Thursday 15 April 2010

Can you Sea-me?

Ever since the lightning strike last year, when we lost the radar(amongst other things), we have been thinking about the safety features on the boat.
We have an aging epirb which needs new batteries, and the usual nav lights, liferaft etc. There is an original radar enhancer somewhere in the mast but thats a bit elderly now.

Realising that at some point we will be undertaking another major ocean passage I have been using the time here, and access to the internet, to do some research. It's all very complicated isn't it. So many sites assume an in depth technological knowledge and a deep wallet! Having neither of these I was getting a bit frustrated.

That is until I stumbled upon Sea-me, a UK based firm that specialises in Sart, radar enhancement,AIS and so forth. I have been the customer from hell I think! Loads of questions but no purchase,yet! They have been superb answering all my dim queries with patience and understanding. Superb service, and they certainly seem to know their stuff....

Should we replace the radar? Buy an AIS unit? Rely on a unit to show where we are? And how do we satisfy our desire for safety with our policy of keeping things simple on board?

We haven't made the final decisions yet but when we do I'm sure the guys at Sea-me will be getting our business...

2 comments:

mbt said...

WE bought an AIS and found it extremely useful - the Nasa one works well. Finally have invested in a s/h Furuno as we're heading back north again. The problem I have with the "See Me" thingy is you're sort of putting the onus on the other vessel to see you rather than the other way round if you see what I mean. We nearly ran into a fishing boat last year in fog. A see me device wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference as we reckon the guys were asleep..... Where are you heading next?

Gerry said...

Yes, I know what you mean. Right now I am in favour of AIS and replacing the Furuno radar. I quite like the sea-me too, but maybe as an extra???

Who knows where next, either North or South! Fancy Nova Scotia etc or through the canal towards Chile. I guess that we will do the usual thing, wake up one morning and just go!!!