Marine Radio Frequencies

[marshmat]

One Q on the SATPhone. If it reaches anywhere from everywhere, isn't that a better emergency item to have, apart from the radio's ?

Good point. A satphone, plus a GPS-equipped EPIRB, plus a comprehensive list of Coast Guard phone numbers, could be a powerful combination in an emergency. Especially so if you're going to be beyond radio range of shore. Of course, there are holes in the satphone grids (much as they would love to claim otherwise)- above 70 degrees latitude, for example, the options become very limited.

And yet- Radios, whether VHF or MF/HF, have the distinct advantage of being heard by just about every ship in range. And a DSC equipped version of either type of set will, if properly installed, transmit your GPS position along with your distress call. So you're summoning nearby vessels to your aid, as well as alerting the Coasties.

[masalai]

Marshie, remember Fanie is in South Africa and "Coast Guard? who are they?" may apply... Coverage of the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the mid latitudes are well served by a series of geostationary equatorial communications satellites with effective footprints for these less popular cruising regions... HF is not effectively monitored in this region other than by cruising amateur radio operators... sometimes - from memory 2182 is used in simplex mode...

[Submarine Tom]

marshmats point of "vessels of opportunity" i.e "those near-by" are likely your largest asset in an emergency when you are in need of immediate assistance. The only way they're going to hear your call is on a VHF channel 16 (if they're monitoring it), or a "mayday relay" from a Coast Guard Station or another relay station who heard your original call.

Tom

[masalai]

Submarine Tom, those resources only apply in USA waters, and in this region Pacific/Indian oceans - - Amateurs work the HF if you have access to their frequencies/channels, and a satellite phone and 410gpsEPIRB is the cheapest and most reliable method of brief communication to a particular person service... VHF is "line of sight" and works nicely for coastal waters to land stations but not necessarily on most foreign freight vessels unless manned by English speaking crew...

[Fanie]

Marshie, remember Fanie is in South Africa and "Coast Guard? who are they?"

I doubt very much SA has a coast guard any more, I know the 'old' South Africa had a coast guard. If it is something that can make money for this gov then there would have been a coast guard. We do have an NSRI (Nasional Sea Rescue Institute) which is a private organization that relies on donations (f pathetic eh) to exist, as far a s I can tell their service is pretty ok. I get their magazine. Other than that we probably have a fleet (somewhere), although it's been a while since I saw any thing like a SA war ship. A lot has changed since I was active going to the sea. It also seems like a lot of crap off late if you want to go out from anywhere else than a harbour, - the lanch sites are 'manned' by what seems to be the local ski-boat clubs. A recent experience (more like a run in) with them left me with a very low impression. More like a bunch of self rightious kinda self appointed hoodlums that has taken charge of their stretch and gets protected by laws made by SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Association) but it basically just boils down to two facts, they are there to make money out of you, and they make sure they are not liable for anything, ie they offer no real service to water users.

Imo if you are at sea here, make sure you don't get into trouble. If I think back about South Africans that got into trouble since the new SA elsewhere and the support they got, it's probably better to drown. No kiddin.

I am considering more and more to get a boat and keep it elsewhere other than in SA. The marina's are very expensive here and you're bound to one harbour, hence my thinking about a trailable cat. Mozambique is our closest sea, if you can get through the corrupt border post.

As for the radio's, it isn't a problem to get them. I'll do the SSB lisence soon so I can use any of the marine radio equipment required. Our procedures and frequencies are supposed to be international standard, but I have recently heard that SA doesn't recognise CE stuff, and they do not recognise SA's, which is a bit confusing. Things change a lot around here. I get the impression they want to try and keep one here.

[masalai]

Prisoner in your own country/house???

[Fanie]

Yes you got it. Thursday was a public holidau called 'freedom day', we're not 'free', we are locked up. Only differnce between here and a real jail is in a real jail you have human rights.

My son is maybe going to work in Ireland. When he goes (January) there's nothing keeping me here, only have some good friends.

Question is - what does it take to start over again and will it be worth it.

[masalai]

What price freedom? - - AU$2 to 300K will get you a boat like mine, fully equipped ready to sail, if you build yourself.... Immigration into Australia could by the crap heap but - in the Pacific Islands, sometimes, something interesting crops up http://www.pacificislandjobs.com/index.php - - and where a 40ft container can be delivered, 4 kits will fit inside - masts are a problem and finding qualified riggers

[Fanie]

Why are the masts a problem ? Arent they telescopic

[masalai]

Some, some just expand like an elephants p.... or something - - How about a pneumatic mast? could look "interesting" when the pump fails - - well save some 60K and bring your surf kite thingies or a paraglider blow up wing shape...

[masalai]

Fanie, found something whilst digging around my meteorological information sites - - Have a look here - - http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/radio-s...adio-sat.shtml