Hawaii is often considered a recreational boater's paradise compared to just about anywhere in the world.
Sailors come here from all points of the globe to "sail the winds of paradise," as our warm tradewinds are often called. And international anglers are well aware that the Big Island's Kona Coast is home to arguably the world's best fishing hole for catching giant Pacific blue marlin.
But because our state's major islands stretch from Hawaii in the southeast to Kauai and Niihau in the northwest, the prevailing northeast trades are at a right angle to the chain and tend to blow anything that is adrift away from land.
Subsequently, with nothing but open ocean to our southeast for thousands of miles, becoming lost at sea can become a reality to anyone on a vessel without power.
This is one of the reasons that emergency position-indicating radiobeacons, or EPIRBs, have become essential equipment aboard most vessels. They allow the Coast Guard to have a much better chance of finding those aboard satellite-tracked boats when an emergency arises.
All boat owners with EPIRBs though, should be aware of a recent announcement from the Coast Guard regarding these devices.
Those with the older analog EPIRBs that operate on 121.5 or 243 MHz -- who were advised in 2006 to discontinued their use as of January 2007 -- are reminded that beginning on Feb. 1, satellite processing of distress signals from these beacons will be terminated.
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