JetBoaters.net Bimini Fling July 9th to 14th 2018

[Betik]

Renting would have been great, but I do not think it is an option.

@BBottoms , I am very seriously thinking about it since @Julian was following a larger boat with radar in 2017. If my family were to crossing every year then I would have been okay withe the $3K. but they are committed yet, and multiple creditable people have told me that it is overrated and an overkill. However, given my lack of experience I feel the need to compensate with equipping.


Now that I think about, let me take this offline, got an idea

 

[robert843]

Are you considering installing a radar? I'm not saying it hasn't crossed my mind since I now have a radar capable chartplotter but I have zero use for it 99.999% of the time, haha. If only there was a place you could rent them reasonably.

They kind of due but there is a cheaper way to do it. Just download the NOAA Weather Radar app on your phone and rent a Satellite hot spot for $59 for the week and you can use your phone for radar info the whole trip.

https://satellitephonestore.com/catalog/rent/wifi-satellite-hotspot

 

[Sbrown]

They kind of due but there is a cheaper way to do it. Just download the NOAA Weather Radar app on your phone and rent a Satellite hot spot for $59 for the week and you can use your phone for radar info the whole trip.

https://satellitephonestore.com/catalog/rent/wifi-satellite-hotspot

Cool idea, until I saw the plan rates starting at $100 in addition to the $59.95 unit rental

 

[Amar Nanduri]

This can be used in and around USA without a satellite phone as long as we have internet ?

 

[Sbrown]

This can be used in and around USA without a satellite phone as long as we have internet ?

Yes, just get the app on your phone, works great, you don't need internet, just a cell signal.

 

[swatski]

Yes, just get the app on your phone, works great, you don't need internet, just a cell signal.

LOL, lol
I can tell - you are not raising (three) teenage daughters?

--

 

[Sbrown]

LOL, lol
I can tell - you are not raising (three) teenage daughters?

--

Lol, I am, what are you trying to say?

 

[robert843]

Lol, I am, what are you trying to say?

Sounds like @swatski has a little trouble with his family managing data usage.

 

[robert843]

Cool idea, until I saw the plan rates starting at $100 in addition to the $59.95 unit rental

Still significantly cheaper then buying a radar for a one time use. I think you will likely have cell signal probably up to at least 10 miles offshore and probably regain it at least 10 miles from Bimini so you even with out this you would probably only be radar blind for the middle 40 miles which is a lot but if you kept in eye on it while you had service it would still help. You should be able to use the app the whole time in Bimini probably on BTC's network. I have sprint and there is no additional charge for me to use BTC's data only charged 10 cents per text message and 25 cents per minute on phone calls.

 

[Bruce]

Iridium data is ridiculously expensive. I am not sure if you can get anything smaller than the $500 400 minutes of data usage plan.

Cell phone data is available for much of the trip and a cell phone booster would expand that.

Marine radar weather imaging is not nearly as nice as what we see on weather apps on our phones.

Weather maps were certainly available at the point we crossed the squall last year.

Tim H went north to avoid the squall for a while and my group followed but it was moving quite quickly.

Based on the water conditions and our ability to see the squall I am not sure that weather radar whether online or onboard would have made much of a difference other than being able to see the direction and speed of the storm which I believe would be limited to online radar.

It would be really cool to have a satellite radar record of the squall forming.

 

[Sbrown]

Still significantly cheaper then buying a radar for a one time use. I think you will likely have cell signal probably up to at least 10 miles offshore and probably regain it at least 10 miles from Bimini so you even with out this you would probably only be radar blind for the middle 40 miles which is a lot but if you kept in eye on it while you had service it would still help. You should be able to use the app the whole time in Bimini probably on BTC's network. I have sprint and there is no additional charge for me to use BTC's data only charged 10 cents per text message and 25 cents per minute on phone calls.

Believe me, you're preaching to the choir here. I have weather radar apps we use with the water rescue unit I help run. Works great and is both accurate and reliable. Only issue is cell service offshore. The satellite WiFi is a great option, just caught me by surprise with the additional cost.

 

[Speedling]

So would it be worth having a person designated to watch weather as much as possible on behalf of the group?

 

[Bruce]

So would it be worth having a person designated to watch weather as much as possible on behalf of the group?

A person back on shore watching the weather radar?

I have considered that. They could send a message to those of us that have inReach units.

But I am not sure that it would do much good.

Out of 14 crossings one was hit by a squall.

If I had received a message that a squall was quickly forming to our south or had radar onboard showing that squall I do not believe there was much that could have been done to avoid it at that point.

 

[Betik]

A person back on shore watching the weather radar?

@Bennie will most likely do that. Anyway, he spends the whole crossing day tracking boats and the forum. Does nothing at work while we are crossing.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

@Bennie will most likely do that. Anyway, he spends the whole crossing day tracking boats and the forum. Does nothing at work while we are crossing.

You could put a whole bunch of us in that group last year. It was better then advertised that's for sure. No telling how many times I hit refresh that day.

 

[Betik]

@Ramblin Wreck for me it was " no telling how many times I soiled my pans that day"

Kind of funny actually because until I started reading the forum around 5-6pm that day, it had not fully sink in how bad it was.
I thought it was a rough crossing, but then when I saw post about people going WOT towards port everglades, Cost Guard coordinating towing boats back, infants at boat with cracked hulls etc. It was like a flashback of terror that I had zero desire of going through again. Fast forward 8 month and I am making sure I attend both crossings. LOL

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

@Ramblin Wreck for me it was " no telling how many times I soiled my pans that day"

Kind of funny actually because until I started reading the forum around 5-6pm that day, it had not fully sink in how bad it was.
I thought it was a rough crossing, but then when I saw post about people going WOT towards port everglades, Cost Guard coordinating towing boats back, infants at boat with cracked hulls etc. It was like a flashback of terror that I had zero desire of going through again. Fast forward 8 month and I am making sure I attend both crossings. LOL

It's definitely somewhat of an addiction. I've gotten asked several times "isn't it painful to go that far on a ski", I always reply "yeah, it rarely comes without a lot of bumps, bruises, and soreness" then I get asked "why do you keep doing it then" I respond "because it's awesome" at that point I typically get that you're insane or stupid reply. Its definitely the unknown, adventure, uniqueness, and accomplishment that keeps me coming back.

 

[robert843]

It's definitely somewhat of an addiction. I've gotten asked several times "isn't it painful to go that far on a ski", I always reply "yeah, it rarely comes without a lot of bumps, bruises, and soreness" then I get asked "why do you keep doing it then" I respond "because it's awesome" at that point I typically get that you're insane or stupid reply. Its definitely the unknown, adventure, uniqueness, and accomplishment that keeps me coming back.

It's funny I get the same your stupid especially about doing it on the ski but its an adrenaline rush. When I tell people I'm doing it on the boat this year it doesn't get the same jaw drop reaction as the ski.

 

[Amar Nanduri]

I would happily love to do the crossing on a ski, but that is a line my wife refuses to let me cross. In her mind the bigger the boat I am in the more comfortable she feels.

 

[Betik]

I would happily love to do the crossing on a ski, but that is a line my wife refuses to let me cross. In her mind the bigger the boat I am in the more comfortable she feels.

I could always bring my ski Amar and Anu can watch you straggle. My wife would have loved to be see me straggle as long as she knew I was safe.