• Ahoy and Welcome to the New SSS Forums!!

    As you can see, we have migrated our old forums to new software. All your old posts, threads, attachments, and messages should be here. If you see anything out of place or have any questions, please scroll to the very bottom of the page and click "Contact Us" and leave a note with as much detail as possible.

    You should be able to login with your old credentials. If you have any issues, try resetting your password before clicking the Contact Us link.

    Cheers
    - Bryan

Shtp 2012

Sea-me does not work with broadband radar

jfoster said:
Hopefully, nobody sell them any more. They were a good idea back in the day. With continuous transmitting low power broadband radar signals being put out by the more modern radars.... not likely to work....

Come to think of it do active responders like SeeMe work when your vessel is swept with broadband radar? http://www.sea-me.co.uk/about.html

AIS and a VHF radio ( those on the bridge are notorious for watching neither AIS or radar displays, but a call to their vessel gets their attention) might be a better way to go.

John
Blueberry
Click to expand...

Dear Mr Foster.

Thank you for your email.

I am afraid the current versions of Sea-me do not work with the broadband radar.

Best regards

Will
Munro Engineering Ltd
 
Broadband radar may be ideal for SHTP boats

The bottom line of the quote says it all. With the minimal power requirements and low price, what is not to like for the SHTP?

http://www.simrad-yachting.com/Products/Marine-Radars/Broadband-Radar/Broadband-Radar-Technology/

A TRULY DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY
Traditional "pulse" radars use high-powered magnetrons to generate microwave signals with very short pulses of applied voltage. The first solid-state X-band radar technology has been developed, which utilizes FMCW techniques.

Simrad Broadband Radar™ sends a continuous transmission wave with linear increasing frequency (hence the term Broadband). The wave retains its frequency as it travels out and reflects back from any objects. Meanwhile, the transmitter continues to output an increasing frequency. The difference between the currently transmitted and received frequencies, coupled with the known rate of frequency increase, is the basis for precisely calculating a "time of flight" and target distance. Since FMCW constantly builds up radar return energy (vs. a single pulse), this system provides target detection superior to pulse radars while transmitting at far lower energy levels.

- The exclusive technology and performance characteristics of Broadband Radar™ make it an ideal match for almost any vessel.
- Unparalleled short-range resolution and discrimination; an ideal compliment to large radar systems on yachts.
- User-friendly operation makes it an ideal primary radar for small to medium-sized vessels.
- Small size, minimal power requirements, safer transmission energy levels; the advantages of sophisticated radar for all boats
Click to expand...
 
MER-VEILLE as well as C.A.R.D will not detect CW radar

It looks like MER-VEILLE as well as C.A.R.D are unable to detect CW radar.

CW radar was in use on aircraft and in the military for years before it made its way into the marine market. Now that it has arrived, with a number of vendors now offering hat technology, the adoption may be quite swift.

It seems that having a CW radar on board may be a better solution than any of the radar detectors.

Things change. Try to cope. (grin)

John Foster
Blueberry, Nonsuch 22, sail # 48

Good morning,
The last upgrade of MER-VEILLE is only a best working of the acknoledge function.
We can't (today) detect continuous transmission broadband radar. We think power emitted is too low to detect classic radar and CW radar with the same device. These radars are also used for short range, and we are not sure it's a good way of research about a specific detector. In an other way AIS will become the major system in anticolision.
But your remarks are important for our thought.

Best regards
J.J.VIGNERON
Click to expand...
 
Jake,

I have a CARD system on Dream Chaser. In the 2008 Transpac I ran it a lot and it never once went off even when large ships that the AIS picked up were visible. In the 2010 Transpac I turned it on several times when I picked up traffic on the radar or the AIS and still nothing. I have picked up signals in the harbor with it but I don't think it's worth the power consumption (low as it is) while singlehanding.

I used the AIS Radar 24/7 in 2010. It even makes a nifty night light. It draws almost no power and was my primary collision avoidance method. I also have a new Furuno radar with watchman mode (works for a minute every 10 or 20 minutes) sounds an alarm if a target has entered the zone you set. I used this closer to shore, in bad weather and when I was South of 28 degrees to alert me to squalls. It worked great too.

If I had to go with only one collision avoidance/traffic alerting system it would definitely be the AIS Radar. Great little gadget. My other AIS receiver requires that my laptop is on to work and the laptop is a huge power hog.

My thoughts, worth what you paid for them.

John
Dream Chaser
Valiant 40
 
boat delivery - HI to Seattle?

Astolfo said:
I would love to do the shtp in 2012 and would like to start getting some budget numbers, where to get the qualifiers race schedule, and answers to the regular questions a first SHTP has. I am in Seattle and although I would love to sail it to SF and back from HI I can’t afford the time away from my job so I would have to get the boat shipped to SF and from HI back to Seattle.
Thanks
Astolfo
Click to expand...

Astolfo / Adrian,

I'm planning for SHTP 2012 and also have time/work constraints - interested in Boat delivery options to Seattle - anything you've learned and can share would be appreciated.

Mark D.
 
Mark,

I didn't learn a whole lot. Shipping the boat back looked ridiculously expensive, and I don't have a trailer, so my options seemed limited to either selling it in HI, having someone sail it home for me, or sailing it home myself. Since the reason I got the boat was to sail it, I chose the latter.

Actually, I did learn two things. Firstly, the trip home was not nearly as unpleasant as I expected. In fact, it was a lot of fun, and a great sail. Secondly, there are a lot of kooks out there who would be happy to deliver a boat back to the mainland, with or without the owner. I'm sure this forum is infested with them. Whether you should trust them I will leave entirely up to you.

Adrian
 
I too am interested in participating in the 2012 Shtp. I followed the 2010 Shtp as it was taking place and seem to spend most of my free time researching all aspects of the Shtp. My problem is that I am located in Tucson, AZ, and sail out of San Diego (mostly weekends and all of my vacations). I don't have any open ocean experience besides Catalina Island, Channel Islands and motorsailing up to Morro Bay last summer.

Friends have suggested that I crew on an ocean racing sailboat before attempting the Shtp, but I feel that it would be extremely difficult to find a position while I am in Tucson.

The positive things are that (1) I have a 4 year old boat (Jeanneau 36i) which I learned to sail on. I need a few big ticket items... SSB, extra asymmetric spinnaker, feathering prop, epirb, life raft, emergency tiller, and storm sail. (2) the Mrs has accepted the idea.

I want to thank everyone who has posted his experiences on this forum or on blogs. And I would love to hear any advice from Shtp veterans.

Tushar Patel
 
Tushar,

You need to be sailing your boat as much as possible. Single or double handed would be the best.

You need to sail your qualifier. The official SSS qualifier, the Long Pac starts June 6th You should be prepping your boat as if you were entering that race and then sail you own qualifier or join in with the Guadalupe Island Race down there.
I highly recommend one way or another you get very comfortable sailing your boat alone, single handed for a few days and nights. This will tell you if you like it or not. You should find this out sooner rather than later.
 
Last edited:
Hi Tushar,

First correcting a typo - LongPac starts July 6th (a brief Phil-induced panic averted). You probably can't be ready for that so consider a late-season qualifier, known hereabouts as the "LatePac." I sailed mine in October (2005) and it was delightful. Otherwise yes, PSSA's Guadalupe Island Race is the ticket, although it could be a little late as a qualifier for the 2012 SHTP.

Your ocean time is about the same as mine was - but I had been sailing/racing inshore for many years. San Francisco Bay in the Summer is pretty good preparation for the rougher parts of a typical TransPac. If you aren't comfortable tucking in a reef solo with the boat crashing along on autopilot, and then going back to your tea and crumpets, you may not be ready yet.

But you're in the right place - welcome to the fold!
 
Transpac Qualifier

Since when do you have to go on one of those organized excursions, such as LongPac or Guadalupe Race?

Just sail out from your home area the required distance and come home! At least that's the way it was when I qualified in 1984...shades of George Orwell!!!
 
Harrier said:
Since when do you have to go on one of those organized excursions, such as LongPac or Guadalupe Race?

Just sail out from your home area the required distance and come home! At least that's the way it was when I qualified in 1984...shades of George Orwell!!!
Click to expand...

Ken, I think you misread. We are telling him he DOES NOT have to do an official qualifier.
I am telling him to start sailing his boat single handed and start outfitting it.

I am in a similar place as Tushar. Although I have some experience I have a new boat that I have not sailed solo and does not meet the requirements. So what I'm telling Tushar, I am also telling my self. Get it done!
 
several of us are in the same boat. ie- have done the race, but have new boats that need to be prepared/ 400 mile qualified.

Adam and I are planning another "LatePac", such as we did last year. basically, a handful of guys will wait for a weather window and then head out at the same time, monitoring the same ssb frequencies. this will probably take place this fall or next spring. the more the merrier...
 
OK, Phil
Of course your advice to him is the same as I or most anyone would give. Learn to sail your boat. Become comfortable offshore.
Some of the earlier comments pushing such as the Long Pac and Guadluope Race elicited my comment. This is called singlehanded sailing. I don't encourage buddy-boating to get prepped!
 
I'll add my 2 cents. The first 4 days or so of the SHTP is the hard part. Very windy, seas on the beam, no sea legs (for softies like me), and you're really working hard to navigate, eat, sleep, sail the boat, and stay warm and dry. After that, everything gets relatively easy if you haven't broken something. So if you can do a LongPac or similar qualifier in windy conditions (don't pick your weather window) and afterward feel totally confident, then more than likely you're fine. But if you really want to be prepared, don't just do a qualifier or sail a ton of day sails with friends or even doublehanded. Do half-qualifiers solo, several times. Sail overnight solo from point to point, have a hot meal, pat yourself on the back, sail back again overnight, and pat yourself on the back again. You'll probably stay awake the whole time, and that's okay. Then do it again in lousy weather conditions. Then try staying alone on your boat for 5 or more days, on a coastal cruise, sailing both day and night, but not continuously, go ahead and anchor at times and have fun with it. Definitely try out a watch system--sleeping while sailing solo is eerie at first if you haven't done it before. Just don't do that in the shipping lanes! And have your AIS on. Get familiar with shipping, fishing vessels, etc. Get intimate with every part of your boat. Practice reefing, heaving to, change the headsail out of your furler in a seaway and hoist the small jib. That sort of thing. And have fun. If you aren't having fun, then that's a sign. If you're having fun, well, then you're hooked like the rest of us.

Paul/Culebra
 
That sounds like a pretty good training program. I had very little solo time on the boat before SHTP. About 2 days of an aborted qualifier, 5 days of the real thing, and a couple solo sails on Puget Sound and the lakes. I also had maybe 8 or 10 days of doublehanding, with one overnight trip. Next to that I had maybe 30 or 40 fully-crewed day sails.

The qualifiers revealed more about myself and the boat than anything else. I agree with Ken that there's something to be said about doing the qualifier on your own. Being on the Pacific alone felt like I was doing something very forbidden. There probably wasn't another sailboat on the ocean that day within a thousand miles (the Pacific Northwest coast in November isn't particularly pleasant), and the only people who knew where I was were most likely passed out drunk. Then I got the sh*t kicked out of me in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in what seemed like fairly benign conditions, stopped having fun, and promised myself I would never do the transpac. When it came time to head for Hanalei I was glad I'd had that experience, because I knew what the boat and I were capable of, and having other boats within 100 miles, radio check-ins and people on shore tracking me made it feel like a walk in the park.

That being said, LongPac (and LatePac) sound like a lot of fun...

If you don't have many opportunities to sail, do it solo, challenge yourself, do your qualifier early, and take lots of notes.
 
Hey Guys: What is the official word on a Qualifier? I am planning to smash my way out into the big pond for a few days. Its not practical for me to get to California to do some single handed racing. For anyone interested I had my Hobie 33 shipped back to Oakland from Oahu by Matson cost $3200 and that included shipping the trailer to Oahu. It was super easy and the people were great to deal with.
 
John,

If the rules haven't changed, it's 400NM nonstop solo, under sail, going at least 100NM offshore. I started out of Pt. Townsend, sailed out the Strait about 120NM and back. Tried to keep a nice log and sent that and the GPS track to the RC. Should be a little easier to get offshore if you make Victoria your start. The hardest part is timing it for good wind. I had to beat through the Strait both ways... Unlike Swiftsure you can choose when to go. It took me a couple tries to get a good weather window in October/November...

Here's a little description of my qualifier. It was way harder than the SHTP. The qualifier took me about 92 hours, and I basically went 110 hours without sleep. With a better weather window you could probably do it in 80 or so. If I were doing it again I would stage out of Pt. Angeles instead of Pt. Townsend, and just sail further out to get the 400NM.
 
I shipped Por Favor back after the 2010 Pac cup. I can pull up the keel so I paid less than the fixed keel boats. You pay by cu ft volume. So I paid for a package 8'x8'x40' this included the trailer tongue and mast overhang. There were about 20 or so Pac Cup boats as well as at least one SHTP boat so maybe we got a deal. It will be the same for 2012 as the Pac Cup starts on the 15 July. Cheers John
 
Qualifier

Hey Guys, I just finished my qualifier 453 nm and got m102nm off Leonard Island off Vancouver Island. Got to be the weirdest thing I've ever done. I managed to sleep and everything. I'll try to post my short story when I get it together. Had a crazy Kite run down Juan de Fuca strait in 25+ kn of breeze. Adrian I know you will appreciate that. Cheers Johnny
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top