LESSONS LEARNED WHILE CRUISING by Jamie and Behan Gifford
and email software, the more frustrated
we became. We sought out help from
amateur radio clubs and experienced
HAM radio operators. This helped, but
with each gain in understanding, new
hurdles emerged. For example, while
in Alameda, California we spent hours
trying to figure out why we couldn’t
receive anything. We suspected RF
“noise”, but other boats around us
could receive fine. Finally, we gave
up. However, when we sailed out past
the Golden Gate Bridge, we turned on
the radio to find that we could receive
perfectly fine.
The second was that the Technician
license limits the usable frequencies to
very small slices of the spectrum. This
meant we couldn’t participate in some
of the radio cruiser nets or sending/
receiving email using the free services
offered by the Winlink organization.
Finally, in Banderas Bay Mexico, we
could test for our General class license
at a local club, allowing us to use a
broader range of frequencies. After
countless hours of trial and error we’ve
learned a good working knowledge of
our communication system. We simply
took for granted the ease with which
land based communications occur.
One Year Down:
Was it worth the effort? Yes, though
it would have been so much easier to
go through the process before we left
What We’ve Learned in Our First Year of Cruising
Puget Sound.
Probably because we’re now
Hard lessons and happiness sum single side band radio (SSB) connected literally sweating it out in the Sea of
up our first year of cruising. It’s been to a Pactor modem and laptop was our Cortez, we wish we’d done more to
a memorable path from Puget Sound chosen method and we already had the improve sun covers to keep the boat
down the coast and into Mexico. Our basic hardware onboard. This would cooler. We’re quite careful about sun
kids tell stories to whoever will listen allow us to stay in touch with friends, exposure to our skin, wearing big floppy
of breaching whales and snorkeling receive weather information, and send/ hats and using one gallon of sunscreen
in a cave filled with guitar fish and receive email. The problem was that about every six months. Keeping Totem
watching satellites in the nighttime the long list of preparations already covered and well ventilated is proving
sky. But memories are the byproduct underway and the ease of cell phone more challenging. Before departure
of cruising. Living everyday on a and internet communications along the we installed a new dodger with a hard
boat is what you make it. Hindsight US Pacific Coast, allowed us to slide top and soft sides. It offers excellent
has brought out details of things we on learning to use our equipment. In weather protection and versatility in
wish we had done differently, and an Seattle we got FCC issued Technician that the soft sides are easily removed
evolving sense of what brings safety licenses and a station license giving to increase air flow across the cockpit.
and comfort to the crew of Totem. us permission to get on the radio. We Our bimini and awning we knew to
As we prepared Totem to head south, were excited to talk to far off cruisers, be poorly designed, but thought they
we discussed and settled on a plan but quickly found complications that would get us by until we could come
for our long range communications. dampened our enthusiasm. up with something better. We’ve
Satellite phones have come down in The first issue was that the more figured out most details: it should be
price, but still exceed our budget. So, a we tried to learn the radio, modem, easy to setup, stow, and cover a large
48° No r t h , oc t o b e r 2009 Pa g e 30
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