dropping any further - all bones and ligaments were snapped. Air ambulance arrived but they could not take her to hospital by air because of the pressure drop and her loss of blood and other damage. fortunately the Doctor on air-duty was authorised to give Ketamin and after 10 doses she was unable to feel them trying to realign the bones for transit by road. Steel 'plated up' ankle &,in a wheelchair for 3 months and 'ongoing' topping up of the 'grease nipple' and is now fairly functional. Had she fallen off her horse in the middle of nowhere it may have been a different outcome.

I have no idea how they allocate priority to PLB calls. Those may be 'townie targets' but we see nothing like those response times in our rural area. In March of this year SWMBO was leading two horses (one each side) from the stables to the field, one horse decided he didn't like the other and tried to take a bite out of him - unfortunately SWMBO was in the middle and he grabbed her arm tearing all of the flesh off her forearm (about 10" long x 4" wide). Long story short - phoned 999 and was told the ambulance would be betwen 45 and 60 minutes. Having explained she was losing blood copiously and was drifting in and out of conciousness the answer was still the same - 45 to 60 minutes. I managed to get her in the car and we made it to hospital in about 20 minutes, I left the car at the A&E doors and got her into a wheelchair and went into A&E. The A&E took one look at her and forgot triage and she was shipped striaght thru for emergency surgery. One of the A&E nurse threw up and passed out when she saw the wound. The hospital decided they did not have the competency to do anything so she was Blue-lighted to the Midlands major burns unit at Nottingham for reconstructive surgey. Anyway after a few weeks and lots of reconstruction and skin grafts she was back 'in harness' (but with a bit thinner left forearm). Previously to that I have called 999 several times and we get the Ambi-copter as we never seem to have any ambulances close to us. Heli in our garden ........

Yes - they work, (and are well known) world wide on land or water. The PLB is registered to your country (it is important ti ebsure if you buy a secondhand one that it is UK registered (lots are bought in from the USA for resale as they are much cheaper) The PLB sends it's 406Mhz signal to the satellites, the satellites then decode the country of registration and send the information (name, address. phone number etc) and the location to the relevant countries rescue centre. The rescue centre then notes the GPS location and either forwards it onto the relevant service, or, (if you are on holiday climbing in the Swiss Alps) to the local rescue centre where the accident has happened. It is almost instantaneous, and the 'helicopter' or ambulance can be on its way in under 5 minutes. In practice, in the Uk the rescue centre will try and contact you on your mobile to ensure that it has not been activated accidentaly, no answer and they call your 'emergency contact number' and asks (whoever answers) if they'd expect you to be "on a canal in Cheshire" or "up a mountain in Tibet" etc If they get no answer from either you, or your emergency number, the rescue services are notified (the default is that it is an emergency) and the Helicopter / ambulance sets off after a short delay. The maximum time between 'pushing the button' and the emergency services being informed CAN BE up to 30 minutes as it is occasionally possible that there may be a few minutes delay until a satellite comes 'into view'. The PLB also has a 121.5 Mhz transmitter that is the international distress frequency which is also transmitted to allow ground triangulation for the "last mile" where the person may be buried in snow, under trees etc or where they are not easily spotted. It also has a built in flashing light sending a continuous "SOS" to help visibility.

Indeed, prior to 2012 it was unlawful (a large fine) if a PLB or EPIRB was activated on land - there had been calls for the change for many years from both the emergency services and the 'potentially at risk' part of the population. We have one on the boat, registered to the boat, and one each registered to us personally. SWMBO can be 'miles off piste' when riding her horse and if there is no phone signal (or flat battery, or .......) she has a means of notiftying the rescue services of her location. Similarly, when solo hiking I have mine with me. And for ~£200 ................. McMurdo FastFind ReturnLINK PLB - Brand New - UK Coded - 03/2031 Expiry Date | eBay UK McMurdo FastFind 220 V2 Z423 GPS/Galileo PLB Personal Locator Beacon 5035963007358 | eBay UK

6 years battery life, (then ~£100 for a new battery) free registration of your details, no monthly charges / contracts - 'free for life'. Emergency services notified of your exact (GPS within a couple of metres) location. Works anywhere in the world, on land or water. We both have one - its a no brainer. The relevant organisation dependent on the location of the accident (ambulance service, mountain rescue, Police etc) are notified for 'on land' emergencies. Unlike EPIRBs which are registered to a specific vessel and must be re-registered if moved to a different boat, a PLB is registered to a person and so can be carried with you wherever you are - at sea, hiking, mountaineering or in any remote location or situation where you may require rescue. PLBs are subscription-free devices, so have no cost of ownership after the initial purchase. The McMurdo FastFind 220 is small and light enough for you to carry on your person at all times. Using advanced technology, the FastFind 220 transmits a unique ID and your current GPS co-ordinates via the Cospas-Sarsat global search and rescue satellite network, alerting the rescue services within minutes. Once within the area, the search and rescue services can quickly home in on your location using the unit’s 121.5Mhz homing beacon and flashing LED SOS light. During 2025 there has been a review /consultation by the Government on the use of making PLBs mandatory on all water-bourne vessels : Personal Locator Beacon registration in the UK could become mandatory, under new proposals by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Known as PLBs, the devices are designed to send an SOS signal, along with your location, to the rescue authorities when manually activated by the user. The MCA wants to bring PLBs under the same mandatory registration requirements as Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs). It would apply to all PLBs used at sea, along the coast, and on inland rivers, lakes and canals. Registration information would include: the vessel name, radio call sign, PLB manufacturer’s serial number and any locating frequencies and identifiers; a brief description of the vessel (if applicable), including its type, gross tonnage, superstructure, deck colours and identifying marks; the HEX ID ( hexadecimal identity which are 15 characters for first-generation beacons and 23 characters for second-generation beacons) which provides a unique code transmitted by 406 MHz beacons; the PLB owner’s name, address, telephone number and email; up to three alternative 24-hour emergency contacts including name and telephone number (alternative contact ashore); the passenger and crew capacity of the vessel. HM Coastguard said the introduction of mandatory Personal Locator Beacon registration reflected the changes in technology and would extend registration obligations to hovercraft and other types of watercraft covered by the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023. This includes any personal watercraft which is capable of moving under power and can carry one or more people such as power boats, RIBS, tenders, sailing dinghies, keel boats, motor or sailing yachts, jet skis, Fliteboards and E-foils.

Assuming the fittings at both ends are compatible with the engine/gearbox and the prop shaft diameter, and, it is rated to take the HP of your engine it should be fine.

Which is when a PLB comes into its own.

If your phone battery is flat, surely you cannot 'try it' again as your phone will be dead.