Hurricane Florence Is Coming, But Where Is Your EPIRB?

When hurricanes approach, boat owners immediately think about the security of their vessels, but what about the EPIRBs they keep onboard? READ MORE

By Soundings Editors

September 12, 2018

Hurricane Florence is coming. You’ve secured your boat, extra lines have been added to prevent her from breaking loose, the batteries have been charged to keep the bilge pump running in your absence and you took all important documents off the vessel. But what about your EPIRB?

If you’re leaving your vessel behind to seek safety from Hurricane Florence on land, the U.S. Coast Guard wants you to take your EPIRB with you and avoid false alarms.

“One of the things boaters can do is make sure they remove their EPIRBs from their vessels before the storm hits,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Kelley, public affairs officer for the 7th Coast Guard District.

Storms can release EPIRBs from unmanned boats, send false distress signals and cause the Coast Guard to launch an unnecessary search and rescue mission.

So, if there’s still time to safely get that EPIRB off your boat, do it. And of course, after the storm, don’t forget to put it back on your boat.

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