On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 01:12:11 GMT, otnmbrd
posted:

MikeSoja wrote:

Don't most marine radios have a "scan" feature, popping up any
conversation that comes along?

Yes, BUT, the scan feature is normally limited to specific channels
..... i.e., you would have to program the "scan" to work all channels
and there's no guarantee you will be listening to the right one at the
right time.
Best bet .... get friendly with the "Whale watchers" and find out which
channel (s) they tend to work.
otn

I doubt if it's any great secret.

My ma lives out on Cape Cod, and I've gone on whale watching trips
there about each of the last five years. I took one trip from
Barnstable, but the people with that boat are assholes and I'll
never go with them again. Driving to Provincetown is fun anyway,
and cuts about an hour off the boat travel time (and all the diesel
that thing burns). There are so many whale watching boats leaving
at regular times out there that it would be hard not to pick them
out of the radio spectrum.

In fact, there are so many boats that one can almost pick up where
the whales are visually, just by seeing where the big boats slow
down and stop. Plus, during the season, the area doesn't vary
*that* much. The beasts are all up and down the Cape; you just have
to find the right distance. From high up you can spot them with
binocs, but, of course, down low to the water, that gets difficult.

I don't think I'm quite confident of my skills, yet, but a lot of
the whales are only a mile or two off the north east tip of the
Cape, and it would be a gas (a scary gas, probably) to see them from
a kayak. I'd definitely take a marine radio and a big compass and
foghorn and lights in case of fog. Maybe some day.

Mike