Our Single Side Band radio (SSB) can send and receive over long distances. This allows us to tap into weather information wherever we are. We can also connect it up to our laptop to send and receive emails and other forms of weather information. Different frequencies give various ranges and we pick the most suitable frequency for communicating with a particular station.

Format: Text & Grib Files

We can send and receive simple emails via our HF/SSB radio. We use Saildocs to request an email containing either text weather information or simple wind strength charts called Grib Files. The data contained in these emails comes from several sources.

For  Caribbean and Western Atlantic we use NOAA text forecasts and weather discussions:

AMZ087: Caribbean Sea 7N-22N 55W-65W

Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion

Southwest North Atlantic

Grib Files are ordered for any area we require using the latitude and longitude.

Format: Charts

Using the SSB and decoding software called Mscan Meteo we can receive a faxed image of the weather chart, a weatherfax. The main stations sending these are New Orleans in US, and Northwood in England.

Times UT:

Source:

Frequencies:

0000, 0600, 1200, 1800

NMG Weatherfax (New Orleans)

4316Khz / 8502Khz / 12788Khz

Format: Text

We can receive the NOAA Navtex from San Juan (Puerto Rico) & Miami stations, but the range is quite limited.

Times UT San Juan:

Times UT Miami: 

Frequencies:

1000, 1400, 1800

1200, 1600, 2000

518

Format: Verbal

We can receive the verbal offshore forecast. For western Atlantic use NOAA, for eastern Atlantic French Meteo.

Times UT:

Source:

Frequencies:

0930, 1530, 2130

NOAA NMG/NMN Verbal Offshore (Chesapeake)

4426Khz / 6501Khz / 8764Khz / 13089Khz / 17314Khz

Format: Verbal

A respected amateur forecaster in Canada who broadcasts the weather and routeing advice each afternoon/evening to boats on passage in the Atlantic.

Times UT:

Frequencies:

2000

12359Khz

Format: Verbal

Eric is a cable TV weatherman in Trinidad and he gets up every weekday morning to broadcast to sailors the NOAA weather forecast for the Caribbean, together with his own spin on it. So, der you go!

Times AST:

Frequencies:

0630 (1030UT)

3855Khz

Format: Verbal

Chris Parker broadcasts out of the British Virgin Islands. He provides a verbal forecast for the Caribbean and will give more detail on local weather to sponsoring (paying) vessels.

Times AST:

Frequencies:

0830 (1230UT)

8104Khz

CRUISER SSB NETS

Format: Verbal

For long passages you will often find that a cruiser net has already been established and that you are welcome to join it. The ARC set up SSB nets but as we departed after everyone else we did not participate. Instead we joined a net run by the American S/V Peace & Aloha. We'd like to thank Ellen on Peace and Aloha for running this net across the Atlantic, giving us a sense of security and companionship while alone in a big ocean. We'd also like to thank all the boats who relayed those vital Herb forecasts that we could not hear.

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