Ep54 Sailing Couple Safety Prep — What We Addressed Before Our Next Ocean Passage
20 February 2026 · 34 min · 290 views · Ensenada, Mexico
Sailing couple troubleshoots AIS at nav station aboard boat
What this video covers
Tim and Jess aboard the Mystic, berthed at Cruise Port Marina in Ensenada, spend a holiday layover resolving a four-and-a-half-year-old AIS problem before rounding the tip of Baja.13:05 The core issue: a Vesper 8000 AIS transponder had never been properly registered or programmed with an MMSI number.13:04 They filed for a new nine-digit MMSI with the FCC, then discovered the chart plotter could be reprogrammed independently but both the primary and backup marine radios required an authorized dealer — so both were mailed out.14:23 When the radios returned, the AIS still failed; a GPS antenna for the Vesper unit was found but the transponder itself needed reprogramming.14:50 Because Garmin had acquired Vesper, Garmin's online submission form rejected their device and a callback line hung up on them; they eventually located a dealer and mailed the transponder off as well.17:39 Separately, their Gen 2 Starlink failed; Starlink acknowledged a common failure point in that generation and shipped a replacement Gen 3 unit, which installed and connected without issue.18:07 With Starlink restored, they updated the chart plotter and Victron display over Wi-Fi.19:39 The episode closes as the Mystic is hauled out for bottom paint.26:04 Ensenada's malecón, Christmas light displays, and a projection-mapping show at the Civic Center are also covered.10:20
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