sailinghelp!

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thesailerdude

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Apr 14, 2009
37
Aux Middle River, MD
I like this site...the people are helpful and cool especially hermit scott

however one thing that is worrying me right now is that the fact that me and my friends are all deaf..stemming from Gallaudet University...you can look it up if you want to and learn more about "us"

I am worried because we wouldnt be able to use the radios...so what can we do to offset that problem?

We all are thinking about buying GPS map 520 which has preloaded world base map..is it good enough? or we would need g2 bluechart vision?

any way you can help me would be great..also the boat is currently in middle river, MD..near annapolis if there is anyone near me, and willing to help me could come to my boat and check it out and point out what we should fix/change...

thanks
 
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Jim Kolstoe

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Jun 5, 2004
209
- - Eugene, OR
Wow, thats a tough one. I recently met a sailor living in my area who told me that both he and his wife are legally deaf. He said that they don't participate in activities because of communication problems. It struck me as sad because he seemed like a real nice guy. Looking at your question, it seems that the software for dictating text into computers for word processing might be adaptable to translate audio radio transmissions into a laptop computer so that you could read it. Similarly, existing software used to generate the spoken word from written text could be used to transmit your messages. Have any of the local electronics wizards played with this?
Keep us posted.
Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,353
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
There's a legally blind couple now sailing around the

world, who have amassed a stunning array of new technology to help them, including visual and audio aids. I am sure that a judicious search on Google would turn them up.
 
Hermit Scott

Hermit Scott

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Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
I think you and your friends are cool too, you guys got some nuts to be doing what you are doing. It does pose a bit of a problem that you are all deaf, but this is not insurmountable. I can see you are determined to make this work someway, and that is the right attitude to have. Have you guys been out sailing already with out anyone that can hear aboard? I guess if I were you I would only be sailing in the daylight. That does kind of limit your long trip ideas for now since you are constrained by time.

From what I have seen the chart plotters that have a "world map" don't show any depths on those maps. I believe you have to buy the chip unless it comes preloaded with the data on one of those chips. Someone will be able to be more specific than I am about the particular unit you are looking at.
It sure would make it alot easier if you had one guy that could hear and could man the radio, but he would have to sleep sometime so...I am with Jim that you need some kind of speech to text device.
 
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tommays

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Oct 2, 2006
1,517
Jboat J24 commack
I dont thing its that big of and issue if you have a DSC VHf radio that is working and you really get into trouble you just have to push the button and it will call for help with your location ?


The cell phone coverage around here is good enough to TEXT for help


And if radio is the end all of saftey and allert then why do all carry flare kits ?


The GPS is OK but i only have a simple hadheld unit and paper charts and it is really better to learn with paper charts
 
Ross

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
The biggest problem with being deaf is you can't hear the answers. Calling for help is not a problem. Without my heading aids I can tell the difference between a lawn mower and a piano but I can't hear a phone ring.
 
sailingdog

sailingdog

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Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
I'd second what Tommays said, to some degree. A Navtex unit would allow you to get written weather forecasts and warnings. DSC allows you to call for help fairly easily, but the situations where you're not in need of a MAYDAY, are where things get a bit iffy.

The real issue is calling for information, like talking to a marina to arrange for a mooring or slip for the night or calling a bridge to get them to open when necessary.... these are things that you need to have radio communications for.

While I'd bet that you can get a small unit that will convert text to speech...the real problem IMHO is converting speech to text. VHF radio communications are often rather garbled, and not necessarily clear enough that even the best speech-to-text software could deal with it. Add the different voices and speech patterns you'd have to deal with and the task becomes even more difficult. For this type of communications, having a non-deaf crew member would be most useful and the simplest of solutions...

As for a GPS chartplotter... I would look at the 540, which has the US coastal charts pre-loaded, instead of the 520. The price difference is fairly minimal, especially if you consider what getting the charts for the entire Chesapeake would cost.
 
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