Isn’t it good how technology has progressed in a relatively short period of time?

It seems like only yesterday I watched them launch the Eurovision Link in the UK – which gave us live pictures from continental Europe in British homes.  Wowee.

But I recall they were huge bulky cameras with truck loads of transmission equipment to send the signals.  Today, a reporter can whip out a mobile satellite transceiver from his back pocket and be seen speaking live from the battlefields of Iran………as the French would say, incroooyable.

Same same with things like this blog. 

Thirty years back you’d need to be a zillionaire to maintain daily contact with the wider world if you were off travelling the globe. 

Today – you simply sign up with a site like this – find a way via own computer or café to access it – and you’re in touch!

Well, with no cafes and an inability to get into the web when offshore, we’re going to be reliant on the ARC offices to relay a summary blog (sorry, no pictures) whilst we cross from Las Palmas to St Lucia.

As part of the organisers safety plan, each yacht is required to transmit by email a noon position through to their offices in the Solent.  They can then update their own site map with the postion of each yacht so family and friends can see how it's going.

To allow us to send those postion reports we’ve installed a SSB (single side band) radio with a special (Pactor) modem.  That kit allows us to link by radio waves with earth stations on shore, and send / receipt short (plain text and not more than one page A4) emails.  It is a very slow connection due to the data to radio wave translation – but when compared with what was available 30 years back – it’s a huge step forward in small boat communications.  Our email address via the sailmail link is MGWV4(at)sailmail.com.  If anyone wishes to send us a short email we can pick thast up when underway - but it has to be plain text - no headers / footer or pictures / attachments.  Otherwise it constipates our radio and blocks all other emails until cleared.

Anyway, when we send the ARC offices our noon position we’ll also send them a one pager on how we are doing, and they in turn will post those on their own site as well as our position. 

The ARC site is www.worldcruising.com.  You’ll also be able to see how we’re going compared with the other similar sized yachts in the event, who is in front, and who is behind.

Once we’re over in St Lucia and able to connect with the web, I’ll add some pictures and update those ARC reports back into this blog.  But en-route, if you want info, please use the ARC site.

And whilst it is also possible to post messages to that ARC site, don’t get huffy if we don’t appear to respond to you.  It’s because whilst we would appreciate any messages, we don’t actually get to see those on the site until we get over the other side……….personal messages should be sent via sailmail.

So. 

It’s off to the local big supermarket later today for our BIG SHOP of provisions for the trip.  I’d like to say we’ve taken time to prep a 3 week menu to ensure there’s not too much repetition, but Sue says it’s really going to be more of a wander round the shelves as we fill copious trolleys with what takes our fancy, and a big load to taxi back and store away.  That should be a bunch of fun, eh?

Take Care

JOHN