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Registering for an International MMSI!

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First off, let me explain what an MMSI is. On board Liahona, we have a VHF radio for contacting other boats, or even the Coast Guard should we need assistance. You can also contact marinas and bridge operators with a VHF radio. Some VHF's come with something called DSC, or Digital Selective Calling. You can read more about DSC here . To use DSC for emergencies, or to just let people call you specifically over VHF, you need an MMSI. If you're planning on staying in the USA, you can get one of these numbers for free through a few companies set up for it, like BoatUS , or SeaTow . However, if you plan on cruising in international waters, you must obtain your MMSI through the FCC. Being a government entity, it can get a little hairy trying to apply for everything you need through them. Here's what happened when we applied. I searched around the FCC website for a while looking for the first steps in applying for an international MMSI. Finally, I figured out how to apply fo...
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One year Boativersary!

April 18th, 2017 marked one year of living aboard for us. It's been a year full of highs and lows, but looking back I can confidently say it's been more good than bad by far. We've learned some valuable lessons this year as well, ones we won't be soon forgetting (like don't forget to tie more than one line to your brand new 10k+ dinghy when going underway in snotty weather...). We've learned to live without some comforts, and then gained them back only to find they weren't all that missed. We've tested our limits and found them to be much different than we expected, mostly in good ways. We got to go to the Seattle Boat Show and meet some nice and knowledgeable people there, as well as experience some wonderful hospitality when we were gifted some free tickets, parking, hats, and an invitation to return in subsequent years as speakers. We also picked up some much needed gear as well as get information on some new and very exciting products on the boatin...
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