Feb 11, 2005 – 0434hrs UTC |A day in the life of the informal radio operation

0434hrs 11 Feb 2005 UTC 45’39”S 145’35”W Map Ref 57 3028nm

Alex: Our latest GribWeather files. Graphics in Binary file: GRIB files associate a specific weather datum (eg wind velocity or atmospheric pressure) with a geographic position. Because the resulting file is a collection of these points they are extremely small and so ideal over slow links such as sailmail. weather download indicates it’s going to be a bit iffy down around 50S in a couple of days with a 40-50kt front coming thro. so we are deliberately allowing Berri to ride the prevailing SW wind up to about 45S else we’ll end up a bit like Pete’s left nut. We will try and run along 45 until it seems appropriate once again to descend. Unglam and cautious and pathetic, youse may say, but then youse didn’t see the nut. It means we’ll log a few extra miles. so we’ll have to ration medical supplies, Shokko – happy new boat.

A day in the life of the informal radio operation: difficult to write about because it has no structure. It does, however revolve around mail call from Steve with all your messages – the high point of the day. At the moment, this occurs around midnight our local time which is now about 5 hours ahead of Oz and a day behind. The informal radio day consists of writing dollops of this nonsense during the intervals between skeds, sleep, sail changes, turbineAcquair turbine, consisting of a generator which hangs from the pushpit, 40 metres of line, and a towed 1-metre long metal impeller. checks and weeding the garden and monitoring the radio propagationIn the logs, this refers to the radiation of signal energy and is customarily qualified by the words abysmal, ratshit or lousy application that comes with SailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service. to pick times when we have a reasonable chance of sending out stuff to Steve in the shortest possible transmission interval. Very tricky at the moment – extreme range and poor propagationIn the logs, this refers to the radiation of signal energy and is customarily qualified by the words abysmal, ratshit or lousy anyway mean that transmission speeds are truly snail like and we are always close to our sailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service. limit. We also get our gribWeather files. Graphics in Binary file: GRIB files associate a specific weather datum (eg wind velocity or atmospheric pressure) with a geographic position. Because the resulting file is a collection of these points they are extremely small and so ideal over slow links such as sailmail. weather via sailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service. and so we have to fit a gribWeather files. Graphics in Binary file: GRIB files associate a specific weather datum (eg wind velocity or atmospheric pressure) with a geographic position. Because the resulting file is a collection of these points they are extremely small and so ideal over slow links such as sailmail. request and the gribWeather files. Graphics in Binary file: GRIB files associate a specific weather datum (eg wind velocity or atmospheric pressure) with a geographic position. Because the resulting file is a collection of these points they are extremely small and so ideal over slow links such as sailmail. file download into our 10 minutes as well. If you are interested in things gribby, go to www.sailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service..com and look it up – there’s a good search function. Very useful facility and works via satphone too if you have the data capable handset. SailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service. also comes with a weatherfax program and we try to get two S Pacific MSLP analysis faxes a day from VMC at Charleville and two from NZ Metservice. These are broadcast at scheduled times and are really part of the formal day. Weatherfax doesn’t require a connection to sailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service., so it doesn’t count as part of our daily 10 minutes. The whole operation, formal and informal, is controlled by by the laptop and its single USB connection to the HFHigh Frequency – usually refers to HF radio which is long range digital radio that Berrimilla used to send all but a few of the logs on both circumnavigations. The radio was connected via a Pactor 3 digital modem to Alex’s laptop and used the Sailmail software application called Airmail to send emails and pull in emails, weather and GRIB files. Airmail also supports Iridium satellite telephone messaging and Alex used this as backup when the HF radio died approaching England. radio and GPS and the Software on Board navigation application. I have a backup laptop but if the USB multiport device fails, we’re back to voice. We take very good care of it, but it’s damp and often quite wet very close to all the sensitive gizmology so fingers crossed. The conePlastic roll-down curtain to protect nav table /instruments from water of silencePlastic roll-down curtain to protect nav table /instruments from water (a heavy plastic curtain that drops across the nav table and its goodies) is looking better and better as we get further out.

Today we are one calendar month out from Hobart. There will be a ‘tiny milestone’ level celebration when we are both awake.

I have just changed the turbineAcquair turbine, consisting of a generator which hangs from the pushpit, 40 metres of line, and a towed 1-metre long metal impeller. – now using the fine pitch one – and, with lots of fondling of the nearest wood, I think we may have a solution to the chafe problem. Good old duct tape to the rescue once again – at the last check pullout, I wrapped a couple of layers around the contact area of the tow line and tied the knot-- Speed: definition of speed at sea. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. The nautical mile is about 1.15 % longer than the "statute" mile used on land. A knot is about half a metre per second. -- A knot is also the result of winding a rope around itself or another rope to make a join or a loop . (and we always tape the bitter end of the line at each end-knot-- Speed: definition of speed at sea. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. The nautical mile is about 1.15 % longer than the "statute" mile used on land. A knot is about half a metre per second. -- A knot is also the result of winding a rope around itself or another rope to make a join or a loop . back to the line itself around the knot-- Speed: definition of speed at sea. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. The nautical mile is about 1.15 % longer than the "statute" mile used on land. A knot is about half a metre per second. -- A knot is also the result of winding a rope around itself or another rope to make a join or a loop . , which stops it flailing) and the line came in more or less unmarked after a couple of days. Next check should confirm. Also have a new method for pulling it in and getting rid of the Gordian gigatwist problem. First, put gloves on. No compromise, put them on. Then stop the generator shaft rotating with one hand while other hand or other person undoes towline from gen. shaft. Pull in the turbineAcquair turbine, consisting of a generator which hangs from the pushpit, 40 metres of line, and a towed 1-metre long metal impeller. using both hands while allowing the free end of the line to trail behind the boat and the twists from the still turbineAcquair turbine, consisting of a generator which hangs from the pushpit, 40 metres of line, and a towed 1-metre long metal impeller. powered end to unwind through your glove and down the trailing part. Trick is not to let go… Best to pass the line through a loop of some sort attached to the pushpitThe railing around the deck at the stern of a yacht. before starting the exercise. First time seemed quick and easy but using the coarse (so slow rotating) turbineAcquair turbine, consisting of a generator which hangs from the pushpit, 40 metres of line, and a towed 1-metre long metal impeller.. Fast one may be harder – watch this space. More on yesterday’s little mystery later.

Hi Judy – glad you like it. Sonia too? Please convey G’day to the UoW team and the VC members – ta and mtfbwy..