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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/03/2004 : 16:27:42

We're about to depart on the big sail......Chesapeake-Florida.

There is a service called weatherguy.com For $110.- he'll put together a comprehensive 6 day pre departure package. For $65.- he will send you an enroute update via HF or Sat fax....(neither of which I have at this time....) Included in that is a free phone consultation, and daily monitoring and a wake up call to the ship if situation changes enough to warrant a revised forecast.......

It's more than the budget can bear right now....Is there anyone in this community who knows enough about weather to pull up the charts and take a phone call once in a while? I do have an HF receiveer on board to receive "Perfect Paul", and will also be in VHF cell phone contact regularly. It's just that there's a few "critical points" where all the information available is needed.....

Lemmeno.....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2004 : 20:05:41

I'm not sure what "critical points" you are refering to. Any info I could give you would be available on NOAA weather on VHF. Email me and I can give you my cell number. I with Nextell and I hear people pick up the "direct connect" forty miles out sometimes. So if you have Nextell I'll give you my radio ID. I think it is really cool that you are going to make the voyage down. By all means, give us a holler when you get here.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2004 : 21:08:52

Critical points are outside/inside decisions...like Norfolk: Dismal swamp or Hatteras.....Good weather info is critical.....no time to pull over and hook up the pewter.

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

Waterboy
Navigator

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USA
204 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2004 : 21:22:08

I wish I could help ... the tech weather toys are something I covet. Regardless, I am jealous of your trip and wish you and yours the very best. Keep us posted when you can, eh? Sail safe.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2004 : 21:30:55

Have you contacted Bren, our other jet-driver? Would he have "inside" access to the stuff you want? (I forget--is there another one out there?)

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2004 : 22:07:08

Everyone with a computer has access to the maps I want, (NOAA). It's a matter of telling me over the phone what they are saying...kind of like the weatherman of twenty years ago....location and movement of highs/lows, the jet, marine forecasts....it's cake. Like I said there's people that charge to do this, but the rates are as bad as attorney's.....I do have a lead on someone more reasonable. We'll figure it out....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2004 : 23:28:13

O, what is the internet ID? I have looked for these kind of charts and have not been able to find them. Of course, I am retarded and have difficulty finding lots of things now days. Anyway if you can get me the ID, I did have a few weather courses in my younger days, and I might be able to help with what you want. If nothing else I can give you the bouy data as you move along your route.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 00:15:14

A fellow C25 owner slipped next to me, who also owns a small private plane, showed me his setup for weather and navigation that involved hooking up his cell phone to his GPS equipped iPaq. For an updated weather picture, he would call up an internet site on his cell phone to get his weather data, then he overlays the weather data onto the mapping software to get a realtime weather picture for his vicinity.

Edited by - dlucier on 11/04/2004 00:33:49

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 07:29:45

Cool, I'm off to FLL today, to find another slip for the winter....(lady I had rented the back yard from backed out...

), but there are more ladies with docks and no boats....be back tonight.

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - Oscar on 11/04/2004 07:30:20

Mark Loyacano
Navigator

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USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 08:26:13

Oscar, have a look at www.intellicast.com .... you can link up to them using a cellphone to any laptop ... or from the shore, any computer (in FLL there are even internet cafes near the marinas).
Intellicast is an expanded offering of the WSI organization's aviation weather service. They have marine selections as well as other "activities" listed. Intellicast was my favorite information source (real time w/satellite views) during the recent hurricane season. They offer other services, beyond the free access too.
Enjoy the trip and...watch out for those FLL ladies :)

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 12:18:55

Oscar,

As you know, I've done this trip. Most likely your marine VHF will work fine all the way down. NOAA uses much more than 25 watts and you can hear them 50 miles out to sea no problem. However...

With your marine SSB you can get all the weather info you need at any range. If you don't have one, $300 and a visit to Radio Shack will cure that. I just got a receiver and a pair of headphones. I also got a 12 vdc power plug but the unit worked better with simple batteries. They last for months so I'd just go with that. Be aware that you need a couple of things to go with the marine SSB.

(1) weather data is not transmitted continiously like on VHF NOAA. On the east coast its on at 4 AM , 8 AM (those are the ones you need). Also, they cover a huge area so you have to listen carefully and have a map ready. What you do is make a quick plot when they get to your area. A knee board with acetate overlay on the small scale (big area) map is great to have. You'll hear something like

"In NW Carribean a front is at N 30 W 73. South of the front waves 4 to 6 and E winds 25 knots. N of the front waves 2 to 3 and winds W at 10".

My Radio Shack VHF can also receive weather faxes, but you need a laptop and a modem. The modem costs about $90. I did not get one. All the boats I knew on my trip with weather faxes did not use them.

As soon as the 8 AM forecast is over you can then tune to the HAM nets. Lots of boats will be making this run. You can't talk, but you can listen. Each boat will report position and conditions. Those ahead of you are very important to note.

If you don't have the frequencies of the Nets or NOAA SSB weather, let me know and I'll send them to you.

If you like, I'll be happy to be your weather service. However, I suggest you get the Marine SSB receiver in case I become unavailable. Also, I am on Pacific Standard Time. You can't call me until 8 AM my time.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 19:09:44

Hello guys, thanks for all your input. Intellicast.com is a very good one, in fact it is one of the few allowed outside url's on our company computers, and there is even a link to it on our flight-ops web site, even though there are all kinds of disclaimers as it is not FAA approved. (We carry the FAA approved material as well) So Frog, check them out....

Jim, I got the Grundig Yacht Boy FM/SW, $155 West Marine, but clearance sale at Shack for $129.- I've had the long wire antenna strung across the ceiling in my office and have been listening to "Perfect Paul". For others interested, the schedule can be found here:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfvoice.htm

It is encouraging to hear that they've got some horsepower behind the VHF broadcasts, as the SSB only gives the high seas, vs the coastal on VHF.

Finally, I found an affordable commercial weather service:

http://www.commandersweather.com/

For $35.- I can call him, and discuss the weather at my critical points, specifically Norfolk, (inside or outside). He will have everything at his fingertips and we'll be able to come up with a plan.

And, found another nice lady with a dock in FLL, a 50' slip with electric and water, and the kids can use her pool, $275 a month.....life is good.

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - Oscar on 11/04/2004 19:16:51

Waterboy
Navigator

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USA
204 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2004 : 23:01:35

Oscar - hehe ... what'll it cost me to call you when I need similar info? ;~0

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 07:10:09

I couldn't and wouldn't charge, I'm not a meteorologist, and I'm not in the business, but I'd try and help a fellow sailor out....not everyone at the same time please....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

teamwike
1st Mate

Members Avatar

82 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2004 : 10:18:57

If your going to have a laptop on board you can run a weather fax pc program. It does not require a modem, runs off SSB aux.speaker to soundcard. I used to run a free demo program years ago when I was working the Gulf of Mexico.
Have fun,
Max

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2004 : 07:14:41

Oscar,

Godd luck on your trip, I hope to do something like this myself ina few years, except I'll be coming down from Maine.

Just a question, how did you go about finding that slip? Is there a listing somewhere, or was it just word of mouth?

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2004 : 08:29:04

Max, tell me more....

Jean Paul (Sartre

) Local papers, classifieds...)

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

teamwike
1st Mate

Members Avatar

82 Posts

Response Posted - 11/07/2004 : 22:29:57

Oscar,
Found it!!! Haven't used it in years
www.jvcomm.de/index_e.html
Cleared Direct to Funville,
Max
Here is my old ride's site www.lumcon.edu/pelican
You guys happen to see her out she is always good for some free ice-cream( no beer state boat)

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 11/07/2004 : 22:52:31

Thanx Max! It's for windows, but I think my G4 has enough HP to run softwin (virtual windows software) ......Frank?....

I do wonder whether the quality of the reception on the YachtBoy is adequate....I'll have to ask some questions on the site. Seems we're Germany based here....interesting detal on the bottom of the page:

Mit Urteil vom 12. Mai 1998 hat das Landgericht Hamburg entschieden, daß man durch die Ausbringung eines Links die Inhalte der gelinkten Seite ggf. mit zu verantworten hat. Dies kann - so das LG - nur dadurch verhindert werden, daß man sich ausdrücklich von diesen Inhalten distanziert. Für alle Links, die von der Domäne www.jvcomm.de auf andere Domänen verweisen, erkläre ich, dass ich keinerlei Einfluß auf die Gestaltung und die Inhalte der gelinkten Seiten habe. Aus diesem Grunde distanziere ich mich hiermit ausdrücklich von sämtlichen Inhalten aller auf dieser Homepage gelinkten Seiten.

In a ruling dated 12 May 1998 the district court Hamburg has ruled that through the placement of a link, you assume co-responsibility for the content of the linked site. The only way to avoid this, is to expressly deny any connection. So, for any links on my site (ed.) I declare not to have any control over the sites linked to etc. etc......

And who said the US was a litigious society?

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Ex. C250 WB #618)
Georgetown MD/Fort Lauderdale FL

Edited by - Oscar on 11/07/2004 22:57:38

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