During the winter months, I put the boat in the shop to repair and modify as needed. This past winter, I built some new cabinetry, refinished the deck with a non-skid material, installed a new GPS and a new radio. My old GPS used maps that were no longer supported and the way these things work, if you go to a new area, you have to purchase a map chip for that area. And, although the maps were no longer supported, they were quit expensive so I decided that it was time to upgrade.
The new radio is an interesting upgrade. This one has an AIS (Automatic Identification System) installed. In the world of big boats (those significantly larger than ours), a transponder system is required by the International Maritime Organization. This transponder sends out a continual message from the ship indicating the vessel's location, identity, course and speed. These big guys also carry receivers that provide the information from any vessels that are within a 20 mile radius. These receivers have now moved to smaller vessels like ours providing us with the same information as the big boats. This information is also transferred to my GPS's system so that I can actually see the location of transmitting boats. My system also will sound a warning if I get too close to a transmitting boat or are on a collision course. On big waters like the Chesapeake Bay or the Intercostal Waterway, this is an invaluable safety system.
One other feature of this new radio is that in case of an emergency on our boat, I can press one button and it will notify any boat with an AIS receiver within a given radius. Also, the Coast Guard monitors these emergency transmissions. The signal sent out by a boat in distress transmits the exact coordinates of its position, greatly improving the chances for a successful rescue.
I got off my original track. My main reason for this post was to talk about the fact that today was to be the day that I pulled the boat out of the shop, rigged the mast and got it ready for the water - possibly tomorrow. Some friends of ours have extra dock space on Buckeye Lake, about 12 miles from here, that they allow us to use as we shake down the boat for our various ventures. However, as I was getting ready, a huge storm blew into the area and put an end to those plans. So! Here I sit, writing on a blog again looking out at a wet countryside.
One more thought. I am new to this blog technology and know very little about the power of this medium. One thing I that I would like to find out is "how does a blogger notify his followers of a new post?" The way I have sent out my messages in the past was to type them in Microsoft Word and then attach them to an email. The blog format appears to be more attractive and the attachments of pictures seems to be easier. I would appreciate suggestions, hints, and comments.
