I have been looking into a reasonable way to receive grib files during our delivery while offshore. Before I get into what I have found just a little background. A grib file contains weather information that with a proper viewer and definitions provides wind direction and intensity, isobar and wave height forecasts for the area we intend to sail into. Because of their relatively small size, grib files are well suited for sending through slow links associated with offshore communications.

We have two choices on Snowflake, we can communicate either through a single side band (SSB) radio or by satellite phone.  Using the satellite phone, with a data communication link for connecting to a laptop is fairly straight forward.  Somewhat like using a cell phone tethered to a laptop.  Hook it up, pay the airtime and there you have it, access to the internet - albeit slow, but still the internet.  However,  I wanted to find a way to use the SSB. 

I'm not sure why the SSB has me intrigued.  It's not that I don't have enough technology in my life that I need to add finding a way to connect a HF (high frequency) radio (which in its own has enough buttons and knobs to keep me busy the entire trip) to my laptop, establish a communications link, request a file via email and then wait for it to be sent to my account, download it into my laptop - well you get the point.  For some reason, it is appealing to me to send email through a terrestrial based long range radio non-digital communication system.  Luckily, I found two options, which I will cover in a later post.  For now, we are discussing which makes the most sense for us.  Stay tuned! (ok, I couldn't resist)

We are getting ready to deliver a 42 foot Valiant to Kemah, TX.  Our expected departure is April 25th.  The boat is undergoing it's final prepartion and the crew is beginning to assemble to outfit and provision.  A series of sea trials to assure the boat is ready and then, weather permitting, we will begin the run down the east coast.