[Paddlewise] Weather radio in Baja (ham and AM)

> From: "alex" <al.m_at_3web.net>
> Subject: [Paddlewise] Weather radio in Baja (ham and AM)
> I've read an old article by Ed Gillet and now wondering, - may be I do need a
> weather radio. More toys, you know...
SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi Alex,
I have used a Kaito 1103 in Baja California or the Sea of Cortez a
lot, in recent years.  The 1103 uses a single knob for tuning and
volume-which some find tricky.  Other models may be available now.
Previously I tried the AM stations, but finding useful WX discussion
in the midst of the fading in and out was not easy, and took listening
to a lot of baseball.    With AM you can sometimes get the bigger
picture to figure out when a high is crossing the  great basin above
the SOC.  To use the Kaito, I set up a simple long wire antenna
oriented east-west on sticks or the tent frame upon making camp.  Some
cruiser nets are on early (8-9AM)  when you should be paddling before
sunrise-so not as useful.  Others however are on in the evening
(6-8PM) when you can listen in camp while cooking dinner.   The ham
nets often have forecasters who enjoy WX,  sometimes are retired
forecasters, and have access to hi tech satellite tools.  They know
what fellow  cruisers want to know and usually know the micro land
effects of  the Baja  peninsula, such as the saddle above Bahia de los
Angeles,  which funnels wind.   Most will answer local questions from
cruisers during the forecast period and  exchange current WX
observations from boats  on both sides of the peninsula.

When planning a crossing to and going around one of the islands it is
good to know what is likely to be  in the works for days ahead  re
crossings and time spent  away from water sources.  Likewise, when
approaching a point,  is is helpful to plan your  timing for better
conditions.   Much  of the  3000 N. miles of paddling I've done in
Baja were in the winter when Northers can tie you down for  some time.
 Back then, I  hesitated taking a portable SSB because they were so
big and would go through batteries.  I would sometimes hail sailboats
on the VHF to ask re the Net forecasts,  but many times they  were
busy sailing and didn't pay much attention to the radio.  It is easier
to contact them at anchor in coves.   I now believe it is better to
carry the small radio  to hear the WX first hand and  draw your own
conclusions for planning.

The nets work on  varying Freqs, and some change times depending on
winter or summer for better propagation.  It is best to track times in
Zulu time versus  Pacific or Mountain time.   The 1103 has presets
which can be set to the Net freqs for quickly locating  nets.   There
is generally a station who will be the net controller or moderator.
They will have a time to pass messages between boats, and then call
the net forecaster at a certain time to give a forecast and answer
questions.   With satellite internet available on boats, there is
speculation about how long the ham nets will survive.   You may not
have much in common with the RV  mentality that some cruisers using
the nets share, ie a lot of chit-chat  about social gatherings.
There are  no NOAA -type forecasts available on the VHF WX channels in
the SOC.
For useful VHF communication you may have to climb a hill.

Try the La Paz Yacht Club's  site for a list of net times:
http://www.clubcruceros.org/Radio.html

Of course,   You should  also look around  and use the other WX clues
such as local winds, cloud patterns,  chats with pangeros,  etc.  A
book,  _Mex WX_   by John Rains has a useful Sea of Cortez section.
Tide tables are useful to anticipate  the interaction of wind and
tides, especially when going around  points.   The northern SOC has
tides of over 20 feet.


Hope this helps, email me if I can answer questions.

Cheers,
Jay
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