ACR Safety

When it comes to onboard life-saving equipment, no corners should be cut. Whether you're headed offshore for a near coastal day trip or crossing seas from continent to continent ACR Safety has you covered. ACR Safety offers a wide range of products for vessels traveling inland, nearshore, offshore, and commercial applications. Yacht Gurus is not only an authorized distributor of ACR's products, but our team will install and educate on how to properly utilize the safety equipment.

When properly equipping a vessel with safety devices, consider all of the equipment available and how combining each significantly increases your chances of safe rescue should you or the ship be in distress. 

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)- Is a device to alert search and rescue services from a satellite via a 406 MHz signal when activated. The satellites are government-run and do not require a subscription. 

ACR EPIRB's can be physically mounted to the vessel in a specialized Category 1 bracket, which allows for automatic deployment in emergencies when combined with a hydrostatic release. A second option is to include the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon in a ditch bag or Category 2 bracket but requires manual activation. EPIRB's are most commonly found aboard vessels over 40 feet.

Here are some considerations when determining what ACR EPIRB is best suited for your vessel.  

-Battery Life- Battery life ranges from 48 hours to 65 hours

-Signal Strength- Varies between 5 watts and 6.3 watts to maximize output.

-Global Positioning System- Each offers a built-in GPS to narrow the search radius down to 330 feet.  

-406Link Compatibility- ACR Safety offers a subscription-based EPRIB testing program. When tested, a maximum of 5 email addresses or cell phones will receive a message. This software provides peace of mind for family members when loved ones are offshore. 

A more compact version available for vessels under 40 feet is called a PLB or Personal Locating Beacon. Much like the EPIRB, ACR Safety features a PLB called ResQLink. ResQLink offers a combination of GPS and a 406 MHz satellite signal. Its size and reduced weight allow for ease of storage in the helm area and can be clipped to your clothing at a moment's notice. 

Each ResQLink features these life-saving components.

-Worldwide Coverage.

-Battery life of up to five years.

-Manufactured to be buoyant.

-When in operation, signals transmit between 24-28 hours depending on the model.

-Built-in strobe light to alert rescuers in your vicinity.

While both EPIRB's and Personal Locating Beacon's play a significant role in rescues, additional accessories allow the search team to hone in on the exact location. The first accessory is a strobe light. ARC has a series of strobe lights that activate automatically when submerged or those which can be manually lit at the push of a button. Depending on the light, each varies in both the range of visibility and battery life. The second is generating attention through sound. ACR Safety features a whistle measured at 100 decibels and meets the United States Coast Guard Regulations.

While all of the above can be purchased independently of each other, kits offer a combination of safety items in a handy buoyant ditch bag. When selecting which ACR ditch bag is right for you, the Yacht Gurus team will match the appropriate contents for you and your vessel's needs. Although the items contained vary, they can be equipped with an EPRIB, ResQLink, whistle, lights, and mirror. These are all excellent life-saving tools in one bag to eliminate the need to gather each independently at a moment's notice. 

OLAS or Overboard Location Alert System is a cutting-edge product offered by ARC to alert crew, family, and onboard systems quickly of a man overboard. The system comes in different forms for varying vessel sizes and the number of wearable devices it supports. The wearable devices are offered in two ways, as a watch or as an attachment to a flotation device.

OLAS offers solutions from a single operator to a fully crewed yacht. To understand how it works, consider it a virtual tether. When you become separated from the vessel, a signal is relaid to cellular devices via a mobile app and sounds an audible alarm.

The Yacht Gurus team will match the appropriate OLAS device to your vessel as they vary in the number of compatible wearable devices and reach based on boat length. 

-For small boats, the distance from the wearable device is measured by a mobile phone when utilizing the ARC OLAS app and can manage up to 6 people, pets, and even a tender.

-For large vessels up to 50 feet, a transportable core unit is the signal point. A core is capable of managing 15 wearable devices also for people, pets, and a tender.

-A core extender can be utilized to accommodate boats up to 80 feet in length. 

No matter if you are a large or small operation, the alarm signal and functionality are identical. The mobile app will alert crew as it emits sound, light, GPS location, time of the incident, directions to return to the GPS location of the recorded man overboard, and send a pre-programmed mayday call via a VHF radio. The core offers similar functionality; an audible alarm of 85 decibels sounds off while displaying a red light in addition to mobile device notifications. 

ACR Safety takes safety to a higher level by integrating all of the same technology the core provides but adds an extra element to avoid an uncontrolled unmanned vessel. The Wireless Engine Kill Switch will instantly shut down the boat within two seconds of a man overboard. 

Most of ARC's Safety equipment is highly portable; however, fixed mount devices are also available to assist in search and rescue situations. 360 degree fully rotational spotlights from ACR Safety, which are offered in both 12 and 24 volts, can be matched to nearly any size vessel and easily controlled by a helm mounted remote. In addition to its capabilities for rescues, the light provides far more functionality for every day navigational use. When nearing a marina entranceway, the spotlight is an exceptional resource to identify channel markers for safe passage. Lastly, when approaching the dock at night, adjust and aim the light aft to obtain a clear view of distances.