Showing posts with label By. Show all posts
Showing posts with label By. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 April 2017
Model Boat Supplies Over 518 Different And Unique Boat Designs With Step By Step Instructions Diagrams! Join us
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Bahamas Yacht Charters - Imagining Taking Your own Boat For the Bahamas
Once you decide on Bahamas Yacht Charters you have more than 500 miles of tropical waters to explore. The Bahamas is definitely an archipelago that contains over 700 islands, so unless you've got loads of cash you will not get to find out them all in one charter vacation. Decide on from crewed yacht charters or even a bareboat charter, but whichever a single you choose, it is possible to decide exactly where you would like to go. Bahamas Yacht Charters can help you plan your getaway so that it fulfills your every single want.
The difference in crewed yacht charters and bareboat charters is within the amenities that the yacht provides. You do not must know how to sail the yacht if you need the less costly bareboat, but you do must supply your personal meals and supplies. Furthermore, you have to bring along your own personal lounge chairs and watersports equipment or pick to rent them from Bahamas Yacht Charters. With crewed yacht charters, you don't have to do any operate aboard the yacht and everything is supplied for you. For those who have lots of cash to devote, it is possible to pick 1 on the luxury yacht charters. Bahamas lends itself to dreaming of luxury, so for that once inside a lifetime vacation, why not splurge?
As a rule, Bahamas Yacht Charters commence with a chart briefing at 9 A.M. Then you definitely can sail at 10 and also you need to have the yacht back by 10 at the finish on the charter period. If you would choose to possess an afternoon sailing time, you need to request this if you book your yacht charters. The Bahamas is appropriate for any time sailing and with the short distance from Florida towards the Bahamas, it doesn't make any difference what time you leave. You do need to be careful in the weather in the event you book the yacht charter during hurricane season.
You can also begin and finish the charter inside the Bahamas. Fly into Abaco and take the yacht from there. For yacht charters, Bahamas tax rates are 4% of the total expense on the charter and also you have to pay a everyday insurance coverage price for the yacht. This depends on the size of yacht you charter. For instance, the premium for yachts 41 feet and under is $33 every day and for all those more than 41 feet, the premium is $38 each day. The deductible together with the yacht charter insurance is $400, which you have to pay oneself if you result in any harm. Bahamas Yacht Charters supplies you using a full tank of fuel whenever you have a bareboat charter, but you need to return the yacht with all the tank full.
Sailing yachts from Bahamas Yacht Charters are much a lot more pricey. A standard yacht charter will expense about $13,000, which does not consist of meals, docking, drinks and costs. Through the summer season, the yacht charters are primarily based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and during the winter they are based in the Bahamas. If a group of people determine to acquire collectively and book a charter from Bahamas Yacht Charters, they can split the price amongst them, that will significantly reduce the price per couple.
Once you decide on Bahamas Yacht Charters you have more than 500 miles of tropical waters to explore. The Bahamas is definitely an archipelago that contains over 700 islands, so unless you've got loads of cash you will not get to find out them all in one charter vacation. Decide on from crewed yacht charters or even a bareboat charter, but whichever a single you choose, it is possible to decide exactly where you would like to go. Bahamas Yacht Charters can help you plan your getaway so that it fulfills your every single want.
The difference in crewed yacht charters and bareboat charters is within the amenities that the yacht provides. You do not must know how to sail the yacht if you need the less costly bareboat, but you do must supply your personal meals and supplies. Furthermore, you have to bring along your own personal lounge chairs and watersports equipment or pick to rent them from Bahamas Yacht Charters. With crewed yacht charters, you don't have to do any operate aboard the yacht and everything is supplied for you. For those who have lots of cash to devote, it is possible to pick 1 on the luxury yacht charters. Bahamas lends itself to dreaming of luxury, so for that once inside a lifetime vacation, why not splurge?
As a rule, Bahamas Yacht Charters commence with a chart briefing at 9 A.M. Then you definitely can sail at 10 and also you need to have the yacht back by 10 at the finish on the charter period. If you would choose to possess an afternoon sailing time, you need to request this if you book your yacht charters. The Bahamas is appropriate for any time sailing and with the short distance from Florida towards the Bahamas, it doesn't make any difference what time you leave. You do need to be careful in the weather in the event you book the yacht charter during hurricane season.
You can also begin and finish the charter inside the Bahamas. Fly into Abaco and take the yacht from there. For yacht charters, Bahamas tax rates are 4% of the total expense on the charter and also you have to pay a everyday insurance coverage price for the yacht. This depends on the size of yacht you charter. For instance, the premium for yachts 41 feet and under is $33 every day and for all those more than 41 feet, the premium is $38 each day. The deductible together with the yacht charter insurance is $400, which you have to pay oneself if you result in any harm. Bahamas Yacht Charters supplies you using a full tank of fuel whenever you have a bareboat charter, but you need to return the yacht with all the tank full.
Sailing yachts from Bahamas Yacht Charters are much a lot more pricey. A standard yacht charter will expense about $13,000, which does not consist of meals, docking, drinks and costs. Through the summer season, the yacht charters are primarily based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and during the winter they are based in the Bahamas. If a group of people determine to acquire collectively and book a charter from Bahamas Yacht Charters, they can split the price amongst them, that will significantly reduce the price per couple.
Saturday, 15 April 2017
How to build a Proteus 106 kit set catamaran by CKD Boats cc
Barry is showing us how and has kept a log of the hours spent this far, progress has been swift and he and his assistant look to have made a fine job of the assembly.
The central wing deck was assembled upside down and between the two hulls.
This was before the stiffeners and filler application.
Words from Barry the builder:
Hello Angelo
Barry has added the two central conduits, a great idea and can be used for a number of uses.
This has been the progress since about May this year, fast building and with just two men doing the work.
Roy
The central wing deck was assembled upside down and between the two hulls.
This was before the stiffeners and filler application.
Words from Barry the builder:
Hello Angelo
I’m afraid progress has slowed down a bit - my cattle man has left the farm, and therefore my boat building assistant has to do the cattle work as well. I too, have had some other commitments in the last month.
Nevertheless, the wing deck has now been faired, and yesterday we lifted it into position and started glassing the joints. The fit was almost perfect with only minor adjustments required - this reflects the benefit of the CNC kit which is hugely time saving. I have attached some pictures. You will notice that I glassed in two 40mm PCV tubes along the middle wing deck stiffener to act as conduits for wiring and fuel lines (I plan to store fuel in the forward ventilated lockers). You will also notice that the two outside stiffeners have been left off and will be fitted when the taping to the hull on the outside has been finished.
Barry has added the two central conduits, a great idea and can be used for a number of uses.
This has been the progress since about May this year, fast building and with just two men doing the work.
Roy
Friday, 14 April 2017
Paddle Boat Plans Build Your Dream Boat With My Step By Step Plans Crystal Clear Pictures Read More!
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6 Guidelines For Selecting Boat Electronics
So you have identified the ideal boat. You happen to be prepared to now outfit it with boat electronics. You've got a vast array of selections, which is fantastic, however it might make it seem overwhelming picking from amongst them. A lot will rely around the variety of boater you might be along with the sort of electronics you use normally. Can you study charts and also the stars, or will you only want the most effective in electronic navigation? When you happen to be on your boat, do you plan to leave civilization behind, or will you want telephone or e-mail speak to? Do you have a preferred marine electronics brand, or would you rather just choose the very best from several various brands? Know yourself, your boating plans, as well as your common attitude toward electronic gadgetry, and you'll have an less complicated time picking the way to outfit your boat.
Selecting one of the most suitable boating electronics can not just make your boating experiences more entertaining as well as your fishing a lot more productive, but it could be essential for your well becoming too in the event of an emergency. Choosing the best gear is the very first step, but understanding to make use of it correctly is equally as crucial. And that signifies you will need to take the time for you to learn how you can use the equipment whether or not it is from instructional videos, manuals, or possessing a person show you the way to use it.
In addition to, you should understand how to navigate by other signifies within the occasion of your electronics failing. Finding out the best way to use navigational charts and plot your course continues to be a necessary ability. That getting said, here are some guidelines to help you select your electronics.
1. The boat electronics you must pick should be an automatic identification system, or AIS. It really is employed by boats and by the Vessel Site visitors Services to discover and identify boats. Your AIS gear is the most significant electronic device you'll purchase. It enables vessels to exchange electronic information including position, identification, and course. The AIS transponder will trigger your vessel to show up on pc screens at Vessel Targeted traffic Solutions stations. For those who have an emergency or need to turn into lost this really is crucial.
2. A GPS method is one more essential piece of boat electronics your boat need to have. One of many much more popular selections is for a multifunction show that puts many diverse instruments onto a single screen. Such multifunction machines can even enable you to run radar and fishfinder data through one particular show. They may be also reasonably easy to expand for other functions and displays.
3. If you have a choice of displays, remember that the larger it really is, the simpler it will likely be to see. And remember that on a boat, viewing conditions may be far from optimal on account of sun glare, storms, and swells. In case you can afford a ten to 12 inch display, that is ideal, but you ought to absolutely pick at the very least a 7 inch show for your boating electronics.
4. In case you are interested in on-board entertainment, you are able to coordinate your show for a number of peripheral boat electronics. Other devises like satelite recievers, computer systems, DVD players and music systems may be connected. All of these are wonderful extras to have, even so, don't get them in lue of picking quality safelty gear. And be sure that all your navigation gear is mounted where it access is simple.
5.Another good investment inside the security of one's boat is a depth sounder or fishfinder. If the weather turns poor, a depth sounder combined together with your GPS plotter can help get you safely back to shore.
6.There's an ever changing choice of marine electronics merchandise produced accessible for the boating market. You will find now laptop computers created specifically for use in boats. These computer systems carry out like regular laptops do, however they can also be equipped with special application like RayTech RNS 6.1, which enables multi-format charting, hsb2 electronics integration, and worldwide tides and currents among its several functions.
In summary, your AIS device, GPS plotter, and depth sounder would be the most essential pieces of boat electronics for the vessel simply because they pertain to your security and also the security of one's passengers. Have these pieces in location 1st, and if it really is in your spending budget, there are plenty of extras you can add inside the way of entertainment gear and fish locating devices that you just can have fun with.
So you have identified the ideal boat. You happen to be prepared to now outfit it with boat electronics. You've got a vast array of selections, which is fantastic, however it might make it seem overwhelming picking from amongst them. A lot will rely around the variety of boater you might be along with the sort of electronics you use normally. Can you study charts and also the stars, or will you only want the most effective in electronic navigation? When you happen to be on your boat, do you plan to leave civilization behind, or will you want telephone or e-mail speak to? Do you have a preferred marine electronics brand, or would you rather just choose the very best from several various brands? Know yourself, your boating plans, as well as your common attitude toward electronic gadgetry, and you'll have an less complicated time picking the way to outfit your boat.
Selecting one of the most suitable boating electronics can not just make your boating experiences more entertaining as well as your fishing a lot more productive, but it could be essential for your well becoming too in the event of an emergency. Choosing the best gear is the very first step, but understanding to make use of it correctly is equally as crucial. And that signifies you will need to take the time for you to learn how you can use the equipment whether or not it is from instructional videos, manuals, or possessing a person show you the way to use it.
In addition to, you should understand how to navigate by other signifies within the occasion of your electronics failing. Finding out the best way to use navigational charts and plot your course continues to be a necessary ability. That getting said, here are some guidelines to help you select your electronics.
1. The boat electronics you must pick should be an automatic identification system, or AIS. It really is employed by boats and by the Vessel Site visitors Services to discover and identify boats. Your AIS gear is the most significant electronic device you'll purchase. It enables vessels to exchange electronic information including position, identification, and course. The AIS transponder will trigger your vessel to show up on pc screens at Vessel Targeted traffic Solutions stations. For those who have an emergency or need to turn into lost this really is crucial.
2. A GPS method is one more essential piece of boat electronics your boat need to have. One of many much more popular selections is for a multifunction show that puts many diverse instruments onto a single screen. Such multifunction machines can even enable you to run radar and fishfinder data through one particular show. They may be also reasonably easy to expand for other functions and displays.
3. If you have a choice of displays, remember that the larger it really is, the simpler it will likely be to see. And remember that on a boat, viewing conditions may be far from optimal on account of sun glare, storms, and swells. In case you can afford a ten to 12 inch display, that is ideal, but you ought to absolutely pick at the very least a 7 inch show for your boating electronics.
4. In case you are interested in on-board entertainment, you are able to coordinate your show for a number of peripheral boat electronics. Other devises like satelite recievers, computer systems, DVD players and music systems may be connected. All of these are wonderful extras to have, even so, don't get them in lue of picking quality safelty gear. And be sure that all your navigation gear is mounted where it access is simple.
5.Another good investment inside the security of one's boat is a depth sounder or fishfinder. If the weather turns poor, a depth sounder combined together with your GPS plotter can help get you safely back to shore.
6.There's an ever changing choice of marine electronics merchandise produced accessible for the boating market. You will find now laptop computers created specifically for use in boats. These computer systems carry out like regular laptops do, however they can also be equipped with special application like RayTech RNS 6.1, which enables multi-format charting, hsb2 electronics integration, and worldwide tides and currents among its several functions.
In summary, your AIS device, GPS plotter, and depth sounder would be the most essential pieces of boat electronics for the vessel simply because they pertain to your security and also the security of one's passengers. Have these pieces in location 1st, and if it really is in your spending budget, there are plenty of extras you can add inside the way of entertainment gear and fish locating devices that you just can have fun with.
Tuesday, 4 April 2017
Kicking back at San Telmo Around Mallorca Beach by Beach
August 25-27 - 2012
A very rare thing happened on Alcheringaon the morning of August 25th. We had a sleep in and didn’t get underway till about 11.00 am. Because of the wind direction we elected to give the anchorages on Dragonera Island a miss and headed to San Telmo instead. It would be revisiting old ground for us but Marc hadn’t been there and we knew it should be well protected from the north easterlies that were forecast.
Conditions were a little light but we were able to sail all the way. We started with a nice downwind reach out to sea then square run wing on wing with the cruising chute. The wind got very light and fluky for quite a while but we were still making acceptable speed so we stuck with the set up. The autopilot got a rest as we hand steered all the way. It was actually great fun helming the boat to get the most out of every little bit of breeze. We didn’t actually expect to make it all the way to the strait between Mallorca and Dragonera Island without tacking back out to sea but as we approached the coastal cliffs the wind veered in our favour and we sailed directly into the passage. It also got squeezed so strengthened quickly from under 10 knots right up to near 20 knots. This had us right on the limit of our cruising chute and had us flying along.
We covered the 21.1 nautical mile trip to San Telmo with an average speed of 4.5 knots and reached 8 knots during the sleigh ride through the strait. It really was a very enjoyable sail.
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| Asymetrical chute out to starboard, mainsail to port and three happy meerkats afloat in the middle. |
We anchored close in to the beach in what is the most protected corner of the bay but unfortunately after having spent five very peaceful nights in this anchorage while Marc was away, this time a big swell rolled into the bay making the boat roll uncomfortably most of the night. Rob was also up for a couple of hours securing everything on deck and keeping an eye on a huge electrical storm hovering just out to sea. Luckily it bypassed us.
 |
| Alcheringa at anchor off San Telmo |
Marc stayed onboard all day on Sunday reading while we went ashore for a while, strolled around the very pleasant town and picked up some really nice fresh baked baguettes. With some swell still rolling around the point, launching the dingy back off the beach was a bit challenging. We tried to time our run between waves but sure enough the sea wasn’t going to co-operate and we got well and truly drenched as a small breaker rolled over the bow. With no thought for self preservation, Karen heroically managed to save the bread though.
 |
| San Telmo - Mallorca |
On Monday we spent another lazy day in San Telmo. Rob got some more blogging done as he’s been trying hard to catch up. We’ve been so busy actually doing things he hasn’t been able to find the time to write about doing those things and all of a sudden we found the blog nearly three months behind. He was keen to finish the story of our passage from Gibraltar to England on Curious. It had happened so long ago back in early June that he actually thought it would be fairly short. However once we started to go through the photos of the trip and recall all the great things that happened along the way it ended up longest chapter yet at 6,500 words with over 70 photos.
We all did make a trip ashore for a local lunch and for Marc to see the town though because we were going to be moving on again in the morning.
For more about our travels check out and 'like' our Dreamtimesail facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/DreamtimeSail?ref=hl
For more about our travels check out and 'like' our Dreamtimesail facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/DreamtimeSail?ref=hl
Thursday, 30 March 2017
Useful Fishing the solent by boat
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Sunday, 26 March 2017
Fishing Boat Plans Over 518 Different And Unique Boat Designs With Step By Step Instructions Diagrams! See Our Products
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The best way to Care For your Speed Boat Engine And Trailer
It truly is vital that your speed boat, power boat or motor boat engine is well-maintained and trouble-free. The last factor you desire is for your engine to fail whilst you happen to be out at sea! A boat without having an engine can quickly drift far out in even a mild off-shore wind or present.
So, unless you understand what you might be doing, I recommend that you simply have your speed boat engine regularly serviced by a certified marine engineer.
Power boats are often only utilized through the summer season months and usually are not utilised during the winter. To shield it from harm through the cold, damp winter months, your boat must be "winterized" right after the final use in the year then "de-winterized" just before employing it for the first time subsequent year. It's a very good thought to have the boat engine serviced simultaneously as it is de-winterized.
Motor boat engines are water-cooled. When the engine is running, impellor's draw water in for the engine. This water circulates around the engine, maintaining it cool by absorbing the heat after which escapes as warm water by way of a small hole near the best. The jet of water escaping is called a tell-tale. If it isn't there when the engine is running, it indicates the engine isn't being cooled and can over-heat which may cause irreparable damage. So you must turn the engine off immediately.
Never ever run a speed boat engine out of water. Even if you run it for any handful of seconds, the engine itself might not over-heat sufficiently to get damaged however the impellor can swiftly over-heat and turn into damaged so that it will not have the ability to draw enough water to cool the engine subsequent time it's run in water.
It is important to flush a power boat engine out with clean water right after it has been employed in salt water as salt water is very corrosive. Newer engines possess a water inlet that you can connect a hose to, turn the tap on, commence the engine and it is going to draw water by means of to clean the inside on the engine.
Older motor boat engines never have this, so what you have to is cover the water inlet holes with flushing muffs (often described as "rabbit ear" muffs) attached to a hose. Turn the hose on, then commence the engine and let it run at idle speed for any handful of minutes. Look for the tell-tale jet of water which shows that water is getting drawn into the engine and circulated around it. Following a number of minutes, turn the engine off then turn the hose off.
It truly is imperative that you look after your boat trailer. If your trailer becomes unusable, you can not transport your boat so your boat is unusable, as well.
Boat trailers are produced to fit a particular model of boat. They may be not interchangeable amongst different boat models. So if your trailer becomes unusable, it will likely be difficult to discover a used trailer that will fit your boat. You will probably have to acquire a brand new boat trailer or have one produced. This will likely be really pricey and also the new trailer could easily expense a lot more than an older boat is worth.
To launch your boat, you have to back your trailer in to the water. Water is corrosive. If its salt water, its even worse. And should you be launching from a beach, sand is also corrosive. So clean your trailer after use, inspect it frequently and treat any corrosion.
As you tow your boat, the grease around your boat trailer wheel bearings heats up and becomes liquid. Once you back your trailer in to the water, a few of this liquified grease can leak out as water leaks in. So it's important to re-grease the trailer wheel bearings frequently.
It truly is vital that your speed boat, power boat or motor boat engine is well-maintained and trouble-free. The last factor you desire is for your engine to fail whilst you happen to be out at sea! A boat without having an engine can quickly drift far out in even a mild off-shore wind or present.
So, unless you understand what you might be doing, I recommend that you simply have your speed boat engine regularly serviced by a certified marine engineer.
Power boats are often only utilized through the summer season months and usually are not utilised during the winter. To shield it from harm through the cold, damp winter months, your boat must be "winterized" right after the final use in the year then "de-winterized" just before employing it for the first time subsequent year. It's a very good thought to have the boat engine serviced simultaneously as it is de-winterized.
Motor boat engines are water-cooled. When the engine is running, impellor's draw water in for the engine. This water circulates around the engine, maintaining it cool by absorbing the heat after which escapes as warm water by way of a small hole near the best. The jet of water escaping is called a tell-tale. If it isn't there when the engine is running, it indicates the engine isn't being cooled and can over-heat which may cause irreparable damage. So you must turn the engine off immediately.
Never ever run a speed boat engine out of water. Even if you run it for any handful of seconds, the engine itself might not over-heat sufficiently to get damaged however the impellor can swiftly over-heat and turn into damaged so that it will not have the ability to draw enough water to cool the engine subsequent time it's run in water.
It is important to flush a power boat engine out with clean water right after it has been employed in salt water as salt water is very corrosive. Newer engines possess a water inlet that you can connect a hose to, turn the tap on, commence the engine and it is going to draw water by means of to clean the inside on the engine.
Older motor boat engines never have this, so what you have to is cover the water inlet holes with flushing muffs (often described as "rabbit ear" muffs) attached to a hose. Turn the hose on, then commence the engine and let it run at idle speed for any handful of minutes. Look for the tell-tale jet of water which shows that water is getting drawn into the engine and circulated around it. Following a number of minutes, turn the engine off then turn the hose off.
It truly is imperative that you look after your boat trailer. If your trailer becomes unusable, you can not transport your boat so your boat is unusable, as well.
Boat trailers are produced to fit a particular model of boat. They may be not interchangeable amongst different boat models. So if your trailer becomes unusable, it will likely be difficult to discover a used trailer that will fit your boat. You will probably have to acquire a brand new boat trailer or have one produced. This will likely be really pricey and also the new trailer could easily expense a lot more than an older boat is worth.
To launch your boat, you have to back your trailer in to the water. Water is corrosive. If its salt water, its even worse. And should you be launching from a beach, sand is also corrosive. So clean your trailer after use, inspect it frequently and treat any corrosion.
As you tow your boat, the grease around your boat trailer wheel bearings heats up and becomes liquid. Once you back your trailer in to the water, a few of this liquified grease can leak out as water leaks in. So it's important to re-grease the trailer wheel bearings frequently.
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Paddle Art Indian Summer by Bob Timberlake
Here's a shot of Bob Timberlake's 1993 painting entitled Indian Summer which features a bark canoe, pack basket, and green painted paddle.
Indian Summer
1993
Paddle Closeup
Description from his site...
Indian Summer was painted at Bob's new studio at the rock wall to the right of the guesthouse. The term "Indian Summer" refers to the mild, warm, hazy days of autumn that usually occur before the chilling frosts arrive. The birchbark canoe is just one of Bob's large collection of canoes and boats which is said to be one of the finest in the Southeast.
The paddle in the painting looks similar to this antique Maine paddle posted back in 2008. Not only did he capture the general shape of the grip, blade and spine, but even the weathering of the paint is visible in the artwork.
Antique Paddle from the Cherry Gallery
Sunday, 12 March 2017
Tididi fitting out built from plans by Hartley
Tididi is a Hartley 37 being built and fitted out near Camel Rock in the Table Mountain Nature Reserve area.
Hi Roy,
Just some updated photographs. The grab rails are not fixed and in their final positions. Still need another coat of Intergard and then the top coats. Making progress with the rudder and hopefully will have it ready to go to the CNC shop by end of next week.
Regards
Andrew.
CKD Boats cc supplied much of the plywoods and epoxy to complete the build, we also supplied the plantation grown teak grab rails, we still have some ex stock, a not to be repeated manufacture.
Roy
Thursday, 9 March 2017
VHF marine radio operators are standing by
Who would of thought just a few short years ago that your mobile phone could replace all of that expensive complicated, and bulky electronic equipment on your boat. It has a GPS, lots of marine charting apps are available, radar weather, and even a fish finder app. If you get into trouble you can also call for help, or can you?
Posted on the Flager Live website was the story I took this excerpt from.
Posted on the Flager Live website was the story I took this excerpt from.
"The drifting boat and passengers were located by Air One on the Intracoastal Waterway near the Whitney Lab in Marineland around 1:15 a.m. The Palm Coast boat owner, Danilo Gomez, 43, explained that he, three family members and the teenager were heading home from St. Augustine when they experienced engine problems. He said the cell phone they had did not work and he was unable to call for assistance."
I don't know exactly why the cell phone on the boat didn't work. It might have been broken, had a dead battery, or maybe they were just too far from a cell tower. But I think we can comfortably infer they didn't have a VHF radio. Otherwise why would they have been way over due, and drifting around in the ICW in the middle of the night?
In the boating world, it's a big mistake to think your cell phone substitutes for a marine VHF radio. A really big mistake! I will grant you that access to cell service has dramatically improved through the years. And under perfect circumstance you can talk to a cell site up to fifty miles away. But here is the catch.
These boaters were lucky. They just spent most of the night drifting around in the intercoastal waterway before they were found. But what if someone had been hurt, or the boat was sinking?
So let's contrast these two devices. The average cell phone is one watt. The VHF radio transmits at twenty five watts. Cell phones don't like rain, VHF's are fine with it. Emergency 911 operators don't often deal with marine emergencies, the USCG does.
Cellular companies aren't trying to provide boaters with off shore service. Coverage in many areas just makes it to the shoreline, if that far. The USCG does, and excels at it. On the map above (click to get the high rez version) you can see the off shore coverage is extensive. At the bottom of the map is a note that says coverage area is based on receiving a one second, one watt, transmission from an antenna 6 feet off the water. I'm impressed.
Now for the economics of owning a VHF radio versus a cell phone. The best price I found for a Apple iPhone 5 was $649. The Standard Horizon Eclipse shown above, with antenna, mount and connector is under $200. Monthly service plan for the iPhone starts at $45. There is no service plan for the VHF radio, 24/7 service is free. And if you order one now, we will throw in at no extra charge NOAA weather forecasts, and a DSC emergency contact feature that tells the USCG exactly where you are, who you are, and what kind of a boat you have. Operators are standing by, call now. Don't let Darwin prematurely cull you from the boating herd. There isn't a single good excuse I can think of not to have a VHF radio on board.
I borrowed the iPhone picture from the website GPS Nautical Charts. Their mapping apps cover much more geography than most.
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