July 01, 2016
By Florida Sportsman Editor
Boaters Can Rent Locator Devices for only $45 or $65 a Week.
Sea Tow Foundation has launched a new emergency beacon rental program, allowing boaters across the nation access to Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) for rent. The launch of this program is supported by a donation of eight beacons from ACR Electronics.
ACR Electronics is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and to mark this milestone it made a commitment to participate in more philanthropic projects like sponsoring Sea Tow Foundation's new beacon rental program.
“This is such a good fit with our Foundation's focus on safe boating and ACR Electronics graciously provided the tools to make it happen,” said Michael Wesolowski, executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “For boaters who are heading offshore, or planning an extended trip or other boating adventure, being able to rent an EPIRB or PLB is a great way for them to have peace of mind that should the unexpected happen, emergency responders will be alerted and provided with the location of the boater, greatly reducing the time until help arrives.”
Boaters will have access to rent either a PLB or an EPIRB through boatingsafety.com for $45 to $65 a week. An EPIRB is registered to a vessel, designed to be mounted on a boat, and will emit a distress signal for an extended period of time. A PLB is smaller in size and intended to be worn by the boater.
All proceeds earned from the beacon rentals will be reinvested into Sea Tow Foundation's other lifesaving programs, such as the Designated Skipper Campaign and Life Jacket Loaner Program, and then further invested to extend the emergency beacon rental program.
“After previous successful partnerships with Sea Tow Foundation, we have the opportunity to support the foundation by providing beacons to Sea Tow customers who may not have had one onboard otherwise,” said Mikele D'Arcangelo, ACR marketing director. “Being able to rent a beacon will only create a safer day on the water for boaters and that is what both ACR Electronics and Sea Tow are all about.”
