Changing the Mind of Government -- MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

[This letter was originally published in the Commodores' Bulletin of the Seven Seas Cruising Association. It is re-published here with permission. --Ed.]

Dear SSCA,
A chance meeting in 2000 between two sailors set in motion a journey that brought significant communication improvements for recreational cruisers in a large part of the southern hemisphere. After retiring, my wife, Genie, and I set out on an extended cruise and arrived in Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas in early 2000. A fellow cruiser, recognizing the antenna system for the onboard amateur radio, asked for a message to be relayed to the Waterway Radio and Cruising Club in Florida. After a successful voice contact the visitor talked about the value of digital radio communications via Winlink.

On completing our eight-month cruise in July 2000 I contacted Steve Waterman (K4CJX). Steve is the Winlink network administrator and a member of the Winlink development team. There were no Winlink stations in Australia, my adopted home country and Steve explained that Australia’s amateur radio regulations apparently made it illegal to interface amateur radio with the Internet as is needed for Winlink operation.

I offered to mediate and visited Australia in 2001. I sought a meeting with the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) that regulates amateur radio. That request was denied unless relevant laws in Australia were changed first. A request for a meeting with the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), the amateur radio organization, was more successful.

A meeting was arranged with Ernie (VK1LK), the federal president of WIA, and Gill (VK1GH), the president of the Australian Capital Territory chapter. They explained the impediments to legalizing Winlink in Australia, as well as the opposition from older hams in influential positions who did not want to see change. That attitude was not in keeping with Australia’s innovative ethos and spirit to give others a “fair go.” However, I was told of the upcoming review by Australia’s Productivity Commission (APC) into the more efficient and equitable use of the radio spectrum. That inquiry would provide an opportunity to put the case before the Australian Government.

To be successful, such a formal approach needed the support of a recognized organization representing the international cruising community. That support came from SSCA. During a Gam in 2001 petitions were gathered that would support the submission to the review. To give those interested the opportunity to follow proceedings and contribute to the debate, I also launched www.aussiewinlink.org.

“AussieWinlink” made a substantial submission to the Productivity Commission. Under the transparent procedure, comments were invited on the draft report covering recommendations to the government. The draft was not supportive of Winlink and the rationale advanced was exactly the defective reasoning put forward by the old stalwarts at WIA. AussieWinlink sent a hard-hitting response chastising the APC for its obviously unbalanced presentation of the facts. This had the desired effect. The Final Report, when issued in 2002, concluded, “Changes … to allow the use of technologies such as Winlink 2000 would not appear to undermine the integrity of the amateur bands or Australia’s obligations under international agreements” and, therefore, “it should be possible to amend the amateur license determination to allow the use of technologies such as Win Link (sic) in Australia.”

With this recommendation underpinning its campaign, AussieWinlink was able to put the case before the highest levels of government. In December 2002 petitions were presented to the Honorable John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia; to Peter Costello, Federal Treasurer; and to Senator Richard Alston, Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts. Their standard response was that the federal government could not impose its will on the regulator. However, the impression was that there might have been at least a “nudge” because shortly thereafter the regulator announced a review of amateur radio regulation in Australia.

In the meantime there was an ongoing acrimonious debate with opponents of Winlink. AussieWinlink was defending the right of Australian radio amateurs to take part in evolving communication technologies and for Australian and visiting foreign recreational cruisers to use Winlink to download weather reports and charts, file position reports, track piracy attacks, stay in touch with family and friends and seek medical advice during emergencies, all while underway on the high seas, in coastal waters, anchored out or in port anywhere in the world for free 24/7.

The regulator’s review of amateur radio was differently structured than that conducted by the APC. Upfront the regulator announced its views about the major issues facing amateur radio in Australia. This left respondents with the more difficult task of challenging the regulator’s views where they disagreed.

AussieWinlink made its submission to ACA in 2003. Fortuitously, shortly thereafter the World Radiocommunications Conference was held in Geneva. It recommended significant liberalization of amateur radio. Many national regulators, including Australia, immediately followed suit. ACA’s recommendations were accepted by the Australian government, thus opening the door to the introduction of Winlink in Australia.

Even prior to this development, a courageous ham, John (VK8HF), an American expatriate who had settled in Australia, set up in 2003 the first Winlink radio station in Darwin in the Northern Territory. Geographically the top end of Australia is a strategic location. It reaches out to the archipelago nations to Australia’s north, to the Indian Ocean in the west and the South Pacific to the east. “Courageous” is not an understatement.

John was threatened with forfeiture of his ham radio ticket, confiscation of his radio equipment and possible prosecution. Local radio amateurs ostracized him and eventually that, and health problems, appears to have forced John to close his station down.

Subsequently, other Winlink ground stations were established in Australia. These are now on the east coast (VK2BUA and VK2SYD), south coast (VK3PG and VK5ATB) and the west coast (VK6KPS), the latter, established in September 2003, was the first permanent ground station.

If Australia needed any further proof of the value of Winlink during emergencies, they were soon convinced by the role played by Phil (VK6PHF) during the Asian Tsunami in December 2004. Frantic relatives sought information about missing cruisers, and cruisers wanted to reassure those at home. Phil now runs, out of Perth, one of the five worldwide Winlink Central Message Servers. For good measure, AussieWinlink also sponsored the establishment of a Winlink Station in Madras, India, to ensure complete coverage of the northern Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the piracy-plagued Red Sea.

AussieWinlink thought it inappropriate to declare victory immediately because the right to declare the “Mission Accomplished” depends on the end result. Winlink’s actual performance and service to recreational cruisers in the concerned part of the southern hemisphere had to be tested. This would best be done by following the real life experiences of, preferably, a circumnavigating cruiser.

Walter (DL7MEK) and Gisela Mittasch, Atlantis, had started their circumnavigation years earlier in the Mediterranean and had met me when they were anchored in Washington, DC, in 2003. Their plans to head to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and the South Pacific to Australia made them an obvious choice. To observe operational practices and Winlink performance, I joined them to cruise the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean (2004) and for the transit of the Panama Canal (2005).

Walter and Gisela are true goodwill ambassadors for the international cruising community. They frequently welcome visitors onboard, take the time to go inland, lived with several Pacific island communities and finally in July, 2008, made landfall in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia. It had taken them several years since leaving the U.S. During this rather long test period they maintained almost weekly contact with AussieWinlink. Winlink almost never failed them, and apart from routine operations, like downloading weather reports and staying in close contact with aging parents at home, Winlink was of great value to them during an emergency in Kiribati. We conclude that Winlink in Australia was rigorously tested over a long period and passed the test.

Many other foreign and Australian cruisers are benefiting from the improved Winlink coverage. As one of many examples we quote, “Hi Tony, my name is Stephen and my call sign is VK8ZBV. I am presently located at Marmaris, Turkey. I am slowly sailing around the world. I use Winlink daily to access weather information and to stay in contact with family and friends. I also send position reports so friends can see where we are without the need to email and ask. It was invaluable in SE Asia, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Regards, Stephen.”

(AussieWinlink comments: SSCA member Stephen and his crew rescued five surviving crew members of a sunken vessel in the Indian Ocean, and later their Gone Troppo was boarded and ransacked by pirates in the Red Sea).

There are now three major clusters of vessels in the world that use Winlink. The largest group is still in North America (USA and Canada). Europe follows closely with a large number, like VK8ZBV, sailing in the Mediterranean. Australasia (Australia, New Zealand and neighboring islands in the Pacific) now stands at third place. That was achieved within only a few years after the VK (Australia) stations came onboard and joined the ZL (New Zealand) Winlink stations. The rapidly growing number of users in that part of the world shows that getting Winlink to Australia was a mission well worth fighting for!

It has been a long journey but it’s now completed. AussieWinlink can rightfully claim that the mission that was formally started at the SSCA Gam in 2001 has been accomplished! Please check out www.aussiewinlink.org

--Associate Tony VAN VUGT, VK1VM, KN4VM
S/V Bojangles – 32’ Muira – 6’ draft – July 2008