Rod,
IMHO, the PLB are primarily useful for body recovery and family closure.  Anyone going into the water off-shore depending on a PLB might have to survive for more than 12 hours before recovery.   Even in tropical waters this is a long time.  The battery life of the PLB would not make them useful in a liferaft unless the vessel was close off-shore, not on the high seas where the signal might have to last for more than 24 hours.
Fortunately, I've never had to use any of these devices, but I view the PLB a solution without a problem on off-shore vessels.

On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 7:22 PM, Rodd Leeds < ([email][/email])> wrote:

I would think that a handheld VHF with DSC and GPS might be more useful. Assuming that there’s someone left onboard to drive, the crew could locate the swimmer. Uniden has such a radio.

Rich

I have only done 4 offshore passages, so I am a newbie by any standard. I realized the first night out…. DONT FALL OFF THE BOAT. Your a dead man if you do. There are probably not many skippers or crew that can drive a boat, and be able to pick up a man overboard.in most conditions offshore. Especially if it’s just you and Mama.
Jack Tyler once said it would be wiser to spend the money keeping the crew onboard.
Sorry to be so fatalistic, or just realistic?
alan

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Alan,

You are correct.  PLBs were originally meant to be used with a small antenna/receiver combination on the boat for locating the overboard person.  Since then, they've been made to seem like an EPIRB but not.  A PLB may or may not trigger a search without confirmation – i.e. the captain calls the CG and tells them there's a man overboard who's wearing one.  By itself, with no registration required, it will probably not trigger any SAR action.  I thought of getting one, too, until I found that out.

Staying on board is a far better idea.  Strong padeye attachment points in the cockpit, jack lines, and crew training is a far cheaper and better idea.

When you go offshore you're alone.  You may have EPIRBs and PLBs and flares and what-have-you.  But they are your LAST-HOPE items.  They are not to be depended on cavalierly.  When you set the EPIRB off, the very best you can do is hope that someone will come to your aid.

That's why some people choose to sail without all of that.  They are ready to accept that they're the only ones responsible for their life. (I carry EPIRB and flares – I really want a last best hope option)

Bob

—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
Follow me at: http://www.tinyurl.com/WhereIsBobFine

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I have not done any offshore work yet but hope to soon. I rigged jack lines on my boat and require all crew to use a them when we are in rough weather or sailing overnight.
We do MOB drills (not regularly enough) one day my son complained about wearing the tether in a 20kn breeze, with 4 – 6 ft seas. I tossed an orange cushion over and said time for a drill – that cushion is me, sail back and get it. took him 28minutes, with my help coaching.
Don’t fall off. But do practice drills. Practical sailor has a good write up in this issue on MOB technique.

Eric

— On Wed, 1/6/10, Alan <> wrote: