What technology can save your life on board?

Not the most cheerful start...

This article is an adaptation of the material "Technik, die Leben rettet" by Roland Wildeberg from the website float.de. 

The chances of survival are doubtful.

Antke Reemts, a spokesperson for the German Association of Marine Rescue, says: “Falling overboard is essentially a one-way ticket.” While this is not an absolute statement, there is some truth to it. The best way to avoid the worst-case scenario on both a rally and a cruising yacht is to prevent a person from falling overboard.

Doug's case proves that searching for a person at sea is an extremely difficult task even for the most experienced rescuers. In addition, those lucky cases where people are found usually involve difficulties during the rescue operation. 

Why wasn't Dag found, even though he was apparently wearing a life jacket and a tracking device? There is no answer yet, and the investigation is ongoing. Reemts says: "In our experience [of the German Rescue Association], many yachtsmen and sailors expect that electronic devices and modern instruments can solve all problems at sea." 

In real life, things are a little more complicated. Let's remember the basic rescue equipment that you should have on board in any case.

Basic life-saving and visual aids 

Let's remember the well-known equipment. The presence of general and individual warning devices on board greatly increases awareness on the water. It is necessary to have signal flares on board, as well as acoustic signal devices: whistles, horns, foghorns.

EPIRB

VHF stations, including mobile ones, will also be an advantage. AIS-MOB rescue beacons transmit GPS coordinates of the victim. The EPIRB emergency radio beacon can be used to transmit distress signals to coast guard coordination centers. The personal version of the EPIRB is also called PLB.

It is important to clarify: the above devices are basic, i.e. those whose presence on board is either recommended by rescuers or strictly prescribed by conventions such as COLREGS. Yes, in fairness it should be said that the presence of PLB is not mandatory for yachts less than 12 m in length, but the presence of such equipment is recommended.

Some equipment lists

Here is the actual list of necessary equipment, referring to French (Division 240) and Spanish (Orden FOM/1144) legislation:

1. Yachts and boats up to 11 m (coastal zone D up to 6 miles) — parachute flares, 1 orange smoke buoy; waterproof lantern or floating “lightning lamp”; whistle ≥ 100 dB (hand horn is possible); portable VHF-DSC (mandatory when away > 3 miles); individual light lights (clip-on) for each crew member; AIS-MOB and/or PLB – recommended.
2. Yachts and boats up to 15 m (zone C 6-60 miles) - 6 parachute flares, 4 hand flares, 2 smoke buoys, long-burning light buoy (> 2 h), whistle and fog horn, stationary VHF-DSC class D + portable backup; EPIRB 406 MHz (automatic separation) or registered PLB; one AIS-MOB per crew member (recommended, equivalent to AIS-SART in France), ISO 9650-1 raft (type < 24 h)
3. Yachts up to 20 m (zone C - offshore) - everything in category 2, plus: duplicate power source for radio stations (emergency battery); permanent type radar reflector; spare batteries for VHF and signal lights; means of emitting a long sound signal (fixed fog horn); emergency steering device (or action plan).

As we can see, the presence of AIS-MOB equipment on board is recommended even for yachts and boats up to 11 m. Yes, a recommendation is not a clear indication, unlike the same signal flares or life rafts, but the presence of such devices on board can greatly increase the chances of survival.

Again, actual requirements may vary from country to country, so it is worth checking the current regulations of your flag and home port coast guard before heading out to sea.

The most reliable way to avoid falling overboard

The most reliable way to stay on deck is still a safety rope. To use this method, simply attach one end of the safety rope to the lifeline and the other to the life jacket. 

Naturally, before using it, you need to check the condition of the rope and its length. A rope that is too long will literally drag you along the boat if you fall overboard, which is fraught with injury, and a rope that is too short will not give you the necessary freedom of movement on the deck.

Smartphone: not only a friend, but also a savior

One of the simplest and free digital rescue tools is the SafeTrx app for iOS and Android smartphones. It was created for the Irish Sea Rescue Service and is available free of charge. SafeTrx is recommended for use by many organizations, including the German Sea Rescue Service.

To use the program as intended, you must take action before you set out to sea. You must enter your passage plan and arrival time into SafeTrx. If you are late and do not provide any updates to the program about your trip, SafeTrx will raise an alarm and send the last coordinates known to your smartphone to your contact person or rescuers.

Cons: communication range. SafeTrx is perfect for coastal yachtsmen who travel along the coverage of cell towers. Since the program only works on a smartphone, the “penetration” range directly depends on the distance to the communication tower, the height of the antenna, the waves, or the presence of satellite Internet on board. When there is no connection, the application uses the route plan to calculate the time and date of expected arrival. However, what to do if the smartphone falls overboard with the person?

Limitations of AIS Transmitters

AIS-MOB is a system that a huge number of yachtsmen rely on. The functionality of the AIS system is simple, the devices work in two ways. Firstly, they use the AIS radio frequency; secondly, on radios with DSC support, you can activate the DSC alarm signal.

The original author writes: "AIS transmitters are assigned a unique MMSI number at the factory, which they use to transmit data to the AIS system and which allows them to be uniquely identified as a MOB device in AIS systems. This means that when triggered, all receiving stations will immediately be aware of a man overboard situation. A small icon appears on the relevant area of the plotter map: a red circle with a red cross. However, it is unclear whether everyone will notice it."

Moreover, it is most likely that not everyone will notice this signal and it is even less likely that someone will react to it quickly, especially if the fall overboard occurred far enough from the vessel receiving the signal. AIS-MOB transmitters can be activated manually or automatically - some models require conscious activation of the device, while others are activated automatically upon falling into the water.

As with radio communication, the transmission range depends on the altitude of the transmitting station and the transmission power. The optimal range is 20-25 miles. In strong waves, the transmission range is significantly reduced if a person is in between high waves. Therefore, AIS signals are transmitted every minute at a random interval of 8 seconds, which allows data to be transmitted even on the crest of a wave.

Types of AIS systems

There are several types of transmitters for the Automatic Identification System. The most commonly mentioned are Class A, which is mandatory for commercial vessels, and Class B, which is intended for small yachts and boats without such a requirement. 

In addition to these, there are coastal base stations, navigation AtoN transceivers installed on buoys and lines, as well as special modules for search and rescue aviation. 

In Europe, a new class M has been in force since 2022, and it is this class that fundamentally changes the rules for individual AIS-MOB beacons: from 2025, many old models will be incompatible in a number of EU countries. The introduction of class M is intended to eliminate interference from other beacons, such as fishing net marks, so the AIS 1 and AIS 2 channels will remain open only for DSC-MOB devices of class M and AtoN equipment. 

At the same time, for solo yachtsmen in the ocean, even a modern AIS transponder is not a panacea: if there are no ships with receivers nearby, there is simply no one to receive the signal.

Personal emergency beacons

Along with AIS-MOB, personal beacons PLB, essentially a smaller version of EPIRB, have become widespread. These devices operate via satellites at 406 MHz and 121.5 MHz, transmitting a message "man overboard". The 406 MHz signal is sent to the MRCC search and rescue coordination center, and a "homing" pulse is sent to 121.5 MHz, which allows an arriving helicopter or aircraft to more accurately locate the victim.

Example PLB

Unlike AIS-MOB, a regular PLB is not visible to nearby vessels: the alarm is immediately sent to shore centers, from where the entire rescue chain is launched. Since the notification is sent exclusively via satellite, PLB is almost always activated manually to avoid false alarms. The downside is obvious: an unconscious person will not be able to turn on the device.

However, not everything is so simple with PLB registration. In most maritime countries – from the UK and the US to France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand – hand-held satellite beacons (PLB) can be registered to a person. The owner enters personal data, emergency call contacts and, if desired, information about the yacht and routes. 

When triggered, the search center immediately sees the owner's card and starts the rescue chain. Only a few administrations, such as Germany, still require that the PLB be registered as a ship's EPIRB, linking it to the yacht's MMSI; in order to obtain the "personal" status, German yachtsmen have to register the lighthouse in a foreign registry (UK, NOAA, etc.). Thus, personal registration of the PLB has become the global norm, and only a few countries have not yet adapted their databases to this practice.

Hybrid beacons

Modern emergency beacons, such as the Ocean Signal PLB 3, combine the classic function of a personal satellite transmitter with AIS-MOB. By installing the device in an inflatable life jacket, you can set it to automatically trigger when you fall overboard. 

Additionally, the model is already equipped with the RLS (Return Link Service) service - two-way communication: after sending a signal, an LED confirms that the message has been received and the rescue chain has been launched. To receive approval according to the new Class M standard, the AIS-MOB device requires a built-in DSC receiver, like the easy2-MOB from Weatherdock. 

The combination of satellite and AIS allows MRCC services to be activated simultaneously and alert all vessels within the AIS coverage area.

The power of habit

"It's all a matter of habit, after all," says sailing instructor Mara Zapp. According to her, a yacht owner who regularly goes out to sea with a crew should not skimp on safety. Many try not to think about safety equipment, but Zapp is sure that over time you get used to it, just like a seat belt in a car.

The habit starts with the simplest things, like a life jacket. Statistics on emergency equipment are rare, but back in 2010 the industry association FSR published a survey: more than 90 % German sailing ships had life jackets and other mandatory equipment. Another question is whether the crew wears them all the time.

An indicative tragedy occurred in September 2015 near Warnemünde. While hauling in the sails on the mast of the yacht Desdemona, a crew member was thrown overboard. It was midday and the weather was moderate, the waves were about a meter high, and the sea was anything but stormy. That is probably why the 42-year-old man went out on deck without a life jacket. 

They couldn't immediately raise him; he drowned. The incident prompted the Federal Bureau of Marine Accident Investigation to call for mandatory life jackets and their mandatory wearing by law, but the rules have yet to change.

Not by equipment alone

The danger of falling into the water should not be underestimated. The sea temperature is always lower than the body temperature, you cool down quickly, and wet sailing clothes use up energy three times faster and pull a person down when under load.

Survival depends on the right set of elements: a life jacket, fast fixation of coordinates, a clearly working scheme for getting on deck. A useful trick: immediately make a sharp turn so that the chart plotter leaves a mark of the incident point. Electronics can be supplemented with MOB buttons that automatically write coordinates.

It is worth remembering: a regular MOB button only records the location of the press, but in a couple of minutes the person will be far away. The current position of the drowning crew in real time will be shown only by a personal AIS-MOB beacon, the signal of which is visible directly on the navigation display.

Instead of a conclusion

Ultimately, it is only possible to award a yachtsman with a “100% Safety on Board” certificate if the yachtsman stays at home and the boat stays in the marina. And this does not depend on the amount of life-saving equipment on board or the speed of reaction for one simple reason: the sea is unpredictable.

This is why it is still worth having everything you need on board. Start with the basics, study the requirements of the coast guard and the home port, then gradually add to this set of equipment. Most importantly, use this equipment. Having ten new life jackets in the hold will not save you if no one on deck is wearing them. And remember that it is easier to prevent someone from falling overboard than to try to find someone in the open sea.

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24.07.2025