# Atlantic SSB weather channels



## ughmo2000 (Feb 12, 2003)

Hi All!

Looking for SSB weather channels and Atlantic nets for a pond crossing, Bermuda to Spain. Course there''s the legendary Herb, but we''d like to have a few others as well.

Thanks in advance to those who may wish to respond.

Cliff


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## GordMay (Dec 19, 2002)

Radio Net Frequencies & Schedules

Follows an incomplete listing of Maritime Mobile & SSB Radio Nets. Please forward any suggested Corrections and/or Additions, and I will edit this posting:

Email suggested addenda to: [email protected]

Bahamas Weather Net: 7.096 MHz at 0720 EST
(sometimes on 3.696 Mhz depending on propagation)

Caribbean Cocktail and Weather Net: Virgin Islands-7.086 MHz +- QRM at 1645 AST

Caribbean Emergency and Weather Net: Trinidad-7.162 MHz at 0630 AST, 3.185 MHz at 1830 AST

Caribbean Hurricane Watch Net: 14.325 Mhz, 14.275 Mhz,
and on 14.175 MHz when needed.

Caribbean M/M Net: Virgin Islands-7.230 MHz - 7.240 MHz.at 1100 Zulu.
At 2045 Zulu (except Sundays), you can pick up the Cocktail and Weather Net, the afternoon version of this daily net.

Chubasco Net: Mexico West Coast-7.294 MHz at 1530 Zulu

Intercontinental Net: 14.300 Mhz -14.316 Mhz (changes often) at 1100 Zulu

Manana M/M Net: 14.340 MHz at 1200 PDT.
Covers the U.S. west coast to Hawaii

Maritime Emergency Net: 14.310 MHz.at 0400 Zulu and on 14.303 MHz.at 1800 Zulu

Maritime Mobile Net: 14.300-14.316 Mhz (changes often) after the Intercontinental Net and running until around 0200 Zulu

Mississauga Net: VE stations with relays. 14.121 MHz at 1245 Zulu.
Covers Europe, Med, Atlantic, Caribbean and Central America.

Mediterranean M/M Net: 7.085 MHz at 0700 Zulu

Northwest Caribbean Cruisers Net: 8.188 MHz at 1400 Zulu.
Covers from Mexico to San Andres Island, Colombia.

Pacific M/M Service Net: 21.402 MHz at 1500 PDT

Pacific Seafarers Net: 14.313 MHz at 0200 Zulu to 0325 Zulu

Panama Canal Connection Net: 8.107 MHz at 1330 Zulu.
Covers Pacific from Mexico to Galapagos, Atlantic from Belize to Colombia. / Emphasis on SW. Caribbean.

PST Baja California M/M Net: 7.238 MHz at 0800 PDT.
Covers coastal Baja & Calif.

Robby''s Net: Australia- 14.315 MHz at 1000 Zulu and again at 2300 Zulu.

Roy''s Net: Perth, W.A. - 14.320 MHz. at 1115 Zulu.
Gives wx. warnings & then covers boats in N & W Indian Ocean.
Then at 1130 Zulu, QSY''s to SA M/M net on 14.316 MHz.

S.A. M/M Net: South Africa- 14.316 MHz at 0630 Zulu and again at 1130 Zulu.

SE.Asia M/M Net: (Rowdy''s Breakfast Show), Phuket, Thailand. 14.320 MHz at 2400 Zulu
and on 7.085 MHz at 0030 Zulu.
Covers SE Asia.

South Atlantic Net: 21.325 MHz at 1130 Zulu.
Covers the South Atlantic.

Tony''s Net: Kenya-14.316MHz at 0500 Zulu.
Covers Indian Ocean & Red Sea.

Tony''s Net: New Zealand- ZL1ATE-14.315 MHz. +- QRM at 2100 Zulu.
Position reports from the South Pacific - Australia areas.

TransAtlantic Net: 21.400 MHz at 1300 Zulu.
Covers North Atlantic and Caribbean

U.K. M/M Net: 14.303+/-QRM MHz at 0800 and 1800 Zulu

Waterway Radio & Cruising Club (WRCC): 7.268 MHz at 0745 EST.
Covers U.S. east coast, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and occasionally the extreme northern Caribbean.

Australian Hailing: 8173.0 MHz USB at 0900 AST.

BASRA Weather Net (Bahamas): 4.003 MHz USB at 0700 EST

Canadaian Net: 14121.0 MHz USB at 0845 AST.

Caribbean Hailing: 8104.0 MHz USB from 0745 to 0815 AST.

Caribbean/Bahamas Hailing: 8152.0 MHz USB from 2000 to 2100 AST.

Caribbean Safety & Security Net: 8104.0 MHz USB from 0815 to 0830 AST.

Cruisehiemers Net (Bahamas): 8152.0 MHz USB at 0930 AST.

German Net: 8140.0 MHz USB at 0900 AST.

Panama Connection: 8107.0 MHz USB at0930AST.

Russell Radio: New Zealand-covers from Bora Bora to Australia / 12.359 MHz at 0830 and 1630 (NZ time).
and on 12.353 MHz at 0915 and 1600 (NZ time).

VAX498 - SOUTH BOUND II COASTAL - Herb Hilgenberg (VE3LML, VP9LM)
South Bound II, Herb, provides a daily ship-routing/weather forecasting service, as a hobby, on marine HF/SSB frequency 12359.0, starting at 2000 UTC until 2200 UTC or until completion of traffic. 8294.0 and 16531.0 are used as alternate frequencies as announced from time to time, subject to propagation

Scandanavian Net: 8182.0 MHz USB at 0800 AST and 16534.0 at 0900 AST.

E.& O.E. (Draft copy July 13/03 - No revisions)
Forward additions & corrections to: [email protected]

Regards
Gord May
[email protected]

"If you didn''t have time to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time to fix it"

Last edited by GordMay on 24-07-2003 at 15:08


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## ughmo2000 (Feb 12, 2003)

Thanks Gord, 

Quite the list. I''m sure it''ll prove useful!

Reguards;

Cliff


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

Cliff, here are some sources and annotated comments on what is actually used on a passage like you are planning:

First, will you have a way to download SSB RTTY or similar broadcast products? If so, that will be helpful as you do the Azores-Spain run. No one does that better than the Deutsche Wetter Dienst (German Weather Service). Download their sked for products and carry a small pocket dictionary to help with the terminology. Or you can write me at [email protected] and I can get you a word cross-over dictionary I made up. They offer a 2-day f''cast that reaches down to the Canaries from Ireland and you''d find it very helpful. They are *very* good.

Similarly, will you be downloading WxFax products? If so, first New Orleans and then Offenbach and the UK station (sorry, the name escapes me...) will be most helpful. Check Frank Singleton''s website for WxFax listings (use Google); he has a wealth of supporting info there. As with the DWD f''cast products, the hassle is that the HF rig has to be on and properly tuned, the computer booted up and the software running, in order for these to be accessed.

Both the above are not nets and so have the advantage of giving you direct info offered by professional f''casters and real-time images developed from buoy data, sat data, etc. If you use a net, similar info is just passed along via a controller so the above options give it to you direct.

Third, don''t underestimate the value of Winlink (the ham system) or Sailmail (the commercial non-profit marine SSB alternative) for providing weather info. The books offering Atlantic Crossing info seem without exception to make a huge mistake by not emphasizing the value of monitoring real-time wx changes and adjusting your course accordingly. Instead, they offer routing info based on pilot charts which, while statistically valid over an extended period of time, can be wildly inaccurate for a given season. Both 2003 and 2004 are exact illustrations of this potential problem. If in doubt, walk the docks when you reach Horta and look for the boats with the broken booms, snapped poles, sails being repaired, etc. and then ask them what routes they took. Invariably, they will tell you they followed the guides'' 38-40N routing advice and were not working hard copying real-time wx f''cast data.

From USA''s east coast out to somewhere mid-Atlantic, you''ll want to talk with Trudy (I''m sorry but all my refs are on the boat, so I can''t be specific but Gord''s list has Trudy''s Atlantic Maritime Mobile Net, I believe). You''ll need the wx f''cast regions the French use in order to use her relay f''cast but it''s worth having. Also, don''t overlook the value of HF contact with Bermuda Harbor Radio both as you approach Bermuda and again as you depart. These fellows are all professionals, have no fewer gizmos or sat systems than a major U.S. facility, and are good to work with. To my knowledge, all the other listings Gord is offering you are irrelvant...except Herb.

You will find almost EVERYONE uses Herb, it''s just that only a minority of them actually seek voice contact with him daily. Many just listen in since boats tend to be spread out and so it''s not too difficult to luck into hearing an exchange with a boat in your area. Personally, I think this is a poor choice for the individual skipper but it makes Herb''s overall service work better since he can become heavily burdened at times. Keep in mind you must do things Herb''s way, he offers ''advice'' that is biased on the side of safety (some skippers like more wind and more speed than he thinks prudent), and you are marrying a sked that is inviolate, no matter what is happening on the boat. You only have to cross short-handed (my wife and I did it alone) and manage a radio sked with changing wx conditions to understand this...but I think Herb''s worth the effort. The Atlantic run is truly ''his thing''. You will find it increasingly difficult to work him as you close on Spain, which is when you truly begin to appreciate the pro he is as a radio operator: he knows the prop paths and will patiently keep coming back to you, as long as it takes while still juggling the rest of his workload, to make a contact work. Just be sure your HF rig is in good shape and you know what''s expected of you; he''ll do the rest.

Hope some of this is useful to you and good luck on a good window!

Jack
WHOOSH, lying Ramsgate, Kent


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## ughmo2000 (Feb 12, 2003)

Hi Jack, 

Thanks for the information even if my thanks are a bit belated as I had left prior to seeing your message.

We made our crossing pretty much unscathed in what was undoubtedly the longest crossing ever at 28 days. 

We were a bit over half way when, due to hurricane Karl we were forced to turn back west then sit hove too for five days waiting out Karl''s tail winds. 

We still saw some pretty impressive storms. Top winds of 35+ kts and waves of 25''. Our only damage being one lower port shroud which we repaired at sea, blew one foresail and lost our engine and auto-pilot on the same day four days from Horta.

We did use Herb who stuck with us througout the crossing providing trememdous support and going well beyond as he contacted our families by phone to inform them of our delay. 

Thanks again and I think I''ll try my next crossing in summer though!


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

Cliff, congrats on completing the passage...and surviving! Did you send the update from Horta or from Spain? You did plow thru the Atlantic at a challenging time; glad to hear a Tropical Storm didn''t squish you too badly.

As you begin to share impressions of Spain, we''d welcome hearing them. We''re enroute there next season from the UK, either via Biscay or around the coast of France - not sure yet.

Jack


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## ughmo2000 (Feb 12, 2003)

Thank you Jack. 

Yes the crossing was pretty exciting at times. 

Regretfully I didn''t get a chance to experience much of Spain as I flew home the day after arriving. (our passage took quite a bit longer than expected) 

Horta was very nice though. We were there for seven days making repairs so we became regulars at Peter''s, among other establishments, and got to know the town well. 

I''d definitly like to return to the Azores and Spain someday when I have a bit more time to explore.

When you make your passage please do let us know your impressions though. I know I''d love to hear them.

Cliff


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