Jul 02, 2005 - 1115hrs UTC │Falmouth

1115hrs 02 Jul 2005 UTC Falmouth

[ed: From Alex’s sister, Isabella] Alex is currently up in London swanning around with the BBC. We had a fairly riotous night here last night which involved quantities of Pimms, Retsina and some totally disgraceful choc roulade. We despatched Pete off to Falmouth about half an hour ago with the damp washing we forgot to remove from the line last night because of the combined effects of Pimms, Retsina and choc roulade. And because Pete said it wouldn’t rain.

Alex will be back down there tomorrow.

He borrowed the attached photo from Mum in MaltaWhere Alex was born. Pete and Alex flew out there in June 2005. on the promise that she gets it back. So I have scanned it as best I can. It has faded from being in a frame, but I’ve whoosed out some of the scaggy blobby bits deposited by Mediterranean vermin over the years.

It shows our hero on his first FastnetFastnet Race: 608 mile biennial race from Cowes, UK, Isle of Wight, to the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland, finishing in Plymouth. Berrimilla took part in 2005 and 2009. race in 1961 and as you can see, the effects of a lifetime of alcohol have demanded their price. He said you might like it for the website and the FastnetFastnet Race: 608 mile biennial race from Cowes, UK, Isle of Wight, to the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland, finishing in Plymouth. Berrimilla took part in 2005 and 2009. section… no doubt the Berri Team is huddled in convocational planning of this important new area of the site.
Hope all’s well over there in the Calm Before the FastnetFastnet Race: 608 mile biennial race from Cowes, UK, Isle of Wight, to the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland, finishing in Plymouth. Berrimilla took part in 2005 and 2009..

[ed: back to Alex] The to-do list continues to shrink. I collected the liferaft this morning and the delivery sails have been fixed. The laptop is now talking to the radio and the modem again – phew! – but I haven’t managed to raise 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 there might still be a glurg somewhere. Given that the Belgian 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. station is just up the road by comparison with some that we have been talking to, we ought to be able to get them. The laptop problem was, as I suspected, a dud USB cable. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.

We are going to try to get the vhfVery High Frequency radio. Short range radio equipment for voice and other applications such as AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels.. radio upgraded to the new AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. system (cant remember what that stands for) [ed: see below for info on AIS] which means that all the ships we are able to see will appear on our new SOBSoftware on Board, from Digitboat – navigation software used by Alex for both circumnavigations. navigation package and we should appear on their plotters. It’s all done automatically via the vhfVery High Frequency radio. Short range radio equipment for voice and other applications such as AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels.. radio and it is one of the reasons why the big ships we met were no longer listening on Chanel 16. Big safety plus if we can get it working.

Present plan is to leave for Lymington on Wednesday or Thursday – earlier if we can. The Beaulieu regatta is looking a bit tight but still possible.

We have arranged a rendezvous either here or in the Channel with a friend who is taking a RYARoyal Yachting Association. A British organisation which represents the interests of those who go boating for pleasure as well as designing and monitoring training schemes; its membership is open to all boat users. training boat out to Waterford to watch the start of the Tall Ships race.
Should be fun.

Still some minor fixes left but mostly under control. Will send more photos when I manage to get all the bits together in the same place.

Malcom, good idea, I know someone who used to sail with them.

[ed: Thanks to Simon Blundell at digiboat.com.au (simon@digiboat.com.au)]
AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. – Automatic Identification System. Correctly called UAIS for Universal AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels..
a.k.a
VTSVessel Tracking System – Vessel Tracking System.
For the sailors out there who have been understandably concerned about the phasing out of compulsory monitoring of VHFVery High Frequency radio. Short range radio equipment for voice and other applications such as AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels..-16. The AISAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. technology answers our concerns.
Some links:
www.digiboat.biz/international/support/faq.asp#num121
 www.aislive.com
All boaters should be learning about this new technology. It is a bigger advancement than RADAR was and probably as significant as GPS (now we know where everyone ELSE is, as well as ourselves).