boat.tracking
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With a little bit of information, you can actually find where the boat that your MINI is on. You are going to need your VIN number. If you haven't yet received your VIN, then this will not work because your MINI probably hasn't completed the production process. If you do have your VIN, and your know that your MINI is on the boat, here is what you do:
- First, go to the tracking site at http://213.31.205.37/GLWebApps.AppTracking. Here you will be able to get the actual name of your boat (you are going to need this for the next step).
- Then, go to the Coast Guard site to get the call sign of your boat. Enter the name of your boat in the field labeled Vessel Name. You don't need any other information.
- After that, go to the accuweather site. Enter the call sign in the 'Buoy/Ship Observations' field and then click decode. This will give you the lat/long of the ship (each ship is basically a mobile weather station, that's how the weather site can find 'em).
- Finally, go to the maptech site. In the box at the bottom labeled 'Find Maps or Charts by Lat/Lon (Decimal Degree)', enter your lat/lon from the accuweather site. VERY IMPORTANT...if your latitude is XX.X S, you must use a minus ( - ) sign before the number, and if your longitude is XX.X W you have to use the minus ( - ) sign as well. If you do not, you will find that your MINI is coming to you via the Suez Canal, instead of being off of the coast of Spain.
That's it. All of this information came from this thread at minicooperonline.com, posted originally by cgehring. you might have to fuss with it a bit, but you'll get it. Have fun you crazy miniac!
