Being that I plan on running my boat more now because I am retiring. I am thinking about putting an EPIRB on the boat. Does anyone have any recommendations. That will not take my left testicle? What is the difference between a Cat 1 and a Cat 2. And what would I need on a 247cc Edgewater. Probably running 40 to 50 miles off shore from Carolina Beach (possibly to the stream once I get comfortable).
Thanks in advance,
Barry
Born to fish...Forced to work
No Regrets.... EdgeWater 247cc
Category II EPIRBs are manual activation only units. If you own one of these, it should be stored in the most accessible location on board where it can be quickly accessed in an emergency. Ditch bags with all of your other emergency gear is a good place for them, just make sure its easily accessible in an emergency.
Also, make certain that you register your EPIRB. If for some reason your beacon does activate inadvertently and it is registered, the call you receive from the Coast Guard will be a friendly one. If it is not registered, it may not be quite so friendly. More importantly, registration will help rescue forces find you faster in an emergency and allow you to make an important contribution to the safety of others by not needlessly occupying SAR resources that may be needed in an actual emergency. If you need to register a 406 MHz EPIRB,
CAT 1 are mainly for commercial vessels and need to be mounted high to avoid being tangled in the gear. They turn on automatically usually at a certain depth below the water.
What kind of a budget are you looking at. PM me your ball park and I help the best I can.