One of the bonuses that came with Mischief is an EPIRB, and, like the table and the dodger, we’re taking it on Calypso for our summer cruise.

An EPIRB, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, is a piece of safety gear, like a life raft or a fire extinguisher, you really really hope never to use. Basically, it’s a device that, when activated, sends out a location specific distress signal that should help rescue crews find you.

After you get the EPIRB, the second step is registering it, so the Coast Guard knows what boat they’re looking for. Registering it is a relatively simple process - and surprisingly fast, even if there’s a complication like the unit is already registered to the former owners . . .

Registering an EPIRB is as simple as filling out an online form. Have the unit you’re registering in your hands, plus the MMSI of your boat as well as the call sign, and it won’t take very long at all. Heck, the most time-consuming part of the whole thing is setting up your account and those stupid security questions. A couple of things to keep in mind.

1. You’ll be asked for 2 emergency contacts. These are people who will be contacted if your EPIRB goes off - so make sure that A) they KNOW you’re putting them down and B) they KNOW what your plans are.

2. If you’re registering a unit that’s second hand, unless the former owner deregistered it, you’ll get an immediate notice as you’re filling out the form. “We’re going to contact the owner of record'; go ahead and keep filling out this form but your application will be marked as PENDING until we verify this thing is legit yours.” (Not exactly the message that shows up, but it’s the gist of it.)

If you’re like us, this will make your heart sink. Government efficiency combined with a former owner who’s in what seemed to be the beginning stages of dementia? Kiss that EPIRB’s usefulness goodbye. Jeremy sent Maureen a text letting her know NOAA might be contacting her, and we kept on chugging on boat projects.

Imagine our surprise when the very next morning we had a phone message from the Beacon Registration people. “We talked to the registered owners who confirmed they sold the vessel to you but were unsure if the beacon had gone with the vessel. They prefer that any follow up happen with you. Can you send us a photo of the unit, including the serial number, so we can confirm and finalize this registration?”

And within 24 hours, we had confirmation that registration of this beacon to us was no longer pending but was active. We’ve linked the EPIRB to Calypso (since Mischief is on the hard for now) and are just deciding where to mount the cradle.

Our friends Behan and Jamie, from Sailing Totem, have commented that they use the “additional data” field under the “Beacon Usage” tab on your profile as a kind of a float plan, updating this regularly as they move about. I plan to do this and copy what goes there to send in an email to our emergency contacts.

Because we will be moving Calypso north very soon!