Can the navy “track” the lifeboat?
The lifeboat is equipped with various passive tracking features including high visibility (SOLAS) reflective tape, a radar reflector and “International Orange” paint scheme. It also has a VHF radio and a Search And Rescue Transponder (SART – which can be tracked by the ship’s radar), both of which need to be manually activated by the captain. It is also possible that the captain took an EPIRB with him as lifeboats rarley carry individual EPIRB units (the better companies store PLB’s in each lifeboat). Lifeboats do not carry AIS vessel tracking transceivers or any other type of “Auto-On” tracking devices.
