EPIRBS, Personal Locator Beacons & AIS Units
Whether you're crossing oceans, coastal cruising or sailing solo, reliable emergency beacons are essential safety equipment. At Force 4 Chandlery, we stock a trusted range of EPIRBs, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and AIS MOB beacons. They are incredible safety tools to help protect you and your crew in an emergency.
What Are EPIRBs, PLBs and AIS Beacons?
These compact safety devices play a crucial role in search and rescue operations. Each serves a slightly different purpose, but all are designed to improve your chances of being found quickly when it matters most.
EPIRBs – Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons
An EPIRB is designed for use on vessels and is registered to your boat. When activated, it sends a distress signal via satellite and transmits your location to search and rescue services. These are a must for offshore sailors and long-distance cruisers.
Personal Locator Beacons - PLBs
A Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) is a smaller, portable device registered to an individual rather than a boat. Like an EPIRB, it transmits a distress signal via satellite, but it’s ideal for personal use. They are a great option for solo sailors, sea kayakers or anyone exploring remote areas on land or sea.
AIS MOB Beacons
Unlike EPIRBs and PLBs, AIS Beacons (Man Overboard devices) don’t send signals via satellites. Instead, they transmit a local distress signal over AIS (Automatic Identification System), alerting nearby AIS-equipped vessels. These are best used when recovery by your own crew is possible, and they can also complement a PLB or EPIRB for faster pinpointing.
Why Carry a Beacon?
Whether you're afloat solo or part of a crew, emergency beacons provide a direct link to help when things go wrong. They can drastically reduce rescue times and are widely considered essential safety gear for offshore or adventurous sailing.
