Baja Ha-Ha XXVI

SSB RADIO AND THE BAJA HA-HA

The SSB on Profligate, which we've used for the past 22 Ha-Ha's.
No, I have no idea what most of those buttons do.

Starting two years ago the Baja Ha-Ha, with the encouragement of the United States Coast Guard, required that all entries have some form of two-way communication. The most popular methods are Garmin InReach text, Iridium Go Pro! text, Iridium satphone text, and SSB radio voice.

Of these, the SSB option is the most expensive, both for the cost of the radio and for the sometimes tricky antenna set up. But in one way it's the most satisfying because it allows you to listen in to the Grand Poobah's daily weather reports, roll call, news, and then participate in the all-important general chat and always interesting fleet gossip.

Despite the sometimes annoying bouts with static, and limited times of the day when it can be used, SSB is a much more human form of communication than text. Those who have done Ha-Ha's without SSB, and later with the SSB, say with SSB made for a richer and more complete Ha-Ha experience. Sure, the VHF nets when the fleet is in port are terrific, but they are only every couple of days.

Should you get an SSB if your boat doesn't have one? That's a personal decision, and as SSB costs a couple of grand, a monetary one, too. The Grand Poobah's rule of thumb is no, don't get one if you're just going to do the Ha-Ha and come right home, or even if you're just going to be in Mexico for one season.

But he recommends SSB for anyone staying in Mexico for more than one season and very highly recommends it for anyone who will be doing the Puddle Jump. When you cross the Pacific, it can get somewhat lonely without SSB. When you're out there for three weeks, being able to talk to others out there is much appreciated.

The cool thing about SSB radio is that there are plenty of established SSB nets, but you can also create your own anytime you and a couple of friends decide to. Just pick a time and frequency, give it some crazy name, and Bob's your uncle.

Be warned, the SSB — and almost every cruiser uses the Icom 802 — is a much more complicated beast than a VHF radio. It has all kinds of mysterious dials and buttons, most of which you never need to touch, that will intimidate the first-time user. So don't get one installed the day before the start of the Ha-Ha — or as some have done, brought it in a box and planned on installing it along the way.

What's the least expensive two-way communication device that fulfills the Ha-Ha two-way communication requirement? That would be the Garmin InReach, which costs a couple of hundred bucks and a monthly fee to Iridium but is a remarkably powerful device capable of so many things. We know Ha-Ha vets who have used it to send literally thousands of messages crossing the Pacific. And yes, you can set it up to leave a 'breadcrumb trail' in case you run into trouble. Just make sure you Bluetooth it to an iPad before take off so you can use the device more easily.

While the InReach only gets the most basic weather, some people going across the Pacific have figured out a workaround. They have a trusted and knowledgeable friend or two back home at a computer monitoring the weather and routing them. This is particularly true for knowing the best time to dive south across the ITCZ.

If you want to be able to pick up GRIB files, and surf the internet every so slowly, you might want to go with the slightly more expensive Iridium Go!

Just as the case with the SSB, you can't buy the InReach or Iridium Go! one day and expect to be able to use it the next day. You need to create an account with Iridium, and you have to learn how to use the device. By the way, the Coast Guard says an EPIRB is still their number one recommendation for Mayday situations, but devices such as the InReach and Go!, because of their two-way communication capability, are a tremendous help in most emergency situations.

Just before Patsy 'La Reina del Mar' Verhoeven, the Assistant Grand Poobah on the Gulfstar 50 Talion, took off on a 13-mile bike ride to a Walmart near Newport Beach because they had coffee on sale, she left the Grand Poobah with some interesting stats.

The Grand Poobah cares more about quality than quantity of boats in the fleet and thus would be thrilled to have only 100 entries. But he believes to the bottom of his heart that the Ha-Ha is a truly great event, and wants everyone to have the opportunity to participate. So if you're interested, please visit www.baja-haha.com for a list of boats that have already signed up and for entry information.

By the way, the Grand Poobah is delighted to be able to report that the Coast Guard's West Coast specialist on Search & Rescue will have a table both at the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Party at the West Marine Super Store on November 3, and two days before, Friday from 3 to 5 at Fiddler's Green Restaurant on Shelter Island. He's eager to meet all Ha-Ha participants. Much more to come on this.

Baja Ha-Ha, LLC
417 South Hill St., Suite 646
Los Angeles, CA 90013
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