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Making Winlink FriendsWinlink Users know that radio amateurs – in general, and recreational cruisers – in particular, are two of the most social groups of people to be found anywhere. This gets multiplied by two when the Winlink User is not only a radio amateur but also a recreational cruiser. The Winlink Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) provides the opportunity for checking if other Winlink Users have reported their position in one’s immediate vicinity. Tony - KN4VM / VK1VM, now based in Washington DC, did exactly that. An APRS check identified a Winlink-equipped User reporting a position anchored in Washington Channel in the heart of Washington DC. The call sign, DL7MEK, identified the cruiser to be of German origin. we established contact first via Winlink and later in person, became friends and later cruised the southern Caribbean together.
This story is just one of the many examples where friendships are formed via Winlink. They demonstrate the band of friendship, first, among individual Winlink Users and, second, between individual Users and the Winlink Development Team including the Operators of the more than forty Winlink ground stations around the world. Tony has successfully lobbied for the establishment of Winlink in Australia so that the southern hemisphere can be better served by Winlink. This effort is much appreciated by cruisers who are transiting the South Pacific or that have plans to do so eventually. Walter (DL7MEK) and his wife Gisela are in the seventh year of a circumnavigation and at some point of time in the future they are due to cross the equator. Us establishing contact led to our friendship and the subsequent invitation by Walter and Gisela for Tony (VK1VM) to join them cruising the southern Caribbean This is the story of the brief cruise. If interested in the story take any or all of the following steps shown below: 1. Read a very brief extract of the Ship’s Log of the Sailing Yacht ATLANTIS; 2. Read the whole story by clicking on First Meetings and following the links for each leg of the cruise; or 3. View a selection of photographs by clicking on Thumbnails. AussieWinlink |
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