svserenity missing...

[IslandHopper]

Much better to start the day with a good news story.......

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by ssanzone

What have cruisers adopted an communication protocols for family and friends?

<snip>

Thoughts from longer distance cruisers on setting expectation?

-steve

Great question.

It is generally advisable that someone has the float plan and a target for when to alert authorities.

When to call out SAR depends a lot on whether the boat is equipped with emergency signalling equipment (EPIRB) and how late the boat is.

This guy seems pretty experienced and it sounds like they did have trouble. While better to be safe than sorry, it seems that for whatever reason (lack of communications or comm protocol) someone pulled the trigger a bit soon.

[delmarrey]

If they would have had an inReach SE it would have saved a lot of concern and expense. It's only the price of a tank of fuel for a boat that size, plus the $25 a month. We have all these resources to keep in touch and yet people are still quixotic.

But glad to hear they're OK!

[onestepcsy37]

Even Spot would have worked well in that part of the world. Spot is our primary way of telling family and friends we're still alive and here.

[zeehag]

yeah spot is 150ish annually and that price includes emergency feature

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

Much better to start the day with a good news story.......

+A1..

[Group9]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Even Spot would have worked well in that part of the world. Spot is our primary way of telling family and friends we're still alive and here.

We carried a SPOT on our cruise, too, for the one simple reason that I didn't want my mother-in-law panicking and calling the Coast Guard if she didn't hear from us every day.

Glad to hear they are okay (I wonder if they were ever in any distress or just had to change course due to the weather?).

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Group9

We carried a SPOT on our cruise, too, for the one simple reason that I didn't want my mother-in-law panicking and calling the Coast Guard if she didn't hear from us every day.

When we were in florida the admiral called the kids every day on her cellphone. When we crossed to the Bahamas - no more cellphone. After two days of no contact daughter number 1 (the worry wart daughter) called the Coast Guard. We didn't have our vhf on at that time. To their credit, the CG flew a plane out to Gun Cay, saw us, and phoned number 1 daughter. The next day we went in to Cat Cay to check in. As we came alongside the dock the dockmaster said to us "One Step, you better call the Coast Guard, they're looking for you!" Now we keep the vhf on 24/7.

[Jim Cate]

I suppose that this is yet another case of rampant Ludditeism...

We have long simply told interested parties that we would be out of touch for an indeterminate period, and that we would get in touch sometime in the future when it suited us and the opportunity was there. We are very firm that we have NO ETA, and that we do not want any notification of authorities because we have not been in touch. This may seem harsh, but it reflects our cruising style, and honestly, it seems to reduce any anxiety on the part of shore based folks. They have no expectations of contact and so don't miss it. Our family and friends have not seemed to object to this practice.

This system was developed after a well meaning friend (and a fellow yottie at that) notified the CG in Hawaii when we were a few HOURS late on an ETA given by ham radio several days prior, and at the end of a long ocean passage (Bora Bora to Hilo). In those days the customs clearance area was right next to the CG dock in Radio Bay, and we were chastised a bit by the Coasties. Actually, they were pretty understanding and had not undertaken any SAR activities on our account, but it was a lesson for us.

The advent of various satellite based comms systems makes notification pretty easy, and that is seductive. But then if there is a glitch in the system, all hell breaks loose. The well meaning folks ashore panic... and that includes the supposedly knowledgeable people here on CF (remember Boaties un-needed "rescue"?). So, we will remain mute for routine passages, but have good HF capabilities and the Big Red Button on the EPIRB for real emergencies. YMMV.

Jim

[DumnMad]

Well Jim, your family has a lot of confidence in you guys.
Our family lacks confidence in us.

Someone gave us geriatric newbies a SPOT to carry on our little trip across the Tasman.(We had good crew.) So we chug off and unbeknown to us all our kids and family were tracking us, looking ahead at the force 9 storm forecast and having almost as exiting a time as we had.

Us having SPOT inspired the family and was a great catalyst for family banter.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

Us having SPOT inspired the family and was a great catalyst for family banter.

True. Its a conversation maker. And daughter number 2's boss follows us too. He checks with my daughter every morning for our latest position and sattelite picture. I think he's a closet cruiser.

[Group9]

If your family are cruisers and sailors, it's not such a big deal. I'm constantly asked questions about when we were cruising that indicates that there is a significant percentage of people I know who seemed to think we defied death by making it back home.