Charter boat roll over

[Noelm]

1. I guess because it might have happened 20 miles out, and no one had time to activate the EPIRB!

[fishntime]

1. What would be the reason for this recommendation considering the circumstances and size/type of vessel?

My reasoning is:
A charter operator being in charge of and responsible for multiple lives other than their own. Size and type I guess could be argued about, but all vessels have potential issues on coastal bar crossings - small x wave size, large x lower draught-shallow bottom in parts. the current rules could certainly be looked at re epirbs and life jackets (type and when you have to wear them on coastal bar crossings)
Access during chaos, initial human nature is self preservation , ie need to get to the surface to breath before anything else.
the then current position of the epirb is then difficult in an up turned boat as all are already exhausted, some injured, 2 cant swim (1 due to back injury) and many in shock due to the circumstance, at this time near dangerous to attempt to get to the epirb / flares / life jackets. keep in mind, the waves don't just stop while you're sitting around waiting, the pounding by waves/wash continues to wash all survivors off of the partial safety of sitting on / clinging to the upturned hull, all helping each other and the injured and those who cant swim, so there is little recuperation time to 'go for a look and hope to not get hurt during the exercise'.
So back to the point, no one would have to set it off if it were hydrostatic, it would turn itself on when immersed under water.
This is just my opinion from my experience,

[Cape Crusader]

G'day
When I bought my latest epirb I thought a water activated one would be the go but after a little research decided it wasn't worth it, though there may be better options that eluded me.
The problem for me that the epirb must be removed from its cradle before it will work, so couldn't see much advantage.
Definitely worth getting an epirb that sends your coordinates though, rather than waiting potentially hours for a satellite to come around
Cheers
Rod

[PROS]

So back to the point, no one would have to set it off if it were hydrostatic, it would turn itself on when immersed under water.
This is just my opinion from my experience,

All sounds good but how does this epirb transfers signal when submerged underwater?
My understanding is that antenna has to be over water to transmit signal, regardless of activation type.
No point having an activated epirb attached to its housing and still submerged under water.

A sealed ditch bag would be much better option as it will find its way out most likely or the epirb to be attached to one of the crew members during a possible instant loss of boat scenario like bar crossing. Most other times there will be time to take the epirb, bar crossing issue is instant loss.

[SatNav]

1. Yes some models of Epirbs are "water activated" but first the hydrostatic mechanism has to be submerged to a specific depth and regardless of occurring on a bar or 20 miles out if the vessel doesn't or won't sink far enough for the release to trigger then one has to question the relevance of these type of models on these types of vessels, maybe a bit of false reality installing these types of models on these types of vessels for which they are really not designed?

[fishntime]

all good valid points guys and so many issues arguable, like the life jacket conundrum

have found some water activated types that do not require that 2 to 4m depth
5 second emersion https://www.e-marineworld.com.au/pro...ter-activated/

[scottar]

You can dissect stuff like this for ever but for every argument there is a rebuttal. There is the argument for life jackets - and there is the issue with wearing them in an enclosed cabin - we are made to either remove or at a bare minimum, unbuckle our auto inflaters when on the job and inside - and manuals won't work if you knock yourself out . There is the argument for Hydro-static activation - coupled with false alarms or equipment jettisoning itself and causing issue (This actually caused a capsize on SPB many years ago when a vessel took a wave that caused the release on the life raft to deploy. It apparently then inflated in front of another vessel that was capsized while in the process of taking evasive action). Yes, it is probably a good thing for those involved and the powers that be to sit down and have a good look at what happened but we need to remember that in this situation there is no "one size fits all" with equipment levels and safety standards. Yes - there needs to be, and is, a minimum standard that is required but to mandate requirements without taking vessel and situation aspects into account can actually create hazards for some while fixing them for others. We also need to be mindful that when dealing with an environment that is constantly in motion it is inherently dangerous to a degree and as much as the health and safety departments don't want to hear it, we can never account for the human element and sometimes "shit just happens" that regardless of the amount of training, safety equipment, regulation etc we can not be prepared for.

[ric]

Well said scottar