Safety

From cockpit to life raft, the same device.

A fixed antenna stays on the boat. Your inReach fits in the grab bag. Here is what keeps working, and what you should never ask of it.

Read this first

reChain is not a safety service.

reChain helps you decide and stay in touch. It does not replace any distress equipment.

In the life raft

What keeps working.

  • The inReach SOS, handled by Garmin's response centre.
  • Your position, visible to family and friends on the tracking page.
  • Messages with home, both ways.
  • The assistant, straight from the inReach, no phone needed.
  • GRIB weather, if your phone is charged: the reChain Grib app works offline.

Preparation

Preparing your grab bag.

  1. Power

    inReach charged, USB cable and a small waterproof power bank in the bag.

  2. Contacts

    reChain and your family saved in the inReach before departure.

  3. Tracking link

    Shared with family before you set sail, so they know where to look.

  4. Distress equipment

    EPIRB or PLB and a handheld DSC VHF, next to the inReach. Know where the SOS button is.

The network

Iridium, pole to pole.

reChain relies on the Iridium network, which covers the whole planet with about 66 satellites. It is the same satellite network recognised by the IMO for GMDSS. The GMDSS service itself runs through a dedicated certified terminal: an inReach uses the same network without being GMDSS equipment.

FAQ

Safety, answered.

Does reChain replace a distress beacon?

No. reChain is not a safety service. Keep your EPIRB or PLB and your DSC VHF. In distress, use them, and your device's SOS button.

Is a Garmin inReach part of GMDSS?

No. The Iridium network is recognised by the IMO for GMDSS, but that service runs through a dedicated certified terminal. An inReach uses the same network without being GMDSS equipment; its SOS is handled by Garmin's response centre.

How long does an inReach battery last?

It depends on the model and above all on the tracking interval: from a few days to several weeks. Check your model's specifications with Garmin, and carry a cable and a small power bank.

All questions →

Set sail with reChain.

Three minutes is all it takes. Do it before you leave the dock.

  1. Install the free appreChain Grib, on iOS or Android, to prepare weather requests and read the files offline.
  2. Add the contactjcskipper.rechain@gmail.com to your inReach contacts. No pairing, no account.
  3. Create your tracking pageFree, so family and friends can follow your route and write to you. Create my page
Download reChain Grib on the App Store Get reChain Grib on Google Play

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