McMurdo Personal Locator Devices

Lanham, Maryland- It's National Safe Boating Week, the traditional lead-in to the start of the summer boating season.

Here's a brief look at two of the most popular personal technology devices for safer summer boating, courtesy of McMurdo, a leading manufacturer of boating safety electronics and official safety beacon provider of the hit Discovery Channel reality television series Deadliest Catch.

Personal Automated Identification System Man Overboard Devices (AIS MOB)

McMurdo introduced the world's first personal AIS Man Overboard (AIS MOB) Device 3 years ago and was the life-saving device in the high-profile rescue of Andrew Taylor in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

An AIS MOB device, such as the McMurdo Smartfind S10 shown at right, is ideal for active boaters, jet skiers, divers, anglers and anyone who is involved with water-related activities. Some models can also be attached to a lifejacket.

An AIS MOB also costs about $300. When activated in an emergency, it has an internal GPS receiver that will transmit your location to any AIS equipped boat, ship, ground station or aircraft within a range of about four miles. While AIS equipment isn't currently required on most boats, that will change next March 1 when new US Coast Guard regulations will require boats 65 feet and longer and most commercial vessels to have an AIS system.

When help arrives, the GPS receiver will transmit your current location. McMurdo AIS MOBs also have a flashing strobe light to help rescuers find you faster.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)

McMurdo introduced the world's first compact Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), a safety device similar to the McMurdo Fastfind 220 shown at right, that you carry with you on board.

A PLB costs about $300 and after you buy one, you register it with the Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) System operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

A PLB has an internal GPS receiver that will pinpoint your location to within about 200 feet. In an emergency, activating your PLB will send a coded message via the global 406 distress frequency, which is then transmitted by satellite back to earth to the nearest search and rescue station. When help arrives, a homing device built into your PLB will give rescuers your precise location. PLBs are subscription-free devices, so there's no recurring cost to own one after you buy it.

In addition to the personal safety devices shown, McMurdo provides a number of other search and rescue solutions used by some of the biggest names in the world including Airbus, Boeing, the British Royal Navy, Southwest and United Airlines as well as the U.S. Coast Guard. McMurdo is also one of the world's leading providers of the search and rescue infrastructure used around the world by NASA, NOAA, Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) and other leading SAR authorities.

For more information about personal technology for safer summer boating, visit www.mcmurdomarine.com.
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