Change of Plan

[boatman61]

Well..... following events on board my Bruce Roberts 53 delivery to W.Australia our plans have changed from a Cape Town route to the Panama/Pacific option... boats just a tad to top heavy for my liking for the Southern Ocean... also getting there from St Martin where I now am is gonna be a real pain..
So basically I've 2 questions at present... more will likely follow...
Is there a weather service on the Pacific route on SSB similar to Herb's in the Atlantic... and if so what are the channels one can tune into to pick up reports...
Also... for you 'Techies' out there... how does one link a GPS Tracker into OpenCPN... got all the CM93 charts and updates on my Notebook but just connot for the life of me attatch the Tracker driver...
It came with a program but its a road program with lots of speed/rev whatever screen dials so no good for me... figure if I have the driver linked to CPN it should work fine... else I laid out bucks for zero gain..
At the moment I'm on the hook in Marigot Bay... the boat is I mean...
I'm sitting in Shrimpy's doing WiFi.....
CF pennant fluttering in the breeze... so if any of you are hanging out in SMX come and say Hi....
Be warned... I'm a Brit so the beer will likely be warm.....ish
Oh.... and Panama news and advice would also be well recieved...

[anjou]

Ive heard a rumour about an engine fire?
Be careful out there.

[bobconnie]

Ya gotta love the shape of some of those ready to go blue water criusers ya get to deliver, sometimes ya have to overhaul almost everything to get where ya want to go ! sounds like ya made a good choice to go that pacific route, better wind direction to get where ya wanta go, if ya don't mind down hill runnin LOl Have safe quick trip!

[Palarran]

Boatman, what is the name of the boat your on? We will be down there in two weeks and if your around I'd like to buy you a beer. Also, if by chance you need a Furuno Navagator gps 32 you can have it for free. I just had it removed and will throw it away otherwise.

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. Kinda. Don Anderson, yacht Summer Passages has been giving cruisers detailed weather info in the Pacific for years. He is on the Amigo net 14:00 UTC 8.112 or 8.116 MHz and the SouthBound net 00:55 UTC on 8.112 MHz and 01:15 UTC on 4.054 MHz. He just took a 2 month sabbatical for a couple of months and should be back on the air when you come across. The closer you get to Oz, you'll probably loose the propagation back with these nets. Sometimes Don will do relays through the PacSea net, 03:00 UTC on 14.300 MHz.

There are a couple of "paid for" weather routers, but you will need email capability. If you have that, then you can get the GRIB weather files anyway.

Let me know if you need additional info. What way are you going around OZ, top or bottom? Cheers.

[atoll]

panama wait is down to 8-12 days,had a mate go thru 2 weeks ago.

crew visas are now $110 ea!!!! according to noonsite for yachts.

cm 93 software you need to open the correct port in the setup program to recieve the data stream from the tracker.

before doing this plug in the tracker and computer will auto detect the device and tell you which port and gateway the data stream is coming thru.

ie com port1,2,3or 4......(look in hardware+devices on the control panel on start menu)

right click on the device and look at properties ,it will say which port it is attached to .
keep a note which com port.... this you will need to type into cm93 software also you will need the 4800 baud nmea data stream.

now the tracker is running,right click on the cm93 icon on your desktop
,open the program files,then you need to open,,,, setup.exe file
,,here there shoud be a box "TALKERS" where you enter com port # and baud rate#4800.

other wise try the guys at the yacht electronices place near the "soggy dollar bar" on the dutch side nr the bridge.
take the gps dongle with you!!

weather net out of fiji is on 8173 0800hrs local time will find the link and post it!
think it is jim bandy wings of the air of summing like that.

if you are desparate for a crew have a friend but he will need tickets and expenses.
best look locally.......should be plenty of "new victims"
cheers alex

[atoll]

fiji net "Rag of the Air, (1900 UTC, 8173 upper side band)

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2012-03-14-2

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2012-03-12-1

weather nets http://www.noonsite.com/Members/doina/R2004-03-30-3

[Blue Crab]

hey man, you know we want the skinnny on those "events".

And every thing else.

Liz insists on me emailing you a pic of her.* She's a babe if on the ++ size. Single. Dough. 39 yo in Feb. Hubba hubba.









*kidding

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. Jim, on Also Island in Fiji, is the "Rag of the Air". He gives the weather from the GRIBS and the local met services from Tonga over to New Caledonia and down to New Zealand. Cheers.

[Eleven]

That's a great trip Boaty. Have a good time. What's all this 'eccy stuff, they've got stars there too, haven't they?
My thoughts are with you.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Yeah, good luck! - the new route probably a good idea as gives a chance to get the vessel more shipshape for the next leg, with resources available from shore.

[Wotname]

Well that certainly is a change of plan but I guess you gotta be flexible! At least you should be having a downwind trade wind route across the Pacific. I am guessing it will be sometime in the southern winter before you see the east coast of Oz and that probably means a trip across the top of rather than across the bottom.

It you are really serious about getting here in a "delivery timeframe", you could plan for clearing in at Thursday Island (northern tip of Cape York) or even Darwin.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Well that certainly is a change of plan but I guess you gotta be flexible! At least you should be having a downwind trade wind route across the Pacific. I am guessing it will be sometime in the southern winter before you see the east coast of Oz and that probably means a trip across the top of rather than across the bottom.

It you are really serious about getting here in a "delivery timeframe", you could plan for clearing in at Thursday Island (northern tip of Cape York) or even Darwin.

+1 the aussi bight is no place to be mid winter,

also consider the import implications for the yacht at your 1st aussie entry port,they may not let you continue on to perth till all taxes are paid and quarentine surveys done,this can take months!!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by atoll

.........also consider the import implications for the yacht at your 1st aussie entry port,they may not let you continue on to perth till all taxes are paid and quarentine surveys done,this can take months!!

Hmm... interesting point; I guess it would be doable to push right across the top and down to Perth before clearing in. It would take a certain "delivery schedule" & "a Capt. Bligh" attitude but still doable

But I would have thought (possibly incorrectly) that with all the paperwork tickety boo, you just pays yer taxes money on arrival and get the quarantine done right away. In the worst case, they might send you to Wepia or Darwin for Q from Thursday Island but again I would be surprised it if couldn't be handled at TI. AQIS maintains a presence there (or used to). An email to them should give you an answer (or even Google)!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Boatman, what is the name of the boat your on? We will be down there in two weeks and if your around I'd like to buy you a beer. Also, if by chance you need a Furuno Navagator gps 32 you can have it for free. I just had it removed and will throw it away otherwise.

Boats name is Compeller.... smokey blue Pilothouse ketch in Marigot Bay... may not be there when you arrive but if you stop at Portimao on the way to Gib drop it of at Rui's bar 'The Escondinho'..... its the one nearest the rocks at the anchorage...
Just tell him its for 'Crocodillo Dundee'.....