Since I planned on taking my "new" boat offshore this past summer for the first time, I had my raft inspected. The previous owner had neglected this for about 7 or 8 seasons, so it cost me upwards of $1000. Not cheap, but money well spent in my estimation. I also purchased an ACR SATELLITE 2 406 CAT 1 EPIRB Model 2774. Having heard some questionable reviews of the GPS enabled epirbs, I elected not to go that route. I paid about $670 for that unit.

All in all, I feel a lot better about having both onboard, but I am still wondering if I should go further next year. I'm considering having an additional epirb placed inside the raft when it is serviced in the spring. I also plan on installing a hydrostatic release for the raft, as it now must be deployed manually. I'm also wondering about the value/necessity of a SSB radio.

Any thoughts on the approach?