When you shoot yourself in the foot

This week we are both busy again. It still looks chaotic, but it's slowly improving. Again and again, the ship echoes: “Where are my underpants? Where are my clothes? “ The answer is very simple: “In the drawer under the bed.” But under which one? So we spend half the day searching.

MMSI number successfully changed

Another problem is changing the MMSI number. The number has nine digits and identifies a boat in international radio traffic. Of course, it is also important for sea rescue. All means of communication on board that have anything to do with maritime radio or sea rescue are programmed with this MMSI number. MMSI is the abbreviation for Maritime Mobile Service Identity and is assigned by the telecommunications authorities responsible in each country. In Germany, it is the Network Agency with its Hamburg branch office. The problem is that the number in the individual devices cannot be changed easily due to misuse. The International Telecommunication Union ITU has ordered the individual device manufacturers to monitor this. And each device manufacturer has developed its own solution. These range from relatively simple, such as Standard Horizon, to impossible, such as Raymarine. Now you could say: just buy a new device and the problems are solved. In our throwaway society, this is probably the usual approach by now. Unfortunately, it's not very ecological and a bit expensive. In our case, that would be a VHF radio, a handheld device as a replacement, an AIS network and a distress beacon. After all, a quick 3000 euros. As I have already mentioned a few times, I am simply too much of a Swabian and the journey we are currently on has not changed much in this respect, but also because of the ecological aspect, I refuse to take the easy way out. So I write to the individual manufacturers and ask them to tell me how to change the MMSI. With Standard Horizon, this was no problem at all. You generate a request code on the device, which you send to the manufacturer together with your registration documents and the old MMSI. You then receive a password which deletes the old MMSI and makes it possible to enter a new one. 

Vespermarine missing serial number

I am currently struggling with the serial number at Vespermarine, who are responsible for the AIS here. This should be on the sticker, which also contains the model designation. But it is not. A photo of the evidence silences Vespermarine. In the meantime, I have been passed on to Garmin's German support team. Vespermarine has been part of the Garmin Group for some time now. 

Device destroyed by service technician

I took the Raymarine radio to the service dealer in Papeete. That was a big mistake. It started with me asking if they could reprogram the MMSI number for me. The answer was: “It can be done in five minutes.” Naive as I am, I sprinted to the boat and removed the radio. Back in the store: “Oh, the service technician isn't in today, it'll take three days.” Okay, so from five minutes to three days, accepted. Well, not really, but what can I do. After three days, they say: “Sorry, we're sorry, but the device is too old and has to be sent to Australia. But it would be quite expensive, you might as well buy a new device.” Okay, but not in French Polynesia, where everything is twice as expensive as anywhere else in the world. I take the device back with me and reinstall it. Unfortunately, neither the distress function nor the second handset now work on the outside. So the device has been tested broken. According to the motto: If you shoot yourself in the knee. I cannot recommend the Raymarine service under any circumstances, and the new radio will certainly not be a Raymarine device, even if I have to rewire the whole boat. I have not yet received any response at all from the support team for the ACR distress barque. Here, too, it will probably come down to a new one. To summarize, I have now been successful with one device, one is still pending and two devices will have to be purchased sooner or later. Customer satisfaction means something different to me, and my preference is clearly for the new purchase.

Emergency barque from ACR no news to date

But clearing out of French Polynesia is not quite so easy in Tahiti either. You have to inform Traffic Control by e-mail three days before departure. Two days before, you have to visit Customs and complete the customs declaration. To make sure this is not too easy, customs is hidden in the last corner of the harbor in Papeete. On the day of departure, the entire crew has to go to immigration at the airport in Faaa. You should then receive an international clearance by email from Traffic Control. A bit complicated, but the people are all super friendly and finally everything is ready for departure to New Zealand. A little tip: it's better to clear out from Bora Bora as it's much easier. We visit friends in the south of Tahiti again and make new ones. So I'm off to New Zealand now, while Gaby will be looking after the new Katinka Enjoy. See you next week on the high seas. Fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.