Bluewater Sailboat Brick House Communications at Sea: Predictwind Offshore & Iridium GO or Sailmail and Winlink on the SSB

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Bluewater Sailboat Brick House – Communications at Sea: Predictwind Offshore & Iridium GO or Sailmail and Winlink on the SSB.

Communications At Sea/Getting Weather at Sea -Upgrades on Sailboat Brick House 2018 and 2019

The folks at SSCA enjoyed our article in Ocean Navigator a month or so ago, and have gotten permission to reprint it on their web site, with some minor tweaks. It tells of our communication evolution aboard Brick House…our change to Predictwind Offshore, using the Iridium GO satellite hotspot for email and obtaining weather at sea forecasts.

This article discusses how we have gotten weather at sea through our SSB/Pactor Modem utilizing the GFS Forecast model back when it was the only affordable method available, as well as Sailmail and Winlink to get our airmail email.

We then switched to Predictwind Offshore, and satellite communications by way of the Iridium GO. We discuss in this article which system is actually more reliable, and what system worked best for us crossing the Indian Ocean.

Read the SSCA Article On Brick House, on the SSCA website (may need to be a member.)

Here is a reprint of the article if you are not able to read it on the above link. But I recommend following the link because it’s laid out better there…and because you should probably think about joining SSCA anyways, if you aren’t a member now!

Communications evolution on Brick House: How two voyagers stay in touch from ocean to island

Published on 5/21/2019, s/v Brickhouse Submitted by Rebecca and Patrick Childress, originally published by Ocean Navigator Magazine…

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Ocean Navigator

Communications on our Valiant 40, Brick House, was once limited to a few methods. The most basic was the very high frequency (VHF) radio used for short-range communications to other boats and shoreside facilities. Single sideband (SSB) radio chat nets were used while underway and from remote anchorages to talk to cruisers at distances over the horizon.
The SSB radio, coupled with a device called a Pactor modem gave us the ability to send and receive text email messages through the software services SailMail and Winlink when the atmospheric propagation was agreeable. We had to train friends and family to keep messages short and without attachments that could easily overwhelm the delicate pipeline of radio waves. Sometimes in port, a hotel or yacht club would offer Wi-Fi, which would be usable on board if we could anchor close enough to the signal. Eventually we installed a Redport Long Distance Wi-Fi Extender on the stern arch so we didn’t have to anchor nearly on the beach.


Brick House’s radio gear: an HF SSB, a PACTOR radio modem and a VHF

 

 

The SSB was once the primary long-range communications device. Life on board was dictated by propagation tables that spelled out optimum connection times, calculated by the state of the ionosphere, and the distance between stations. Happy hours and barbecues were
abruptly interrupted as cruisers raced back to not miss checking into SSB nets or for their turn at being net controller, while others jockeyed for their turn at modem connections.


The RedPort Long Distance Wi-Fi Optimizer

 

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The following article originally ran in the March/April 2019 issue of Ocean Navigator Magazine
(www.oceannavigator.com) and is re-printed here with their permission.
Seven Seas Cruising Association – where cruisers meet.

To make sure both SSB/Pactor and voice communications worked reliably, monthly maintenance demanded copious cleaning of corrosion between the antenna, ground connections, tuner, radio and modem. But in those not-so-primitive times, it was our only option.

Growth of cellular

Over time, cellphone connectivity became more accessible because a forest of cell towers went up everywhere, even in the remote islands of Fiji. Competition drove prices down. Natives who lived in thatch huts would row up in rough carved canoes, handing their phones over, asking for a battery charge. At times, we had adventures hiking to a high pinnacle to get a signal from a tower on the next distant island.
In cruising Southeast Asia, we found cellular Internet had become even easier and less expensive. Communication between cruisers, businesses and those half a world away took a big leap forward. Our smartphone became a Wi-Fi hot spot for connectivity on board and the Internet handled all communications. The VHF, SSB and Pactor began collecting dust and rust.
Though Internet had become more accessible, there was often a learning curve to understanding the system in each country. Smartphones in the U.S. are often sold as “locked,” but cellphones internationally are mostly sold as “unlocked” and can use SIM cards from any country, costing only a dollar or two. Now upon arrival to a new country, it has become top priority to visit a cellphone store with phone and required passport so that we can leave with connectivity pronto.
We needed then, to learn how to put more “load” or “credit” on the phone — usually with scratch cards or by visiting almost any store — and then learn how to buy an Internet plan, usually by punching a series of numbers and pound signs into the phone. Every country has slightly different procedures and little gotchas to learn so as to preserve your data. In the past year, in almost every country we visit now, they have even come out with apps to automate the whole process.
From an energized cellphone, the beeps and dings of Messenger, WhatsApp and email notifications fill the air on board. The notifications are usually from other cruisers, so leaving the annoying VHF turned on and listening to endless impertinent VHF chatter is a thing of the past. SSB nets began their decline in Southeast Asia simply because everyone was connected by cellular, and SSB radios faded away for all but the most dedicated operators. Cellular remains the number-one most utilized communication method in port and for coastal sailing.
But when the Indian Ocean loomed on the horizon, it was time to get suited back up for long- distance remote connectivity. First, I should say, for a while in the remote Pacific, we did have an Inmarsat Satphone on board in case of an emergency. It was such an expensive communication device to operate, full of billing surprises, so we hardly used it. We knew this would not be an ideal way to cross the Indian Ocean, being reluctant to use it to get weather reports for extended intervals. We then made the single most drastic change that we have ever made to how Brick House communicates: We sold the Inmarsat Satphone to help pay for our new communication system, an Iridium GO Marine Package from PredictWind. This is robust satellite communications.
Switching to Satcom
We no longer use the SSB radio/Pactor setup for email or weather — ever. It has nearly gone the way of the cassette player or radio direction finder. We still maintain the SSB, however, just in case. If I were to put money into a backup system now, it would be to have a second Iridium GO. A cruising friend did exactly that but sold it three years later because the original one just never skipped a beat.

 

 

The Childresses’ boat is also equipped with an Iridium GO Satcom unit.
The installation of the Iridium GO was like any other electronic device: a 12-volt power source and an antenna on the stern arch. We mounted the antenna as high on the arch as possible to have a clear view to the Iridium satellites, and above the radar dome more than 6 feet from the wind generator to avoid physical and electronic interference. We had to empty lockers to clear the way to snake a rather monstrous cable through small holes without bending it. We permanently mounted the Iridium GO’s gray box near the chart table in a position that would not be in direct sunlight, not incur accidental splashes or bumps, and most importantly would receive a steady GPS position. The small hinged antenna on the unit not only turns the unit on but gets the GPS position as well — just not the Iridium satellites when the external antenna is attached. Many cruisers who don’t have the external antenna have to take the gray box outside and hope it doesn’t fall in order to get a semi-acceptable transmission.
The GO ships with a common automotive 12-volt plug for power. Since the GO is powered via a common USB mini-B five-pin connector, I cut the automotive plug side off and then hardwired in a Wagan smart USB charger. This device is powered via 12V, and then steps down and autosenses the amperage needed to safely charge each device that is plugged in to its four USB outlets, providing up to 9.6 amps. I installed a manual one-hour timer in the circuit so I can wind it up to charge, and then it automatically shuts down to prevent constant powering of the sensitive batteries.
It’s very important to update the firmware upon receiving the unit and watch for subsequent updates, as well as obtain updates for the GO software used on the devices. There appears to be nothing more to maintain aside from keeping the electrical connections tight and corrosion free.
With the Iridium GO and no-contract Predictwind unlimited data plan, we have easy access to impressively accurate forecasts using PredictWind Offshore. We are able to send and receive our emails as many times a day as we wish, at any time, in any weather, along with texts to our friends and other Iridium users. We have 150 minutes a month of actual phone calls. So now we can communicate anywhere in the world, anytime, whether it be with family or businesses here, or in the next country for marina reservations, to order needed parts or for technical support to keep our boat operating. We can even get a webpage if we don’t mind waiting. The system is somewhat expensive at $139 per month with an initial setup cost of approximately $1,000, but for someone with business interests, the system could quickly pay for itself by nipping a problem in the bud. And, of course, this is a tremendous emergency communication device.
Email considerations
Our email setup with the Iridium GO software is a little more complex than many users’ setup due to the volume of emails that we get, which is easily in the hundreds every day. Some people have an “at sea” address and an “on land” address, but we have just one primary email address that covers land and sea so we never miss an email.
First, I will tell you the two requirements that led to having the complexity (yet the simplicity) of just one email address.
1. I could not afford to miss a single email, large or small, because of having two email addresses, and I needed to have full capabilities on both my tablet and laptop whether at sea or on land.
2. I planned to shut off the GO service when I was in port, yet I needed to access/send/receive all emails that I had access to while at sea and continue to have that access on land — and vice versa. I needed one application on all devices to send and receive email from anywhere.
The solution? XGate software was installed on my iPad, smartphone and laptop. XGate does it all: connecting to the Iridium GO, the SSB/Pactor or to regular Internet, accessing all of my email and keeping it synced between devices. I can access both new and old emails on any of the devices in the same application with any kind of connection, on land or at sea.

The Childresses use the XGate service to manage their email usage.

I have all of my email forwarded to my XGate account — not my Iridium Mail account — and XGate then automatically transmits the short emails. It then sends a list of “large” emails to a folder called “BigMail” (in my case, I chose “large” to be larger than 30kb). I can then decide from that folder which emails I want to receive. I can do this from any device with any connection. I also set up a number of keyword filters to eliminate email that I don’t want at sea, such as Facebook notifications or Dell computer sales.
XGate email management options allow Childress to set the inbound email cutoff size and to mass delete emails.
Note: Some systems, like Yahoo, do not allow forwarding of all emails, and fetching is not recommended in most situations. I will provide a more technical explanation and solution to this scenario on my blog at www.WhereIsBrickHouse.com.
Unless you plan to leave the Iridium GO activated for long stays in port and use it regularly, you cannot access email in the Iridium Mail app or online since it’s only accessible by satellite. XGate not only makes my mail accessible by satellite or Internet, but it does it all in the same application. If two months of email are allowed to get backed up in an Iridium Mail address that can only be retrieved by satellite, there will be a problem. Iridium Mail offers no tools to remedy this case or any other problem, and Iridium offers no technical support, help line or contact information. Using XGate, however, I can simply boot up the laptop where heavy-duty XGate tools reside, and many of
the problems are resolved. Reparation at sea becomes quite plausible. There is even a human being on the other end of the phone or email to help since GMN, the makers of XGate, are actual human beings standing by to help. And, of course, PredictWind support is second to none, though your Iridium Mailbox is not accessible to them either.

There was something salty about the old days of anticipating a chat session with other cruisers on a schedule over the SSB and having little, if any, email at sea — just simple solitude. Sadly, everyone now seems to be glued to their cellphones, on the boat and on land. Cruisers sit at the yacht club, sipping wine, overlooking the anchorage, and all of them are staring at a screen. Maybe they are in a trance, gazing at my husband Patrick’s YouTube Channel.

Comments on this article and other technical matters are welcomed in the Tech Talk Forum
on the SSCA website at www.ssca.org. As a member, you can opt into this special interest forum by going to:
Member Profile→ Forums→ Forum Memberships→ Available Forums→ SSCA Tech Talk Forum.
Click the green icon to the right of the forum name to subscribe. When the pencil icon appears, click it to manage your forum preferences. If you have issues subscribing, contact Home Base at office@ssca.org.

Author: Rebecca Childress and her husband Patrick Childress have been full time, slowly circumnavigating for the last 12 years on their 1976 Valiant 40, Brick House. Having crossed the Indian Ocean last year, and spending many months off the beaten track in Madagascar, Mayotte, and the East Coast of Africa, they are currently hauled out in Richards Bay, South Africa while they do some maintenance on Brick House, while exploring South Africa and beyond by Jeep.

Last year, they began a Youtube channel
at Patrick Childress Sailing in addition to their blog at Where is SV Brick House?
If you’ve found this article useful, you’ll find more similar information aimed directly at sailors/cruisers
on the members-only portion of the SSCA website (www.ssca.org).
Seven Seas Cruising Association – where cruisers meet.

Mozambique Cyclone Sailing Tanzania to South Africa

 

Magazine Articles by Patrick Childress/Rebecca Childress in Sailing Publications

A definite decision : Predictwind

 

Indian Ocean Emergency Contacts for Sat Phone

There are new updates to the Emergency Contacts for the Indian Ocean.

Here is the new version..most important is SRILANKA addition.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

IERCC +1.936.582.3190. This is for nonemergency at sea for SAR and MedEvac with GEOS Safety Solutions…This is for technical questions, changes of phone numbers etc. Make sure you complete registration and setup with them BEFORE you head out to sea.

For emergencies, press the SOS on the iridium GO or in the application and they will be called. You want to have completed registration and setup with them so they know who your emergency contacts are, what you phone number is, the particulars of those onboard, etc. 

Here are other numbers to program in to your contacts on your phone/application. They should be verified. Contacts can change frequently, and while MOST of these numbers have been called by me personally to make sure that they go to a person and are the right numbers to use, do NOT rely on them without your own verification. I compiled these in late 2017 with updates in early 2018.

Contacts for RedSea Passage are NOT included in this list, primarily because I decided not to go that way. If anyone has the contacts BEYOND the Seychelles and wants to forward them to me for inclusion in this list, I can do an update to the list. If you prefer to send me a link, I can include the link instead. 

I hope this list can make life a little easier for you, for I never found one anywhere when it was my time to go. Again…verify them!!! I will not be responsible when and if nobody answers on the other Ned or new numbers come in to effect. This is meant to be only a guide for the information you should look for to have the proper information to store in your phone.  Hopefully you never need any of these contacts:

SriLanka

[Feb 2019] NEVER involve the agency in your distress call, or even for a tow. The agencies in SriLanka charge exorbitant fees, such as $1000 for a 3-5 mile tow…instead call Coast Guard or Navy:

Navy: +94262220045 This # is right in Trinco) +94112210000.  +94772530934 +94112212650 +94112466236 +94112212121 +94112212151 +94112212501 +94112212311 (These numbers are in Columbo or selsewhere…try them all til you get someone)

Coast Guard: +94412260265 +94412260268 +94412260267 +94412260312 +94412260752

Also some emails that may work:

Cofn@navy.lk

Cos@navy.lk

Nhqdgo@navy.lk

Comeast@navy.lk (Trincomalee)

Australia  +61 2 6230 6811 

India west  +91 22 24316558 &  +91 22 24388065

India east   +91 44 25395017 &  +91 44 25360342 &

+91 44 25363210

Andamans +91 3192 246081

Mauritius  +230 208 8317  &  +230 208 3935 & 230 208 5950 & 230 211 0839

Reunion +262 262 434343  

Seychelles +248 4610293  OR  +248 4224616

S Africa Capetown + 27 21 9383300

AUSTRALIA- Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre 

 

  Email: rccaus@amsa.gov.au 

Phone: +61 2 6230 6811 

——————-

INDIA- Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres:

Email  – indsar@vsnl.net (24 hour response time)

  • icgmrccmumbai@mtnl.net.in 

  • mrcc-west@indiancoastguard.nic.in

Phone – +91 22 24316558 &  +91 22 24388065

Eastern region – MRCC Chennai

  • Email enquiry response time – never
  • Information provided by Mumbai
  • Updated:  January 2013

Email – mrcc-east@indiancoastguard.nic.in 

  • isareast@dataone.in 

Phone – +91 44 25395017 &  +91 44 25360342 &

+91 44 25363210

Fax – +91 44 25395018 & +91 44 23460405

———————————————————

ANDAMANS region – MRCC Port Blair

  • Email enquiry response time – never
  • Information provided by Mumbai
  • Updated:  January 2013

Email – mrcc-ptb@indiancoastguard.nic.in  &

  • com_cs@dataone.in

Phone – +91 3192 246081

Fax – +91 3192 242948

  Website: www.indiancoastguard.nic.in

—————————————————————

MAURITIUS- MRCC – via Mauritius Radio – 3BM

  • Email enquiry response time – within a few hours 

  • Updated: October 2015

Email: opsncghq@orange.mu or ncgo9ps.mpf@govmu.org

Phone: +230 208 8317  &  +230 208 3935

Fax: +230 212 2770

HF/SSB:  DSC watch on all DSC Distress alarm frequencies –

2 to 16 Meg – to initiate contact

Use 2-16 Meg distress frequencies to manage an

incident

VHF:  DSC listening watch 24/7

Voice listening watch on ch16 24/7

MMSI number: 006459022

INMARSAT number:  464 500096  &  464 500097

Note: HF/SSB and/or satphone to maintain contact with a

vessel in distress during an incident. 

————————————————————-

 

REUNION – MRCC – via Mauritius Radio – 3BM

  • Email enquiry response time – within a few hours 

  • Updated: October 2015

Email: reunion @mrccfr.eu or 

Phone: +262 262 434343  

Fax: +262 262 711595  

HF/SSB:  DSC watch on 2Meg DSC Distress alarm frequency

only – to initiate contact

Voice watch on 2182 only to initiate contact 

Use 2-16 Meg voice distress frequencies to manage

an incident

24/7 voice listening watch on 2182 & 8291

VHF: 24/7 voice listening watch on ch16 

MMSI number: 006601000

INMARSAT number:  422799193

Note: HF/SSB and/or satphone to maintain contact with a

vessel in distress during an incident.

———————————————————————————

 

SEYCHELLES- MRCC via Seychelles Radio – S7Q
– Email enquiry response time – within 24 hours
– Updated: June 2011

Email: mrcc.seycoast@email.sc   OR   shipshore@cws.cwpls.com 

Phone: +248 4610293  OR  +248 4224616

HF/SSB:  No DSC alert service 

Voice listening watch on 2182 & 7696 ONLY 

Prefer email communication for incident management

VHF:  NO DSC listening watch

Voice listening watch on ch16

INMARSAT C: 466499997

—————————————————————-

SOUTH AFRICA – MRCC Cape Town 

  • Email enquiry response time – Immediate 

  • Updated: January 2013

Email – MRCC SA: mrcc.ct@samsa.org.za

Phone – MRCC SA: + 27 21 9383300

Email – Cape Town Radio: maritimeradio@ixmail.co.za 

Phone – Cape Town Radio: +27 21 5510700

Fax – Cape Town Radio: +27 21 5513760

 

HF/SSB:   DSC watch on all DSC alert frequencies to initiate

contact

Voice listening watch on 2182 via coastal network of

11 sites

Voice listening watch on 4, 12 & 16 Meg distress
freq (not 6 or 8 Meg)

Uses 2-16 Meg distress frequencies to manage an

incident

VHF:  NO DSC listening watch

Voice listening watch on ch16 via a coastal network of 27

sites

——————————————————

USCG Regional Emergency Numbers 

ATLANTIC Area SAR Coordinator

Commander

U.S. Coast Guard

Atlantic Area

Portsmouth, Virginia

Overall responsibility for areas covered by RCC Boston, RCC Norfolk, RCC Miami, RSC San Juan, RCC New Orleans and RCC Cleveland plus a portion of the North Atlantic Ocean out to 40 degrees west longitude.

(757)398-6700

PACIFIC SAR Coordinator

Commander

U.S. Coast Guard

Pacific Area

Alameda, California

Overall responsibility for areas covered by RCC Alameda, RCC Seattle, RCC Honolulu and RCC Juneau.

(510)437-3701

RCC Honolulu

(operated as JRCC with DOD)

Commander

14th Coast Guard District

Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawaii, U.S. Pacific Islands and waters of Central Pacific Ocean assigned by international convention (extending from as far as 6 degrees south to 40 degrees north latitude and as far as 110 west to 130 east longitude).

(808) 535-3333

Sector GUAM

(coordinates SAR under RCC Honolulu)

Commander

SectorGuam

Guam and other U.S. territories and possessions in the far western Pacific Ocean.

(671)355-4824

RCC USA

Boston

Commander

1st Coast Guard District

Boston, Massachusetts

New England down to and including a portion of Northern New Jersey plus U.S. waters of Lake Champlain.

(617)223-8555

RCC Norfolk

Commander

5th Coast Guard District

Portsmouth, Virginia

Mid-Atlantic states including the majority of New Jersey down to the North Carolina / South Carolina Border.

(757)398-6231

RCC Miami

Commander

7th Coast Guard District

Miami, Florida

Southeast states from the South Carolina / North Carolina border around to the eastern end of the Florida panhandle plus a large portion of the Caribbean Sea.

(305)415-6800

RSC San Juan

(Sub-Center of RCC Miami)

Commander

Sector San Juan

 San Juan, Puerto Rico

Southeast portion of the Caribbean Sea

(787)289-2042

RCC New Orleans

Commander

8th Coast Guard District

New Orleans, Louisiana

Southern states including the Florida panhandle to the U.S. / Mexico border in Texas plus the inland rivers including the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and tributaries.

(504)589-6225

RCC Cleveland

Commander

9th Coast Guard District

Cleveland, Ohio

U.S. waters of the Great Lakes, their connecting rivers and tributaries.

(216)902-6117

RCC Alameda

Commander

11th Coast Guard District

Alameda, California

California and Eastern Pacific Ocean waters assigned by international convention off the Coast of Mexico.

(510)437-3701

RCC Seattle

Commander

13th Coast Guard District

Seattle, Washington

Oregon and Washington

(206)220-7001

RCC Juneau Alaska

Commander

17th Coast Guard District

Juneau, Alaska

Alaska, U.S. waters in North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean

US offices that may or may not help.  At least they may be able to look up the right number or contact the right person for you, and speak english

(757)398-6700

(510)437-3701

(671)355-4824

(617)223-8555

(757)398-6231

(305)415-6800

(305)415-6800

(504)589-6225

(216)902-6117

(510)437-3701

(206)220-7001

 

Sailboat vs Tugboat: We prepare for a passage to Zanzibar, East Africa