The Durban Maritime Mobile Net (South Africa) has been revived by a group of highly experienced yachtsmen/ham radio operator’s who were part of the original Durban Maritime Net, dating back 40 years. 

Published 5 years ago

The Durban maritime mobile S.S.B net (South Africa) has been revived by a group of highly experienced yachtsmen/ham radio operator’s who were part of the original Durban maritime net, dating back 40 years. 

It is now up and running providing weather updates and navigation advice to yachtsmen transiting the South and East Indian Ocean.

The Net covers from Australia across the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic to Brazil and the Caribbean, and to the Mediterranean through the Red Sea, and beyond (taking into consideration propagation).

With Indian Ocean crossing season just starting this is a welcome aid to yachts on passage this season.

The 21300khz, 14300khz and 7115khz frequencies are Ham frequencies, but the 8101khz and 12353khz (Peri Peri Net further down) are Marine frequencies. All times given are GMT.

Morning:

1. 04.45 GMT – freq. 21300 khz
2. 04.50 GMT – freq. 14300 khz
3. 05.00 GMT – freq. 8101 khz
4. 05.10 GMT – freq. 7115 khz

Midday:

1. 11.00 GMT – freq. 21300 khz
2. 11.10 GMT – freq. 14300 khz
3. 11.15 GMT – freq. 8101 khz
4. 11.20 GMT – freq. 7115 khz

Afternoon/ Evening:

1. 15.00 GMT – freq. 21300 khz
2. 15.10 GMT – freq. 14300 khz
3. 15.15 GMT – freq. 8101 khz
4. 15.20 GMT – freq. 7115 khz

The radio operators are:

• Roy – call sign ZS5CB
• Robin – call sign ZS5PD
• Andrew – call sign ZS1SBM, and
• Paul – call sign ZS1PG

Contact: Roy Cook (commodore@vodamail.co.za) 
Roy is Rear Commodore at the Bluff Yacht Club, on the sailing committee at the Royal Natal Yacht Club and on the South African Sailing Committee. He teaches navigation, running the S.R.C. Radio School.

Other SSB Nets in the region:

• Cape Town Radio (SSB) on 4375 8740 13146Mhz USB at 1015 1330 1815 UTC daily for forecasts and reports. Gives you barometer pressure and wind speed around the entire SA coastline.
• Peri Peri Net: Good source of weather, both for South African local waters and offshore. On a good day the Net can cover most of the Indian Ocean and Atlantic too as well as all of the SA coastlines. Net operates on 8101khz every day at 1500UTC and switches to 12353khz to track the more distant vessels after the initial traffic is finished. There is also an informal net on 8101khz every morning at 0500UTC depending on who is available. The net controller is resident in Durban SA, Roy, call sign Peri Peri and is assisted by the relay stations: Roy in Durban; Robin in Shepstone; Andrew and Paul in Cape Town.

The Durban Maritime Mobile Net and the Peri Peri Net are monitored 24 hours by a team of 5 operators out of Durban, Port Shepstone, Cape Agulhas and Cape Town.