dunedin
Well-known member
How slow do you sail? Would a decent 5 day forecast not suffice for Biscay crossing?
Who still has NAVTEX on their boat?
- Thread starter Koeketiene
- Start date
WindyWindyWindy
Active member
A changing forecast can really ruin your trip...How slow do you sail? Would a decent 5 day forecast not suffice for Biscay crossing?
I did it with a flat calm, but if the end of the trip were forecast to be a six or seven would you be ready, really, for an eight or nine?
dunedin
Well-known member
With Biscay you need to check the reliability of the forecast and the uncertainty / risk largely before you go. Once half way across pretty much committed and need to be able to take what comes if been over optimistic with the forecast uncertainties.
LadyInBed
Well-known member
On my last return passage a gale that was due to track further north and pass after I had got to France came in quicker and further SW. Luckily I picked up the forecast on R4 LW so prepped for it.How slow do you sail? Would a decent 5 day forecast not suffice for Biscay crossing?
GHA
Well-known member
imho weatherfax is way ahead of navtex for usefulness across biscay & easier to get with a portable system using a tablet & ssb receiver without having to unstall anything.
franksingleton
Well-known member
It really is a question of risk assessment together with your confidence in your ability and trust in your boat. If I was doing a 5 day Biscay crossing, I would have been monitoring forecasts carefully for a few days ahead. I would have been looking at the FNMOC probability forecasts. Also the ensembles available on Meteociel. If there seemed to be much doubt, I would be looking at shorter crossings, say to/from Audierne.
However, even with today’s forecasts, there can always be uncertainty. About 5 years ago, on a passage Lezardrieux to St Peter Port with a forecast F4/5 and a possibility of 6 with a slight hint of 7, we had several hours of 8/9 from Roches Douvres to St Martins LH. Totally unexpected. I think it was fairly limited.
BBC R4 is really a last resort in Biscay, French NAVTEX should have been more useful.
LadyInBed
Well-known member
That's where I was heading
It was my only resort, but now I have NAVTEX
franksingleton
Well-known member
There is, of course, Adlard Coles Skipper's Cockpit Guide - Weather - Franks-Weather - The Weather WindowThat's where I was heading
It was my only resort, but now I have NAVTEX
Obi
Active member
As mentioned elsewhere, leaving Santander heading back north with a clear 3 day forecast. 18 hours into the trip the Navtex alerted me to a severe change in the weather that was coming.
If I had not had the Navtex the many night hours of lightening striking south of me would have alerted me to the coming storm. That said, I really liked Navtex and would certainly be happy to have another one on my next boat.
If I had not had the Navtex the many night hours of lightening striking south of me would have alerted me to the coming storm. That said, I really liked Navtex and would certainly be happy to have another one on my next boat.
franksingleton
Well-known member
AAMOI, canyon tell us when that happened? At least, the year. We had a similar occurrence, but that was in 2000.
englishrobs
Member
Still have a Furuno nx-300 and a furuno gps. Still useful.
Graham376
Well-known member
Our ICS Nav 4 printing NAVTEX still working well although about 20 years old. Mainly coastal sail these days and it's handy for live fire warnings in Bay of Cadiz ranges.
mattonthesea
Well-known member
Navtex always seemed to be akin to Mornington Crescent to me. Everyone else understands it but all I ever got was gobbledygook! So much so that, after several hours of trying to make sense of the instruction book, I gave away (sold) the unit that came with my present boat.
Now a short wave receiver with weather fax...
Now a short wave receiver with weather fax...
Obi
Active member
Obi
Active member
I tried to connect up my laptop to my SSB for weatherfax and after several days of continual effort only managed to download blobs of light and dark. It was a bit beyond my ability to diagnose. So Navtex was a simple and easy alternative for me.
Gadget257
Member
With Long Wave BBC forecasts stopping soon and sailing outside mobile phone reception I am fitting one to my boat. Though have yet to test. On previous boats subjectively I have found the reception being poor in marinas but at anchor in a remote Lochs they work well. One day satellite communication will replace the service as the USCG has recently suggested.
LadyInBed
Well-known member
See my post #40. The NASA Engine and App works well.
In marina's, I download gribs.
RD60
Member
I inherited ICS weatherfax and short wave radio on new to me boat. what is best channel for this to work in UK as I don’t appear to get anything?
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franksingleton
Well-known member
NAVTEX is designed to work from the Fairway buoy out to sea. It is NOT designed to work in harbour. If it does work in port, that is bonus. The signal is deliberately low power in order to avoid inter station interference.
Roberto
Well-known member
As a number of posters mention French navtex, I think one should not rely too much upon it in the future.
La Garde transmitter in the Mediterranean has been silent for years now, Corsen (Channel/North sea) is periodically stopped, Corsen Atlantic uses Niton transmitter and for some reason has been silent during roughly the past year.
I sent an email to CROSS, the reply was "stations under repair, no service resuming expected soon", as the Atlantic area was covered by Niton on behalf of France and Niton UK service is active, station under repair does not seem to explain it.
I asked the Affaires Maritimes (+-MCGA) at the last Boatshow and they just talked about shift to NavDat (service which in he next few years should take over Navtex on the same frequencies).
La Garde transmitter in the Mediterranean has been silent for years now, Corsen (Channel/North sea) is periodically stopped, Corsen Atlantic uses Niton transmitter and for some reason has been silent during roughly the past year.
I sent an email to CROSS, the reply was "stations under repair, no service resuming expected soon", as the Atlantic area was covered by Niton on behalf of France and Niton UK service is active, station under repair does not seem to explain it.
I asked the Affaires Maritimes (+-MCGA) at the last Boatshow and they just talked about shift to NavDat (service which in he next few years should take over Navtex on the same frequencies).
