Need more persuasion to get your EPIRB serviced?
One company has launched a humour offensive in a bid to tackle the serious business of saving lives at sea.
In a new series of boating cartoons, Sartech, specialists in search and rescue technology, is hoping that laughter will be the best medicine.
The cartoons amusingly take a sideways look at the perils of not having your EPIRB in good working order.
“While the situations in the cartoons are funny, the message is very serious,” explains Peter Forey, Managing Director of Sartech, adding: “If your EPIRB isn’t working, it’s not an EPIRB; it’s just a very sophisticated lump of plastic and electronics.
You may be able to fashion a makeshift fishing rod out of it, or throw it at someone to attract their attention but if it’s not working properly, it will not be able to help you in an emergency.”
“Obviously, there’s rarely any humour associated with using an EPIRB. Usually we have to use pretty grave language to get our point across. So it’s nice to be able to use these new cartoons to make people laugh at the same time as highlighting the importance of regular maintenance.
Created by our boating scribe and artist colleague, Jake Kavanagh, the cartoons are being used in a number of ways to get the message out there.
Postcards are being sent as service reminders; posters are going up at marinas and sailing clubs and flyers are being distributed to major chandlers.