At 5 am in Tenants Harbor, I turned the weather radio on, for nostalgia. We relied on it for so many years that the unique background sound in the cabin is soothing.
Before the computer voice got to the forecast for my area, I had NOAA’s hourly wind strength/direction predictions and a complete analysis of the days weather pattern, on my iPhone.
These days, we usually have a strong cellular signal in our sailing grounds.
A glance at the tide charts on my nav. app let me know the hourly tide predictions, current direction and strength, that I’d have to buck at various points, heading up the bay.
On the VHF radio weather channel, I finally heard: “Penobscot Bay - Monday - Southwest 5 to 15 with gusts to 20,…High Tide at Bar Harbor at,….”
I like the extra weather data I receive from NOAA’s online forecast, today. But the VHF is primarily a communication tool on the boat for us. Or at least, it used to be.
Two days earlier, we followed our sons boat as it disappeared through a curtain of fog outside our harbor, and soon lost sight of each other(neither boat has radar). Our plans were to rendezvous at Dix Island for the night. We could have kept in touch via VHF radio. Except, our sons boat doesn’t have a VHF radio.
He had two friends onboard his boat(and his hands full). Curious how he was getting on - somewhere in the fog, I texted him this: “Are you sailing?”
My screen blooped with young Tom’s reply: “yup”
Hoping to get him interested in some simple piloting, I quickly pulled a bearing and distance off a well marked ledge on my iphone, and texted him this info:
“ We’re 0.3 NM off Porterfields Ledge, on a bearing of 214 degrees. Where are you?”
No response,…
I texted again: “Where R U?”
My phone blooped as he sent me (impatiently, I sensed,...) a screen shot of his boats location on his phones nav. app.
I hadn’t thought of that. I could see exactly where he was. I guess I got the lesson.
The wind died and as we furled sails and got under way by motor we discussed alternatives to Dix Island (neither of us wanted to motor there in the fog).
Mary Jane texted her brother: “Nix Dix”
Funny. I tried to imagine hearing that on the VHF. Nah, it only works in text.
I can't remember our last boat to boat VHF conversation, but I remember our VHF days, fondly(even fixing them).
Before the computer voice got to the forecast for my area, I had NOAA’s hourly wind strength/direction predictions and a complete analysis of the days weather pattern, on my iPhone.
These days, we usually have a strong cellular signal in our sailing grounds.
A glance at the tide charts on my nav. app let me know the hourly tide predictions, current direction and strength, that I’d have to buck at various points, heading up the bay.
On the VHF radio weather channel, I finally heard: “Penobscot Bay - Monday - Southwest 5 to 15 with gusts to 20,…High Tide at Bar Harbor at,….”
I like the extra weather data I receive from NOAA’s online forecast, today. But the VHF is primarily a communication tool on the boat for us. Or at least, it used to be.
Two days earlier, we followed our sons boat as it disappeared through a curtain of fog outside our harbor, and soon lost sight of each other(neither boat has radar). Our plans were to rendezvous at Dix Island for the night. We could have kept in touch via VHF radio. Except, our sons boat doesn’t have a VHF radio.
He had two friends onboard his boat(and his hands full). Curious how he was getting on - somewhere in the fog, I texted him this: “Are you sailing?”
My screen blooped with young Tom’s reply: “yup”
Hoping to get him interested in some simple piloting, I quickly pulled a bearing and distance off a well marked ledge on my iphone, and texted him this info:
“ We’re 0.3 NM off Porterfields Ledge, on a bearing of 214 degrees. Where are you?”
No response,…
I texted again: “Where R U?”
My phone blooped as he sent me (impatiently, I sensed,...) a screen shot of his boats location on his phones nav. app.
I hadn’t thought of that. I could see exactly where he was. I guess I got the lesson.
The wind died and as we furled sails and got under way by motor we discussed alternatives to Dix Island (neither of us wanted to motor there in the fog).
Mary Jane texted her brother: “Nix Dix”
Funny. I tried to imagine hearing that on the VHF. Nah, it only works in text.
I can't remember our last boat to boat VHF conversation, but I remember our VHF days, fondly(even fixing them).
