This Seven Seas Cruising Association service began on January 3, 2016. It immediately follows the Coconut Telegraph Net (see above) at 1215 hours UTC (0715 EST or 0815 AST) on SSB frequency 8.104, broadcasting to the entire Caribbean up to Maine with news and current events from around the Caribbean, Bahamas, and East Coast of the US.
A second SSCA Net (during the Caribbean season) begins at 0815 hrs EST or 1315 hrs UTC on SSB Frequency 8.104 which is 15 minutes before the start of the Cruiseheimers Net. The intended audience will primarily be Bahamas and East Coast cruisers.
The purpose of the Net is to:
1. Pass emergency & priority traffic, as well as traffic related to safety and security.
2. Provide current news updates of interest to cruisers from such sources as the Caribbean Safety & Security Net, Noonsite, The Salty Southeast Cruisers Net, Caribbean Compass, Bahamas Chatter, and others.
3. And to provide any vessels needing assistance with land-based resources Caribbean-wide.
Established in September 2015 by Glenn Tuttle (based in SW Florida), the SSCA Radio Service also stands by following both the Cruiseheimers and Doo Dah Nets most days on 8.152. KPK is also authorized to operate on 12.350 and are still working on expanding the antenna array to include that frequency to monitor at 1800 hrs EDT when Chris Parker has his net for vessels in the Atlantic and beyond.
Through a partnership with the Caribbean Safety & Security Net, any report of a safety & security nature occurring in the Caribbean will be immediately provided to the CSSN. Likewise, any recent incident posted on the CSSN website will be announced during this broadcast.
The Caribbean Safety and Security Net’s primary mission is the collection and dissemination of accurate information relating to crimes against yachts in the Caribbean, enabling cruisers to make intelligent decisions about how and where they cruise.
“KPK” can assist with radio checks, float plans, telephone contact with family & friends, boat to boat relays, access to medical or mechanical professionals, marinas, Internet searches, or any other assistance that is required.
If you desire to have KPK keep a Float Plan on your vessel, in addition to your normal Float Plan designees, download a PDF of a USCG Auxiliary Float Plan at https://boatwatch.org/resources/ and e-mail it to KPK@ssca.org.
New for 2021 – KPK can now track any vessel transmitting an AIS signal from most anywhere in the world. KPKs coverage will be limited to vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean from the US to Europe. See this news item for details.
Although it is appreciated if cruisers join the SSCA, membership is not required to participate in the SSCA HF Radio Service Net. All vessels are welcome.
Questions or comments are welcome using the e-mail address above.