Displaying items by tag: EPIRB

24th May 2011

53 Degrees North Store Opens at Western Marine

Irish Marine Firms Western Marine and 53 Degrees North have announced the opening of a 'watersports superstore' at the Western Marine premises at Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey.

53 Degrees North, Ireland's Outdoor Adventure Stores with branches already at Carrickmines and Blanchardstown - caters to Climbing, Hillwalking, Biking, Camping, Hiking, and of course watersports including Kayaking, Sailing, Surfing and Swimming.

Western Marine, Ireland's Largest Marine Distributors, was established in 1966 and is based at Bulloch Harbour since 1968. Western Marine caters to all marine markets, from sailing and motorboating to commercial workboats, and specialises in inflatable boats and RIBs as well as a huge range of marine equipment, lifesaving equipment etc.

Commenting on the new store, Western Marine's MD, Hogan Magee said "We're very enthusiastic about this venture - 53 Degrees North carry a full range of clothing, footwear and equipment from value for money through to top end premium quality products and that fits very well with our own philosophy of providing of premium quality at affordable prices.

The two ranges are complimentary, with very little product overlap, and the result is a truly comprehensive watersports display that we think is unparalleled anywhere in Ireland".

53 Degrees North MD Alan McFarlane said "We're really excited about this. Western Marine has a superb reputation in all marine markets, and the combination of the Western Marine and 53 Degrees North brands will give us both a wonderful opportunity to grow our businesses.The huge range of watersports gear which we offer now has a waterside home, and a whole new customer base. With free car parking spaces available in the adjacent boatyard, shopping with 53 Degrees North at Western Marine could not be easier"

Among the huge range of brands now available under one roof are worldwide leaders including Zodiac inflatable boats and RIBs, Teleflex steerings and engine controls, Skipper and Besto lifejackets & buoyancy aids, Icom VHFs, Gleistein yacht ropes, McMurdo EPIRBs, Harken, Lewmar, Garmin GPS, Pains Wessex Flares, Musto, Helly-Hansen and Henri-Lloyd sailing clothing, Dubarry marine footwear, O'Neill wetsuits, Oakley eyewear, surfboards by Cortez, and kayaks by Islander and Wilderness.

The new store is open 7 days a week throughout the Summer, with opening hours 9am to 6pm Monday through Saturday, and 1pm to 6pm on Sunday

Published in Marine Trade

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ComReg launches Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) Registration Website

Personal Locator Beacons, or PLBs, are portable radio transmitters, which aid the Search & Rescue (SAR) emergency services in the detection and location of persons in distress. These devices operate in a similar manner to Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRBs) onboard vessels and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) onboard aircraft, but are unique in that they for personal use and are not registered to a particular vessel or aircraft.

ELTs and EPIRBs have been in operation for several years are proven technologies, which have resulted in many successful search and rescues missions since their inception. More recently technological advances have enabled the construction of light-weight, hand-portable distress transmitters and hence the relatively recent emergence of PLBs onto the market.

In order to maximise the effectiveness of PLB usage, each PLB should be registered so that owner details as well as location details can be communicated to the emergency services which in many cases assists in speeding up rescue operations.

PLB owners can now register their PLB in Ireland using ComReg's new web portal. For more information on how to register your PLB please go to www. Comreg.ie or contact [email protected] or phone 01 804 9600.

Published in Marine Warning

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Scottish Lifeboat Launched for Emergency Beacon Alarm

Scotland's Oban RNLI lifeboat, the Mora Edith Macdonald, was called out at twenty past midnight last night in response to an EPIRB alarm.

The EPIRB, Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, was swiftly traced by the lifeboat direction finding equipment to an un-attended 45ft ketch on a mooring at Oban Marina.

The lifeboat crew, accompanied by a police officer, cut the padlock to gain access to the vessel and found the offending beacon in a locker in the forward cabin.

It proved impossible to switch off the device due to a faulty switch and the crew were forced to dismantle the unit in order to disconnect the battery.

The lifeboat was re-fuelled and ready for service at two minutes to one in the morning.

In the case of 406 MHz beacons which transmit digital signals, the beacons can be uniquely identified almost instantly and furthermore, a GPS or GLONASS position can be encoded into the signal, which provides instantaneous identification of the registered user and its location.

Frequently, by using the initial position provided via the satellite system, SAR aircraft and ground search parties can home in on the distress signals from the beacons and come to the aid of the concerned boat, aircraft, or people.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

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How many entries are there in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

33 participants.

How many women are in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

Six women (Alexia Barrier, Clarisse Cremer, Isabelle Joschke, Sam Davies, Miranda Merron, Pip Hare).

How many countries are racing in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

Nine nations (France, Germany, Japan, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, and Great Britain)

Is Ireland racing in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

After much speculation following Galway man Enda O’Coineen’s 2016 race debut for Ireland, there were as many as four campaigns proposed at one point, but unfortunately, none have reached the start line.

What is the Vendee Globe Race?

The Vendée Globe is a sailing race round the world, solo, non-stop and without assistance. It takes place every four years and it is regarded as the Everest of sailing. The event followed in the wake of the Golden Globe which had initiated the first circumnavigation of this type via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn) in 1968.

What is the Vendée Globe Race record time to beat?

The record to beat is Armel Le Cléac’h 74 days 3h 35 minutes 46s set in 2017. Some pundits are saying the boats could beat a sub-60 day time.

How many miles is the Vendée Globe Race?

The number of theoretical miles to cover is 24,296 miles (45,000 km).

How many sails does each IMOCA boat carry?

A maximum of eight sails.

What is an IMOCA 60?

The IMOCA 60 ("Open 60"), is a development class monohull sailing yacht run by the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA). The class pinnacle events are single or two-person ocean races, such as the Route du Rhum and the Vendée Globe.

How many previous winners are competing in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

Zero past winners are competing but two podiums 2017: Alex Thomson second, Jérémie Beyou third. It is also the fifth participation for Jean Le Cam and Alex Thomson, fourth for Arnaud Boissières and Jérémie Beyou.

Who is the youngest competitor in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

The youngest on this ninth edition of the race is Alan Roura, 27 years old.

Who is the oldest competitor in the 2020 Vendée Globe Race?

The oldest on this ninth edition is Jean Le Cam, 61 years old.

How many of the 33-boat Vendée Globe fleet are first-timers?

Over half the fleet are debutantes, totalling 18 first-timers.

How does the Vendée Globe 2020 race start?

The start procedure begins 8 minutes before the gun fires with the warning signal. At 4 minutes before, for the preparatory signal, the skipper must be alone on board, follow the countdown and take the line at the start signal at 13:02hrs local time. If an IMOCA crosses the line too early, it incurs a penalty of 5 hours which they will have to complete on the course before the latitude 38 ° 40 N (just north of Lisbon latitude). For safety reasons, there is no opportunity to turn back and recross the line. A competitor who has not crossed the starting line 60 minutes after the signal will be considered as not starting. They will have to wait until a time indicated by the race committee to start again. No departure will be given after November 18, 2020, at 1:02 p.m when the line closes.

When will the Vendée Globe 2020/2021 race finish?

The first boat could be home in sixty days. Expect the leaders from January 7th 2021 but to beat the 2017 race record they need to finish by January 19 2021.

What is the cost of an IMOCA 60?

Today, building a brand new IMOCA generally costs between 4.2 and €4.7million, without the sails but second-hand boats that are in short supply can be got for around €1m.

©Afloat 2020

Vendee Globe 2024 Key Figures