# SPOT MESSENGER - Tracking Wild Goose



## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

We have been using our SPOT tracker on our trips this summer. It is really a neat little gadget, especially for the money. It uses Globalstar's satellite system to relay a GPS position every 10 minutes or so and then sends the location - with a link to Google Maps - It misses a few transmits, but overall it has proven to be a great way to let family and friends know where you are.

We are leaving New York Harbor today and will have our SPOT messenger on. We are heading ultimately for North Carolina, and we may decide to go via Delaware Bay. For Sailnet friends....if you would like to watch our progress and see how the SPOT works, you can go to this site and see where we are:

VIEW OUR PROGRESS ON THE SPOT TRACKER
*(*note: The SPOT Tracker "share page" only displays the SPOT messages for the prior 24 hours. Since the trip has been completed, the page will show no positions)*

Just follow this link to see my Wild Gooses' location updates:

go to guest link
If the link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it to your browser's address bar.


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## turfguy (Oct 24, 2007)

I just looked at your progress. Pretty Kewl!!! I have been following your posts and your trip for a while and I envy you. I hope to do a trip like that one day. Thanks for sharing so many nice details. I am originally from the area you are near now--North Jersey. Safe Sailing to ya!!
turf


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Thanks for the link Pam! Looks like a little bit of north wind today may help you get south before the southerlies set back in and make it uncomfortable. Seas are down a bit from yesterday's forcast so hopefully the rolling won't be too bad but Bertha is still out there making waves! Safe trip!!


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## adewall (Oct 18, 2002)

Thanks for your post and, especially, for sharing your tracking page. I had been considering the SPOT myself, as my old EPIRB has become extinct. I'll be interested in learning more about your experience with it. From what I can see, the unit is very impressive.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

PamTrav,
A great link and test drive. I think Spot is going to be popular. Thanks.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Pamlicotraveler said:


> ... It misses a few transmits...


Great track Wish mine worked like that...At 59 North it misses about 80% of the transmits. I subscribed for the full tracking service, won't be doing that again at least while I live here. Last time I used it I got 4 blips for 6 hours of sailing.... Although it does get the message out _eventually_ and therefore the check-in, help and 911 functions will work. One major advantage over an EPIRB besides its small form is its ability to function over extended time periods. Where as an EPIRB is dead in 48-72 hours according to SPOT this thing can send out maydays for almost a year...
I carry it on hikes, hunting and fishing trips. Can't say I would consider hauling my 406 around like that!!!


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

I got to get me one of those.


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

Guess Pamlico skipped the Delaware Bay  I don't blame them. Now the one thing I really don't like about the SPOT is showing - it will only show a maximum number of points as opposed to the entire trip. Pamlico started in New York and on the SPOT page the first entry is just northeast of Atlantic City. Yesterday it showed the true start. It's still cool technology though... and hopefully the interface will mature.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

I am a fan of the Spot device.
Tracked a buddy on a three hundred mile trip and it worked as advertised.
Very fun and useful tool.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I'm about to wave to them as they go by...but I don't think they can see me even with good binocs!  They are making great progress but now need to start making a move in shore as the Stream is close in on Hatteras right now and they don't want to buck that. Some small but intense squalls are moving up off the coast and a big line of T-storms is moving in from the West....will be an interesting day with 15-20k on the nose from the south, a 6 ft. easterly swell from Bertha and then the squalls.


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## Livia (Jul 20, 2006)

If they both use satellites, does anyone know the reason that spot works primarily coastally while epirbs work in the middle of the ocean? Is it because Spot only uses private satellites vs. military?


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

Cam - I think they heard you.


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## denverd0n (Jun 20, 2008)

Livia said:


> Is it because Spot only uses private satellites vs. military?


Exactly right.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Livia-

They're both using satellites, but not the same satellites.  EPIRBs use two different types of satellites, some in geosynchronous orbit and others that are not. See this *page *for EPIRB satellite system details.

The Spot Messenger system uses the Globalstar system of satellites... which has some problems with coverage and reliability.  Not having any geosynch orbit satellites, they don't have the near world wide coverage that the COPSAS/SARSAT system does.

A private company could do what COPSAS/SARSAT has in terms of satellite coverage, for instance, INMARSAT could... but none have.


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## hphoen (Apr 3, 2003)

I plugged a few of their position reports on a chart of the Gulf Stream. Looks like they may have seen their SOG take a nose dive compared to boatspeed, and hung a right to avoid the current.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Not to hijack this thread, but I see West Marine has them for $149.00 and 50% of your first years subscription of Basic service and the optional tracking service at $24.99 the first year? So for $225.00 you get the full package, SPOT device included?


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## adewall (Oct 18, 2002)

hphoen said:


> I plugged a few of their position reports on a chart of the Gulf Stream. Looks like they may have seen their SOG take a nose dive compared to boatspeed, and hung a right to avoid the current.


My guess is that they're making for Oregon Inlet and back "home" to Pamlico Sound.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Oregon Inlet is pretty iffy for deep draft sailboats and my guess is that with the wind our of the south...they have simply tacked out to the stream and are now headed back inshore at a better angle as they have a rather narrow nook between the shoals of Hatteras and the Stream to thread.


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## adewall (Oct 18, 2002)

Right you are, Cam - I see that they're already at Cape Hatteras. I think that I definitely need to get my own SPOT tracker!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

They've made great progress. This weekend the winds were very light to non existent off of New Jersey out for about 20 miles. With the large swells they would have flopped around a lot. I'm guessing they motor sailed a good bit of that time unless there was more air out where they were.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

TES...Agree...winds here are very light and variable this AM. It will be interesting to have Pam's trip report afterwards as the swells from Bertha were counter to the wind direction and may have made things a bit uncomfortable with rolling. He should be able to sail again once he turns the corner at Hatteras but may still need to motor to get into Beaufort given the light winds. Good progress though!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We were about 10 miles out Saturday & Sunday and the period was so great you did not even notice the swells. Made the ride in and out of the inlet interesting though. I too am anxious to hear about the trip.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I just got the Spot and I like it a lot. I'm in So Cal so I have good coverage. The device is performing as advertised. I did a little test this last weekend were I turned it on and pressed the OK message button and left it for just 5 mins. Did this 3 different times and not one message went through. The instructions say leave it in the open for 20 mins and the unit will send 3 redundant messages. If you buy one and use, (Which I will), iit does not work instantly, be patient with it and it will perform just fine.


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

Looks like they've arrived around 8ish this morning. It was kind of fun following their progress...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

labatt said:


> Looks like they've arrived around 8ish this morning. It was kind of fun following their progress...


It was. I agree with your earlier comment that it would have been even nicer to see the entire track.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

*SPOT MESSENGER*

Hey guys.. as you see, we we made it! I am glad some were watching us on the SPOT. It really is a great device, with many ways it could be improved on for sailing, but still a cheap, inexpensive way to keep people in touch with how we are doing.

As sailors, the SPOT and other services to come really have the potential to change the way our families keep track of us. By the time we get cell service they already know where we are and aren't worried. My mother is the exception - she doesn't used the internet and thought we had gone to Bermuda with Bertha and was losing sleep over it. I got her voice messages coming in the inlet this morning at 3AM and called later to tell her we were in. All she had to do was ask my siblings who had the Spot Track page to see that we weren't in Bermuda.
*
Looking for Wind in all the Wrong Places*

I haven't gone back and sorted all of our plots etc, but you all seemed to see our dilemma. It was South and SW winds all the way, and light most of the time, with annoying swells from Bertha. We knew we needed to stay out of the GS and that taking long sails east would lead us out into it. We knew that was the problem and we stepped right into it anyway; inadvertently, of course.

We used the chart from NOAA that Cam suggested to have an idea of where the GS is - Thanks for that CAM! I soon realized I should have found or created a listing of the coordinates of the Western edge. I hadn't anticipated the difficulty of tacking like this and not going East. I knew we had alot of Eastward room until Norfolk and that then it is hugging the coast.









We had a real doldrums with swells day - a whole day with nothing but a slick; and rolling swells. When we finally had some wind on Monday that we could ride, we carried it into the Gulfstream...I haven't figure out how far, but somewhere along the line I realized and said "guys, we HAVE to start heading south or we'll get drug back to Norfolk."

Really, I concerned that our fuel calculations were getting challenged. We were running the engine all day and all night. Since for long periods of time we were making only 4 knots over ground, I didn't know how much distance we could make. We have a 100 gallon tank, but we were burning through it. When we did head South without wind help we had no speed even with the engine.

We'll probably take the spots tracks and see how far we were into it, but it took 10-12 hours (or more?) to claw out of it. (Wouldn't want to make the same mistakes in the future, now would we...)

*The Little Engine that Could*

This was a motoring and motorsailing trip. It was long and rather tortuous at times. It was more challenge than nourishment, and others had warned us about that. We just thought it would be better to round Hatteras than spend 3 days from Norfolk to Oriental, with all of its different challenges.

We ran our engine with and without sails for 82 hours total, of that 70 hours straight. Thanks Yanmar! ... Our "little engine that could," a big hunk of metal 4JH2 with nearly 7,000 hours on it seemed to have no limits as to what we could put it through. It accepted the long nights pounding against the wind, at times well into the GS with those crushing shudders that create anxiety, and it accepted the swells, and heeling while motorsailing

*How close to Hatteras does the Gulfstream get?*

I believe the Hatteras lighthouse platform and the Red #12 that marks the end of Diamond Shoals is somehow in the Gulf Stream. I don't know if that could be true given that it is shallow, but our anecdotal evidence is that we were getting a 2 knot adverse current right there. I knew the GS was close, and Cam and Btrays4 had told us to be careful about it, but we couldn't seem to escape it no matter far west we went. In our logbook I named the Lightouse platform the MOAW - *The Mother of all Waypoints.* It was in our sights for 24 hours, but we could never seem to reach it. Until we reached it everything seemed on edge.

I am second guessing our decision to come through Beaufort Inlet at 3AM and then, due to our eagerness to get back to Oriental, going ahead down the ICW in the dark. It all feels much different at night. The little section North of the Railroad bridge in Morehead becomes a bunch of unlit markers spread out and mixed with lights from other channels. The sun couldn't come up soon enough. There were no specific problems, but I won't be doing that again

This trip was to get our boat home after our trip last month to Block Island, RI. *On the way up we used a total of 12 engine hours and had the wind at our backs.* We had two teenage crewmembers who will hopefully be hooked on sailing for a lifetime. This trip back on the otherhand, was more a challenge. I enjoyed the experience, and learned alot from it. With sailing and cruising you take what you get and make the best of it. Yesterday after rounding Hatteras we had 5 incredible sailing hours and dolphins swimming in our bow wake. It was the irony - the two sides of the experience separated by only a few short hours.

Thanks to all who followed our trip. Sailnet is my main resource for getting the knowledge and perspective I need to feel ready to attempt trips like this one.

Link to Gulfstream plott --> (Weather Routing, Inc. - Now Weather - 3rd drop down and "S'rn Gulfstream Analysis")


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Glad to hear you made it ok.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

But fun was had by all, right? Really nice job and summary.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

teshannon said:


> But fun was had by all, right? Really nice job and summary.


Tesh...it was a great trip....it was just more work and mental fatigue than the trip up to Block Island last month - which was a lot of sled ridin'! But absolutely a great journey.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

When did you go by Atlantic City and how far out were you. I was about 10 miles off of there Saturaday and Sunday, very little air and lots of swells but with a long period thankfully.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Pam...just got back on line from a road trip and see you made it in safe and sound. Nice report and just about what we expected on Saturday but for that little jaunt into the stream! ... I knew you would be in way after dark to Beaufort...thank goodness it is a great inlet! 
Anyway...you are a blue water sailor now!


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

teshannon said:


> When did you go by Atlantic City and how far out were you. I was about 10 miles off of there Saturaday and Sunday, very little air and lots of swells but with a long period thankfully.


Tesh, I think it was Sunday and Sunday night. Those Atlantic City hotels and their lights stayed with us for a long time since were 50 miles out (or so). And it was glass...and long swells.


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## funsailthekeys (May 15, 2008)

I can't get them on the map?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

So, basically, you're sending us all on an internet Wild Goose Chase.. 



Pamlicotraveler said:


> We have been using our SPOT tracker on our trips this summer. It is really a neat little gadget, especially for the money. It uses Globalstar's satellite system to relay a GPS position every 10 minutes or so and then sends the location - with a link to Google Maps - It misses a few transmits, but overall it has proven to be a great way to let family and friends know where you are.
> 
> We are leaving New York Harbor today and will have our SPOT messenger on. We are heading ultimately for North Carolina, and we may decide to go via Delaware Bay. For Sailnet friends....if you would like to watch our progress and see how the SPOT works, you can go to this site and see where we are:
> 
> ...


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

The SPOT Tracker only maintains the tracking positions for the prior 24 hours...Since we finished on Wednesday, there is nothing there. I didn't do a screen print while it was active.


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## labatt (Jul 31, 2006)

Pamlico - If you log into your FindMeSpot account and click on "Messages", you should be able to view your messages for the last bunch of days (up to 30). You can then export them as GPX or KML and import them into one of the many GPS visualizers (such as GPS Visualizer) to share them. It's disappointing that SPOT doesn't share them for longer than 24 hours - the amount of data is minimal and highly compressible. Perhaps they are waiting for a critical mass of signups before they invest heavily into storage. Thanks for sharing your trip though! Our family enjoyed watching your progress.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

thanks labatt
I wanted SD and funsail to know the SPOT "share" page only lasts 24 hrs, so if they go there they wont see anything.

Re the route...We are trying to show the route we took, but one problem we are having is we would like to display a line instead of each track point individually. Any idea on that? We are trying GPS babel.. And I agree that there is no logical reason for SPOT not to just save the points for longer. We have them downloaded though, so we wont lose them.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

I did find a way to display our route using Google Earth.

The Red file is our route on the way up to Block Island, RI, and through Long Island Sound to New York City. The Green is our route back from NYC. As you see on the route back we stayed much closer in to avoid the Gulfstream. I think we went into it some anyway between the Chesapeake entrance and Albermarle Sound. That's when we started seeing our SOG deteriorate and we tried to get out of it by heading east, even at a 260 degree course for a while.


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