Boating Safety/Communications

YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
Am from Yuma, AZ and have a 24 foot Chaparral Signature (fairly new, only 130 hours on it) that I take down fishing to Rocky Point every so often. I launch and stay overnight at Safe Harbor. Was down there last week with some friends, and we were fishing at Caballo (about 20 miles south of Rocky Point near Bird Island. I always leave the motor running all day, but had to shut if off because a friend got his fishing line tangled in the prop. Shut the engine off, raised the motor, untangled the line, lowered the motor, and unfortunately it wouldn't start. It's a single-engine 6.2 L Mercruiser immaculately maintained (was just 100-hour serviced), it would turn over, but wouldn't start. Batteries fully charged, turned over fine, lots of fuel, fuses all good, I even took out the fuel filter and looked at it since I just put a new one in, but nothing worked. I have a new Cobra VHF Marine radio attached to a 9.6 foot long-range Galaxy antenna, but couldn't reach Safe Marina/Rocky Point. Also had a hand-held VHF radio but couldn't pick anyone up. Phones wouldn't pick up any service. Fortunately we were able to communicate with a commercial fishing boat who was about 10 miles out heading home to Rocky Point, and he went way out of his way to come get us and tow us in. What a life-saver!!!

So now I'm looking at a Delorme satellite texting device that costs $200-$300 depending on which model you get. It has two-way satellite texting, versus only way way on the Spot systems. Cheapest monthly plan for the Delorme is about $12/month with an annual subscription. The cheapest satellite phone I found is about $500, and costs about $30/month, with a $50 activation fee. Some people at the marina suggested getting a Mexico Telcel phone, but from locals I've talked to a Safe Marina they've said the range on the Telcel is only about 10 miles from Rocky Point. I have an iPhone using US Sprint service and it picks up the local Telcel network, but for only about 10 miles out.

I know Safe Marina in on VHF channel 23, we also radioed on channel 26 and 16 (Safe Marina said the local Navy monitors channels 26 and 16, but won't come rescue you). And I've read forums on the internet that state apparently the Mexico Navy (or whoever) took down the VHF repeaters due to abuse by local drug traffickers.

Filed a boating plan with Safe Marina before we left, and I'm sure they would've come look for us if we eventually hadn't returned. I'm not really that interested in getting a back-up 10-20 horsepower motor, because they weigh a lot, and it would take forever to get anywheres using one of these small motors. I'd prefer to get just have reliable communications.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experiences?
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
Panga guys in the fish camps around Santo Tomas down to Lobos all have cells...I can get you some numbers...
 
T

Terry C

Guest
These are the numbers I have for Coast Guard- Navy Emergency.
638-383-2603
638-383-2604
638-383-2600

I need to publish them on my web site.
Can anyone verify if they are correct?
 
YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
Thanks a lot for your help. Appreciate it. But when I head out to areas like Caballo (20 miles out) and Area 51 I can't pick up any phone service with my US iPhone with Sprint that picks up the local Telcel network. That's why I thought I'd go with a satellite texting system like Delorme. Does your phone work throughout the Sea of Cortez around Rocky Point? A couple of the locals suggested I get a Mexico phone with Telcel because it works throughout the Sea of Cortez, but most of the local guys I've talked to at Safe Marina state Telcel only works to about 10 miles out of RP.

Thanks again.
 
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YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
Have no clue Roberto, after the commercial fishing boat pulled us into Safe Marina and I spent the night, the next morning it started just perfect, and started perfectly a few times after that. And yet I tried a million times the day before and it wouldn't start. It would turn over just fine, but wouldn't start. Lots of fuel, batteries good, fuses all OK, but just wouldn't fire. When I did the 100 hour service on it the week before I changed oil on the bottom end, and I'm wondering if there may have been an air pocket on the bottom end oil sensor that falsely showed there wasn't oil in the bottom end so it prevented the motor from starting. To me its a confidence that I shut the motor off, raised it to remove the fishing line from the prop, then after lowering the motor it wouldn't start. In hindsight after the motor didn't start I think I should've raised and lowered it again a couple times, in case there was an air bubble near the bottom end oil sensor. But who knows? Am gonna take it to a local mechanic and see what he says.
 
Roberto

Roberto

Guest
Yeah, I do not believe in coincidence when it comes to mechanics. Bet it has something to do, in some way, with the lifting/lowering process. Whole thing makes you think though doesn't it, what with not having a diagnosis of the problem in the first place. Have you raised and lowered several times in an attempt to replicate the failure?
 
YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
No, next morning it started perfectly then restarted perfectly a few times, so I headed out to Caballo to do some fishing then loaded the boat that evening and its been in my shop since then. Lesson learned, once leaving the harbor will NEVER shut off the engine again unless its an absolute emergency. At home I checked the distributor, wires, and replaced the spark plugs, then raised and lowered the motor several times, starts perfect every time. Damp distributor, malfunctioning fuel pump, air in lower end oil sensor? Will see what the local marine mechanic says...
 
PintoPoint

PintoPoint

Guest
If the motor had a problem then it should have an error code listed. I would get it checked with a code reader.

Rick
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
Two things and I've been bit by both before, but figured them out within a few minutes. Same sort of scenario, turned motors off somewhere out on the deep blue and they wouldn't restart. WTF? Always get this sort of gnawing feeling in the pit of my gut when that happens.

1) Safety lanyard/stop switch. Sometimes, it just gets hinckey. Pop out the lanyard stay, then pull it out and re-insert the stay, presto. All was good, boat restarted instantly.

2) Boat was in gear. None of them will start while in gear. Even if it looks like it's in neutral. Pop the throttle full forward, pull all the way back into reverse and then make sure you can hear it click into neutral. It's easy enough to bump it while fishing and not even realize it's still slightly in gear. Just enough for that sense of "Uh-oh!" and panic to set in when the motors won't start!

I don't suspect anything mechanical with your engine itself; sounds like it's running just fine. More likely a controls issue. I'll be interested to hear what your mechanic thinks. It's the stooooopid little things that get you (well, at least me) every time! I've learned to check those first before checking anything else.

I was out of Punta Chivato with some yahoos on their big ol' SeaRay one time and it wouldn't start. One of the numbnuts comes up with the bright idea of twisting the distributor to adjust the timing. So, off he goes and starts tweaking. Boat still won't start. Batteries running down, nearly dark. I had kept my mouth shut until this point (hey, it's not my boat). Finally, I asked him - Are you tweaking it in the same direction? Yes, trying to advance the timing. Well here's a brain fart for ya -- set it back to its original position and tweak it a tiny bit in the opposite direction. He did that, vrrrrooom! Boat started right up.

I knew there was a reason I designed lots of the Marine training for Universal Technical Institute. (true) o_O
 
YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
You're 100% right, Stuart, sometimes its the smallest things that you overlook that are causing the problem. I forgot to include those points in my original narrative, but I checked the safety switch and turned it on/off a few times, and made sure the boat was in neutral, even put it in forward and reverse a few times just in case the switch was finicky. Thanks for bringing that up, and although I made sure all those obvious little things weren't the problem, you're right, one of them may just be finicky. Who knows, we'll see what the mechanic says. I'm guessing he won't find anything, but I'm playing on the safe side and would prefer he check it out. Thanks for your input, appreciate everyone's ideas.
 
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YumaJames

YumaJames

Guest
Back to my original question, what are you guys using for communications out there besides a VHF Marine radio? Not sure of the range on my VHF radio (its a new Cobra radio with a Galaxy 9.6 ft long-range antenna) but I'm gonna guess it won't have a range more than 20 miles. How well to your cell phones work when you get more than 10 miles out? Anyone tried any of the satellite texting devices (Spot, Delorme)?
 
Hobie Vern

Hobie Vern

Guest
Sure glad I don't have to worry about my "motor" starting, or gas prices ?? Just had to throw that in, hope you find out what the problem is. Buena Suarte Amigo
 
Kelney

Kelney

Guest
I have a Spot. I think it is a generation 2. I think the newer ones give you better texting ability. I keep it in my ditch bag that has a hand help VHF along with a hand held GPS. I use mine to send OK messages back to the wife periodically to let her know I am still alive. She really appreciates these. It also has 2 other functions, SOS for life threatening emergencies that sends a signal to someone somewhere that I hope saves my ass before I turn into cold meat. The other function is it will send a message you create to your pre-designated contacts via email and or text. This would be along the lines of, "Hey I am broke down but OK. Please find someone to get me and my sorry boat." It sends GPS coordinates of your location as well so one would want to anchor up.

I have not needed mine for other than sending OK messages and hopefully that is all I will ever need it for. I got it just in case that a dire situation comes up to at least give me some hope that I can be found before I get tired of dog paddling. I also have a life raft but it has not been certified in like forever. It will probably deflate just as fast as it inflates.
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
VHF and cell phone here. That's it. More often than not, I buddy boat, though, and keep in touch via VHF on and off throughout the day. That's truly your best option because as you know, there ain't no Sea Tow in Mexico! (Business idea?) More than half the battle is finding someone that CAN come get you if you break down. I've been the Good Sam and towed in several over the years.
 
Stuart

Stuart

Aye carumba!!!
Staff member
Roberto said:
One of your best and most ineresting saves was the boat that blew up and the big guy got blown off the engine cover. !! I know you still have the pics from that one !!
Click to expand...
THAT was a scary one! April 2007. Yes, pics are still up on Google Picasa. Channel 26 on the VHF was still active then. I curse the day they took it down because 26 (run by the Cholla Bay Sportsman's Club) had a repeater and you could get excellent radio contact from a long way out and everyone used it. It was key in placing the Mayday for those folks and they had EMTs standing by when we got back in. Although people will tell you to use Channel 16 (standard emergency and hailing channel), there's generally never any answer, even to simple radio checks from the harbor before heading out these days. Good luck getting someone in an emergency!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/118378070862941628427/albums/5059064113322468945
 
T

Ted

Guest
I agree with Stu-VHF, cell phone, travel with others and let people know your plans and good maintainence is your best bet. I had the Spot and a satellite phone but they were both a pain. There is pretty much always someone within radio contact, the cell towers are strung out along the coast as you go south, service comes and goes but does not go out from shore but for a few miles. I have unlocked my iPhone, I insert a Telcel SIM card and I am good to go with internet, voice and text. 200 pesos "amigo plan", only good for 30 days though!
 
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