single handed to the Azores

[steveeasy]

Hi Guys
Ok please don't tell me I shouldn't be doing this or why am I asking stupid questions. Im going cos I need to, not want but need too. Mid june im setting off from Southampton to Plymouth. Then for my sins I am goin to sail(well hopefully to the Azores) and back in time for some cruising in the west country with my partner. I am prepping my boat and its going well. I am fairly confident in this and my ability to sail to the Azores.

However I know nothing about communication in the Atlantic and how to obtain weather forecasts. what are my options , Ive looked at Iridium and Garmin inreach . are these my only options. ideally id at least like to access predict wind or windy.com. I only need something for a month, not planning anything else in the foreseeable. id appreciate any advice.
Steveeasy

 

[Gary Fox]

Learn the basics, or a bit more ideally about predicting your own weather by logging temp, wind direction and strength, swell size and direction, and baro.
Can you get a mate to send texts?

 

[Adios]

Im going cos I need to, not want but need too.

Come on, you can't throw that curious bit out and not explain a bit more

 

[Bobc]

See if you can borrow or rent a Garmin or Iridium unit. It does help.

But as Gary says above, learn to spot the signs too.

The Azores are lovely.

 

[Stingo]

Just go for it, you'll be just fine.

 

[ratbag]

i want to go i dont need to go

 

[steveeasy]

Ok, whilst there is underlying concerns for the unknown, as others have openly expressed to me, Id actually like to make sure im in the right place to make the best of the weather whilst avoiding anything that might hamper my voyage. Can you rent iridium phones? I dont need to be in contact whilst at sea just access to weather. As for learning to predict the weather, This may well be something I pick up on route. Seriously will my mobile phone work for texts.
Steveeasy

 

[dom]

Hi Guys
.......Mid june im setting off from Southampton to Plymouth. Then for my sins I am goin to sail(well hopefully to the Azores) and back in time for some cruising in the west country with my partner. I am prepping my boat and its going well. I am fairly confident in this and my ability to sail to the Azores....

Hi Steve, what’s the boat, is it well set up, and what’s your experience offshore?

Weather routing will be important but it’s only ever a part of it.

No, your mobile won’t work offshore unless you have a sat link and learning weather routing as you go on a first is probably not advisable.

Got to say this, don’t sail to get away from personal problems or other daemons. They tend to follow.

 

[Gary Fox]

What kind of boat have you got?

 

[steveeasy]

i want to go i dont need to go

I am looking forward to setting off. Ive no real mountains to conquer. id in many ways rather sail along the west country with my partner , and who would not. that said, Im sailing to the Azores. When I get back normality can resume.
Steveeasy

 

[jdc]

To get forecasts I have found that nothing beats a grib file (downloaded as an email from a server such as mailasail.com) via Iridium. The Iridium equipment is rather expensive so maybe hire if your trip to the Azores is just a one-off.

 

[steveeasy]

Hi Steve, what’s the boat, is it well set up, and what’s your experience offshore?

Weather routing will be important but it’s only ever a part of it.

No, your mobile won’t work offshore unless you have a sat link and learning weather routing as you go on a first is probably not advisable.

Got to say this, don’t sail to get away from personal problems or other daemons. They tend to follow.

No nothing like that. lets just say I am very competitive. Its a Twister. Yes shes good. did the Jester in 2009 and ive fitted inner fore stay, storm Gib, everything is secure. AIS, windvane. Ive done some all night sails. No not much experience offshore, I wont enjoy cold nights and 20 min sleeps, id much rather stay in a lovely place and chill out in the west country, But and thats as far as im going on the matter. As for route Straight line of course dependant on weather.
Steveeasy

 

[Stingo]

Does your AIS transmit and receive.

 

[steveeasy]

Does your AIS transmit and receive.

Yes. installed Vesper vision 2 as its simple to operate and a good alarm to wake me up from my deep sleeps.

 

[steveeasy]

To get forecasts I have found that nothing beats a grib file (downloaded as an email from a server such as mailasail.com) via Iridium. The Iridium equipment is rather expensive so maybe hire if your trip to the Azores is just a one-off.

Ok, ive not heard of a grib file( Im not tech minded) but ill look in to that. yes Ill search and see if I can hire for a month. Had not considered that.
steveeasy

 

[steveeasy]

What kind of boat have you got?

Shes a Twister so ill be in very good hands

 

[Gwylan]

Do a weather course and get a recording barometer. The trend is your best friend.
But only if you can interpret the numbers.

 

[Pye_End]

Hi Guys
Ok please don't tell me I shouldn't be doing this or why am I asking stupid questions. Im going cos I need to, not want but need too. Mid june im setting off from Southampton to Plymouth. Then for my sins I am goin to sail(well hopefully to the Azores) and back in time for some cruising in the west country with my partner. I am prepping my boat and its going well. I am fairly confident in this and my ability to sail to the Azores.

However I know nothing about communication in the Atlantic and how to obtain weather forecasts. what are my options , Ive looked at Iridium and Garmin inreach . are these my only options. ideally id at least like to access predict wind or windy.com. I only need something for a month, not planning anything else in the foreseeable. id appreciate any advice.
Steveeasy

2 options. Satelite based, as you have already researched. An InReach can give basic text information, but not charts. However you can get text messages from somebody on shore looking at the weather for you. For charts/access to web forecasts you need a phone you can connect to a pc, or an Iridium Go (or one or two other devices). Possibly useful to have the means to phone cometimes, so not a bad option (though not cheap). InReach has the advantage of being able to ping a position for people on shore to see, and can be used as an SOS device.
Land based: you can get Navtex and weather charts for some distance. Takes time to pull charts in, and they may not be as clean as satelite. No idea as to range. Charts less so no doubt, as NAVTEX have more transmitters. R4LW shipping forecast will get you a couple of hundred miles+.

People do anything from take nothing other than a barometer, to the full works, so it is really a matter of what works for you.

 

[TernVI]

Once you're committed, 24 hours from a port, forecasts don't matter so much, because you can't avoid what's coming.
You don't need comms, it makes little difference, it's the ocean, you are on your own, away from society.
That used to be kind of the point of it.

 

[penfold]

Apropos nothing there still an Azores And Back race? Joining the Cruising Association will get you access to a lot of useful information for this trip.