[Paddlewise] Fwd: Re: SV: Just received my Icom m32.

Craig wrote,



>This post reminded me of an incident in Mexico while my wife and I
>were cruising our 32-foot sailboat in the Pacific. I had lived and
>worked in Latin America for years and so spoke Spanish. We were
>anchored in La Paz harbor, where many cruising sailboats stop for a
>few months waiting out the hurricane season before heading on down
>into the South Pacific. It is also occupied by yachties who have
>either decided to stay in the Sea of Cortez or who have, for one
>reason or another, become more-or-less permanent. Some of them, no
>doubt, became tired of listening to the continual fisherman chatter in
>Spanish on Channel 16 .
The worst abuse I've heard up here in Canada has come from Commercial 
fishermen.  The level of swearing is embarrassing.  Some of these yokels 
think they're on a private phone line.  The level of competent radio use is 
clearly in decline.

I know of a number of kayakers who have very expensive marine VHF radios 
(not to mention GPS units) but have no clue what to do after they've turned 
them on.  Marine radio procedures are just like all other kayaking or 
boating skills - use them or loose them.

I have a friend who works in the marine section of a popular store here in 
Victoria.  He says most people who come in requesting to up grade their 
"old" GPS units, don't even know the capabilities of their current units.

Gordin Warner
Victoria BC   
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