Clearly none of you have ever been on an ocean passage with a small boat (under 500 ft is SMALL out on the ocean!).
Being able to yell for help is a matter of survival if something goes wrong. For 3 weeks or so YOU as Captain are the paramedics, fire dept, police dept. etc., etc. No matter how sick someone gets or how beligerant, or... YOU get to handle the situation.
One of the nastiest pages in my notes from the courses I took preparing for our trip is two pages on burial at sea! Since I am alone out here with my wife, that is definitly NOT something I want to have to use.
Email (NOT full net access!) is one way to stay in touch with the outside world and to remind yourself that the world doesn't consist of a lumpy blue horizon! Likewise a regular schedule ensures that someone out there knows if you dissapear. There is no place in the world as bad being adrift in a lifraft at sea watching your supplies dwindle away.
Two cents worth from one who has been doing this for 6 years and sailed from Florida to Australia.
Mike Yacht ICHI See our website: www.xoom.xom/aa4mw/
I read your article in slashdot with some interest and was amused by the responses which range from fairly good to ridiculous. As far as I know, not one is truly "out there"! The nearest I could find was the guy who had a buddy who sent him email via win-net (www.win-net.org). That is the best solution and works world wide, but someone on the boat would have to have a General class ham license. As of April 15, 2000 the requirements are: 5wpm Morse and 3 tests on radio technology and rules. The tests are 1 for each ham license level BTW. See www.arrl.org for complete details and exam schedules worldwide. You do NOT have to be a US citizen or even a resident to get a US ham license, you merely need a mailing address with a US Zipcode.
First, you are quite correct in assuming the satellite solution is expensive, an Inmarsat D terminal costs around $5K installed and has a subscription of around $50/month plus a per character charge. Great if you are running a business or a shipping line, but a lot for individuals who really just want to tell "Aunt Martha" that things are OK.
We have lived aboard for 6 years and are currently in Australia, having sailed here from Florida. We have circled the Caribbean and crossed the entire Pacific under sail. We have had voice communication via Marine SSB and ham radio the whole time, and HF email on board for the past year. I am an Extra class ham (AA4MW), an ARRL Acredited Volunteer Examiner and have been a ham since 1961. My wife currently holds an Advanced ham license (KI7IY).
You didn't state whether the trip was a one time passage or the start of a long term cruising lifestyle. For genuine cruising information go to:
http://www.ssca.org/
Another good source of real information is http://www.latitude38.com/ Latitude 38 is THE "gossip rag" of the West Coast, and makes interesting reading when you are away!
For information on the win-net client software (i.e. mail software) go to:
http://www.airmail2000.com/index.htm
The software is free for amateur use and works very well. There are excellent instructions that come with it.
I suggest the PTC2e TNC controller, which allows up to approx 150 characters/sec through a 300 baud connection.
For more details see: http://www.scs-ptc.com/
There are a bunch of links to radio manufacturers on these pages, all of them produce good radios for the amateur market. Get the "low end" version of one of them since they are simpler and she would never use the more advanced features. We have used a Kenwood TS-50 for 6 years now with no problems. This radio has the advantage that it is the size of the average CB or VHF marine radio, but transmits over the entire HF bands with 100 watts. It has all of the features you need built in, and is simple to operate.
There are a bunch of excellent Ham Gear dealers around, but I have dealt with AES http://www.aesham.com/ by mail order for over 30 years now with absolutely no complaints. Tell them what you need and they will give you good advice.
Mike Waters Yacht ICHI, Mooloolaba Australia Web site: http://members.xoom.com/aa4mw/
Slashdot Mirror
Clearly none of you have ever been on an ocean passage with a small boat (under 500 ft is SMALL out on the ocean!).
... YOU get to handle the situation.
Being able to yell for help is a matter of survival if something goes wrong. For 3 weeks or so YOU as Captain are the paramedics, fire dept, police dept. etc., etc. No matter how sick someone gets or how beligerant, or
One of the nastiest pages in my notes from the courses I took preparing for our trip is two pages on burial at sea! Since I am alone out here with my wife, that is definitly NOT something I want to have to use.
Email (NOT full net access!) is one way to stay in touch with the outside world and to remind yourself that the world doesn't consist of a lumpy blue horizon! Likewise a regular schedule ensures that someone out there knows if you dissapear. There is no place in the world as bad being adrift in a lifraft at sea watching your supplies dwindle away.
Two cents worth from one who has been doing this for 6 years and sailed from Florida to Australia.
Mike
Yacht ICHI
See our website: www.xoom.xom/aa4mw/
I read your article in slashdot with some interest and was amused by the
responses which range from fairly good to ridiculous. As far as I know, not
one is truly "out there"! The nearest I could find was the guy who had a
buddy who sent him email via win-net (www.win-net.org). That is the best
solution and works world wide, but someone on the boat would have to have a
General class ham license. As of April 15, 2000 the requirements are: 5wpm
Morse and 3 tests on radio technology and rules. The tests are 1 for each
ham license level BTW. See www.arrl.org for complete details and exam schedules worldwide. You do NOT have to be a US citizen or even a resident to get a US ham license, you merely need a mailing address with a US Zipcode.
First, you are quite correct in assuming the satellite solution is
expensive, an Inmarsat D terminal costs around $5K installed and has a
subscription of around $50/month plus a per character charge. Great if you
are running a business or a shipping line, but a lot for individuals who really just want to tell "Aunt Martha" that things are OK.
We have lived aboard for 6 years and are currently in Australia, having
sailed here from Florida. We have circled the Caribbean and crossed the
entire Pacific under sail. We have had voice communication via Marine SSB
and ham radio the whole time, and HF email on board for the past year. I am
an Extra class ham (AA4MW), an ARRL Acredited Volunteer Examiner and have
been a ham since 1961. My wife currently holds an Advanced ham license
(KI7IY).
You didn't state whether the trip was a one time passage or the start of a
long term cruising lifestyle. For genuine cruising information go to:
http://www.ssca.org/
Another good source of real information is http://www.latitude38.com/
Latitude 38 is THE "gossip rag" of the West Coast, and makes interesting
reading when you are away!
For information on the win-net client software (i.e. mail software) go to:
http://www.airmail2000.com/index.htm
The software is free for amateur use and works very well. There are
excellent instructions that come with it.
I suggest the PTC2e TNC controller, which allows up to approx 150 characters/sec
through a 300 baud connection.
For more details see: http://www.scs-ptc.com/
There are a bunch of links to radio manufacturers on these pages, all of
them produce good radios for the amateur market. Get the "low end" version of one of them
since they are simpler and she would never use the more advanced features.
We have used a Kenwood TS-50 for 6 years now with no problems. This radio
has the advantage that it is the size of the average CB or VHF marine radio,
but transmits over the entire HF bands with 100 watts. It has all of the features you need built in, and is simple to operate.
There are a bunch of excellent Ham Gear dealers around, but I have dealt
with AES http://www.aesham.com/ by mail order for over 30 years now with
absolutely no complaints. Tell them what you need and they will give you
good advice.
Mike Waters
Yacht ICHI, Mooloolaba Australia
Web site: http://members.xoom.com/aa4mw/