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VHF radio that every ship must carry is a fundamental element of maritime safety. The VHF radio equipment we have installed on our boat must be used under a regulated standard. In this post we will summarize how to use our VHF radio equipment correctly.

Let’s start by giving an example of how to make a communication, then we’ll make comments that add something to the example given. Using a channel that is free – if it is busy you have to wait for it to end – the speaker of the VHF station that calls will start the communication in this way:

(Boat) HAVANA BLACK, HAVANA BLACK, HAVANA BLACK. HERE IS GIPSY, SEA GIPSY, SEA GIPSY. CHANGE.

(Coastal) SEA GIPSY, SEA GIPSY, SEA GIPSY. HERE HAVANA MORRO. PASS TO CHANNEL (and tell us the number of the channel available)

(Boat) Already on the channel you have been told: HAVANA MORRO, HERE THE GIPSY, I would like… etc. (ask for conference call, weather information or the required information… etc.)

If we do not get an answer on the first call, we can repeat the call up to 3 times with a time interval of two minutes between calls. In the same way it is necessary to proceed when we call to another ship or to the navy, in such a way that the navy or the ship to which we call when answering must indicate us the channel by which it has to follow the conversation;
Since, to make calls is used channel 16 but only used to initiate the call, except in cases of request for help or when ordered by the coast.

If you have to make telephone conferences, normally the coast station requests data from the calling station, such as its billing number, charge phone and the data necessary to meet the request for service. If you are in Spain it is advisable before you start using a mobile station to deal with the CT.N.E. office to obtain a billing number. They are very friendly people who attend to you quickly.

When you do not want to saturate channel 16, marinas and nautical use channel 9 which is assigned to communications from land to ship or vice versa. However, it is always heard on channel 16 as well; remember that this channel 9 should not be used for ship-to-shore calls.

Vessels must pay attention to channel 16 and if you have double reception you can listen to one of the channels assigned to “ship to ship” communications and not those assigned to “ship to land”. Other services such as practical, meteorology or similar also use predetermined channels.

VHF equipment should be used primarily to talk to the coast and other ships. Boat waves are transmitted in a straight line so their range is limited, we will improve coverage with a high antenna. However sometimes there are range problems, this is due to weather conditions, geophysical reasons or other mysteries of nature.

As for when a call should be made, the first three minutes of each hour should not be made calls, except if it is an emergency or distress situation, also the three minutes following the half hour are respected as minutes of silence to give preference to calls for help.

Radiotelephone Procedures and Discipline

The use of VHF radio stations should be used with caution so as not to interrupt possible emergency calls. The channels should be occupied for as short a time as possible, avoiding any superfluous conversation, of course, it is forbidden to give false data or not identify oneself. Caller identification is always mandatory at sea.

When a vessel calls another vessel, the called vessel will indicate at the time which channel the communication is to be continued. The address on a maritime radio communication is taken by the station to which it is called.

When a ship calls the coast station, it is the coast station who, when answering, will indicate the channel on which the call is to be continued, will say whether it should be kept listening on that channel (standby) and the shift number corresponding to the caller. (For example: “SEA GIPSY, SEA GIPSY, SEA GIPSY, Channel 01, stand by turn 2”). In the case of a request for help, it is the person who directs the communication that is the only exception to this principle: calls for help.

The messages that you listen to on the radio must remain secret and cannot be divulged or used for any purpose by the person who listened to them. Calls on channel 16 should not exceed one minute.

Calls for distress, emergency and safety have priority in that order.

In the event that channel 16 is occupied, in the event of a serious emergency requiring immediate assistance, the communication can be interrupted by saying the word SILENS, at the beginning of the call and when it ends it closes with the words SILENS FINI.

The distress call must be initiated with the word “MAYDAY”, that

One of the destinations you can’t miss on one of those long-awaited holidays must definitely be Ibiza, also known as one of the “Pitiusas”. With its incredible landscapes, pleasant inhabitants and warm tropical climate, makes it an unforgettable holiday destination.

The nightlife is one of the main characteristics that attracts a considerable number of tourists every year, but the beaches are also one of its natural attractions that are still a spectacle for everyone to see. 

That’s why a great way to get to know Ibiza is through a beautiful charter boat that you can rent at https://barracudaibiza.com, and explore its beaches and coasts with or without a skipper in the most relaxing and efficient way that only they can give you. 

They have a great variety of boats, event boats, yachts, mega yachts and sailboats so that you can find the one that best suits your needs in different aspects (economic, comfort, number of members, etc.) to enjoy the most. 

The beaches of the Balearic Islands with white sand and crystalline waters are a spectacle worthy of admiration that you will be able to enjoy on a boat as beautiful as MONTEREY 298 SS.

This boat is available for rent in boats.online for different prices depending on the season you are going to book: low 550.00€, medium 600.00€ and high 700.00€. However, you should contact us with a brief form where you can check availability of dates and prices. 

These piles do not include some services such as fuel, port fees, food, final cleaning which is mandatory, moorings or skipper, although the latter is usually mandatory for some boats.

Comfort for sunbathing 

It is important to take into account the characteristics of each boat that is going to be rented since, although they are usually very comfortable, they usually have some additional comforts. 

The Monterey 298 SS of the year 2009, has the capacity to have up to 10 people on board, so the family and friend will be more than comfortable. It also has a bathroom and a stateroom with television.

Among other additional factors to consider, this incredible boat has a fridge to store the food you take or ask in advance, shower for better comfort after a deserved dive into the beautiful beaches of the islands, GPS, PLOTTER and 2 Solarium. 

Nothing better than sunbathing in style on a boat with ample proportions, the Monterey has 9.00M length and 9.60m overall length and 2.90m beam. 

The type of fuel used by this particular type of boat is gas, with an engine model Mercruiser.

Remember that if you want to rent without skipper must have the appropriate licenses, if you have some recommendations to have manipulated similar or equal boats, will be very useful to increase the confidence of the owners of the same. 

All that remains is to make the reservation and lie down to sunbathe and enjoy the spectacular views in a comfortable, safe and efficient boat with your loved ones.

Sailing on any type of boat for vacation is a highly rewarding experience. And as with other means of transportation, there are places that are best visited and others that are best avoided. In this occasion we will talk about those places that are a mandatory stop if your next trip is by boat. In the web site barcos.online you will be able to find the best advising for every occasion when you decide to rent a boat with vacation purposes.

The countries of Europe, for example, are a beauty in themselves. Visiting them by any means is an experience that everyone should be able to live at least once. In this case, which we talk about boat trips, whether yachts, sails or cruises, the biggest advantage is being able to see up close the most beautiful natural beauties that these countries have to offer on their coasts.

If we talk about Spain, it is only a question of choosing from which port you want to sail to choose then your route to follow. To tour the islands you can visit destinations such as Tenerife, Gran Canarias, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro, and more. This is a unique and unrepeatable experience, and those who live it will surely remember it for the rest of their lives.

There are destinations that have a significant influx of tourists. This is why it is important that the destination you choose, no matter what it is, suits your preferences. Check the high and low seasons to make sure you don’t have any problems arriving at any port.

If you follow these tips when taking your vacation aboard a charter boat, you will certainly not get bored. So be sure to try something you’re sure to like. These plans are ideal for carrying them out with friends, partner or family. It is more than sure that they will have an incredible vacation.  

It was the time of the gold rush and thousands of adventurers were preparing to go populate the rich lands of California without having to cross the inhospitable interior of the United States without pacification. Cornelio Venderbilt in 1849 opened the route between New York and San Francisco crossing Nicaragua, the mythical route consisted of the following sections:

From New York in the USA to San Juan del Norte in Nicaragua, traversing the San Juan River. The San Juan River is born near the village of San Carlos, a small river town of Lake Coccibolca, also called Nicaragua Lake. This fascinating river is the lake’s own drainage to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It crosses the Indus-Maiz Reserve, one of the best preserved and leafy rainforests in Central America, as well as a border with the neighboring and rich Costa Rica.

The route continues going up the river San Juan passing by the already mentioned population of San Carlos already in the lake Coccibolca to the town of La Virgen in the west bank of the lake, from there the travelers crossed a scarce 20 kilometers of low lands and plains without Hardly any difficulties until the locality of San Juan del Sur on the shores of the Pacific Ocean where they were embarked to the golden San Francisco.

There was also a route from Europe from Southampton, San Nazario or Hamburg to San Juan del Norte.

The route had such famous travelers as Mark Twain or William Walker

In the spring of 2008 we decided to visit the Nicaraguan part of the transit route. Our objective was to descend the San Juan River from San Carlos to San Juan del Norte and then to visit San Juan del Sur in the Pacific as a rest.

From Chiles Costa Rica to San Carlos Nicaragua

We left on Sunday, April 6, 2008, from the Costariquense village of Chiles, bordering Nicaragua, through the Frio River. Los Chiles is a dilapidated poblachon completely dispersed surrounded by agricultural estates with wooden houses and zinc roofs, some incredibly well defended for its modest presentation, which indicates that robberies do not grow. As soon as you get off the bus, the money changers are assaulting you, here this business is exclusively female, after going a long way to get to the emigration wharves we charge a dollar for leaving and 10 for the panga that is what they call the river barges Collective agreements.

The panga

As we descended the steep riverbed stairs, we were stunned to see the small crowd of people, about 20 people among women, men, young, old, and children, with their sacks and various things, if there was no place for a needle! The boatman’s assistant from the top of the pier shouted to him that he waited because two gringos were missing, even if it seems a lie the two gringos were us.

It was a delight, almost two hours of water travel through the reserve of the Gatusos, which is the name of some Indians of one of the most primitive branches of America, pushed by the migrations that came from the north were installed both sides of the Border, is now a biological reserve around the geographical area of ​​the San Juan river.

From the panga we observed and that we were going to motor and rapiditos; Ducks, birds very similar to our common cormorants, kingfisher Amazonian, kingfisher collarejo, white egrets and boyera and blue, ibis blanco, walkers macular, the Central American jacana also called gallito de monte It is a paradise for birds, among the trees Spider monkeys and congos or howler monkeys. Seeing our interest in nature, our circumspect fellow travelers start naming us birds and other animals and encouraged by our good knowledge of Spanish they lose their timidity, they are all Nicaraguans who return to their land but come back as illegal, as they came out, do not seem too much Concerned about their situation.

Gallina de monte Jacana spinosa 23 cm

When you arrive at the mouth of the Rio Frio in Lake Cocibolca the first image is San Carlos at dusk but scarcely is the 18 hours are easements of the tropics, those evenings so short, an osprey is fishing in front of the lively port, when we disembarked a soldier Young Commander Walter, organizes us by ordering us to train in two queues, those who have passports and those who do not have it, needless to say, the majority queue is the one without passports, it does not matter they are in their land and many of them in their Our own people, the tail with passport we formed three, we and a somewhat older countryman with a missionary look of some church or a cooperator of an ONS, we look for a hotel and a terrace to relax.

San Carlos is totally turned over to the lake, it is a quiet town, with painted wooden houses and zinc roofs, walking by it at dusk even at night does not give any sense of danger even of restlessness, sunrises and sunsets are jaleados by a Thundering rooster choir, is a nostalgic sound that sends us back to the holidays of our childhood from our home villages, also puts us on the track that it is likely that we can eat chickens and eggs like those before.

You can see the footprint of the Spanish cooperation, in two beautiful piers paid by the Basque Government and a community laundry at the moment without water hitch and therefore totally in disuse paid in turn by the City of Badalona, ​​has a beautiful square of Spanish style so prevalent in America with its church that we saw full of children, but Catholicism is also there in disbanded, proliferate premises dedicated to other Christian cults, in some house can read the inscription, do not insist we are Catholics, test Of the missionary diligence of other Christians.

Catholic house

The best place to watch the sunset is the viewpoint of the canyons, but from the terrace of the Mirasol, the large lake Cocibolca acquires a totally unreal lead.