Mother Nature Kicked our Butt

It does an overlay. It also shows vectors of where the storms/cells are heading and gives their speed.

I don't have a Garmin but have a software package called WxWorx ( http://www.wxworx.com/ ) and run it on the bridge computer but you could also run it on a laptop if you don't have a chartplotter that supports Sirius or XM weather.

Gary, bring me in to the 21st century. How are people getting internet on their laptops out on the boat these days? Is there a good, reasonably-priced solution when you are out of range from your marina's signal?
 
Dom,

Check the specs. Most open arrays are rated to at least 100 MPH winds.

Best regards,
Frank

OK...I'll look in the manual for specifics, but in the meantime I went to the Raymarine site and found this in the FAQs.....BTW, the answer is from Raymarine....

Question Can my new Raymarine open array radar scanner be easily removed, and if so how? In the event of a hurricane warning I want to prevent it from being damaged.
trnsp.gif


Answer To give you some insight as to the strength of the Pathfinder open-array scanner, I can tell you that the open array system was wind load tested to 100 knot winds in a wind tunnel enviornment. I really do not think the unit would be damaged in a hurricane from the wind alone. Flying debris is certainly another thing entirely. If you feel more comfortable you can lash the open array down so it will not rotate in the high wind.

If you still want to remove it, you should probably remove the entire pedestal and array from the boat, to eliminte any possibility of water getting into the pedestal were you to only take the array off.


Edited for update:

I checked the manual on line and found this...

Environmental Waterproof to CFR46
Temperature range: -10° to +55°C
Humidity limit: up to 95% at 35°C
Maximum wind speed for satisfactory operation: 100 Kts

SO, minus any flying debris (Hail included) 100 kts seems to be the answer....

 
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You don't need Internet access for the XM weather stuff... Is that what you are asking about? If you have an XM antenna (or Sirius), the weather data is piggybacked on the audio stuff so you just need a subscription and a decoder box to get access to it.

Internet on a boat is whole other can of worms. If you want to just use your laptop, you have to plug a cell modem into it... like this:

verizon_usb720.jpg


Verizon up here in the mid-Atlantic and NE seem to have the best network but that's another story...

If you get off the coast and want a cell signal, you can put an amp on your boat like this:

http://www.digitalantenna.com/prods/cellbooster_4KMR-30M_marinervrepeater.html

That's the one on my boat... works great. If you want to extend your cell connection to a wireless wi-fi boat network, you can get one of these:

http://shop.pcmag.com/shop/product/pcmag/32035997.aspx

There are different makers of those things.... so check around if that's what you want. Some of them will let you just plug in your cell phone if it is data ready. I do that with my BlackBerry.

If you want to get wi-fi from a mile away, you can plug this into your laptop:

http://radiolabs.com/products/wireless/wireless-marine-antenna.php

And there are more complicated systems that will hook to an outside wi-fi access point and provide that to all the local computers on your boat.

Oh yeah... you'll need an antenna mast with all these toys.
 
TT,
I'm glad you made it through in one piece with no damages. We all learn much more when get caught in rough situations. Just a few comments/questions:

- You had mentioning that there wasn’t enough fuel. How far was a closest harbor? How much fuel did you have at the beginning of the trip?
- Your 280DA has a radar arch, I would consider adding a radar. When I was upgrading my boat, knowing that I’ll be travelling by water only, a radar was on my “must have” list. It helps a lot in poor viz.
- You had mentioned that only with a help of compass you could verify your position/course. Don’t you have GPS/Chartplotter? Even on my 240DA I had two units (1 installed, 1 handheld) and 3rd (old handheld) as a backup. I don’t know what I would do without them in poor viz. or at night. If you don’t have one and don’t want to commit to an installed unit, there’re number of handheld or portable units that will do just fine. Investing in to good navigational aid is critical IMO.
- You said that you almost lost your dinghy as it was sliding off. what do you use to tie it on the platform? I use regular ½” lines and it’s fine.

Once again, I’m glad you guys are ok and you did a great job as the captain.

Regards,
Alex.

I left Greenport with a full tank. I went through plum gut and headed west following the north shore of LI. There is about a 60ish mile run along this point where there are no marinas. because of the rough seas, I was burning more than usual. When I realized I wasn't going to get around the storm, i had burned more than 1/2 tank of gas. Because of the seas, I didn't feel comfortable heading north to CT and get pounded from the side and because I burned more than half a tank, I didn't think I would make it back to where I came from. Port Jeff was only a few miles away when we met the storm. If only we hadn't run to the coffee shop before we left...

I do have a GPS, so I knew my position but it doesn't tell you very clearly your course when moving very slow and spinning around. To keep the boat pointed in the right direction, I had to use the compass. The burgee was also an huge help in letting me know the wind direction.

I never considered a radar before this weekend on my 280. I'm pretty much a fair weather boater and don't usually venture out in bad conditions. It's now on my consider list.

the dinghy is tied down using 4 1' ratchet straps. two on the front, two on the back. The only thing I could figure is that the weight of the water in the dinghy, coupled with the force of the cover acting like a parachute in the water (it was hooked onto the outboard engine) was enough to cause the ratchets to fail or loosen up enough for the hooks to come out of the D ring. Not sure though as they are at the bottom of the sound. I will be buying some different ones now. The front two held and I have a safety rope tied to a cleat so I knew It wasn't going anywhere far, but it sure was a performance killer the way it was. I had a knife handy to cut it loose if I felt the need to and it crossed my mind more than once.
 
I do have a GPS, so I knew my position but it doesn't tell you very clearly your course when moving very slow and spinning around. To keep the boat pointed in the right direction, I had to use the compass.

You can get a Raymarine fluxgate compass/heading sensor so your heading is not computed from the GPS. They are about $200. Of course when it gets rough, they get knocked out of alignment and you don't know which direction you are going. They were very popular on ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle I hear... hey... I think I MAY HAVE SOLVED THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE MYSTERY!!!!
 
I'm going to Bermuda in October to do some scuba diving on the wrecks....I'll be sure to check for signs of the fluxgate in their bilges and report back.....
 
Frank, what's the difference between ventilation and cavitation?
 
Cavitation is when vapor forms in a liquid because the pressure of that liquid falls below it's vapor point pressure. For example, if you pull a vacuum on a bottle of water, it will boil at room temperature. If a propeller with enough pitch it turned fast enough, the pressure on the forward face will drop because water can't flow into the evacuated space fast enough. If the pressure falls low enough, the water will vaporize. That's cavitation.

Ventilation is when the prop receives air from the atmosphere, exhaust gases, or gas from some other means. The difference is that the gas is provided to the propeller rather than generated.

Best regards,
Frank
 
Frank, what's the difference between ventilation and cavitation?

I'm not Frank but, ventilation is when the propeller sucks air from the surface of the water, (like a whirlpool) instead water from under the hull, and cavitiation is when the prop slips in the water and water turns to vapor causing bubbles to form and then collapse on the leading edge of the prop. cavitation is evident when you look at a prop that has pits in it.
 
If you want to extend your cell connection to a wireless wi-fi boat network, you can get one of these:

http://shop.pcmag.com/shop/product/pcmag/32035997.aspx

There are different makers of those things.... so check around if that's what you want. Some of them will let you just plug in your cell phone if it is data ready. I do that with my BlackBerry.

I use this Kyocera EVDO router with my Verizon wireless PCMCIA card and it works perfectly to provide WiFi internet access on the boat. I even share the WiFi security code with my dock neighbors so they can enjoy WiFi on their laptops too...
 
... with black canvas.
 
Mike,
Try going through your GPS settings and see if you have heading option. I was able to set it on my Raymarine SL530. Just like many of us I’m calm weather boater, but I love night cruising and that’s was the main reason I wanted radar.
If your dinghy was filled with water, I can only imaging the amount of extra weight you had at the transom. This was another time when having a small dingy was a plus.
 
Frank C, thanks for the explanation

Frank H, Don't tempt me, I'm vulnerable right now.
 
Frank C, thanks for the explanation

Frank H, Don't tempt me, I'm vulnerable right now.

Frank H's boat would have handled that storm like a sunny spring day....your GF would have been sitting right next to you sipping a cocktail while you made some final adjustments on the autopilot and rechecked the radar screen for any obstructions....Those big 'ol CAT Diesels would have purred and pulled you through the wind and current, all the time while sipping fuel from it's 335 gallon capacity fuel tanks with no worries of needing to refuel......should I go on?......feeling tempted?......:grin:
 
Frank H's boat would have handled that storm like a sunny spring day....your GF would have been sitting right next to you sipping a cocktail while you made some final adjustments on the autopilot and rechecked the radar screen for any obstructions....Those big 'ol CAT Diesels would have purred and pulled you through the wind and current, all the time while sipping fuel from it's 335 gallon capacity fuel tanks with no worries of needing to refuel......should I go on?......feeling tempted?......:grin:

Damn... maybe I should trade my boat in for Frank's.
 
Thanks too Mike. Frank answered, then you answered... Green balls for everyone.
 

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