$800,000 order for McMurdo C1 Float Free Capsules

PRESS RELEASE

McMurdo, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of distress beacons and marine communications equipment, is to supply an order worth $800,000 of a quantity of C1 S-VDR float free capsules to electronics systems supplier Comas, for integration into their Blue Ocean S-VDR systems.  

Several months of collaboration between the two companies have resulted in the obtaining of the all-important ‘type approval’ to enable the McMurdo C1 float free solution to meet IMO maritime legislation, so that the fully integrated Comas SVDR system is now ready for the shipping market. 

McMurdo’s Sales & Marketing Director Jeremy Harrison comments “We are very pleased to be receiving such a high value order for the C1 SVDR float free capsule.  This is a further indication that the float free capsule solution for SVDR is proving to be a sound choice within the commercial shipping fleets.  Recent sales have demonstrated a growing level of confidence in this system. “

About the McMurdo C1-SVDR:The C1 complies with IMO regulations that require cargo ships on international voyages to be fitted with an S-VDR (Simplified Voyage Data Recorder).  In the event of a vessel sinking, the Float Free Data Capsule is automatically released from its on-deck housing, at which time an inbuilt distress beacon aids its location and safe recovery as well as automatically notifying the vessel’s distress to the maritime authorities. Using a McMurdo C1 is an alternative to installing a fixed data collection unit, and since it is free floating, is easier and quicker to retrieve, saving on substantial retrieval costs that would be incurred recovering a fixed and submerged unit.  The C1’s distress beacon transmits its GPS derived location and homing signals for a minimum period of 7 days after its release.   Once safely recovered, important voyage status information including speed, depth and course can be retrieved from its memory to subsequently analyse the factors surrounding the incident.   The C1’s integrated distress beacon signals on the Worldwide 406MHz distress frequency and has a 121.5MHz homing signal and is fully compatible with the COSPAS-SARSAT international satellite search and rescue system.  This picks up the distress signal, sending the alert to one of the many automated worldwide ground stations for forwarding to the nearest search and rescue authority.  

About the Comas Blue Ocean System: The Comas system comprises the S-VDR and optional ECDIS. (ECDIS is IMO requirement for the year 2007) Their S-VDR / Black Box (‘The Blue Ocean’) is designed to meet the requirements for an S-VDR as defined in the draft international standard IEC PAS 61996-2. The S-VDR system consists of the main unit, the processing unit, an industrial type computer (PC), and McMurdo’s Float Free Capsule. 

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McMurdo, a division of Signature Industries Ltd is a world leading producer of  Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs),  Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTs), VHF Radios and NAVTEX for the maritime and leisure markets, including shipping, yachting, aviation and outdoor adventure pursuits.  The high quality product range is manufactured in the UK utilising the very latest technology available, and in partnership with the world’s safety regulatory organisations.