PLB or VHF?

Newbie here. I’ll be sailing my 2020 TI mostly in Appalachicola bay Florida. Big bay, storms can pop up quickly. May eventually do some sailing in the gulf. Grew up on Hobie 16 and never used VHF or PLB. Do you recommend both or is that overkill for my purposes? If just one, which would you choose? Thanks for your help!

I have both, I don't think personal safety and the safety of your passengers is ever overkill. If an emergency occurred, my plan is to first use the VHF to try to summon help in the local vicinity. Failing that, I would use my PLB as a failsafe. My VHF is in a dry bag which I can retrieve even if I'm thrown overboard and my PLB is always attached to my lifevest which I wear all the time.

I very nearly capsized in a bad storm that came out of nowhere. At the time, I had neither. Afterward, I wondered what I would have done if I had ended up in the water unable to right the boat in the 4-foot churning waves caused by the storm. I felt stupid that I was so unprepared. After that, I got my act together and got the proper emergency equipment.

Get both, you won't regret it and you'll be much safer.

Also, unless you're a seasoned and talented sailor or you sail only very close to shore, I highly recommend an electric or gas outboard to get you out of trouble in a storm. Mine has saved my butt several times. Relying only on the sail in dangerous waters is risky.

Recommend getting both. They are for different purposes. VHF radio is for contacting authorities on Channel 16 or talking to your friends in the vicinity...I use channel 72 for this. A GPS like SPOT GEN3 or SPOT X (more sophisticated) allows you to regularly send your location coordinates to relatives and friends.

If you sail on the ocean or Gulf, you will occasionally sail in rough weather with the possibility of capsize. You want both VHF capability and GPS locator. I have never capsized my TI, but I did capsize my 2015 AI on a windy day. I never felt in danger, but I did lose some valuable gear. I DID NOT radio (VHF) my friends who were on shore a mile away. If I had, they would come out, helped me, and possibly saved my gear. My gear was in a dry bag which just floated away. If you do not want to lose something, tether it to yourself or your boat.

Keith

_________________
2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

I just bought a cabin mount VHF radio with an internal GPS receiver (for a sailboat, not the TI). This radio has DSC and AIS receive both of which need the GPS to work.

I didnt look but I imagine that handheld VHF radios are available with DSC and the internal GPS. I dont know much about PLB but it seems that a hand held VHF radio that has an integrated GPS receiver for the DSC function would cover whatever PLB does (??) plus you can also use it for standard communication. The hand held radio likely has a much shorter range of the signal working. I think PLB uses satellite but.. were talking about using it on a TI.

The link talks about DSC.

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/u ... docId=1110

Thanks for the input everyone. My conclusion is to get both. Next thing to consider is torqeedo 403 mounted to back. But that’s a big price tag.

Here is everything you need to know about the TI and the 403:

https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=58926&sid=81729cf2fc2cfa8dd525a699de5fb191

The price tag is high, but it adds a great deal of enjoyment and versatility as well as confidence and safety to the TI.

If you're interested in a gas outboard vs the 403 check here:

https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=61256&sid=81729cf2fc2cfa8dd525a699de5fb191

Hx870 is a good VHF with DSC panic button. It's free to register for an MMSI number and setup with the coast guard.

Keep in mind that a PLB, unlike a VHF, has many year-round uses beyond marine use. It can be used for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, climbing, camping, or any other activity where you may be in a remote area. In the wintertime, I even carry mine in my car in case I should ever get into a situation and there is no cell coverage, common in rural or remote areas. PLB's also have worldwide satellite coverage and are not limited to line of sight radio waves. They'll work where other emergency systems fail.

Standard PLB registration and usage is free and is adequate for most people. Extra features such as worldwide texting and locating are available with a paid subscription.