In terms of distress beacons, there are two main families: beacons that send an emergency message to a land station via satellites (EPIRB and PLB beacons) and beacons to retrieve a man overboard (AIS and MOB beacons). The Simy My-AIS beacon sold by the Accastillage Diffusion network is part of this second family.
For a man overboard, the boat most likely to rescue him is often his own (unless sailing alone). It is indeed, the closest to the zone of the fall. To alert the crew, an alarm must be triggered on board and the vessel must then be able to set a course towards the point mentioned.
The alert triggered on all AIS
An AIS beacon is a perfect response to this problem. When triggered, it emits an AIS signal, instantly transmitting its GPS position to nearby ships, as well as to radio range coastal rescue stations (5 to 10 miles depending on sea conditions).
The distress is then immediately spotted and located. The nearest vessels can then divert to provide assistance without delay.
Triggering can be manual or automatic. In manual mode, slide the red cover down. The antenna then springs up and the beacon begins to transmit. In automatic mode, the beacon must be installed in a lifejacket. It is the percussion of the vest that comes to pull on a bitch and then automatically releases the red flap.
The interest of the AIS tag
In the event of a crew member falling overboard, it is necessary to intervene very quickly to save him. The colder the water, the shorter the life in the water. By triggering an AIS alert, all vessels in the area are notified of the distress. In addition, the AIS beacon sends its position about 8 times per minute. Thus the rescuers are always guided to the last point sent. Even if the shipwrecked person drifts quickly, help arrives directly on him.
Security at an affordable price
The Simy My-AIS AIS beacon is available in the Accastillage Diffusion stores for 199 €. It then requires no subscription and its battery has a life of 7 years.
