Safety equipment inspections
Having a bunch of safety equipment on board is great but only if the stuff works when you need it to. I wrote about testing our Mustang hydrostatic inflatable life vests to make sure that they are without leaks. We are actually overdue to complete that process again. Just yesterday, during a bout of construction-inspired cleaning, I decided to test our EPIRB. I knew the battery was in date because we had it professionally replaced when we purchased it. Like the life vests though, it still should be tested on a regular basis. I am happy to report that all appeared well – the device made the required beeps and flashes.
Do you have an EPIRB on board? Do you know when the battery expires? When was the last time you tested it?
Great idea. Just tested ours. Also showed the kids how to use id.
We are good to go!
Good job!
Does it automatically disconnect itself from where its attached and send an SOS or do you have to unstrap it and manually initiated the SOS?
It must be manually detached.
Just another thing on my list….lol….The list does not stop, but no price on safety
Oh, there’s a price alright.. a big one.
I read your blog with interest and I wondered if you’d considered registering as a contributor to the World Cruising and Sailing Wiki (http://www.cruiserswiki.org/wiki/World_Cruising_and_Sailing_Wiki), where you could share the benefit of your cruising experiences with a wider audience.
The Wiki, as you probably know, is a collaborative effort by cruisers all round the world to pass on their knowledge for the benefit of others who follow in their wake. Many sections are already the best online resource available, and with the help of more contributors such as you the Wiki could so easily become the most up to date and reliable source of information for cruisers everywhere.
I hope you will consider registering and helping to update the pages in the sections where you cruise. If so, you would be welcome to post a link to your blog in the Personal Notes section of the relevant pages so that Wiki users can access your blog directly from the Wiki. This is easily done once you are logged in using the format * [http://www.(your blog URL) – your vessel’s name Cruising Blog].
Contributing to the Wiki is simple once you get the hang of it and the Wiki sysops are happy to help new members in the early stages. It’s also very rewarding to know that your contributions will be helping other cruisers for many years to come – possibly long after your blog has been consigned to history!
Thanks for the kick in the rear! We have lived aboard for 18 months and because of this post, I dug out the EPIRB manual, checked the battery, and performed the test (which the manual says we should have been doing MONTHLY, so now it’s on our calendar).
You’re welcome! 🙂