Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[AussieGeoff]

Originally Posted by svpattyd

We went to a marine chandlery in Charleston, SC to purchase some ocean charts. The large freighter had just received their new charts and the chandlery sold us the freighters old (last years) charts for a dollar a piece. Saved lots of money. Maybe they have a similar program in OZ.

News to me, no such place where I am, in a state capital maybe. Every state capital is Oz is on the coast and have major harbours, only the national capital is inland. Someone else may know if that's possible. I understood obsolete charts were destroyed, but I may be wrong.

I have a few ideas now, thanks for responding.

AussieGeoff

[s/v Beth]

Lets get back to being cheap, one of my favorite pastimes....

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Lets get back to being cheap, one of my favorite pastimes....

How about inexpensive tourist ideas to do once you get to your destination?

I have a nice camera and I like taking photos around a city, of birds, or beaches at sunrise/sunset.

You can hike on public trails or have a picnic on the beach. Ride your bike around town if you have one.

There are volunteer opportunities in many places that offer something different.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

How about inexpensive tourist ideas to do once you get to your destination?

I have a nice camera and I like taking photos around a city, of birds, or beaches at sunrise/sunset.

You can hike on public trails or have a picnic on the beach. Ride your bike around town if you have one.

There are volunteer opportunities in many places that offer something different.

Thai massage is an inexpensive way to spend some time locally.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by SunDevil

How about inexpensive tourist ideas to do once you get to your destination?

I have a nice camera and I like taking photos around a city, of birds, or beaches at sunrise/sunset.

You can hike on public trails or have a picnic on the beach. Ride your bike around town if you have one.

There are volunteer opportunities in many places that offer something different.

i like learning different languages when traveling,the best way i've found is to "sleep with the dictionary"

[zeta]

Originally Posted by Doodles

Thai massage is an inexpensive way to spend some time locally.

Just watch out for Benny Boys--unless that's your thing

[atoll]

Originally Posted by zeta

Just watch out for Benny Boys--unless that's your thing

you are obviously talking from personal experiance................

[zeta]

Originally Posted by atoll

you are obviously talking from personal experiance................

LOL

[w1651]

Originally Posted by atoll

i like learning different languages when traveling,the best way i've found is to "sleep with the dictionary"

My first wife was a dictionary. She wouldn't be quiet either...

[callmecrazy]

Just acquired a good working C.A.R.D. unit from the previously mentioned boat being parted out. Paid $100 for it.

I debated a while about getting it.. I've considered them in the past, since I probably won't be generating the electricity to run a radar for more than a few minutes, and even AIS is a little out of my league at this moment... I figure most people transmitting AIS are also running radar, and the majority of commercial vessels will be running radar. I passed on the idea a long time ago when I found out they run anywhere from $3-500 on the rare occasions they show up on ebay, and there still around $600 from the one or two people actually selling them new.

I think I made out pretty well

Now if I could just find a windvane....

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by atoll

i like learning different languages when traveling,the best way i've found is to "sleep with the dictionary"

Is that also known as "conjugating verbs" or "conjugal" language lessons?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Callmecrazy - "Just acquired a good working C.A.R.D. unit from the previously mentioned boat being parted out. Paid $100 for it."

I have had one for about 12 years and have found that I cannot use the thing whenever in high traffic areas or near coastal areas of major countries - e.g., Florida, USA. The reason is there are just too many radar signals around and the C.A.R.D. will not discriminate even though it has 4 - 90° sectors. However in remote areas like the Bahamas and eastern Caribbean (away from major fly-in tourist islands) it works fine.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Is that also known as "conjugating verbs" or "conjugal" language lessons?

Is that like being married?...... ie;the only war where you sleep with the enemy?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by w1651

My first wife was a dictionary. She wouldn't be quiet either...

prolly due to her having a higher intelect and using big words .

[AussieGeoff]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

Just acquired a good working C.A.R.D. unit from the previously mentioned boat being parted out. Paid $100 for it.

Not familiar with the acronym. C.A.R.D?

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

I debated a while about getting it.. I've considered them in the past, since I probably won't be generating the electricity to run a radar for more than a few minutes, and even AIS is a little out of my league at this moment... I figure most people transmitting AIS are also running radar, and the majority of commercial vessels will be running radar. I passed on the idea a long time ago when I found out they run anywhere from $3-500 on the rare occasions they show up on ebay, and there still around $600 from the one or two people actually selling them new.

AIS Rx only is unreasonably expensive when done with stand alone kit.

But you can do it much cheaper. It takes only a laptop with a sound card, a surplus scanner or other VHF receiver that covers the 161.975 and/or 162.025 and the right software.

Shipplotter is probably the best known and it's not free, but it does the decoding directly using the sound card, and it can pull down satellite or OpenStreetMap imagery which you can save on the computer. Spend a couple of hours pulling down the maps you need before you leave. They aren't marine charts but even without them, it has a 'radar' style display that's perfectly adequate for keeping track of AIS equipped vessels.

IIRC Seaclear et al require an NMEA stream via a port to handle AIS, they don't do direct decoding, which makes it more expensive.

Most people boating would probably have a laptop already so you just a an old $25 scanner or similar and the software. AIS receive will at least let you see the big stuff and stay out of the way.

Shipplotter is available from:

ShipPlotter
It comes as a working version for 21 days, after which a 25 Euro registration is required.
The scanner will require a discriminator output mod, which is pretty simple and there are links on the site to locations that will give you a blow by blow description of how to do it or you can get an electronically inclined mate to do it for you. I'm using an old Uniden scanner thats around 15 years old for this and it works pretty well.
You would also need an antenna cut for 162mhz (a standard marine vhf antenna is fine).

(I have no interest, commercial or otherwise in this product, I just use it.)

You can get up and running on AIS Rx for around $100 all up.

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

I think I made out pretty well

Now if I could just find a windvane....

Is it plausible to construct one? Might be an interesting project.

AussieGeoff

[atoll]

card is actually a great tool for the single hander,un like ais it emits a warning tone as soon as it detects another ships radar signal that progressivly becomes louder as the target vessel approaches.
coupled with an ais this is a great way to get a decent nights sleep when on an ocean passage.