Garmin Inreach Explorer

Hi Cap'n

Great bit of kit. We used an inReach SE+ for a recent UK - Canaries - Azores trip. Once set up, it is relatively simple to use. Worth getting it working with the Garmin Earthmate app on a tablet, as this makes much easier to send / receive messages and request weather forecasts. The spot weather forecasts we got while on passage were pretty accurate. One tip, check the default tracking interval is set to a reasonable interval (i.e. not minutes), otherwise this can ending up costing a bit, depending on the subscription plan you've opted for.

By the way, thanks again for your help and advice while we were in the Canararies and the tips on where to visit in the Azores, which we loved.
 
Brill, thanks for all that.

Good to know you enjoyed the Azores too!

Leaving here in Lanzarote around 21st January. Heading for Panama City. As you do! ;)

Hence thinking about the Garmin kit. Sounds good, will go for it. :encouragement:
 
I used the original inreach when working on a small cruise ship out of Oban, it kept me in touch when we were out at St Kilda, and some of the smaller islands that didn’t have cellular coverage. It worked well.
 
We used one on a transat last year, set up to send a position report every day 30 minutes or so. Great for letting folks know where you are and staying in touch. You can post to FB or other social media, simple messages only. You can also send and receive text messages to email or mobile accounts.
Easiest to pair the Inreach to a smart phone or tablet as the app is much easier to use than the Inreach itself. Number of texts and so on set by the subscription you sign up to.
We found that having it set up where it had only a single thickness of grp between it and the sky was fine, any more grp,than that and it lost the signal completely.
Good bit of kit.
 
Had one since 2014. We turn it on to the full subscription for ocean crossings so you have unlimited texts for a month. We usually ask a sailing friend to keep us up to date with weather developments rather than use the weather facility on the Inreach. We have sent/received 9000 messages. Great to be able to keep in touch with friends and family any time of the day.
 
Hi ... have used one on numerous Ocean Passages , great piece of kit , on one passage we did 2000 texts from it between us all for $80 on the unlimited .. like previous I get a reliable mate to weather watch for me and keep me updated .... I am using this and a satphone with prepaid minutes this January on a solo from Panama across the Pacific to Australia ?? and this would be the unit of choice if I had to leave one behind , sat phone is for a bit of sanity if needed ....
 
I have the Old Delorme inreach, got it for an Atlantic circuit, Fantastic bit of kit, apart from an extra backup GPS position/emergency beacon, it was really useful to keep in touch at low cost, being a skin flint i always kept to the lowest tarif but that was enough, i liked the fact that you can pre-set 5 messages that you could use unlimited no need for tracking points switch it on once a day and send a preset ,and do other people really need to know your position more than once a day?. Another preset for safely arrived, another to request weather from my router(cheers pops) and obviously one to send in the cavalry. I never went over my quota of i think it is 10 messages(not preset) a month and we sailed 15,000 miles. You just need to sync the thing with a computer to arrange all your presets and receipients whilst you have connection on land. My only tiny complaint is that if it could send a little more content per text. Apart from that an economic useful piece of kit.
 
I'm struggling to work out what level of information you get with the premium marine weather forecasts. Does anyone have an idea?
 
Sandy said:
Let us know how you get on with it.
Click to expand...

Sure, its certainly sounding good. ^^ :)

Ive used the Iridium bit of it before on a few trips but the Iridium Go hardware is double the cost. Im helping the Owner to keep expenses down as much as possible.

Main contact will be Mrs Sensible. She has 4 transats under the keel and has weather routed for me before a good bit too. Big bonus Im hoping will be time saving to get through the Canal. Last time I did it, we had a few comms problems with an absent owner and had to hang around for 12 days to get through. My plan is to get there via Cape Verdes and St Lucia. When I leave St. L. she can get the ball rolling on the Transit by booking us into Shelter Bay with a reasonable arrival date and hopefully get an agent ready to rock on our arrival. Plus book her flight to join us there and 'do the canal'. ;)

Unusually Ive got a few weeks to prep the yacht, plus a very nice owner on board. My other two crew are raring to go so touch wood, all the parts are starting to join up.

Yay!
 
I am in Shelter Bay now , go to guy here is Rogelio , he doesnt charge like the others for lines for the canal and fenders , that saves you $150 to $200 , total for me at 49.2 feet was $1350 .... date booked and measurement done on the day booked :)
 
Budgieboy said:
I am in Shelter Bay now , go to guy here is Rogelio , he doesnt charge like the others for lines for the canal and fenders , that saves you $150 to $200 , total for me at 49.2 feet was $1350 .... date booked and measurement done on the day booked :)
Click to expand...

Great tip, ta! Is the Brit guy still the marina manager? Have noted agent name and will use that in email as we get near in a few weeks. Considering getting Mrs S over a day or two early so she can organise it all ...um something she excels at! And stay in the hotel there.

At other end, well worth a night or two on the mooring buoys at Balboa Yacht Club. Bonkers, not really a yacht club at all, open air social would describe it more. Good dock for diesel and water but tide is very strong. Easy peasy water taxi. One of my fave places.

Good luck with the transit. Watch out big time on the last lock at Miraflores. The water absolutely backs, eddies and goes wild as the last gate opens. Then hi ho Pacific. Will be late afternoon. But what a thrill! Hope it all goes OK for you.

Oh yeah, its five o'clock somewhere!! :encouragement:
 
Last edited:
No John the Marina Manager left Shelter Bay a month ago , he now runs Club Nautico in Cartagena Colombia , I spent a few months there before coming down here , things are all good here all the same , management are well on the ball .... its very nearly 5 O'clock :)
 
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