HISTORY OF THE SEA MARSHALL BEACON…

Background

The basic motivation to produce the present day award winning professional "Sea Marshall" emergency locator beacon finds it's roots over 30 years earlier.

David Marshall's lifelong quest to invent safety beacons for people in distress at sea who might otherwise be lost goes back to his own experience in 1961 where he himself endured a man overboard situation in shark infested waters for several hours off New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean.

Tipped into the sea during a sudden squall from a small yacht whilst on R & R from the mother ship anchored off shore the unpleasant experience of disorientation and helplessness made a lasting impression. Due to the low horizon and surface spray it was impossible to know where to swim to with the knowledge that any surface activity may sound the dinner gong for the local sharks.

Only by the chance of a passing barge that had spotted the small upturned sailboat was David rescued somewhat traumatised and grateful. David's interest in sea safety began even before he was lost overboard, - when his father Lt. Cmdr. Don Marshall was listed as missing aboard a vessel torpedoed in the Second World War ending up as a P.O.W.

David spent much of his early childhood days in a Navy boarding School, RMNS Bearwood, before embarking on sea going career as a radio officer. By his twenties David had circumnavigated the globe sailing first through the Panama Canal back through the Suez Canal visiting scores of countries en-route from the Caribbean Islands, North and Central America, Pacific Islands, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, India, Africa etc. with a wealth of experience and tales to tell.

David started inventing beacons in his 30's and has two previous exhibits at the Science Museum in London. After the disappearance of the Hull trawler "Gaul" with 36 lives, lost in 1974, David commenced a positive investigation and development of small personal location beacons. Using direct contact with the Fishing Industry and Merchant Fleet a policy of open funded action was commenced within the confines of a small private marine electronics company.

In 1975 as a result of a joint venture with the Royal Radar Establishment and MOD Farnborough a completely novel design of personal beacon was supplied to GB II, Joint services entry in the Financial times Clipper race to Australia, skippered by Mike Gill and Roy Mullender on the return leg.

These were the first prototype personal locator beacons designed for civil use to be worn by the yacht crew. Later versions of this early development were carried by crew on "Heaths Condor" in the 1977 Whitbread race skippered by Sir Robin Knox Johnson.

Throughout the five-year early development, the project received encouragement and technical assistance from the MOD together with the invaluable practical experience gained by field-testing in cooperation with yacht crews.

The Personal Locator Beacon was launched at the London Boat Show in January 1979. One of the first customers, Kenneth Kerr was rescued in Mid-Atlantic, 700 miles off New Foundland, following a capsizing where he managed to activate his PLB, which was picked up by Concorde subsequently located by a C130 despatched from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who diverted a cargo ship to pick up a grateful Kenneth Kerr.

In 1980 the beacon was presented with a Design Council Award by HRH the Duke of Gloucester for an outstanding British product. Later in 1993 David received a Seatrade Award presented by HRH Duke of York for an outstanding contribution to Maritime safety. This highly acclaimed award selected by a panel of prominent shipping personalities included William O'Neal, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, (IMO).

The interim period saw further improvements and miniaturisation of the personal locator beacon with patentable advances in technology that provided the mariner with the initial goal of a small effective easy to wear lifesaving device that would significantly improve the personal safety of mariners.

The combination of the antenna and an electroluminescent cord provided both electronic homing capability together with a highly visible light. Two of David's early designs including a microprocessor voice model have been displayed in the Science Museum in London for a number of years.

David was nominated for the "Peoples Award 2000" for his lifetime dedication with the Maritime Personal Locator Beacon and in the same year was nominated for a Tomorrows World, "Lone inventor of the Year Award 2000". The device has featured on the BBC's Tomorrows world programme, Sky Discovery Today, and the National Geographic channel, the recent BBC pacific abyss series.

Accreditations for the patented device include Coastguards, Navies, Sea Safety Group, Yachtsmen and professional organisations throughout the world. The Sea Marshall personal locator is now perceived to be the "Seat-belt of the Sea" to be worn as a matter of routine when on deck.

The rescue services provide a tremendous task when searching for a person or persons lost a sea. It is only reasonable to help them to help you. Without such a device, in daylight, it is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, at night or in poor visibility it is almost impossible.

The addition of a monitor receiver, or direction finding receiver, provides a system to immediately alert the crew of a man overboard enabling prompt & effectively managed rescue. By his own experience David learned in a MOB situation unless the alarm is raised very quickly the chances of rescue are left to chance.

Safe Sailing.


	HISTORY OF THE SEA MARSHALL BEACON… Background The basic motivation to produce the present day award winning professional "Sea Marshall" emergency locator beacon finds it's roots over 30 years earlier. David Marshall's lifelong quest to invent safety beacons for people in distress at sea who might otherwise be lost goes back to his own experience in 1961 where he himself endured a man overboard situation in shark infested waters for several hours off New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean. Tipped into the sea during a sudden squall from a small yacht whilst on R & R from the mother ship anchored off shore the unpleasant experience of disorientation and helplessness made a lasting impression. Due to the low horizon and surface spray it was impossible to know where to swim to with the knowledge that any surface activity may sound the dinner gong for the local sharks. Only by the chance of a passing barge that had spotted the small upturned sailboat was David rescued somewhat traumatised and grateful. David's interest in sea safety began even before he was lost overboard, - when his father Lt. Cmdr. Don Marshall was listed as missing aboard a vessel torpedoed in the Second World War ending up as a P.O.W. David spent much of his early childhood days in a Navy boarding School, RMNS Bearwood, before embarking on sea going career as a radio officer. By his twenties David had circumnavigated the globe sailing first through the Panama Canal back through the Suez Canal visiting scores of countries en-route from the Caribbean Islands, North and Central America, Pacific Islands, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, India, Africa etc. with a wealth of experience and tales to tell. David started inventing beacons in his 30's and has two previous exhibits at the Science Museum in London. After the disappearance of the Hull trawler "Gaul" with 36 lives, lost in 1974, David commenced a positive investigation and development of small personal location beacons. Using direct contact with the Fishing Industry and Merchant Fleet a policy of open funded action was commenced within the confines of a small private marine electronics company. In 1975 as a result of a joint venture with the Royal Radar Establishment and MOD Farnborough a completely novel design of personal beacon was supplied to GB II, Joint services entry in the Financial times Clipper race to Australia, skippered by Mike Gill and Roy Mullender on the return leg. These were the first prototype personal locator beacons designed for civil use to be worn by the yacht crew. Later versions of this early development were carried by crew on "Heaths Condor" in the 1977 Whitbread race skippered by Sir Robin Knox Johnson. Throughout the five-year early development, the project received encouragement and technical assistance from the MOD together with the invaluable practical experience gained by field-testing in cooperation with yacht crews. The Personal Locator Beacon was launched at the London Boat Show in January 1979. One of the first customers, Kenneth Kerr was rescued in Mid-Atlantic, 700 miles off New Foundland, following a capsizing where he managed to activate his PLB, which was picked up by Concorde subsequently located by a C130 despatched from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who diverted a cargo ship to pick up a grateful Kenneth Kerr. In 1980 the beacon was presented with a Design Council Award by HRH the Duke of Gloucester for an outstanding British product. Later in 1993 David received a Seatrade Award presented by HRH Duke of York for an outstanding contribution to Maritime safety. This highly acclaimed award selected by a panel of prominent shipping personalities included William O'Neal, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, (IMO). The interim period saw further improvements and miniaturisation of the personal locator beacon with patentable advances in technology that provided the mariner with the initial goal of a small effective easy to wear lifesaving device that would significantly improve the personal safety of mariners. The combination of the antenna and an electroluminescent cord provided both electronic homing capability together with a highly visible light. Two of David's early designs including a microprocessor voice model have been displayed in the Science Museum in London for a number of years. David was nominated for the "Peoples Award 2000" for his lifetime dedication with the Maritime Personal Locator Beacon and in the same year was nominated for a Tomorrows World, "Lone inventor of the Year Award 2000". The device has featured on the BBC's Tomorrows world programme, Sky Discovery Today, and the National Geographic channel, the recent BBC pacific abyss series. Accreditations for the patented device include Coastguards, Navies, Sea Safety Group, Yachtsmen and professional organisations throughout the world. The Sea Marshall personal locator is now perceived to be the "Seat-belt of the Sea" to be worn as a matter of routine when on deck. The rescue services provide a tremendous task when searching for a person or persons lost a sea. It is only reasonable to help them to help you. Without such a device, in daylight, it is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, at night or in poor visibility it is almost impossible. The addition of a monitor receiver, or direction finding receiver, provides a system to immediately alert the crew of a man overboard enabling prompt & effectively managed rescue. By his own experience David learned in a MOB situation unless the alarm is raised very quickly the chances of rescue are left to chance. Safe Sailing.