tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47733702768625391692024-03-24T03:23:49.861-06:00This Rat SailedLeaving the rat race for a life aboard a sailboat.Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.comBlogger479125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-58412390691053292442024-03-23T08:32:00.001-06:002024-03-23T08:32:25.010-06:00No Foreign Land<p>Every once in a while, you stumble upon some website or application that makes cruising life easier. In the past I've written about a few. On my current Bahamas trip, I was introduced to another that replaces an older standby that (in my humble opinion) isn't as good as it once was, so I thought I would share.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I don't remember when I had first learned of the old standby Active Captain, but when I did, it was a game changer. It was quickly apparent that crowd-sourced data could be much more timely and up to date than relying on the limited guide books, paper charts, and other traditional sources of sailing information.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Unfortunately, as often happens when a large company finds out about a popular and good idea, they purchase it and try to figure out how to make it an advantage for themselves and not their competition. And, in this case, I think the new owner effectively reduced the size of the "crowd" and the quality and timeliness of the data. I don't blame the creator of Active Captain, he did a lot of work and deserved a reward. So, while I occasionally still looked at Active Captain (when I could get the site to work), it was no longer a go-to place for good boating information.</p><p dir="ltr">In steps <a href="http://NoForeignLand.com">NoForeignLand.com</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">I was initially asked if I was on NoForeignLand by another cruising couple in Bimini. I said I was not, and frankly, I thought to myself that I didn't really want another social platform to deal with. I almost didn't bother looking into it. But I was told it included the ability to provide position reports on a map and I thought "hmmm...well, maybe that would be good for our parents and friends to follow along on where we are". So, I decided to give it a look.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Boy am I glad I did. It is a website with apps available for Android and Apple. Yes, it has a social function and can track where you are (if you want it to). But more useful to me, it has a wealth of crowd-sourced data on marinas, anchorages, places to visit, sources for supplies and provisions, boat yards, navigation hazards, and more. Since we started using it, we have found a few nice anchorages and places to visit. We also used it to find provisioning stops and parts. I'm still learning all of its features, but so far I am quite impressed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEQgFIs3phULPF-VWJyBPfowWhjfj3cwuOcPKRyat5YDnaiWFyZ_CXeWbNozZztVIQTw7IvbvvJsMyiNOvh7dpnEfVZJChsUcKNKSgUHHdMaFTpWRyxaD7PQGMRrZZBFannwV4i16VerDurzoVtQCSpGoOdy5pnL51GT96ZlNIZyddK5hIwRioF-oB-4/s1024/NFLwebsite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="1024" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEQgFIs3phULPF-VWJyBPfowWhjfj3cwuOcPKRyat5YDnaiWFyZ_CXeWbNozZztVIQTw7IvbvvJsMyiNOvh7dpnEfVZJChsUcKNKSgUHHdMaFTpWRyxaD7PQGMRrZZBFannwV4i16VerDurzoVtQCSpGoOdy5pnL51GT96ZlNIZyddK5hIwRioF-oB-4/s320/NFLwebsite.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen capture of the NoForeignLand<br />site with our boat highlighted</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p dir="ltr">The app and website were created and are maintained by a couple of active cruisers and seem to have many participants all over the world. So, if you are looking for a replacement for what Active Captain used to be, I would highly recommend giving it a look. Like me, I think you will be glad you did.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-21130488538228686832024-03-22T14:29:00.003-06:002024-03-22T14:29:56.863-06:00Smilin' Like Eleut'ra<p> If there is one thing to say about the sailing lifestyle, it is dominated by the weather. On a good day, it propels you to where you want to go with good speed and minimum turbulence. On bad days, you hunker down and do your best to hide from it. The rest of the time it wavers somewhere in between. And most of the time, the wind seems to be coming from the direction you want to go.</p><p>Our short trip from the Glass Window anchorage to Hatchet Bay was no exception. To sail straight there, the wind would be within 15 degrees of right on our nose. Our boat can go about 40° into the wind, but is faster if you bear away to about 50°. If we wanted to go straight there, we would have to motor. But we are a sailboat and diesel is around $6/gallon here, so we tacked our way down to Hatchet Bay.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDglA0hJujS7A6ZQq_882bwktUNTahIQYEbxEt1It97QR34PynHL4eAbXcaaKY0L4WuXP6B1bL-zuE7rC2mQ07jZ2ius4gdkRxOmqyN0CJE3_z1072rBUDkPJ38GfjLXNehln7KucAOOH8bVq5S_SBkk0IKAjKUEwk9VVR2RyocMIi60AfS8dPnyd3LZY/s1280/IMG-20240308-WA0002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDglA0hJujS7A6ZQq_882bwktUNTahIQYEbxEt1It97QR34PynHL4eAbXcaaKY0L4WuXP6B1bL-zuE7rC2mQ07jZ2ius4gdkRxOmqyN0CJE3_z1072rBUDkPJ38GfjLXNehln7KucAOOH8bVq5S_SBkk0IKAjKUEwk9VVR2RyocMIi60AfS8dPnyd3LZY/s320/IMG-20240308-WA0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to Hatchet Bay </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Hatchet Bay entrance is interesting. The "bay" was actually an inland salt water lake near the rocky shoreline, and someone decided to make a cut through the rock so it could be accessed by boat. The cut is narrow, but once inside, there is excellent protection from the wind in all directions. If memory serves, we decided to go there, in part, to hide from an approaching cold front. We squeeze through the entrance and find a spot to drop the anchor, alongside several other boats that were doing the same.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_Y3owgtqQloyBNOZnu8OOHOsc1kXFOWORK15CTJLSzDxq1M1phvxch9Qzv6qTIcklCEpnVRKw7xAPPbbbz5gN6ht3Lqdz7-4RndTXLJE7Q0tdNc33MHKan1BTn2cccoRyPYLcKxhp68f9rz2nSJPULtXrVAgAADlQFYRqiix6q2YmAKjB43H36mf4NM/s1280/IMG-20240308-WA0000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_Y3owgtqQloyBNOZnu8OOHOsc1kXFOWORK15CTJLSzDxq1M1phvxch9Qzv6qTIcklCEpnVRKw7xAPPbbbz5gN6ht3Lqdz7-4RndTXLJE7Q0tdNc33MHKan1BTn2cccoRyPYLcKxhp68f9rz2nSJPULtXrVAgAADlQFYRqiix6q2YmAKjB43H36mf4NM/s320/IMG-20240308-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a wide cut through the rocks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5hmZijm-NjK17EYgWXLP0gLZrXLY8_n_c_czXVfnwuRorv0XzQJ0MbUuv11JjHfCeM7qomLRDgxpkkwiDAbeqjnLJpjQIpaLndxK_3arnriISL4c-gySOzaFP2h-A1z7AO2YTmBt-dg5lASI_FPuIMFuYUOL-opmUIWBx2pbTsw1PJi85BHRVjVvWO0/s1280/IMG-20240308-WA0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5hmZijm-NjK17EYgWXLP0gLZrXLY8_n_c_czXVfnwuRorv0XzQJ0MbUuv11JjHfCeM7qomLRDgxpkkwiDAbeqjnLJpjQIpaLndxK_3arnriISL4c-gySOzaFP2h-A1z7AO2YTmBt-dg5lASI_FPuIMFuYUOL-opmUIWBx2pbTsw1PJi85BHRVjVvWO0/s320/IMG-20240308-WA0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fair amount of room once you are inside</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are a few interesting things to do here. There is another inland salt water lake you can walk to and go snorkeling. It was said there was some interesting life in this lake, including a large number of sea horses. We made the walk and went snorkeling there. After the walk on a warm day, the relatively cool water felt good. We saw a number of starfish, some interesting coral, and other creatures. I thought the seahorses would be easier to spot, but they were quite elusive. I did see one, but our friends on ICat were better with the underwater photography and managed to snap a couple pictures of them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgJZnM5UAadZzusp8ITgXMwo_bEVNds5DglhKQjpgLzX0W6sr4L6KhxTNu1v3RNM2EsjDilxXdyeOlWmUfarmcfI6BFadlXb0eKhRAjJVG8HAy2yTSEczZqAShVVqnNSHEU6X9pkBaGC2Lm0Z5sIh00eeA9mEuUe5CiYvSL9kv5yBCOUZU4CcHCCiml0/s1280/IMG-20240310-WA0021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgJZnM5UAadZzusp8ITgXMwo_bEVNds5DglhKQjpgLzX0W6sr4L6KhxTNu1v3RNM2EsjDilxXdyeOlWmUfarmcfI6BFadlXb0eKhRAjJVG8HAy2yTSEczZqAShVVqnNSHEU6X9pkBaGC2Lm0Z5sIh00eeA9mEuUe5CiYvSL9kv5yBCOUZU4CcHCCiml0/s320/IMG-20240310-WA0021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the horse?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_jdF3-g7YtahyphenhyphenuvL-7iX9G1Lu3rFRKljBh12rj5OBWbPMovN2_FiYEiLDEoSzPtIO7ph9pOpwUFSCiU7KUtH13_izevbqbOo_gXyCA_mHWzq439Sq7lIPO3gP8SzSxAns2Hn-M_O0X6ONO3nAX-MGUWggmowjmjW1OgDaDUc7PPtjrFNzqHBV1GsDYo/s1280/IMG-20240310-WA0024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_jdF3-g7YtahyphenhyphenuvL-7iX9G1Lu3rFRKljBh12rj5OBWbPMovN2_FiYEiLDEoSzPtIO7ph9pOpwUFSCiU7KUtH13_izevbqbOo_gXyCA_mHWzq439Sq7lIPO3gP8SzSxAns2Hn-M_O0X6ONO3nAX-MGUWggmowjmjW1OgDaDUc7PPtjrFNzqHBV1GsDYo/s320/IMG-20240310-WA0024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Alice Town, a small settlement, sits at the southern shore of the bay, and we decided to visit there. We figured we would check out the town and grab dinner while we were out (we also needed to drop off a little trash while we were there...on a boat you try to minimize trash production, but it can't be entirely eliminated). Unfortunately, it was Sunday and just about everything was closed. We wandered about town for a bit and ended back at the dinghy dock and one of the few places that opened around 4pm. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZP-mDnf9HxRL9VRWjnqAvdnl-N0YA1ZBj8urIe2Lt8Npoe83LOxEJPmUFC9PBoSq218QOTo7brsV9pJanZhsjanVGNwg_C0WVRMeLDHRx38t_k5Hthr58PQOrxqZCXgVXEOdJ1vK8uUa7GzC-5qK3LZHbxEUvbv4crdxlTESjgV1ZFTqjgKQyVTc4jQ/s1280/IMG-20240310-WA0006.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZP-mDnf9HxRL9VRWjnqAvdnl-N0YA1ZBj8urIe2Lt8Npoe83LOxEJPmUFC9PBoSq218QOTo7brsV9pJanZhsjanVGNwg_C0WVRMeLDHRx38t_k5Hthr58PQOrxqZCXgVXEOdJ1vK8uUa7GzC-5qK3LZHbxEUvbv4crdxlTESjgV1ZFTqjgKQyVTc4jQ/s320/IMG-20240310-WA0006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wandering the quiet streets<br />of Alice Town</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Boaters Haven is a cruiser focused business that runs(?) the dinghy dock, a convenience store with some supplies, a small restaurant, and a bar with a patio that overlooks the bay. The food and drink prices were quite reasonable, particularly by Bahamian standards: $2 sodas, $4 bottled adult beverages, and a $9 fish sandwich that was quite tasty. But the best part of this place is Emmitt (the owner?). In addition to running the business and apparently a small farm, he is also a musician. He entertains his guests with some original songs and covers and truly makes an evening there memorable. To Emmit and crew, thank you for a wonderful evening and meal!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwRaJ3evYnoY7kxXeoHdTB4g_qQmCOcGgwafaTsHpJVkQvgbR47DlKgHXbD8QjP9SKzZNl8vscMV_-VIMKXDQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Emmitt entertaining at Boaters Haven</span></div><p>One other thing we wanted to check out after the weather passed was a small cave you could dinghy into if the weather and tides were right. It sits outside and just south of the bay. It was interesting to take a dinghy into a hole in the side of the island.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16wgW0_k74J0xUb_ZnrANtHFy-q80a-ftGDaDd7LKyZAF_37RIg-CdGSCEtPEblCNY9tomDH_Bi6pxvU2WwwMMxwUj4LyTpQ78XiCprkdJ3q_NIgfwFrthp6YvfM4mlbB8OXK2aZ8qpO40LOGIjzSX6Npq5MOdRjrBP2hr8zJjJaxhHY1c0bt9Ef98qQ/s1600/IMG-20240316-WA0000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16wgW0_k74J0xUb_ZnrANtHFy-q80a-ftGDaDd7LKyZAF_37RIg-CdGSCEtPEblCNY9tomDH_Bi6pxvU2WwwMMxwUj4LyTpQ78XiCprkdJ3q_NIgfwFrthp6YvfM4mlbB8OXK2aZ8qpO40LOGIjzSX6Npq5MOdRjrBP2hr8zJjJaxhHY1c0bt9Ef98qQ/s320/IMG-20240316-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dinghy in a cave</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a few days in Hatchet Bay, we decided we wanted to find a bit less crowded anchorage and left to visit the Pineapple Cays just off of South Palmetto Point.</p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-56030318952718596862024-03-18T22:00:00.001-06:002024-03-22T02:59:16.653-06:00Spanish Wells, Windows, and Baths<p>We moved the boat from the more protected anchorage by Hoffman's Blue Hole and back to where we anchored the first day so we could get an early start heading for Eleuthera. We made our way out the cut between Hoffman's and Devils cays, raised the sails, and pointed the bow towards Eleuthera.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaUbTnYEUnWxkiimDPYhXVVCMAqnO4t5yFphsFLBXquQ5WWoRJnSJQx3Ukr4h-0Mx9wWbmpidAnPUgBZ3rtZQmCy2Bqp1365r51moHcsbztyac6egOOU2BlZhtZ4fTMsadZH-QO0xDfQYZRn3LFRVj-jnkdHaDtAButPqFW2jknFZWit18W_LLzI6sQM/s4608/DSCF0986.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikaUbTnYEUnWxkiimDPYhXVVCMAqnO4t5yFphsFLBXquQ5WWoRJnSJQx3Ukr4h-0Mx9wWbmpidAnPUgBZ3rtZQmCy2Bqp1365r51moHcsbztyac6egOOU2BlZhtZ4fTMsadZH-QO0xDfQYZRn3LFRVj-jnkdHaDtAButPqFW2jknFZWit18W_LLzI6sQM/s320/DSCF0986.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<p dir="ltr">Since arriving in Bimini, we have done our best to sail and not motor, and this was no exception. The ideal wind would be from the side, or beam, of the boat. This day, like many, it was a little forward of that, but still a decent angle and we made reasonable time without having to burn any diesel. Still, we sailed a bit slower than we wanted, perhaps because we are a bit loaded down with supplies or that the bottom of the hull could stand a light cleaning. This wouldn't have been bad, except a bit of a thunderstorm had developed and moved in right as we got into the shallow waters on the approach to Spanish Wells. At one point, we considered diverting to an alternate anchorage, but decided to push on through so we would be near the town in the morning.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The winds clocked around until they were right on our nose, so we dropped the sails and started the motors. Then the heavy rain started. It reduced visibility to about a quarter mile and we were using sound signals and the chartplotter to navigate through it. I was starting to wonder if we had made a mistake by not diverting, but the storm eventually passed and we were able to see boats and the Meeks Patch island where we intended to anchor. The storm had further slowed us, so we dropped anchor at dusk and settled in for the night. It wasn't until we were done that we noticed we actually anchored about 200 yards from iCat.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The weather improved overnight and in the morning we repositioned our boats to an anchorage just outside the entrance to Spanish Wells harbor. From there we launched the dinghy to explore town with the crew of iCat and do a little shopping. Spanish Wells, although smaller than Bimini, had much more to offer. A couple grocery stores (one very well stocked and reasonable prices, at least by Bahamas standards), hardware store, liquor store, and several restaurants. They even had a boatyard and 2 marine stores, one of which had the hose I was looking for. In addition to the hose, we picked up some fresh produce, eggs, and a couple other items on our excursion. We had lunch at a local restaurant on the waterfront. It was a successful trip.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The next day we left Spanish Wells and headed south around Current Cay to Glass Window and the Queen's Baths. We unfortunately got a late start and missed slack tide at Current Cut and had to go the long way around through Flemming Channel. Although wider than Current Cut, the current and wind made the channel a bit of a rough ride as the current opposed the wind direction. We arrived late at the anchorage after once again sailing all the way (except for a brief bit in the channel), dropped the hook, had dinner, and went to bed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq891CwRn6WdRk3bxKdAgdt6AuyUbmmE4vSWB2rixg6xvEurXqvtBGTT81xUhtgBKyvOaAm2CCa-cqecFSXQVOo9YmkJWOTlQjMsit9QEZLV3g49PQcJYHUYZlRjMNyO7g6oTtCgbIaaJgCAbXlMBaxAlqa4WlnXrCvLH8msVqH5LcNTE3ALNZqMtnCn8/s3840/DSCF1045.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="3840" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq891CwRn6WdRk3bxKdAgdt6AuyUbmmE4vSWB2rixg6xvEurXqvtBGTT81xUhtgBKyvOaAm2CCa-cqecFSXQVOo9YmkJWOTlQjMsit9QEZLV3g49PQcJYHUYZlRjMNyO7g6oTtCgbIaaJgCAbXlMBaxAlqa4WlnXrCvLH8msVqH5LcNTE3ALNZqMtnCn8/w640-h182/DSCF1045.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass Window Bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr">The following day we visited the Glass Window Bridge and the Queen's Baths. The bridge is the thinnest point on the island and shows the vast difference between the shallow waters of the Bight of Eleuthera to the west and the deep Atlantic ocean to the east. The Queen's Baths are pools formed in the rocky shoreline that are heated by the sun. The water in the pools is saltwater, although I'm not sure how they are filled as many seem to be well above the coastline. I guess I could see a queen taking a soak here, there were several visitors doing the same.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoQjwhfh56mBzV1sjpN6nh9__MNO9m9zjrYBeJgMl6XGNjxYwFcPm-orwkBjBJcDNoQC8ieQzr6CteHAESe56TJRSunoAHBWK2TnZicRZTOGT9szuNw_LjvxqomiSAfwLQUzFlOHceOu31VJ6Umpo_JLrPgvTQ2dQtLdfVCwKqqNdmkAbJ8xgfqps5sY/s4608/DSCF1042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoQjwhfh56mBzV1sjpN6nh9__MNO9m9zjrYBeJgMl6XGNjxYwFcPm-orwkBjBJcDNoQC8ieQzr6CteHAESe56TJRSunoAHBWK2TnZicRZTOGT9szuNw_LjvxqomiSAfwLQUzFlOHceOu31VJ6Umpo_JLrPgvTQ2dQtLdfVCwKqqNdmkAbJ8xgfqps5sY/s320/DSCF1042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDSIrzArRg5cxT9CGVpQhsj9DWG8XR_H8WXNtnHDZMO8WlgkPO4hOrmxq-zhKELGJUBl41EjnnF68HS_66wUTus1XtquyqVJ6RAWvFyyorzcEudnBOei53XMRFRx0ez3L467pf7acit3R04DJin-mYnNBV9GZyaeunMccTfkDyVJQ6s5Ffl6YFrKtCG4/s4608/DSCF1050.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDSIrzArRg5cxT9CGVpQhsj9DWG8XR_H8WXNtnHDZMO8WlgkPO4hOrmxq-zhKELGJUBl41EjnnF68HS_66wUTus1XtquyqVJ6RAWvFyyorzcEudnBOei53XMRFRx0ez3L467pf7acit3R04DJin-mYnNBV9GZyaeunMccTfkDyVJQ6s5Ffl6YFrKtCG4/s320/DSCF1050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew of Rover and ICat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysXVf_VkH3mEw4zxq-VTm_Lo5xwh2SUHfC5dUGVAwe5crI6-WlPdWRYcoXryTd5marRm9vqy3GS5RjAqrHX-6yKqSV5W-kcv0CQiEdDZ9O_5LpvmR5XVwYRpMLav6wKL14nVlEorqiqm-vhtFVL1HoRN7OIP1qwv16bD862wO8VkpHcHbbmIEi2kM8no/s4608/DSCF1047.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysXVf_VkH3mEw4zxq-VTm_Lo5xwh2SUHfC5dUGVAwe5crI6-WlPdWRYcoXryTd5marRm9vqy3GS5RjAqrHX-6yKqSV5W-kcv0CQiEdDZ9O_5LpvmR5XVwYRpMLav6wKL14nVlEorqiqm-vhtFVL1HoRN7OIP1qwv16bD862wO8VkpHcHbbmIEi2kM8no/s320/DSCF1047.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1X69M9oThI9oX7hOtzPJaKgQjIAOgt9m9wf_kR0-af-2fc6UOkkpxWJh1H9lMeJFkUb7J1O7aaRAc2EBh2YAvkAguo6uuGpnRRsFu6z3HCfaeKlmliLlNc62bUEPyqBBokyyYZH9767p3L04DF703fKoGknao3-vZlcquZu7RXmf3OFXC3_qIPMk7Hs/s4608/DSCF1027.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1X69M9oThI9oX7hOtzPJaKgQjIAOgt9m9wf_kR0-af-2fc6UOkkpxWJh1H9lMeJFkUb7J1O7aaRAc2EBh2YAvkAguo6uuGpnRRsFu6z3HCfaeKlmliLlNc62bUEPyqBBokyyYZH9767p3L04DF703fKoGknao3-vZlcquZu7RXmf3OFXC3_qIPMk7Hs/s320/DSCF1027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small pools at the Baths</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGpxXjkEn3ULDSX9OSEwOirCQjLisch__pKNh3J82eKSlaaJ1jtolbtFEIewF2am45x7oyL-lc9MpdSThbhpeALyuNSwhELnIQoVANMNop-4Lb1mENKPDw43Ve2YmPoPOU8juYLD5xLJLN2E0EpUZGAILNyVv8Ltkhc2HEQIbrXOpNG3iYDaFhqdx2z8/s4608/DSCF1032.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGpxXjkEn3ULDSX9OSEwOirCQjLisch__pKNh3J82eKSlaaJ1jtolbtFEIewF2am45x7oyL-lc9MpdSThbhpeALyuNSwhELnIQoVANMNop-4Lb1mENKPDw43Ve2YmPoPOU8juYLD5xLJLN2E0EpUZGAILNyVv8Ltkhc2HEQIbrXOpNG3iYDaFhqdx2z8/s320/DSCF1032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waves crash at the Baths</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p dir="ltr">Since the anchorage we were at had nice clean water surrounding the boat, we also decided it was time to break out the watermaker and replenish our fresh water supply. We last filled our tanks a couple days before leaving Bimini and one was now empty. Since it had been a while since we used the watermaker, I also wanted to make sure it was working. We fired up the generator and proceeded to slowly turn Seawater into fresh until our tanks were once again full. I wondered if the inverter could run the Rainman watermaker, but it didn't work. Too bad, it would be nice to be able to make a little water when we had excess solar power to burn. We also gave the underside a little cleaning. There was some soft growth and our friends suggested using cut-resistant gloves to brush it off and that worked well.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2RWtoaSPC9Yzr99f382KV42Wm8iiRtL44_2qLUSVLzFTnb4XoL3H4KVfqXjNjZVRx9xIU9lkZiqjFbXd1d7ErfErMQN1XS6zSFVOT-oSOf3OH5GFAbW6cipINvjM31o23Hz54d0PRcDYpBmbELArT-yjgLW048NSr9yFLOF3NcdxL2K9TwGdCkoUcE0/s4096/IMG_20240308_111220616.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2RWtoaSPC9Yzr99f382KV42Wm8iiRtL44_2qLUSVLzFTnb4XoL3H4KVfqXjNjZVRx9xIU9lkZiqjFbXd1d7ErfErMQN1XS6zSFVOT-oSOf3OH5GFAbW6cipINvjM31o23Hz54d0PRcDYpBmbELArT-yjgLW048NSr9yFLOF3NcdxL2K9TwGdCkoUcE0/s320/IMG_20240308_111220616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty water at the anchorage </td></tr></tbody></table>
<p dir="ltr">Next we decided to check out Hatchet Bay and Alice Town....</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-81632892953298694782024-03-13T03:55:00.002-06:002024-03-13T09:58:05.264-06:00Berries, Beaches, Blue Holes and Cruise Ships<p>The weather was calling for light winds during the morning and early afternoon that would pick up overnight, so we decided to leave Bimini around noon. Our choice was to sail to Mackie Shoal, anchor there (in the middle of the Great Bahama Bank) with no land in sight, and then continue on to Great Harbour Cay in the Berries...or...to sail overnight and arrive in the Berries the following day without the stop at Mackie. Since the wind was supposed to pick up a bit overnight, I wasn't sure we wanted to anchor on the shoal and decided to make the overnight passage. The winds were mostly as predicted and the first half of the sail was slow, but picked up overnight as we passed north of the shoal, and we had better winds the rest of the way to the Berries.</p><p>We hadn't decided if we wanted to stop at a marina or just anchor out, but as we listened to the radio traffic in Great Harbour, we found the decision was made for us. The marina was booked and they had a waiting list. We made our way around the north end and anchored behind Great Stirrup Cay in a location where we should have decent protection from the higher winds expected the following day. This is where we got to experience the impact the cruise lines have had on The Bahamas.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNSIIbeeVqSl2y4bUtP1WG7djLnQ3XfmbkeHXeiiap5iraX_cjdExFljIC58jSEsGDBYjlWavr6ublmGo-D037HbS4t8spJCtb8QBpPlKhkhVpdqrPurjrkSxmhXAWx5t49hgYy-PaU3dZ8dVgBeStAwd9OKxa-Fujh_Igi63b5SaX-CvCTp2M37F1uI/s1024/CruiseShips.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNSIIbeeVqSl2y4bUtP1WG7djLnQ3XfmbkeHXeiiap5iraX_cjdExFljIC58jSEsGDBYjlWavr6ublmGo-D037HbS4t8spJCtb8QBpPlKhkhVpdqrPurjrkSxmhXAWx5t49hgYy-PaU3dZ8dVgBeStAwd9OKxa-Fujh_Igi63b5SaX-CvCTp2M37F1uI/s320/CruiseShips.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Carribean and Norwegian Cruise Ships</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Great Stirrup Cay was purchased by Norwegian Cruise Lines, and its little neighbor to the east was renamed Coco Cay and is owned or leased by Royal Caribbean. These are the private stops the cruise lines advertise about. The Royal Caribbean island looks like a carnival with amusement park rides and all sorts of other entertainment. The Norwegian setup was a bit more subdued. They obviously had jet ski rentals, and there was a brigade of them that circled the more protected anchorage any time a cruise ship was present.<p></p><p>We found one other boat, Féale, there when we arrived. As we searched for a good spot to drop the hook, the other captain came out on deck and shouted over to us that the whole area had about 10 foot depths and sand with some grass spots (we were trying to determine if the dark spots were coral or grass...still getting used to even seeing the bottom as it is uncommon on the eastern US coast) which was very helpful. We dropped anchor in a nice sandy spot. The crew of the other boat came by and introduced themselves. We chatted for a bit. They are a French Canadian couple out cruising. Stéphane and Brigitte, it was very nice to meet you.</p><p>A short time later, Whisper also showed up. When they left Bimini, their plan was to anchor on Mackie Shoal and then continue on to Chub cay, so it was a nice surprise to see them again. The next morning, we all repositioned our boats closer to Great Stirrup as it would better protect us from the forecast winds and waves that day. Before Whisper had moved, we saw a bunch of jet skis zipping past their boat...it almost looked like a rodeo. When they moved, I don't think they ran over any of them, but I don't know that I would have blamed them if they did.</p><p>After repositioning the boats, Stéphane and Brigitte joined us to go check out the lighthouse on Great Stirrup as several guides said it was a nice walk. Shortly after we landed the dinghies on the beach, two security guards stopped by and informed us that the entire island was now private and we could not. Thanks Norwegian. They did say we could stay on the beach for a bit (and took our pictures), so we sat there on the beach and chatted a bit more. A second security guard came by, took our names, and told us again (a bit more politely than the first) that it was private and we were only allowed to be there up to the high water line. Before a third round of security might show up, we decided to go back to our boats. Later that evening we invited them and the crew of Whisper over for sundowners. We had a nice evening in good company as the sun set.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1Q7jrAfDZ2r93FWd9lvMHrAp7a-5eRfc1XChhsNqpKMyAo6TCgEK1Dseb9XFs5Ud9FHUNg9dDlEvC3Dl7evhfowvHIT4ESHCQyWRUjwwiVp22cg8qHi-xq150QIVbqxUMJcyVmHJmkYpOIAqFcTavFi6y_j0QjjBYx6hSexyKEfmyLgHRomeO7nIEb0/s1024/PetitCay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1Q7jrAfDZ2r93FWd9lvMHrAp7a-5eRfc1XChhsNqpKMyAo6TCgEK1Dseb9XFs5Ud9FHUNg9dDlEvC3Dl7evhfowvHIT4ESHCQyWRUjwwiVp22cg8qHi-xq150QIVbqxUMJcyVmHJmkYpOIAqFcTavFi6y_j0QjjBYx6hSexyKEfmyLgHRomeO7nIEb0/s320/PetitCay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petit Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><p>With the cruise ship circus, the crews of Whisper and Rover decided to sail around the east side of Great Harbor and anchor behind Petit Cay before heading further down the island chain to Hoffman's Cay. This proved to be a good decision. No cruise ships in sight and Petit wasn't private, so we could go ashore and enjoy the beach. The anchorage was calm and there were only a few cruising boats anchored at the other side of the bay. We took the dinghy to shore and stretched our legs walking along the beach.</p><p>The next day we continued on to Hoffman's Cay. Whisper arrived first but couldn't determine how to go in safely so they headed to an alternate anchorage to the south. When we arrived, we were able to enter the cut and weighed anchor behind the adjacent Gaulding Cay. We wanted to get to a different anchorage that was better protected, but it was low tide and we weren't sure we could make it until the next days high tide. We also wanted to go to that anchorage, in part, because the Swiss friends we met in Charleston were there. A short time after anchoring, Stéphane rowed over in his kayak and said hi and that they too decided to come to Hoffman's. He said he was able to skirt near the southwest shore of the key and saw reasonable water depth.</p><p>So, in the morning we tried their route, but the water got uncomfortably shallow for our wide boat and then we ran aground trying to back out (after the port engine developed a lack-of-thrust problem). A good samaritan helped pull us off the sandbar with their dinghy, and we motored on the other engine back to the spot we just left. I let the engine cool down a bit and go investigate. The shaft coupler had loosened and while the transmission would turn, the shaft was not. I check the shaft and retighten the coupler and it was once again behaving normally. We debate if we should attempt to go to that anchorage again or just stay put. Whisper arrived a short time later and anchored near us.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4cRVsdcBjQu1fS8jXNqiZTxBeEwz5AFYJGFD-YbqPLePf6sFrekcNBZ5NxYUalf6YiPTRMaPNIFGoNs76lJBMzv7uhUvvrqoe3cwLwNI5SvN4mVNIUKOUaEfb4r_dbCTP1fd7WdGFq11kIJ5iDrroPVQ0DWF5qRyaB241iiZa36TkOE4Qb0ImOxD4fU/s1024/HoffmanBlueHole.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4cRVsdcBjQu1fS8jXNqiZTxBeEwz5AFYJGFD-YbqPLePf6sFrekcNBZ5NxYUalf6YiPTRMaPNIFGoNs76lJBMzv7uhUvvrqoe3cwLwNI5SvN4mVNIUKOUaEfb4r_dbCTP1fd7WdGFq11kIJ5iDrroPVQ0DWF5qRyaB241iiZa36TkOE4Qb0ImOxD4fU/s320/HoffmanBlueHole.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoffman's Blue Hole Anchorage with iCat</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Eventually we did try again, but this time we took a longer route that our friends on iCat used and we successfully anchored behind Hoffman's near a beach and a blue hole. We spent the next few days exploring the island and hosted a couple dinners for our friends. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7Kwkq3lMzwdLrQw0zm7vyxALdqxoEENJXp9VMNULF1P-J-Ngy5QoLqPOu1RcoUUfzCV9vgZNjJw6n1Ulv4tEsooeCkCS3BApEYcKhjySEhMwkf4JhjkcIjA-fbvKVcfmtMG-wvSuGEMMgp8nqlWyGW7No-BhVosm7mL-mJlD30yG8amJA9BCrtQpXGQ/s4608/DSCF0979.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7Kwkq3lMzwdLrQw0zm7vyxALdqxoEENJXp9VMNULF1P-J-Ngy5QoLqPOu1RcoUUfzCV9vgZNjJw6n1Ulv4tEsooeCkCS3BApEYcKhjySEhMwkf4JhjkcIjA-fbvKVcfmtMG-wvSuGEMMgp8nqlWyGW7No-BhVosm7mL-mJlD30yG8amJA9BCrtQpXGQ/s320/DSCF0979.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinghy ride to the Blue Hole <br />trailhead on Hoffman's</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0oUtV_8wavKjl-8EP0ZVhHWBeJm9VH1Exis4l4rB2jCPelvHpvoAJ-ndHY781d4_HtC8Mu9718ferFokS5JVJzopn1Z_NGqtzoxNkKFFPGKk4SlXmkkPI-s0BkDy0AgVZuaf8HF3Fx9pCZkyAxak1AyfoVN4t3YFyzklLXAk442D8m-aq6XaLrm-75M/s4608/DSCF0982.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0oUtV_8wavKjl-8EP0ZVhHWBeJm9VH1Exis4l4rB2jCPelvHpvoAJ-ndHY781d4_HtC8Mu9718ferFokS5JVJzopn1Z_NGqtzoxNkKFFPGKk4SlXmkkPI-s0BkDy0AgVZuaf8HF3Fx9pCZkyAxak1AyfoVN4t3YFyzklLXAk442D8m-aq6XaLrm-75M/s320/DSCF0982.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few interesting things on the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB59cMZ9aeftP_VVpnfMCBXE7cl5_b_45RFV6BMqPNvKF35tuVWQU3vIG9HBIvw8u0a1GjKqikXXGVKBxixt_JViORq52iiMy-lCys0Z5WqxxR6B89ble4meJqng2DsBFu7fklcE-k-96XQ4Ix4_PGk9piAPukVPT5gVaWuJkCaEYErrRYifPpy-9SzMw/s4608/DSCF0988.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB59cMZ9aeftP_VVpnfMCBXE7cl5_b_45RFV6BMqPNvKF35tuVWQU3vIG9HBIvw8u0a1GjKqikXXGVKBxixt_JViORq52iiMy-lCys0Z5WqxxR6B89ble4meJqng2DsBFu7fklcE-k-96XQ4Ix4_PGk9piAPukVPT5gVaWuJkCaEYErrRYifPpy-9SzMw/s320/DSCF0988.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoffman's Blue Hole</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6QoTUKqrEiA6sJ81s3oObsL6CzcK6zLI3C0dFgYQIuIYhxi7GWC6E8GiyUpHUOBhsW2vmBYq62-3lqqUEbVmDGuELuQdkm16DHbVUYQe9v-q8V2ZNri4Qwq-MK2c-_OaD7IRyJ2xTuFMlJeWedDOmQuAE11crO5DNmxNXr7h4joIIy_hXKaUZtPE6AA/s4608/DSCF0993.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6QoTUKqrEiA6sJ81s3oObsL6CzcK6zLI3C0dFgYQIuIYhxi7GWC6E8GiyUpHUOBhsW2vmBYq62-3lqqUEbVmDGuELuQdkm16DHbVUYQe9v-q8V2ZNri4Qwq-MK2c-_OaD7IRyJ2xTuFMlJeWedDOmQuAE11crO5DNmxNXr7h4joIIy_hXKaUZtPE6AA/s320/DSCF0993.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOM6RQ7g0eZt1ykosBF2MvdmjtlUSEDPujBrAryrzDKslboVoe-rYDc91kPQ9zAbqApAWwDTCjeFvnUZGEhZZIasuuDQQYPVTXB1oQJ46eH0qDmP4hOIU0tP329FCegtPfByMzr3xLeBUNAthfJtHPclXc8hsckov2lwNj0rKXYvtOPMVcAHT1mpGUlY/s4608/DSCF1017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOM6RQ7g0eZt1ykosBF2MvdmjtlUSEDPujBrAryrzDKslboVoe-rYDc91kPQ9zAbqApAWwDTCjeFvnUZGEhZZIasuuDQQYPVTXB1oQJ46eH0qDmP4hOIU0tP329FCegtPfByMzr3xLeBUNAthfJtHPclXc8hsckov2lwNj0rKXYvtOPMVcAHT1mpGUlY/s320/DSCF1017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eastern shore of Hoffman's Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmRbS2mr6DuKtBtLCtQQCg9c8Ck6IPetWtnjqHhS00GLnoFNVDLWBIulSplcZIF9TS89bJJxJcLCTXQ6Ggn5j9hLryCXRuVkz9g_Lvj5blcBsd1CaPZ9-mRjhWoYT1yxOSSuOu-FgJPIXTwgxJvI2BNvq_E9ncg3CFwtj1wII4iLTh5fx7CgMkuBsao8/s4608/DSCF1018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmRbS2mr6DuKtBtLCtQQCg9c8Ck6IPetWtnjqHhS00GLnoFNVDLWBIulSplcZIF9TS89bJJxJcLCTXQ6Ggn5j9hLryCXRuVkz9g_Lvj5blcBsd1CaPZ9-mRjhWoYT1yxOSSuOu-FgJPIXTwgxJvI2BNvq_E9ncg3CFwtj1wII4iLTh5fx7CgMkuBsao8/s320/DSCF1018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>On one excursion, we came upon a wrecked boat that had been washed up on shore for a while. There wasn't much left of the boat, but surprisingly, it had a piece of hose that might work should my radiator hose patch fail. So we made a second trip to do a little beach savenger "shopping" and returned with a piece of hose that isn't in too bad of shape. Amazing what you can find laying around on a beach.</p><p>This was more like it. Beautiful water, tropical islands to explore, friends to share with, and no pesky cruise ships. We did find out that several of the islands, including Hoffman's Cay, were for sale. I do hope the Bahamas doesn't sell off all their islands as this is the attraction for cruisers visiting this place.</p><p>After several days, it was time to move on, weather permitting of course. We, and the crew of iCat, decided the winds would allow us to head to Spanish Wells on Eleuthera. Our original plan...if you can call our musings a plan...was to head to the Exumas, but that would be directly into the wind, so next stop Eleuthera.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-9830211291585181762024-03-07T18:12:00.001-07:002024-03-07T18:12:17.125-07:00A Few Days in Bimini<p>I can't say I was all that impressed with North Bimini. The water is the clear blue and turquoise that you see in pictures of the Bahamas. The island itself seems to serve two purposes. It is a convenient place for cruisers to clear in with customs and immigration and a relatively easy weekend getaway for those in Southern Florida.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQfrkFQFluhWtkkJIQ6Rs5yB5WSIVO2kuQP7XMa15nUW1lsML_D7-Ryj6qiubEpE2eLZx5QOx9dEKqVwLfqi0lTie8VXWLEkLOaePtkA8Mjjf2DswOexojXbiGge6xDXj7gebLQcLGShnrdLMWWLOfOL4lzPyC8mmP-BpDce-qladpbaipVHT6TSwilQ/s1024/biminibeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQfrkFQFluhWtkkJIQ6Rs5yB5WSIVO2kuQP7XMa15nUW1lsML_D7-Ryj6qiubEpE2eLZx5QOx9dEKqVwLfqi0lTie8VXWLEkLOaePtkA8Mjjf2DswOexojXbiGge6xDXj7gebLQcLGShnrdLMWWLOfOL4lzPyC8mmP-BpDce-qladpbaipVHT6TSwilQ/s320/biminibeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at the south end of North Bimini</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The southern half of North Bimini is the older town. Several marinas, liquor stores, bars, and a few grocery and other stores. The northern end of the island is being developed as a resort. The Hilton, the cruise ship port, a couple of nicer marinas (including where we checked in), the passenger ferry terminal, and the sea plane base are all there. There is a definite and visible difference in the economic status of the two ends of the island. Money is being spent to make improvements in the north, and much of the south is being left behind. The north end shops and some of the touristy south end shops are only open when a cruise ship is in port. There was a bar at Fisherman's Village that closed at 4pm after the ferry and cruise ship left.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNY5TJK7x9HW5HD4nlLZVmOpts0UeTXkx_WC-4B0EaZCK7fOyP-gu1KoSq1BAkJgCdk7rxoCQ5g7B7cIPrb-QYrRgz9kITMAYITFS6tFngj1COWPuHMkdk5LpFhm8kF-HcKpvYrouJtgdVMjXpHOOoT3paJ7u7El2G4-u1RjPjQJrc5vVtBLcZMl9V7c/s1024/biminiseaplane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNY5TJK7x9HW5HD4nlLZVmOpts0UeTXkx_WC-4B0EaZCK7fOyP-gu1KoSq1BAkJgCdk7rxoCQ5g7B7cIPrb-QYrRgz9kITMAYITFS6tFngj1COWPuHMkdk5LpFhm8kF-HcKpvYrouJtgdVMjXpHOOoT3paJ7u7El2G4-u1RjPjQJrc5vVtBLcZMl9V7c/s320/biminiseaplane.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not every day you get waked by a plane<br />...in a no wake zone.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There is a small store called Dolphin Electronics that we visited first. This is more of a cell phone store than electronics shop. We were there to pick up an Aliv wifi hotspot device and a BTC sim card for the phone. The hotspot was reported as being an economical option for internet ($90 for the device and $90/month for 125gb of data) with decent coverage in the Bahamas. Starlink seems to be the better choice for internet, but at $500 for the device and $150/month, it is less economical.</p><p>My quest to find a replacement radiator hose did not go well. Despite there being numerous cars, boats, and golf carts on the island and many transportation options for delivery of merchandise, I was unable to find any suitable hose. The hardware store, two general stores, a place called Moon Glow (which, despite what the name might suggest, is the closest thing they have to an auto parts store) had none. I even found a couple of 'shade tree car mechanics" who tried their best but didn't have anything appropriate. Fortunately the rescue tape repair was holding up well, so it will continue to be used until a better replacement can be found.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RUUnoZBghutHskI8H5tZDBra-kp_uhd6wVoFosFBM8WDMX88BbeoadBsR01qrt1DEgw-eOG3ADffRYoQ01ZIhC7VTTa3e6oWpFqhr217fWmYkmrxHEAXWpeuDbT9J-j6e_q6S281zFg6XqgKElgnLY_QejYMXsuJDZXeTOdFwd038QClTgylwRquT2M/s1024/biminiKingsHwy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RUUnoZBghutHskI8H5tZDBra-kp_uhd6wVoFosFBM8WDMX88BbeoadBsR01qrt1DEgw-eOG3ADffRYoQ01ZIhC7VTTa3e6oWpFqhr217fWmYkmrxHEAXWpeuDbT9J-j6e_q6S281zFg6XqgKElgnLY_QejYMXsuJDZXeTOdFwd038QClTgylwRquT2M/s320/biminiKingsHwy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "main road" in North Bimini, near<br />The electronics store.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The highlight of the stop here were the nice locals we met. The customs and immigration people were professional, yet friendly and welcoming. Josh, at Fisherman's Village marina was very helpful on our arrival with advice and recommendations. Al, at the second marina we stayed at (after determining the first marina was no bargain once all the resort fees were added to the dockage rate), was very friendly and chill. And then there was Anton at Smitty's Beach bar, who wins the award for hospitality.</p><p>The crew of Whisper and us went to Smitty's the second night and had a few drinks and a nice dinner. Toward the end of the evening a crazy wind started blowing everything around and we pitched in to help him get things secured and chase menus and placemats around. As a thanks for the help, he bought us a round and then insisted we not walk back to the marina and instead drove us there after closing up shop. Anton, thank you!</p><p>After a few days in Bimini, it was feeling that it was time to move on and find the real Bahamas...next stop, the Berry islands.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-87959751665721128552024-02-28T05:14:00.005-07:002024-02-28T05:14:58.004-07:00What a Long, Strange, Trip it has Been (part 3)<p>We made it to NoName harbor on Key Biscayne. This was to be our staging point to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. I had considered other staging points and, honestly, this was not my first choice. Yes, many people cross from here to Bimini, but I'd also heard that clearing in at the usual spot in Bimini isn't as smooth as other places and I wanted my first time to be smooth. You can reach West End on Grand Bahama from Ft. Lauderdale or even Lake Worth (fighting current or backtracking). But we were picking up our crew member Doug in Miami, so it made sense to be in the Miami area.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhyyUI9povHBAwo9pt3V4teMX4QPcu9RfjxztfDhlRrmzwfht86DMhEj573pXD6rKmkdA0C62_uXM6yaAMeaiSK2okTMlrXFR8IQk24W6Q9-YZ-yJkr0mpzYur_1luH_AbDI-jxyFpfRfTWnPDCdXbeMqOROkPbJsIXQI9pgMV8JuRHuya5MbUxmnHUU/s1024/NoNameAnchorage%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhyyUI9povHBAwo9pt3V4teMX4QPcu9RfjxztfDhlRrmzwfht86DMhEj573pXD6rKmkdA0C62_uXM6yaAMeaiSK2okTMlrXFR8IQk24W6Q9-YZ-yJkr0mpzYur_1luH_AbDI-jxyFpfRfTWnPDCdXbeMqOROkPbJsIXQI9pgMV8JuRHuya5MbUxmnHUU/s320/NoNameAnchorage%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a couple boats waiting at NoName Harbor</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We had a few tasks to complete before we leave. We needed to do some final provisioning, get the health checkup for our dog (Bahamas says it needs to be within 48 hours, but some leeway is given when arriving by boat), and we needed to complete the Bahamas entry paperwork. Doug had access to a car, which made provisioning easier. But if you stop at Biscayne, there is a service called FreeBee that provides free shuttle service to the local businesses on Key Biscayne and we made use of it to go to both the library (to print out paperwork) and the local Winn Dixie grocery.</p><p>Of course, weather had to mess with us a few more times. Shifting winds and cold fronts had us move anchorages 4 times. The anchorage at NoName is not protected from the Southeast through West, so we moved to hurricane harbor for a couple days. We tried getting into a marina in Miami at one point, but they were either full or prohibitively expensive, so we anchored out near Coconut Grove for a couple days, then moved back to NoName when things calmed down.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFgKaBEzK3QFV5m105dv_caO4vZOB0Wp8-PcH9rGbpWYIYHEAkJAi-N3m70trOzkuSvoSJXPdiESFGfmEKS_YZzPKXLGWijfxb2fk_AeUiryu7MWKu8-ND1gGRiJgFOwYEbG_WRbfJa8n50Po08sqifA5M-YSA1otNcVcB1enzSIGNn5spQ36oHNnji4/s1024/Coconut%20GroveAnchor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFgKaBEzK3QFV5m105dv_caO4vZOB0Wp8-PcH9rGbpWYIYHEAkJAi-N3m70trOzkuSvoSJXPdiESFGfmEKS_YZzPKXLGWijfxb2fk_AeUiryu7MWKu8-ND1gGRiJgFOwYEbG_WRbfJa8n50Po08sqifA5M-YSA1otNcVcB1enzSIGNn5spQ36oHNnji4/s320/Coconut%20GroveAnchor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut Grove and Miami in the distance </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The long range forecasts showed a possible weather window for the crossing a few days out, so we made that trip to the library to complete the Bahamas online Click2clear process and prepared to leave. Naturally, after completing the process (in which you are supposed to provide your date and time of arrival as well as port of entry), the weather window closed on us. The next weather window was about a week away, but the just submitted paperwork said we would arrive the following day. The Click2clear site didn't specify what to do about changes other than an ability to cancel. And, of course it was a Sunday, so we couldn't call anyone to ask. Eventually we (actually Chuck) did call and found out all you had to do was go back into Click2clear and update the arrival date and save it (not resubmit, only click save on that one page) and it would work. We could then take the printouts we already had and they would just mark them up or reprint as needed. I wasn't sure about the health certificate for our dog, but hoped they would grant sufficient leeway for him too. I also wanted to change the arrival port to a different location on Bimini due to those few reports of less cordial receptions at the one most people use there.</p><p>We had noted the weather windows that had presented themselves often came with more easterly winds, and this would mean we would beat into the wind and waves and likely have to motor across. Since we had a bit of time, we decided to move further south and anchor near north Key Largo. This would give us a slightly better wind angle to cross and the gulf stream as it will push us north anyway. We anchored around the privately owned Pumpkin key. We also made a day run to a nearby marina to top off fuel and they let us dock long enough to make a quick run to the nearby Winn Dixie via Lyft.</p><p>The weather window was arriving as predicted, so the day before we departed, we made our way out of the Angelfish creek inlet and spent the final night on a free mooring ball at a keys reef dive site (some allow overnight stays). It was an interesting night to be moored well off shore with the Atlantic on one side of us and Key Largo in the distance behind us. Near first light, we drop the mooring ball, maneuver around the reef, and start heading east. Next stop, the Bahamas.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4MQ6ToXSv96aWxu_Eo4NPuZLdTG3HWg4jQt5d9sDlKrIkZeF05JPVnwbDTQHE0XhG1GF2RVxV2P6lTrDqmmzKjIZY_eAfSOj4kkgj7WBpNXN1CRPlaSp-eO0dw0NdG4x3rVIKYMXtnPpY_j1_o2x_s3Z3F7xou41BFPP46XmGPudEFplVrom6KqFsh4/s1024/carysfortmooring.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4MQ6ToXSv96aWxu_Eo4NPuZLdTG3HWg4jQt5d9sDlKrIkZeF05JPVnwbDTQHE0XhG1GF2RVxV2P6lTrDqmmzKjIZY_eAfSOj4kkgj7WBpNXN1CRPlaSp-eO0dw0NdG4x3rVIKYMXtnPpY_j1_o2x_s3Z3F7xou41BFPP46XmGPudEFplVrom6KqFsh4/s320/carysfortmooring.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mooring at Carysfort reef</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As we depart, and start motoring out, suddenly my starboard engine alarm went off. I look down and the engine is overheating. I quickly shut down the motor and we raise the sails. The wind was from the Southeast, so we were beating into it about 35 to 40 degrees off the wind with the port engine running. I let the starboard engine cool off a bit and then go down to investigate. I find a lot of engine coolant in the bilge. I look for a leak, but could not find one. We had some jugs of tap water on board, so I use one to refill the coolant tank. This is when I discover the leak. One of the hoses between the coolant tank and the heat exchanger (radiator that uses sea water instead of air to cool) had a slit in it on the side that was facing the engine block where it could not be seen, only felt.</p><p>Now, I have a bunch of hose on the boat, so I begin looking through my inventory while I ask Doug to go try and remove the leaking hose. I have about 30 feet of 2 inch hose, 8 feet of 3/4 inch hose and smaller pieces of 1 inch hose, but no hose that is 1 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter that would be suitable as radiator hose. I think about any other places where I might have some hose stashed or if there is a non-critical system it could be scavenged from, but come up empty. The only semi-suitable option I have is the wet exhaust hose on the generator...but it is wire reinforced and I doubt I could bend it enough to install a 7 inch piece in the space on the motor.</p><p>I started pondering if we should turn back. We are already in the Gulf Stream at this point and conditions are about as good as they get there, we are in no danger, and the boat can be operated just fine under sail or on a single engine. The only time both motors are really needed are when maneuvering in tight spaces such as marinas. While I know parts and supplies are hard to find in the Bahamas, they would surely have a piece of radiator hose somewhere as there are many boats and cars there. I also have one trick left, to attempt a temporary repair of the hose. So we press on.</p><p>Doug had managed to get the clamps loosened before the heat of the engine room and the mildly rolling seas made him feel queasy. So, I went back down in the engine room and completed the removal of the hose. I found a slit in the hose that was a few inches long and almost looks like it was made with a knife, and part of this slit was what had ruptured. There is this stuff called rescue tape and I decided to give it a try for the repair. It is a self bonding silicone-like tape that supposedly can withstand up to 500 degrees F and 950 psi. I cleaned the hose up, placed a bit of duct tape over the slit as duct tape has fiber reinforcement (I didn't expect the adhesive to hold, just wanted the fiber) and then wrapped the hose with 2 layers of rescue tape. When complete, it seemed like a reasonable repair, so I went back into the engine room and reinstalled the hose. I filled the coolant tank with coolant and water and gave it a test. It seemed to be holding. There was a tiny seep, but it should be sufficient for shorter term use if we kept an eye on it.</p><p>I spent much of the crossing in the engine room, but even there I could tell we picked a good window for the crossing. It would have been nice if the winds allowed for pure sailing, but the long period small waves were a far cry from the conditions we could have had and have been reported by others. It was sunny and winds were fairly light and, other than the motor issue, would have made for a lovely crossing.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxYGYX0vO6V8t2NyIqe4gyxxw10Mgu3cAZ1APhsVAtDWiD3MfjFsa0ceRiiv8WEZE-EiUJnitOTlFXzScoSRF8l7nkvqmEy73dhyphenhyphen3uYHIeQpPIac2J5fUDWSVYMUXzyRmYUQHH0AxQ8JgBqnmNzUIbqA_ZgcwSYkP-yFF61TNvZf-yo-8WgwnDCzWZTs/s1024/fishermansvillage.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxYGYX0vO6V8t2NyIqe4gyxxw10Mgu3cAZ1APhsVAtDWiD3MfjFsa0ceRiiv8WEZE-EiUJnitOTlFXzScoSRF8l7nkvqmEy73dhyphenhyphen3uYHIeQpPIac2J5fUDWSVYMUXzyRmYUQHH0AxQ8JgBqnmNzUIbqA_ZgcwSYkP-yFF61TNvZf-yo-8WgwnDCzWZTs/s320/fishermansvillage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fisherman's Village Dock</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We arrived in Bimini a bit later than planned due to the motor issue and needing to motor-sail to make a reasonable time crossing the Gulf Stream. As we entered the Bimini channel, the sun was setting. I had been listening on the radio and heard reports of where the entrance channel had shoaling (the shifting sands at the entrance there mean it is constantly changing, so local knowledge and reports are a must). There was actually a boat that had run aground when we arrived, but did manage to free themselves and confirmed the shoaling reports I had heard.</p><p>We make our way up the channel to the Fishermans Village marina and dock after their normal business hours. Fortunately there was one dock hand that was still around and they helped get us squared away for the night. When I queried about customs and immigration, they said they were closed and would reopen at 9 am the next day. So, we all stayed on the boat with the Q flag raised, and waited until morning.</p><p>I was a bit nervous about my first check in, but after a shower and putting on a bit nicer clothes (a button front shirt and better looking shorts) off I went to customs and immigration in the morning. Both were in the same building, nearly on site at the marina. They gave me the immigration forms you get when flying and as I began filling them out, the gentleman from customs came and asked me if I filled out the forms online. I said yes and he asked me for the cruising permit printout. I gave it to him and he walked back to another room for a moment, then returned and asked if we had our dog on board. I said yes and gave him the approved paperwork and health certificate and he went back to the other room. Before I was done filling out the immigration cards, he returned with the stamped cruising permit and fishing permit and said we were good to go and welcome to the Bahamas. I finished filling out the immigration forms and handed them in. They looked them over briefly, noted that I forgot to sign them, and once signed them also welcomed me and hoped we would enjoy out stay. Professional, yet very friendly and welcoming. We chatted just a moment, I forget about what, and I thanked them and that was it. We were now officially cleared into the Bahamas.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93r4SyL2-9lZkLTP6OZQ4acK3u4tHuqM4zJtXO9RbRRmsXrfFX0lszbYsMvca7LaVrUy4ppmDzWKH2jFuKejwvDWQuM4pfz03hZ0teshPUa6GEepSySp_XTxUDSk2IUFuc7hHdeY1jj8nqV8xmNFyXn_MysgE3c2uOWqy7hM6CMc2FBSFSIjyv0Yh2Hs/s2016/IMG-20240218-WA0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93r4SyL2-9lZkLTP6OZQ4acK3u4tHuqM4zJtXO9RbRRmsXrfFX0lszbYsMvca7LaVrUy4ppmDzWKH2jFuKejwvDWQuM4pfz03hZ0teshPUa6GEepSySp_XTxUDSk2IUFuc7hHdeY1jj8nqV8xmNFyXn_MysgE3c2uOWqy7hM6CMc2FBSFSIjyv0Yh2Hs/s320/IMG-20240218-WA0001.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raising the courtesy flag</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I returned to the boat, we lowered the Q flag and raised the courtesy flag. First time crossing the Gulf Stream and first time visiting another country on our own boat accomplished. Now we were ready to explore the Bahamas...and find a radiator hose.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-16790276613083246572024-02-26T04:02:00.004-07:002024-02-26T04:02:54.777-07:00What a Long, Strange, Trip it has Been (part 2)<p> So, we are approaching the St. Augustine inlet in the morning fog, my course on the chartplotter taking us straight to the inlet's marker. Visibility is around a quarter to half mile. I have the radar on and it finds the marker about a mile away, but I don't see any radar blips for the channel markers. Then about a half mile from it I notice a shadow of the inlet marker appear from the fog. About this time, the radar also starts picking up the channel markers. Hmmm...maybe?</p><p>As we continue to approach the inlet marker, I keep looking to the right in an attempt to visually locate the channel markers. Then I think I see a faint outline of the coast. Is the fog starting to lift? Sure enough, by the time I reach the inlet mark, 2 to 3 sets of the channel markers appear from the fog. We make the turn and start heading in. We pass the first set of markers and visibility continues to improve. By the time we pass the second set of marks, I can now make out much of the channel. Whew. We make our way in and dock at Camachee Cove marina.</p><p>A few minutes after we arrive, another Leopard 3800 enters the marina. At our home port we occasionally see another Leopard, but rarely the same model and vintage as ours. We make their acquaintance, compare, and swap stories about our boats. They are half owners from England. John and Dorota on Eagle Song, it was nice to meet and share stories and I wish you safe travels...hopefully our paths will cross again in the future.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_h-bkT9ZI2B3ZGyy1HxbFD60nEcVtcnTPg0QouX9O316RKFz8olzhBILi-zO_keAOUDsHxirG3Q_-QfdA3-SGmzkmytHmubgL26XYQvFqiLreBfE7ZKHbwVefr8fyiQV1DGKqCd8C6pdeO2OYATzVYezKTGXzSQj2oie7nLSO6Jwfed2UZpaUa9vd3Q/s2016/IMG-20240118-WA0000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_h-bkT9ZI2B3ZGyy1HxbFD60nEcVtcnTPg0QouX9O316RKFz8olzhBILi-zO_keAOUDsHxirG3Q_-QfdA3-SGmzkmytHmubgL26XYQvFqiLreBfE7ZKHbwVefr8fyiQV1DGKqCd8C6pdeO2OYATzVYezKTGXzSQj2oie7nLSO6Jwfed2UZpaUa9vd3Q/s320/IMG-20240118-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rover and Eagle Song in St.. Augustine </td></tr></tbody></table><p>A cold snap was predicted and arrived, dropping temperatures to near freezing in St. Augustine...I thought Florida was supposed to be warmer. We took the time (and use of the marina’s courtesy car) to do more provisioning and some shopping at Sailors Exchange while we waited out the cold. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeGT0TYFvwM0udeDdt6asJTHTbTbBMciUHsvy8ZaT_O4P3TxmMgTj85umq35439M2RTCz43Hwilj_Yeog2X62Gfg2xo_kYExWdZzKTjZHwdAJBMyM1qwUZQ0xE3eHc7sVCQQsszKJr9FpZQi2klusYmIYNcOWBtoq-OUi4zTHDEHO4nIy5SC5jujvins/s1024/TikiBoat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeGT0TYFvwM0udeDdt6asJTHTbTbBMciUHsvy8ZaT_O4P3TxmMgTj85umq35439M2RTCz43Hwilj_Yeog2X62Gfg2xo_kYExWdZzKTjZHwdAJBMyM1qwUZQ0xE3eHc7sVCQQsszKJr9FpZQi2klusYmIYNcOWBtoq-OUi4zTHDEHO4nIy5SC5jujvins/s320/TikiBoat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tiki bar boat anyone?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Weather wasn't predicted to be great, so we begrudgingly decided to again motor down the ICW and our next stop was Palm Coast. One night there and we were moving on to Daytona. During my morning check of the engine, I found one of the fan belts broke on my starboard engine (fortunately it has two and I had a complete set of spares). I went to install a spare only to find that it was about a half inch too small in diameter (guess those cross references aren't that good, eh, Autozone? ). We continued with the single belt on that side.</p><p>When we pulled into the marina in Daytona, we noticed a boat we recognized as a couple we met when they were stopped in New Bern. We visited a bit and found out this was their home marina.</p><p>The next morning, we got out the folding bikes and rode to Napa to get the replacement fan belt. Unfortunately they only had one, so I'd have to pick up additional spares elsewhere. I installed the belt without much fuss. A check of the weather and again it looks like we will be trudging down the ditch. At least we are slowly making our way south, right??</p><p>So we made plans and the next morning headed south, down past the Kennedy Space Center and on to Titusville. While tying up the boat, I noticed the boat behind us had a hailing port of Durango, CO...so naturally we had to make their acquaintance. I’ve often mused that we should have made our hailing port Leadville, CO. as I find the thought of my boat somehow making it to Colorado funny. I also checked the Napa there and found they didn't have the belts but could get them by the next morning, so I ordered them and picked them up the next day. While there, we also ran into a couple we had met months earlier at our new home marina. Chuck and Tina sail a Beneteau 473 named Whisper. They too were headed to the Bahamas, so we began traveling somewhat together.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3U4EPyTLfyJZxVKt3uqepgRg0w0yISg4x5VGEKvONaezsgcYYJ7hZaZUXGlePXKsxP5XWzu7PMEBC-hmAbFTUxan2WsIygIbleoJZzCnyq6-hzowS6rltZbtLgAfxvL0s9vyxJpPkS0V-KjAtzYCul_GpBrtIDOndXRg92JUHoNcRc7UiCYiFRfVAbu0/s800/VAB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3U4EPyTLfyJZxVKt3uqepgRg0w0yISg4x5VGEKvONaezsgcYYJ7hZaZUXGlePXKsxP5XWzu7PMEBC-hmAbFTUxan2WsIygIbleoJZzCnyq6-hzowS6rltZbtLgAfxvL0s9vyxJpPkS0V-KjAtzYCul_GpBrtIDOndXRg92JUHoNcRc7UiCYiFRfVAbu0/s320/VAB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The NASA VAB in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next two legs of the trip would also be down the ICW as Titusville is a fair distance from an inlet. Since it was finally starting to warm up some, the next night we anchored out in a wide part of the ICW halfway between Titusville and Ft. Pierce that had several good spots for anchoring. Not long after we set the hook, we noticed a catamaran that had been some distance behind us all day was also coming in to anchor. As they got closer, we recognized the boat. It was the Swiss couple that we met and docked next to in Charleston. We chatted on the radio a bit and found out they were heading to the Keys and then Bahamas. So, if you are keeping count, we have run into someone we knew on the last 3 stops. As big as the world and oceans are, it still surprises me how small it can all seem at times.</p><p>The next morning we got an early start and made our way to Ft. Pierce. We docked at the city marina along with Whisper. Here is where one of the downsides of having a cat can be seen. The dockage rate for our cat was 50% higher than Whisper, even though we were both tied up next to each other on a face dock and their 47 foot boat takes up 10 foot more dock space than our 37 foot boat. If it were a slip, I could understand an additional charge for our width, but at a face dock it seems silly as we take up less space. </p><p>There was one thing that happened that made up for the overcharge though. At many marinas, there is a space known as the "free table" where boaters can leave things they no longer need but may be usable by someone else. We have picked up and left things at various free tables in the past. Here, there was a working portable clothes washer and spin dryer that someone left when they upgraded. We have a small bucket size washer that is good for a couple shirts or shorts, but this one is bigger and can handle jeans, bedsheets, and larger towels. I've wanted to give one of these a try, but never could find one we could fit into one of our storage lockers.</p><p>Since the price was right, we figured why not take it to the boat and see if we could find a place for it. We measured it and our largest inside locker door and it would just barely fit. The problem was that once I shoved it through the door, I don't think I could get it back out. But it is lightweight enough that we decided we could just store it in the shower and move it when we wanted to shower. We had just done some laundry so we also gave the spin dryer a try. Our small washer had a spin basket and so did a previous one we tried, but I found those didn't extract much water and I could hand wring better. This one is a game changer. It spins as well as our home front load washer and leaves things almost dry. An hour or two hanging on the lifelines, even in humid Florida, and a sweatshirt and towel were dry. This find mostly makes up for the overcharging of the marina.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZMISNQu5ExLUHFFG6rMPTXLe2fpAm1k-M2E22_QjAh8z_DZvLkIFrF08nPx_9ZqunWZ-A8hwDacEJI6O4hNuyWMCGumRKGb1_qBzvxDTO1bQDtS0WzT1uHc7vMso2iDFXrKKmFmhAbapK_bpoygjuTj7pfnIgdnfpEfmzTkRcInmhKvtTrILftJKgbQ/s4096/1706721150531.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZMISNQu5ExLUHFFG6rMPTXLe2fpAm1k-M2E22_QjAh8z_DZvLkIFrF08nPx_9ZqunWZ-A8hwDacEJI6O4hNuyWMCGumRKGb1_qBzvxDTO1bQDtS0WzT1uHc7vMso2iDFXrKKmFmhAbapK_bpoygjuTj7pfnIgdnfpEfmzTkRcInmhKvtTrILftJKgbQ/s320/1706721150531.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The free clothes washer with spin dryer</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since the trip to Florida has taken much longer than planned, we again did a grocery run. We had hoped to leave out the Ft. Pierce inlet and sail south to Key Biscayne/No Name Harbor, but the weather has been fickle. It only seems to get better when we are trapped in long stretches of the ICW. After a couple days in Ft. Pierce, we again decided we would take the ICW so we could make it a little further south. At least at the end of this next leg would be the anchorage in N Lake Worth and another inlet near Palm Beach to try again.</p><p>Rover and Whisper head out the next morning, continuing our trek down the ICW. I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to this leg of the trip. I've been through Jupiter before and I remember it to be a circus. Several bridges in close proximity to one another, with jet skis and small boats that don't have a clue about right of way for boats with limited ability to maneuver (tall masts going through a raised bridge, for example). This time was no different. </p><p>The trip started out nice and we were making good progress. As we approached Jupiter, more and more boats appeared. Party barges with young sun worshipers, jet skis, motorboats with big engines driven by small minds all entered the frey. It was like rush hour. We wait at the bridges, trying to keep station in the current as we wait for the next scheduled bridge openings while small boats and jet skis zip around us in all directions. With two motors set far apart, I have a fair amount of control. I feel for my friends on Whisper that have to contend with this mess in a single engine monohull. At the last bridge before Lake Worth, a motor yacht passes us, Whisper, and a trawler waiting at the bridge so he can be first through when it opens. I think it was the trawler that keys his radio mic with two stern words "back off". Sigh. If I ever think about coming down this part of the ICW again, please slap me.</p><p>We finally make it to the lake and drop anchor with about 40 other boats, undoubtedly also waiting on the weather to continue their journeys. This will definitely be the end of my journey down the ICW. Ahead are Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. The former has lots of mega yachts and expensive marinas, the latter has a fixed bridge built by a dyslexic engineer who made it 56 feet high instead of 65 so we can't pass under it. And both have rich NIMBY's that don't like us "poor boaters" anchoring and ruining their views. Besides, I'm growing tired of being just a tall motorboat.</p><p>We wait a couple days and a weather window appears. It isn't perfect, but at this point I'm not picky, I'll take what I can get. We head out the inlet and are met with a little wind. We raise the sails and make an attempt to sail, but the winds are light. We even attempt to fly the spinnaker, but by the time I get it rigged, the wind all but dies. Well, at least I won't be motoring down the ditch anymore. Whisper had followed us out the inlet and also attempted to sail, but gave up sooner than we did and had motored past us while we stubbornly tried to sail. Later that evening, as we were passing by offshore of Ft. Lauderdale, the winds picked back up and we were able to sail the rest of the way to the Biscayne Bay channel on a nice reach. Finally!</p><p>We anchored outside No Name Harbor, our intended staging point for crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDS7HTEtFwRkn81bopw5yPMyj-0iAOBe796fpD8nhBYTM3UoGQqfMqaS3vDiMOaHCD3Je9Qa-uPvzlE1XfZsXH5xh_gCXQzuxGP42UEoHU9nk19hdv8dE_hXlhyRpZwe5fURkc1F4fogkGnNa-meAuLKN3OVg9Z1Cu7qkg4HkJSWGt-84tMqscmDiebQ/s1024/NoNameAnchorage.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDS7HTEtFwRkn81bopw5yPMyj-0iAOBe796fpD8nhBYTM3UoGQqfMqaS3vDiMOaHCD3Je9Qa-uPvzlE1XfZsXH5xh_gCXQzuxGP42UEoHU9nk19hdv8dE_hXlhyRpZwe5fURkc1F4fogkGnNa-meAuLKN3OVg9Z1Cu7qkg4HkJSWGt-84tMqscmDiebQ/s320/NoNameAnchorage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anchorage outside NoName harbor...<br />We are not alone.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Next stop, Bahamas?</p><p>(More to come next time)</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-32896249502374130912024-02-21T04:15:00.004-07:002024-02-23T11:30:55.475-07:00What a Long, Strange Trip It Has Been (part 1)<p> For a long time I've wanted to take the boat to the Bahamas. To sail in crystal blue waters, explore tropical islands, scuba and snorkel, and find tranquil anchorages. This past Friday, I finally made it across the gulf stream and am now in Bimini. I'm still looking for most of that above list, but am now 90% of the way there.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-njnCVLXErRjpnCQuba9sbxE99QQIOAU2GpbOViQME-8qH-jBzI4rNRC0cniFjDfS0_S2hwIMIOFj7s7AQOQD-PGwRx3aMz5FPIo9x5oqijZDTWVIOzwfpzlvOL7VJ1sf3ghkk15QGhLNPJ5o-XLZk80pIDTeD9EPd2feTbyCIMZtzATIylerKsmi7M/s1024/boat%20sunset.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-njnCVLXErRjpnCQuba9sbxE99QQIOAU2GpbOViQME-8qH-jBzI4rNRC0cniFjDfS0_S2hwIMIOFj7s7AQOQD-PGwRx3aMz5FPIo9x5oqijZDTWVIOzwfpzlvOL7VJ1sf3ghkk15QGhLNPJ5o-XLZk80pIDTeD9EPd2feTbyCIMZtzATIylerKsmi7M/s320/boat%20sunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I started this trip back in 2019. I found some crew and came to the boat to start preparing it for the trip. After numerous updates and repairs, there was one major bit of work to be done, to replace the standing rigging (the wires that hold the mast up). It was ordered in early 2020, and then the unplanned delay struck the entire world, the COVID pandemic shut everything down.</p><p>Almost four years later and I am back at it. A new home marina, more boat repairs and upgrades, the rigging that was ordered before the pandemic was finally installed, and the boat was as ready as I thought she could be. There were a couple minor projects to do, but I figured they could easily wait for a warmer climate. The crew had changed a bit. My wife and dog are with me now and there are plans to meet up with others from the original crew along the way.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0YU-fjgb_DZp-Kelip1G8kC3ANUMjhW8hNv-YNXOOJCnystuD5E9XbGcNUR5zJPKFthS-7zvC0k0CmTiIbZM0dhLpTQa6zDgailrR95WnaO9R16z8Bbr8sLI2ooauD4aJ2plVEJc_t5Orb2x3qzjwUk4ygc8dy0RGtJTCYALARr-srxnd-CX2FQKqlo/s1024/coldsailing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0YU-fjgb_DZp-Kelip1G8kC3ANUMjhW8hNv-YNXOOJCnystuD5E9XbGcNUR5zJPKFthS-7zvC0k0CmTiIbZM0dhLpTQa6zDgailrR95WnaO9R16z8Bbr8sLI2ooauD4aJ2plVEJc_t5Orb2x3qzjwUk4ygc8dy0RGtJTCYALARr-srxnd-CX2FQKqlo/s320/coldsailing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not quite shorts and t-shirt weather yet.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We departed New Bern, North Carolina at the very end of December. It was cold. We made our way slowly south along the Intercoastal Waterway as the weather wasn't suitable for travel in the Atlantic. We stopped at night at marinas so we could plug the boat in and run heaters to stay warm. It was a slow journey from New Bern back to my old marina in Southport. It was the last leg into Southport where I discovered I had picked up some bad fuel and clogged the filters. One engine sputtered as we entered the marina basin to provide a little added excitement. A few days in Southport replacing filters, polishing fuel, provisioning, and catching up with friends, and we finally had a small weather window to actually sail further south.</p><p>We departed Southport on an overnight passage down the coast to Charleston. It was still cold and we wore winter coats and foul weather gear...determined to find warmer weather. The winds varied, so we sailed some and motored some. At one point while motoring, one of the engine room blower fans started squealing, apparently a bearing was going bad. It made quite a noise so we shut down the engine for a while. Then one time when I started it to see if the fan would behave for at least a little while, I was met with silence from the fan. It had died. It was also on this leg of the trip that we noticed the volume on the VHF radio wasn't as loud as it should be, making it difficult to hear calls when the motors were running. We made it to Charleston just fine, but with a couple new repair items to take care of. It is a boat after all.</p><p>We stayed in Charleston long enough to order and install a replacement fan and radio. Then, while waiting on the weather for another chance to move south, the area was hit by a freak high wind thunderstorm line. This is the first time I've ever seen waves breaking inside a marina, between the boats and the shoreline. During the storm, the docklines on our boat loosened one of the cleats and one of our docklines broke (fortunately I had prepared for the storm and had extra lines securing us). The boat behind us snapped one of the cleats off of the dock. Elsewhere in the marina, others had broken lines and cleats and during the storm two boats were rocking so bad that their masts hit. One piece of the marina’s dock broke free and one of their ramps ripped loose and sank. It was a wild ride, but we made it through unscathed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxh9GkuZw0w7dHj_ICe79Wodbbqq2VgCeajU4zumY4mSPN06wk3EJ06GFGytnebbqxdm9BUAVaa0ByiDy-MF33Y9BxCjk99ftUgEDwqjef69w10gJjhi3v4Odod584pXlN1wpzL6CqEY4YGn1h9xsqYDdPw_WJAIalZFVX_QUgbITDG5pS4uZScXnL0Q/s1823/IMG-20240104-WA0000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="1823" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxh9GkuZw0w7dHj_ICe79Wodbbqq2VgCeajU4zumY4mSPN06wk3EJ06GFGytnebbqxdm9BUAVaa0ByiDy-MF33Y9BxCjk99ftUgEDwqjef69w10gJjhi3v4Odod584pXlN1wpzL6CqEY4YGn1h9xsqYDdPw_WJAIalZFVX_QUgbITDG5pS4uZScXnL0Q/s320/IMG-20240104-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charleston Maritime Center</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunCc6gDUO6-EHBZXaAHtniBH3GSuD25BxAPe4sUWjTKfYuWj1_CrQfjBD9JpN5HfdWkme9QZqVBCF8qW2UioO372BTTlMv4fk5S499jZuTQHv4rOMoZR2JH6JQQonWv4L38bLtntPK7gxd5yCdwNoNXjds2MZj4IjLKA7Pd22Dg8hz0NQzLAaJtpvtt8/s1079/Charleston%20waves.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1079" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunCc6gDUO6-EHBZXaAHtniBH3GSuD25BxAPe4sUWjTKfYuWj1_CrQfjBD9JpN5HfdWkme9QZqVBCF8qW2UioO372BTTlMv4fk5S499jZuTQHv4rOMoZR2JH6JQQonWv4L38bLtntPK7gxd5yCdwNoNXjds2MZj4IjLKA7Pd22Dg8hz0NQzLAaJtpvtt8/s320/Charleston%20waves.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and during the storm.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next weather window was small and only allowed us a day sail from Charleston to Edisto Beach. The winds weren't quite from the right direction, but we were able to sail a beat (into the wind) that got us to the channel right at sunset. It was nice to be able to sail for a while without hearing the drone of the motors. </p><p>We made our way up the channel as it grew darker. The marina said they were easy to find, just look for their sign at the fuel dock. Well, they failed to mention that the sign was unlit, there was a strong cross current, and they probably didn't know about the fishing vessel that was squatting in our assigned spot on the T head with its bright deck lights shining in our faces. This combination made finding the marina a bit difficult. We were able to finally tie up to the dock with only minor issues after getting the squatter to move. The next morning when staff arrived, one gave us a ride to the local grocery store to pick up a few things as we we hadn't taken into account the length of time it was taking us to make it south when we had provisioned. Then we waited several days for another weather window to continue.</p><p>We wanted to go from Edisto SC to St. Augustine FL on a 2-night passage and, originally the weather looked like it might oblige. But as the day approached, the forecasts started shifting and we decided we would try for a single night and arrive at Brunswick GA instead. Again it was a combination of sail and motoring, but we were still heading south at least. As we approached Brunswick, the weather reports changed. This time it was in our favor as the window that shortened at the beginning was now lengthening at the end. Given how much we had been delayed by the strange weather this year, it was an easy decision to press on to St. Augustine. So we continued to sail that evening and into the night.</p><p>Before sunrise, we started seeing lightening flashes in the distance. At first they were east of us and moving east away from us. Then some started appearing to the southwest, in our path. We were somewhere near Jacksonville when the weather radio came alive with a warning about a strong thunderstorm around Marineland and heading northeast. Wanting to avoid that, we reverse course for a bit and allow it to pass by. Oh, there was also another storm that was around Fernandina Beach to our north, so we waited in between them. They passed by without much concern and, once the flashes of light were east of us, we turned back on course for St. Augustine.</p><p>As the morning light started overtaking the early morning darkness, a fog started to develop. Listening to the current condition weather reports on the radio, it sounded like all of Florida was covered in fog. I guess this is a good time to mention, for those not familiar with St. Augustine, that this particular inlet is not detailed on navigation charts because of shifting sands that supposedly change the navigable part of the channel. It has always seemed rather stable the times I've been in it before, but it has been a while. As the fog thickened, I grew concerned about having to navigate a potentially changed channel in the fog. We found our horn and made the required sound signals while we Listened for others. Our radar should be able to locate channel markers...I hope. Or will we have to wait out the fog or continue on to another inlet...</p><p>(More to come next time)</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-32768388227156318312024-01-08T05:44:00.004-07:002024-01-08T05:44:27.589-07:00A 15" Touchscreen Chartplotter for around $500?<p> First a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!</p><p>My boat came with a Garmin 4208 chartplotter. Unfortunately, the prior owner(s) did quite a hack job installing it and, as a result, there was a rather large and unsightly open hole in the hull behind the unit. This hole prevented me from ever removing the chartplotter from the helm as it was the rain shield. Well, a chartplotter is an expensive umbrella, and after having spent many years acting as such, it began having some issues. The case seal had failed and allowed moisture to enter. Best I can tell, this caused a light film of mold to start growing in the screen and was slowly making it unreadable. It was time to find a solution.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtFqqR_3lInOIM1dgfr4UwqZ7I06Aczp9T11eHAhjAAyLHpHdShv8ARU1QWbKeFiJnnmZU-2XEkAfcFwKNdeFv7appCK2K22LkGimkO8o-8_HFxyXx1nOXIhcm806DKn4umqaPyTzebTdiX6bDQxBHBcfjYOOPzDEqBkwlOJav7l8EoG7lXe27tBUFAU/s1024/OldPlotter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtFqqR_3lInOIM1dgfr4UwqZ7I06Aczp9T11eHAhjAAyLHpHdShv8ARU1QWbKeFiJnnmZU-2XEkAfcFwKNdeFv7appCK2K22LkGimkO8o-8_HFxyXx1nOXIhcm806DKn4umqaPyTzebTdiX6bDQxBHBcfjYOOPzDEqBkwlOJav7l8EoG7lXe27tBUFAU/s320/OldPlotter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Garmin Plotter, <br />as installed by prior owner</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I could have bought Garmin's current replacement unit for around $3000, and would have the same functionality that I had. There were a couple problems with this. Since my depth, wind, and autopilot are Raymarine, they did not like talking to the Garmin. Being from the aviation world, I'm also not a big fan of Garmin (particularly after they charged me over $150 for a 32 MB data card while standard 1GB SD cards were selling for around $20). While talking with the harbormaster at my new marina, he was telling me about <a href="https://openmarine.net/openplotter" target="_blank">Openplotter</a> and how he and others had built their own chartplotters using a Raspberry Pi computer and a few other inexpensive electronic bits.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zRILkKFP4Zbqh1GrpBfrKsmmx18sVt1RyNpIG7w9UGD0CG9oK9-iUgajf4wjEF36jyQ-hvD9MUq5mniW-YlMLNguS68eQwOVB29EwJG-1wrgIcnXbOUIO4YmBt3f8wLWp5860Ch3fw5qAYBQ6myI0Zu_Eup4QEfb71ch-BHMoGd762N6WcKyx7oWqBk/s1024/PlotterHole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zRILkKFP4Zbqh1GrpBfrKsmmx18sVt1RyNpIG7w9UGD0CG9oK9-iUgajf4wjEF36jyQ-hvD9MUq5mniW-YlMLNguS68eQwOVB29EwJG-1wrgIcnXbOUIO4YmBt3f8wLWp5860Ch3fw5qAYBQ6myI0Zu_Eup4QEfb71ch-BHMoGd762N6WcKyx7oWqBk/s320/PlotterHole.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who cuts a hole like this?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgtNocuSzngleTQwl1vFDTqQw71XLZarPw7jvBHlSpT3JkwL0wDxyquJzIjOVy106Kj1CFBYoYslT-oUnJckPI98lD2rQU8d7Pgt2BbrDllSLpwdFM6rrWgrfwP1KP1diNcH1yTul7hqbptp9BZDatyO5-0RP-yNXA3LjWrbMg_p3bb0Q7eEPUS93W-0/s1024/TouchscreenMount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgtNocuSzngleTQwl1vFDTqQw71XLZarPw7jvBHlSpT3JkwL0wDxyquJzIjOVy106Kj1CFBYoYslT-oUnJckPI98lD2rQU8d7Pgt2BbrDllSLpwdFM6rrWgrfwP1KP1diNcH1yTul7hqbptp9BZDatyO5-0RP-yNXA3LjWrbMg_p3bb0Q7eEPUS93W-0/s320/TouchscreenMount.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fixed, with a mount and connectors<br />for the new touchscreen</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I did some research and decided that it would be worth the effort to try and build my own chartplotter using <a href="https://openmarine.net/openplotter" target="_blank">Openplotter</a>. If successful, I would have a nice chartplotter that would be capable of integrating the information from the Garmin radar, Garmin sonar, Raymarine wind, Raymarine depth, and Raymarine autopilot without having to replace all of this equipment with items from the same maker. I could also add a 15" touchscreen interface, AIS receive functionality and, the best part, this would cost me only a fraction of the cost of a complete solution from any of the big name marine electronic manufacturers (a 16" Garmin package would likely run over $7000 by the time all was said and done).</p><p>So, for this experiment, I purchased the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A Raspberry Pi 4 w/4GB memory, case, data card, fan, and card reader $125</li><li>15" touchscreen display $120</li><li>Outdoor VESA mount for monitor $23</li><li>3 64 GB micro SD cards for programming and backup $20</li><li>12v powered USB hub (for connecting and powering peripherals $20</li><li>A USB GPS antenna that outputs NMEA sentences $20</li><li>A Berry IMU gyroscope/compass/acceloremeter chip $38</li><li>USB RS485/422 converter (for NMEA output) $18</li><li>RTL-SDR Radio (for AIS receive) $33</li><li>VHF whip antenna (for AIS receive) $10</li><li>Opticoupler (for SeaTalk input) $8</li><li>2 128GB USB flash drives (for chart/data storage) $25</li><li>12v to 5v USBC power supply $12</li><li>Various cables, connectors, fuses $80</li></ul><div>Installing the OpenPlotter software package is pretty easy. You download the Openplotter image for Raspberry Pi and use an imaging tool to copy it to the micro SD card. You then insert the MicroSD card into the Pi, hook up the monitor and boot it up. In order to program and modify things, I also used a Bluetooth keyboard that I was able to add once the Pi booted up. Then the fun really started.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhao0OHsxLL-OlYA-gpxlPg15BzPDjlhOUC0IsoFOxORPbcXDsbTDr-aDCELxw7d93apsNlw-v7bb0nY0jECF4qXzJssOaTUx2JthvuKRip6LZ435GHTXAdpVN02CUrmoCqoDid6EbXu0ZQ_wdi6e2VnAduxD8vnP_wTplw1_sWhGk8uYxiLmEQXdlIChg/s1024/Touchscreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhao0OHsxLL-OlYA-gpxlPg15BzPDjlhOUC0IsoFOxORPbcXDsbTDr-aDCELxw7d93apsNlw-v7bb0nY0jECF4qXzJssOaTUx2JthvuKRip6LZ435GHTXAdpVN02CUrmoCqoDid6EbXu0ZQ_wdi6e2VnAduxD8vnP_wTplw1_sWhGk8uYxiLmEQXdlIChg/s320/Touchscreen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A touchscreen at the helm<br />(had to add an anti-glare screen protector)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I won't go into all the details on how to setup OpenPlotter as there is a fair amount of information out there already and it all depends on what sensors and equipment you are trying to connect. I actually started work on this at home, and overall it took me several months worth of occasional tinkering plus the actual installation on the boat. But, if you are considering taking on a project like this, I do have a one bit of advice. Buy a couple spare memory cards for the Raspberry Pi. You will want them to make backups. I would suggest keeping two different backups, one for every major milestone and another for more often created backups. This way you will have options for going back to two points without having to start over. There were a couple times during my work where a bug was introduced but not noticed until several changes later. If I didn't have the major milestone backup, I would have been unable to back up to the point before the bug was introduced.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another thing I didn't realize was that the Raspberry Pi, at least at the time of writing this, does not support the equivalent of a "right click" for touchscreens (either a long-press or double tap). Since OpenCPN is difficult to use without the right click, I had to find a solution. I found there is a software driver called <a href="http://www.plippo.de/p/twofing" target="_blank">Twofing</a> that converts a two fingered tap into a right click. I installed and configured this driver and was able to right click on things by tapping two fingers on the screen on either side of the item I wanted to right-click on.</div><div><br /></div><div>I setup the Raspberry Pi to automatically start OpenCPN on boot such that it takes up about 75% of the screen real-estate and another package called <a href="https://github.com/mxtommy/Kip" target="_blank">Kip</a> to display the information I wanted and is typical of a chartplotter on the other 25%. The Kip package is actually a configurable web page and can display basic numeric and text data, graphs and gauges, and has a nice compass rose that can display wind speed, direction, laylines, and direction to your next waypoint all on a single dial. It can display any data that is collected by the system.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJ4ktH_aGs2XbUYio5Ns2wuJ5d0HU6ic4GDq6e6mLC1zbBuD5bDVRee7Jw1niUJPYrKUZmTMQlSnEuN5GzSg1Prs9RfOlu1SlztK-uO_6MnuJwZmSq16iXTdUsDKW4i8AfAP99_xuqXqMS9nQx_K7RK2bobIpH1gIgLuMSOF30BxNCZhOO1A71n6RMSg/s1920/PlotterDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJ4ktH_aGs2XbUYio5Ns2wuJ5d0HU6ic4GDq6e6mLC1zbBuD5bDVRee7Jw1niUJPYrKUZmTMQlSnEuN5GzSg1Prs9RfOlu1SlztK-uO_6MnuJwZmSq16iXTdUsDKW4i8AfAP99_xuqXqMS9nQx_K7RK2bobIpH1gIgLuMSOF30BxNCZhOO1A71n6RMSg/s320/PlotterDay.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plotter interface in Day mode</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHaDk-wGdrnSJDklt7iv2-n-n8VU-qSW-46T4VIFlyS-_BhjyN2tBINm0LLLO7hQBJbD4lHRfVWOicsJkMDnvO1uiMGUGxvjPpK8gq9gl7_0wcRXCCgkYxsgPMgjm494AS24-pnIRE_xij_gQLPpzEoAGqUNvzFHu4qgeR5jah6qHuiAwx2ZBZPaxyIs/s1920/PlotterNight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHaDk-wGdrnSJDklt7iv2-n-n8VU-qSW-46T4VIFlyS-_BhjyN2tBINm0LLLO7hQBJbD4lHRfVWOicsJkMDnvO1uiMGUGxvjPpK8gq9gl7_0wcRXCCgkYxsgPMgjm494AS24-pnIRE_xij_gQLPpzEoAGqUNvzFHu4qgeR5jah6qHuiAwx2ZBZPaxyIs/s320/PlotterNight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and in night mode</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I've still got a little work to do, but so far I am very happy with the results. The Raspberry Pi gets position information from the USB GPS receiver, wind and depth information from the Raymarine Seatalk connection, AIS information from the RTL-SDR card. An OpenCPN plugin supports the Garmin HD radar and utilizes free NOAA digital charts and even Explorer charts for the Bahamas (and other areas) from <a href="https://www.o-charts.org/?lng=en">O-charts</a>. Routes are finally able to be output via NMEA 0183 to the Raymarine autopilot, and I even have pitch and heel information from the IMU. Using a GRIB file downloader, I can load and display weather forecast information overlayed on OpenCPN charts. I can also connect wirelessly to the Raspberry Pi and monitor the boat using my cell phone or a tablet. And one more added bonus, with the 128GB memory stick, I not only have enough storage for charts, but can also use it as a media server/player...so much of my music collection can be streamed to my Bluetooth enabled stereo. </div><div><br /></div><div>The two items supported by the old Garmin that I don't have working are the XM radio and the Garmin sonar. Although I haven't removed the XM unit, I've never used it and thus far I don't have any intention of using it. I am unaware of any existing support for the sonar and when I have more time will look at writing a plugin or app to interface and decode the data sent from it (I do see the sonar data on the Pi, just don't know what to do with it yet). I should be able to at least get depth information from it, if not a full sonar image with fish detection, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>The one thing I may change is the touchscreen I am using. Since this was essentially an experiment, I didn't want to throw too much money into it without knowing how well it was going to work. I thought the screen I chose would be bright enough to be daylight readable, but I didn't take into account all the reflected glare onto a shiny touchscreen. The first time I tested it with the sun behind me, the shiny surface made a better mirror than display. I added an anti-glare screen protector that has helped a lot, but would also like if the screen was brighter. I know there are brighter screens out there, but they will increase the price of this project a bit.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will say that, if you are not comfortable with computers and soldering and playing with electronic internals, this project may not be for you. There is a lot of fiddling with hardware and configuring software involved. There is nothing that is too complex (except for possibly the sonar, I didn't write any code beyond the script to automatically start the interface the way I wanted it), but there are a lot of individual pieces that need to be setup to work together. If you are comfortable with these tasks, you can make yourself a very capable chartplotter using well developed and free open-source software.</div><p></p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-75896879089860346592023-11-23T16:52:00.324-07:002023-11-24T10:28:00.643-07:00Adventures in Refrigeration<p>Refrigerators in boats aren't typically like those at home. Unless you have an endless supply of power, you need one that is a bit more power efficient. In my case, the refrigerator cabinet is a large, fairly well insulated cabinet that opens at the top (like a good portable cooler) and has a divider inside that splits the space into a freezer section and refrigerator section. The "cold" in the freezer is provided by what is called a cold plate system. There are two metal plates filled with a liquid that will freeze when the refrigeration compressor runs and then they slowly absorb the heat. Think of it kind of like a block of dry ice that is repeatedly re-frozen to keep the freezer cool. The refrigerator side of the cabinet is kept cool by allowing some of the heat from the refrigerator side to passively bleed over into the freezer through a couple holes in the divider between the compartments. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sXW65SHMAFE_SyYh-wiTgccTYkRaGFbRjD96U6puv71ANYbiFulpULPzUwCEsRQxXXiEstTjkPeFEVB6sjE7LrxhoFQ9cfxsELEIh3qcoGRmW9HtVxeCci9ES_wq8FoGeARQwHns_zkTYYw85qu5Bb1xhUayp6TqLz2JhzeyBCWbvb-mNYwM29Pwcd8/s2048/FridgeControls.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sXW65SHMAFE_SyYh-wiTgccTYkRaGFbRjD96U6puv71ANYbiFulpULPzUwCEsRQxXXiEstTjkPeFEVB6sjE7LrxhoFQ9cfxsELEIh3qcoGRmW9HtVxeCci9ES_wq8FoGeARQwHns_zkTYYw85qu5Bb1xhUayp6TqLz2JhzeyBCWbvb-mNYwM29Pwcd8/s320/FridgeControls.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freezer and Refrigerator Controls</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This works OK, but has a couple issues. The temperature of the freezer plays a large part in the temperature of the refrigerator. Both the refrigerator and freezer are colder at the bottom than at the top. If you open the refrigerator much, the refrigerator side can warm above safe temperatures and take a while for the spillover air to cool it back off. Conversely, if you don't open it enough, things can freeze in the refrigerator side, particularly at the bottom. And while I like a cold beer, frozen ones can be an issue. And finally, my freezer could only reach a low of around 15° F (ideal is near 0°F).</p><p>One more issue, specific to my fridge, is that the genius who installed it placed the expansion valve (the point in the refrigeration circuit where the cold starts to be generated) outside of the refrigerator cabinet. This valve freezes and thaws with each refrigeration cycle and therefore condenses water out of the air and makes a big wet mess in the cabinet. </p><p>Other than some of the issues above, my refrigerator did work OK, until the last few trips. The refrigeration compressor started developing an issue where it would try but fail to successfully start up until after a random and increasing number of attempts. This caused the freezer to warm to unacceptable levels at times. After some investigation, I could only narrow it down to either a failure of the controller or the compressor. Since those components make up the majority of the system, the system is over 30 years old, it was showing a fair amount of corrosion, and I wanted to correct that installation problem, I decided to bite the bullet and replace the entire system myself.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SefQZqQWYhqiUTojdZ2o71Jt_Km9x7TFQ0v1WgqMisARtq8ntHmvTJsSuelbjFETskeBquxhXvcycGD-_YD1kZ9xBKSO1oW-qWyRy-IEYdOquvh5Bwn0VABNgqHcgV-oS_30WYYZoe05iLav7sfw28nue5tk-kEn7XSKR2TeAFbhMtQHbUh78MMYGXA/s4096/IMG_20231017_100305364.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SefQZqQWYhqiUTojdZ2o71Jt_Km9x7TFQ0v1WgqMisARtq8ntHmvTJsSuelbjFETskeBquxhXvcycGD-_YD1kZ9xBKSO1oW-qWyRy-IEYdOquvh5Bwn0VABNgqHcgV-oS_30WYYZoe05iLav7sfw28nue5tk-kEn7XSKR2TeAFbhMtQHbUh78MMYGXA/s320/IMG_20231017_100305364.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old cold plate configuration<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>This may seem like an excessive step to take, but new systems come pre-charged with refrigerant and special connectors so they can be done as a DIY projects. Given the difficulty I've had in the past hiring "professionals" to come work on the boat, I actually thought I will either break even or come out ahead...and I wouldn't have to be at the mercy of a "professional's" schedule. So I did a little research and decided I would replace the refrigerator with a newer version from the same manufacturer (<a href="http://www.seafrost.com/BD.html" target="_blank">SeaFrost</a>). A similar system should at least minimize the complications of the install.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XH5ctmmadPyYCxfEhHS7_DGsxoqYJc_8T0RN2CDVusFQv8mERmaEEtilhEZxghcYocYbBjZFogZjtKgwFChqfFtWmpKaKFgriFaF1ywVNCc26lKUk_rUcyK0oo9LVxRGdtIlv3VENXJrod-ktCgzfg4nfOXyomXp2xUjMUKqgVd737Ti9UyB-8DMc2s/s700/bd_seafrost.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="700" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XH5ctmmadPyYCxfEhHS7_DGsxoqYJc_8T0RN2CDVusFQv8mERmaEEtilhEZxghcYocYbBjZFogZjtKgwFChqfFtWmpKaKFgriFaF1ywVNCc26lKUk_rUcyK0oo9LVxRGdtIlv3VENXJrod-ktCgzfg4nfOXyomXp2xUjMUKqgVd737Ti9UyB-8DMc2s/s320/bd_seafrost.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replacement System<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(image from SeaFrost)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Of course, as often happens with projects, what started out as a simple swap-out of the old system for a new one and the relocation of the valve location slowly grew with several of those "while I'm doing this, I might as well..." thoughts. The freezer would freeze, but not quite cold enough for ice cream. Ok, actually, the colder the better for all longer term food storage...but ice cream would be nice too. When talking with the SeaFrost salesman, it didn't take much convincing for me to upgrade from the smaller equivalent replacement to the next step up with a bit higher capacity. The upgrade also had the ability to control compressor speed, so I could turn it down and and achieve the same results as the smaller system while using less power. The existing system had the cold plates mounted in an L shape along adjacent walls, and the salesman highly recommended moving one plate so the two would be on opposing walls for more even freezer temperatures (stuff in the freezer would be sandwiched between the plates).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GQ0ct4iKKllKvo9c0BT0Oi9o8jE67EHRN3dxx1Z_HRgm2EYhHQOpBuxofFvTovLbD_mXB9RTrnUsScBLv8k8bhzjCMAeCDCBYDDWND99TF9v1-nRfQ6XoTXKQjjTVpreXjgyc291IrvVdgM9Kc2562rpFgSf7_oQKyuYBQD7bmbrc4gQOFccOSoOP3c/s2048/old-fridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GQ0ct4iKKllKvo9c0BT0Oi9o8jE67EHRN3dxx1Z_HRgm2EYhHQOpBuxofFvTovLbD_mXB9RTrnUsScBLv8k8bhzjCMAeCDCBYDDWND99TF9v1-nRfQ6XoTXKQjjTVpreXjgyc291IrvVdgM9Kc2562rpFgSf7_oQKyuYBQD7bmbrc4gQOFccOSoOP3c/s320/old-fridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old fridge removed</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Naturally, if I could get the freezer colder, this would likely exacerbate the problem of the beer freezing in the bottom of the refrigerator. So I began to think about how to solve that issue. I had heard of others using small fans to mix up the air so the cold wouldn't settle at the bottom. I also thought of adding some sort of movable shutter to manually control how fast the "spillover" between the freezer and refrigerator would occur.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ACtirJmbpVRddMyILYf3QCcoTInaF9FUUcncpDaasAtO5hAatAq_i0_jyYQlpdi963LXaEEg33MEpapVQAzHo81odl4PL_s-_T80ewxGjQrSeuyMmjSHsTx7lPNeqwSkpl6-QL8eTmyNyLZa26uwh-AtodNNu2ND-f6CH30JVp5TVc6wW9KOB1pAN4U/s2048/NewColdPlate.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ACtirJmbpVRddMyILYf3QCcoTInaF9FUUcncpDaasAtO5hAatAq_i0_jyYQlpdi963LXaEEg33MEpapVQAzHo81odl4PL_s-_T80ewxGjQrSeuyMmjSHsTx7lPNeqwSkpl6-QL8eTmyNyLZa26uwh-AtodNNu2ND-f6CH30JVp5TVc6wW9KOB1pAN4U/s320/NewColdPlate.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patching holes and installing <br />a new cold plate</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I finally settled on a theory that wasn't <i>too</i> mechanically complex and I believed would solve several issues. My theory was that I would plug the two holes at the bottom corners of the divider, I would construct a small duct on the refrigerator side of the divider that would route the air from the hole about 1/4 of the way up the wall to near the top of the refrigerated section, and I would put a fan at the top of that duct that would pull cold air from the freezer and dump it out near the top of the refrigerator. I would leave the gap between the refrigerator lid and the top of the divider alone to allow return airflow. Since warm air rises and cold air falls, I figured this duct would limit the majority of the spillover without a mechanical shutter to close the hole. Then, when the fan was turned on, it would draw the cold air from the freezer up the duct and spill it over the top of the refrigerator. As the cold air fell down through the refrigerator compartment, the warmer air of the fridge should rise and the pressure differential caused by the fan would cause that warm air to enter the top of the freezer section to be re-cooled. This mixing should also make the temperature more consistent from the top to the bottom of the refrigerator. And by drawing the cold air from the higher point in the freezer than the very bottom, there would be a section at the very bottom of the freezer where the coldest air would still pool and become a deep freeze section that wouldn't be impacted by the bleeding off of cold air for the refrigerator.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZHuzWAcTOJ9adHlp50lKjMuLXvz9IDQkqsjzkZHwkyk0ME0jJnH2uJ3TwwM9dKiGjaXS1g9bEd8N4EHhwyZSVT-kQS4XtIrXeUq4cG7CK2qZJHXeRcwDZ29eJIfiDjQiyCncaqQnE4kfY5vYSWiyNmtZ-miApcgjJxwLNEUZoF2-KztflHPEK2wuofo/s2048/freezer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZHuzWAcTOJ9adHlp50lKjMuLXvz9IDQkqsjzkZHwkyk0ME0jJnH2uJ3TwwM9dKiGjaXS1g9bEd8N4EHhwyZSVT-kQS4XtIrXeUq4cG7CK2qZJHXeRcwDZ29eJIfiDjQiyCncaqQnE4kfY5vYSWiyNmtZ-miApcgjJxwLNEUZoF2-KztflHPEK2wuofo/s320/freezer.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New plates installed with valve<br />inside refrigerator box</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I'm no thermodynamics expert, but this all sounded reasonable to me. So I decided to give it a try. I installed the new refrigerator...which takes much more time than that one sentence gives it credit for. Carefully bending copper tubing so it doesn't kink, by yourself, while working in cabinets where you can barely reach what you are working on is not trivial. Then I found a vinyl (PVC) downspout at the local home improvement store that I could cut into a U shape and create a duct. Estimating that the refrigerator section was around 5 cubic feet, I ordered a fan that would move about 2 cubic feet of air per minute. This would theoretically do a complete air exchange in the empty cabinet in about 2.5 minutes. I figured there would be a balance that would need to be figured out between taking cold air from the freezer too quickly and cooling the refrigerator too slowly, so this was my best guess at a reasonable flow rate.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCDGcl8bS2OfHpEILokAb9JNu1hUs2yaFVTUw7U1_C-oTh_hiFL4u9QebnQjyv_0f-7noNfXCWfDL7jVesmjNruDoq613FtJlpTn0ne_rY3YDEfMokv1vQ1jwnkqG5MABCnLgrxirRtTfAc3Y1kGn17aRq4IHWBfMlBgw1UXZ6Xu7wcMWUJ2q01ryU_k/s2048/fridge-testing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCDGcl8bS2OfHpEILokAb9JNu1hUs2yaFVTUw7U1_C-oTh_hiFL4u9QebnQjyv_0f-7noNfXCWfDL7jVesmjNruDoq613FtJlpTn0ne_rY3YDEfMokv1vQ1jwnkqG5MABCnLgrxirRtTfAc3Y1kGn17aRq4IHWBfMlBgw1UXZ6Xu7wcMWUJ2q01ryU_k/s320/fridge-testing.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing the duct</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In order to experiment a bit, I temporarily sealed the lower corner holes (and the wire/line access hole) with excess packing materials, built the duct using some PVC glue, and ordered a small dual-bearing computer fan and a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-ITC-1000/dp/B00OXPE8U6/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">digital temperature controller</a> for it. I ran experiments and found that I did seem to have positive control over the refrigerator temperature. With the freezer at about 15° F at the time of the test, I set the other controller to turn the fan on at 37°F and off at 36°F. The temperature in the refrigerator would slowly fall when the fan was on (about 30 minutes to go from 37°F to 36°F) and would slowly rise when it was off (about an hour to rise from 36°F to 37°F). I also checked the temperature at several levels within the refrigerator compartment and found only 1 degree of difference between the top and bottom. During the tests, I did not observe any noticeable rises in the freezer temperature beyond the normal operation. I did run the tests with both the fridge empty and with several milk jugs filled with water to simulate a partial refrigerator load.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRh3WSdctRGK41HW2qcwbk3cSpkWOJKY9R58a4IiaoAHBUqsoUHSL59CO_lJMZ0BkWF-JqRJzdMw9moTp8u8S3co1ovrcOVH7Z0K7na4Y59uny9d0izGnWsLj_oFbbKLKCgv56l8h6KmVSnKglq3WP2t_lItIGLT_Ow4LC_GFuMwQ2cMAMzxLVNELobo/s2048/fridge-vent.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRh3WSdctRGK41HW2qcwbk3cSpkWOJKY9R58a4IiaoAHBUqsoUHSL59CO_lJMZ0BkWF-JqRJzdMw9moTp8u8S3co1ovrcOVH7Z0K7na4Y59uny9d0izGnWsLj_oFbbKLKCgv56l8h6KmVSnKglq3WP2t_lItIGLT_Ow4LC_GFuMwQ2cMAMzxLVNELobo/s320/fridge-vent.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fridge duct with fan installed</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Happy with the results, I made the changes permanent. I did make one additional change and lined the lower half of the duct with some thin, foil backed, closed cell foam insulation to help further reduce unwanted bleed over. After warming the refrigerator cabinet back up, I attached and sealed the duct with silicone, cut foam to make removable seals for the bottom corner holes, ran the wires and temperature probe needed to control the fan, and sealed the cabinet access. I added a magnetic switch in the fan circuit so the fan would shut off when the lid was opened, and I installed a small electrical project box to hide the connections and extra wire from the fan and switches. </p><p>So far I'm pretty happy with the results. The only thing I'm wondering right now is if I need to increase the size of the fan to improve the speed at which the refrigerator section cools. But I think I need a bit more experience with the current behavior before I make any changes. I can also probably tweak the settings of the temperature controllers for both the refrigerator and freezer sections; however, this will be done slowly over time as I determine a sweet spot once the whole system stabilizes. The first picture above is the system running with the freezer and refrigerator cabinet temperatures displayed.</p><p>I'd also like to give a shout-out to the folks at <a href="http://www.seafrost.com/" target="_blank">SeaFrost</a>. They were very helpful with advice and design recommendations on this project. I wish more marine industry parts and service suppliers were this helpful and responsive.</p><p>Now I have a reliable refrigerator/freezer that acts a bit more like a home system than it does the normal boat cold plate system. </p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-31397410479824356442023-11-13T10:41:00.000-07:002023-11-13T10:41:30.287-07:00A Couple of Projects<p> Well, if you have read through my blog, you probably have a good idea of the amount of maintenance required to keep a boat going. And this post will be no exception. It still amazes me how many new issues appear when you leave a boat sitting for even a short period of time. So, upon returning to the boat I had a list of minor things to address (for example, some running rigging needed to be replaced and some leaks needed to be addressed) and a couple of bigger projects.</p><p>The first project was the inverter. As I mentioned in my previous post, my old Xantrex Freedom Marine inverter decided to give up during our spring shakedown cruise. I pulled the unit and did some troubleshooting and found a blown internal fuse. I tried replacing it, however the fuse immediately blew when attempting to start it up...so something in the internal circuitry has obviously failed. I guess I could try repairing the unit, but it is 30+ years old and there are newer options out there that provide pure sine wave output and are more efficient. It made the most sense to replace. Of course, I don't want to rewire the boat, so in addition to finding newer technology, I needed to find one that would fit in the available space.</p><p>I narrowed my search down to two or three options that would fit, were at least theoretically suitable for the marine environment, and would provide pure sine wave output. Two of the options could be found listed on marine supplier websites with prices north of $1500. The <a href="https://www.renogy.com/3000w-12v-pure-sine-wave-inverter-charger-w-lcd-display/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">third option was from Renogy</a>, a company that is more well known for solar and off-grid land based setups, but claimed their unit was marinized and could handle the more corrosive environment found on a boat. The fact that their unit was also 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the others, I decided I would give it a try.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2rj8enxp83YbJ2Q0C0Od5po8SDgDJNZUCJoiCe90F1TQgzZBykWCDN0lO3N0ra5RaO3aEos0cKsCuM1fJkXzQIMsaqTkTEdQFNljSs4YzymtWAPHEaplfM2PO3zM5YbFqOW3QEBf6lxEhO_Y2kqQkgtnWHmaQWh30kiJ8DCWK2nMx3Ii7tiUKGSt1S4/s640/RenogyInverter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2rj8enxp83YbJ2Q0C0Od5po8SDgDJNZUCJoiCe90F1TQgzZBykWCDN0lO3N0ra5RaO3aEos0cKsCuM1fJkXzQIMsaqTkTEdQFNljSs4YzymtWAPHEaplfM2PO3zM5YbFqOW3QEBf6lxEhO_Y2kqQkgtnWHmaQWh30kiJ8DCWK2nMx3Ii7tiUKGSt1S4/s320/RenogyInverter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renogy 3000w pure sine wave inverter<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Image from Renogy.com)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The unit was a bit longer than my old one, fortunately, that was the one dimension where I had a bit of extra space. Otherwise, it was a direct replacement as it specified the same gauge battery cables and fuses and was a mostly drop-in replacement. Wiring was pretty straight forward, and other than finding and replacing a poorly crimped cable end on one of my cables, the unit itself wasn't too difficult to install. The unit comes with a remote panel, but unlike the Xantrex, it is not very informative, just a switch with a couple of status LEDs. A remote that mimics the on-board display would be a better option, and hopefully they will consider making one. The remote was also smaller than the Xantrex, so I had to custom fabricate a plate to mount the new remote where the old one was. Fortunately, this was easy to accomplish by purchasing a 3-gang black switch plate from the local hardware store and making a few modifications.</p><p>Other than the remote display and a couple minor quirks, so far I really like the unit. Unlike the Xantrex, it has a very clean, pure sine wave output. Things like my induction plate and microwave are happier about the supplied power. It also switches over to inverter power much faster than the Xantrex, so the microwave clock doesn't need to be reset and the TV doesn't even flicker. The most annoying thing about it is that the battery charger cannot be disabled when the unit is on and the AC circuits downstream of the inverter are not active in bypass mode when the inverter is off. These are minor issues and easy to work-around, but would be nice features to add. Given I could buy 2 or 3 of these for the price of the others, to me it is a worthwhile tradeoff.</p><p>Another bigger project is replacement of my old chartplotter. The main reason for its demise is that the prior owner of the boat did quite a hack job when installing that resulted in a large hole behind it and so I never removed it from the helm. I could possibly replace just the screen and maybe the seals that caused the current problem with the unit, but just like the inverter, the entire unit is older and I suspect other internals are likely soon to have problems as well. I could buy a new unit from Garmin that would be mostly a drop in replacement with the same 8" display, but that will set me back about $2k...not to mention I'm not a huge fan of Garmin. </p><p>The other option to replace the chartplotter is to essentially build my own. There are a couple of open-source software packages out there that are capable of replacing an existing chartplotter and can better integrate most of my Garmin and Raymarine instruments. For the cost of a Raspberry Pi computer, a touchscreen display, and a few other electronic bits, I could have a more capable chartplotter than what I have now. All that for what should come in at under $500 and some of my time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4Y38wTyoYv2uZQ5SjFtu96gkamI64wL2M0Rzu4F9_sLKZEtUxxDRQFH84q05idHKbhgOo9ecspQbPJ3iU60CEL6GM3c9giOCBJClsRBGRapUDT1uQFZVW7LDgCfh5lC1Fm7PslzKl5_MVdRpEfBsQGfJTEaUL-FSX3Uenn1y3X8h9hrigxprya5MVsc/s3940/OpenPlotterTest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2296" data-original-width="3940" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4Y38wTyoYv2uZQ5SjFtu96gkamI64wL2M0Rzu4F9_sLKZEtUxxDRQFH84q05idHKbhgOo9ecspQbPJ3iU60CEL6GM3c9giOCBJClsRBGRapUDT1uQFZVW7LDgCfh5lC1Fm7PslzKl5_MVdRpEfBsQGfJTEaUL-FSX3Uenn1y3X8h9hrigxprya5MVsc/w400-h233/OpenPlotterTest.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Openplotter running on my Raspberry Pi.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I decided to go this route and have been working on the solution for a little while. I'm using <a href="https://openmarine.net/openplotter" target="_blank">OpenPlotter</a>, which includes the <a href="https://opencpn.org/" target="_blank">OpenCPN chartplotter</a> software, <a href="https://signalk.org/" target="_blank">SignalK</a> for data integration, and a variety of interfaces to deal with a variety of instrument data. Above is a picture of my working system on a 15" touchscreen display that is temporarily hooked up to my boat instruments. You can see current wind, depth, location, direction, speed, pitch and roll information. You can even see the AIS data from a few nearby boats in the marina. Not displayed but working is the radar information and overlay. Since the computer isn't mounted yet, the sensors aren't fully calibrated so some of the information like pitch and roll are a bit off...but it is sufficient for proof of concept. And for the first time since I've owned the boat, I can now send route data to the autopilot. The only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to get more detailed sonar information as Openplotter doesn't seem to have a means of supporting a fish-finder type of sonar. This solution will also be setup so I can easily detach the display and store it inside.</p><p>The final bigger project I'm working on is my refrigerator. Over the past several years it had started developing an issue where the compressor made multiple attempts before it successfully started. Originally, this was infrequent, but more recently it has happened with increasing frequency to the point that it was no longer reliable. While looking into the issue I noted that the compressor was rather old and had significant surface corrosion. Apparently the original controller had failed at some point and was jury-rigged with one from Alder Barbour. So, my best guess is that either the controller or the compressor was the likely the current issue...of course, that makes up the vast majority of the system. As a reliable refrigerator is necessary for any longer trip, I decided to bite the bullet and replace the whole system. New systems have more efficient compressors and often come pre-charged so at least I won't need a refrigeration technician to come install it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OBuIslwcdii50KH09ViYNqyO-CbrLmgxzkpTGgVQAoQZdDhqS9cG8egcfsT2vprpNtpkXoYkvdvZupntkXKrTX4xZGTKQ5ps3MQ8X9Iqt9qeqZitjWburTfGm5JnbDsc6tBb3g2x1EPsUQRmJvfFXUIrFOE3sByCn01EZTvy0C6I1l9epPVtQne0ESM/s700/bd_seafrost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="700" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OBuIslwcdii50KH09ViYNqyO-CbrLmgxzkpTGgVQAoQZdDhqS9cG8egcfsT2vprpNtpkXoYkvdvZupntkXKrTX4xZGTKQ5ps3MQ8X9Iqt9qeqZitjWburTfGm5JnbDsc6tBb3g2x1EPsUQRmJvfFXUIrFOE3sByCn01EZTvy0C6I1l9epPVtQne0ESM/s320/bd_seafrost.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafrost BDxp Refrigerator system<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(image from Seafrost)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The original system was from <a href="http://www.seafrost.com/BD.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SeaFrost</a>. Not wanting to significantly alter the setup, I decided to go with them again. After talking with someone from SeaFrost (I think it may have been the owner), I decided to get the upgraded version with a bit higher capacity. The belief is that it should be sufficient to store ice cream (something that was just a bit beyond the ability of the old system). The old setup of the refrigerator is what is known as a spillover system. Some of the cold of the freezer "spills over" into the refrigerator side through some holes to provide refrigeration. While this does work, it does have some drawbacks. There was a tendency for items at the bottom of the refrigerator section to freeze while the top was barely within the safe zone for a refrigerator. With the increased capacity of the new system, I think this issue might become worse. So, I also intend to alter the spillover system by adding a duct, small fan, and temperature control in hopes that it will better meter the temperature of the refrigerator as well as provide a bit of air circulation to keep the temperatures a bit more uniform. </p><p>So, those are the bigger projects currently going on or completed. Hopefully they all will be done soon and I can head south and to the Bahamas.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-9005102039093647812023-10-20T07:36:00.005-06:002023-10-20T07:36:39.142-06:00What's Shakin'<p>Oops...thought I had published this months ago...so this is a bit behind... </p><p>Well, this last trip back to the boat can best be described as shaken. My intention was to take at least a shakedown cruise, but other things also shook things up a bit.</p><p>One shakeup was that my friend TJ from the Retirement Project had what was described as a "cardiac event". In hindsight it was a good thing that it took longer to get their outboard fixed and they were still in Oriental when this occurred as he was able to get the medical attention he needed quickly. After a short time in the hospital in New Bern, I'm happy to report he is doing better now. Unfortunately it has altered their plans for the Great Loop, but ever changing plans seems to be the norm for cruising. I was glad to be able to provide some help and support for such a lovely couple and am glad TJ is getting back to being himself. Stay well my friends and let us know if we can do anything for you....either here or when we are back at the boat.</p><p>A variety of things were fixed or worked on while at the boat. The house battery bank was replaced. The old chartplotter seems to have developed a screen issue and, instead of replacing the screen or the unit, I've decided to try building my own chartplotter using Openplotter. If successful, this system will have a 15 inch touchscreen display at the helm, provide AIS receive functionality so I can identify nearby boats, and finally integrate all the systems so the Garmin radar and sonar and Raymarine winds and depth instruments can all talk to one another and the autopilot. All at a fraction of the cost of an existing commercial unit. I'll (hopefully) write more on this later.</p><p>We did get a chance to take a shakedown cruise. It was a relatively short trip from New Bern to the Cape Lookout bight. We anchored there for several days, enjoying the area and testing systems. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZDuZkzTLGA9ktTP-nDMRxWFFIhe03APHeGKg-gQCIISr4D0ZEcdEJVV_0ILN3ejlpJZHwu9wVXUcoK-tB8Bye9wJqK9AT26CH7SNmhMeAcwLGp8-Dr6hxSa6Vv5_M3JGUX_8UUkACd6k0P5Xj-VbbXkllFOf8SLXPXr_YANEX8rNs93_eK-xsBg12WE/s1024/capelookoutsail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZDuZkzTLGA9ktTP-nDMRxWFFIhe03APHeGKg-gQCIISr4D0ZEcdEJVV_0ILN3ejlpJZHwu9wVXUcoK-tB8Bye9wJqK9AT26CH7SNmhMeAcwLGp8-Dr6hxSa6Vv5_M3JGUX_8UUkACd6k0P5Xj-VbbXkllFOf8SLXPXr_YANEX8rNs93_eK-xsBg12WE/s320/capelookoutsail.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsru9ZfSaLLt_HyTa3fNQSjPmE2y7yVKsuWcTk9acE1_Rp3UOxe2LePD5vdhEIx3dIoUMzHTZ9v4eZK3TBmIxAt-eQatOiAxpXS-m3hhYQbWfv5MVgnda45s_pYa3N5gA5roKXhXsbzH076CLh98vv-Py3wjsA1QQdWx4piHHkeOlgSdEnBG_i0bJrV8/s1024/AnchoredShakedownCruise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsru9ZfSaLLt_HyTa3fNQSjPmE2y7yVKsuWcTk9acE1_Rp3UOxe2LePD5vdhEIx3dIoUMzHTZ9v4eZK3TBmIxAt-eQatOiAxpXS-m3hhYQbWfv5MVgnda45s_pYa3N5gA5roKXhXsbzH076CLh98vv-Py3wjsA1QQdWx4piHHkeOlgSdEnBG_i0bJrV8/s320/AnchoredShakedownCruise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Of course, as a shakedown cruise, we tested several systems. Unfortunately, while trying to make some ice for drinks one evening, the inverter suddenly died. The inverter isn't a critical piece of equipment, but it is nice to be able to run standard AC electrical items, particularly if you want some ice for your evening adult beverage. So this is another item that will need some attention. Since it is an older inverter, it might be time for a replacement, we will see.</p><p>So, we managed a shakedown run, we shook things, and something broke. But that is about par for the course on a boat. Guess I have a bit more work to do before the Bahamas trip in the fall.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-30618732458693243092023-04-30T10:29:00.003-06:002023-04-30T10:30:48.133-06:00We're BackAfter getting the boatyard work done, I returned home to take care of some things while Rover got used to her new digs at the marina. I returned to the boat about a week ago...this time with my wife (who is giving this boat thing another try) and our dog. <div><br /></div><div> There were several goals for this trip. One was to wrap up a few (hopefully) minor boat projects. We also wanted meet up with some friends in both Oriental and Southport. And most importantly, to refamiliarize ourselves with life aboard a boat and do a few short trips with the boat to see the local area and test out systems for our big trip in the fall. Yes, the trip to the Bahamas that was planned before the pandemic. <div><br /></div><div>When I was last at the marina, there was a Leopard 43 behind me that was for sale. I met the owner and found out he was actually familiar with this blog. It always amazes me how large and yet small the cruising community is. Unfortunately, he was not around much before the boat was sold and I was busy on the phone getting some insurance issues resolved when he last stopped by. Andy, wherever you are, I hope you are well.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9howt9jUEXSBcde1NiOR_XLuSARr-9dAaVte-5xR9CRW4bZsQJTuCdXRWKs8ktnSJ6JWWyP1l-WEUJ7KuU5Ia9OqdPmqsZmuGCj278papkfzavWMbXfrxfcqqdIEvpDmIz3ypYdiWGx5ktVU_S5zF9LaJ1gB6zeS8OJzbv8j9zarqMYmLbnqIZ19/s1024/IMG_20230425_192331693_HDR%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9howt9jUEXSBcde1NiOR_XLuSARr-9dAaVte-5xR9CRW4bZsQJTuCdXRWKs8ktnSJ6JWWyP1l-WEUJ7KuU5Ia9OqdPmqsZmuGCj278papkfzavWMbXfrxfcqqdIEvpDmIz3ypYdiWGx5ktVU_S5zF9LaJ1gB6zeS8OJzbv8j9zarqMYmLbnqIZ19/s320/IMG_20230425_192331693_HDR%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recently Sold Leopard 43</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>The boat was sold and the new owner departed with the boat for new adventures...or so I thought.
Imagine my surprise when the Leopard returned a few days after we arrived back at the marina. The new owner, Tom, has owned other sailboats in the past, but I believe this was his first catamaran. He was preparing the boat for a trip south to its new home in Florida. I spent a couple days helping him get things ready for his trip, getting the sails put up and providing what little knowledge and tips I have about Leopards that were not specific to my model. My wife and I spent a couple evenings talking over sundowners and meals, and quite enjoyed his company. I do love how cruising allows one to make friends from all walks of life so quick and easy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since Tom had prior boats, he also had duplicates of a few items that are often handy on boats. He already owned folding bikes, so the older ones that came with his boat were extra and unneeded. Given the limited storage space on a boat, duplicates or spares of such large items only serve to take up too much of that coveted storage space. As a result, we were gifted and now have two folding bikes again. Having been stored on a boat, they are in need of a little TLC (mostly cleaning, adjustment, and treating some rust with <a href="http://www.ospho.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ospho</a>), but are functional and we look forward to using them. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZx_IaLYZV6US1L0j0UQC45TfxUZp3twOeFEMKJnmYi9nLxzx28C1ticDq9BsB8lwu0RHpa6D7K-09-uVAIMxWAzJ3l4TlyqrqPLDbJCVfm7V-FKJ_r1RQ4GRDTbMGDEsx5URyY072HcTYTTigpFpAILSMHSKDH3YJZHGj3nxbCL2qb542FGjhZ4We/s1024/bikes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZx_IaLYZV6US1L0j0UQC45TfxUZp3twOeFEMKJnmYi9nLxzx28C1ticDq9BsB8lwu0RHpa6D7K-09-uVAIMxWAzJ3l4TlyqrqPLDbJCVfm7V-FKJ_r1RQ4GRDTbMGDEsx5URyY072HcTYTTigpFpAILSMHSKDH3YJZHGj3nxbCL2qb542FGjhZ4We/s320/bikes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Another big item that he had was a spare watermaker. Most cruisers that don't have one, wish they did (particularly in places like the Bahamas), and I am no exception. Since he had two virtually identical Rainman portable watermakers, we were able to make a deal and I purchased his spare. Ironically, now I have to figure out where to store it...lol. But being able to make fresh water from the ocean when needd instead of having to pay for and haul water at Bahamas prices I know will come in handy and make the trip even more pleasant. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6HZhF_U28h-jyyauy2HqMNt24m0UYQ9UV87qgFcdxieSoIUsbuswwY4BEGNps_xGQMbC_bthU6RwnHTKkpcWQqAZuPdCPuhxrS5FeZJGFLOvbUw25iisUyH7twGo_JBq9eN9xIkfqRGSMvjCvfWKsaLHLd_HjL748JXzwEevyYu6fCTc-YKxTM_C/s226/rainman.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6HZhF_U28h-jyyauy2HqMNt24m0UYQ9UV87qgFcdxieSoIUsbuswwY4BEGNps_xGQMbC_bthU6RwnHTKkpcWQqAZuPdCPuhxrS5FeZJGFLOvbUw25iisUyH7twGo_JBq9eN9xIkfqRGSMvjCvfWKsaLHLd_HjL748JXzwEevyYu6fCTc-YKxTM_C/s16000/rainman.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainman portable watermaker<br />(Picture from Rainman)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Tom, I hope your trip south is going well and I hope our paths cross again in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>We were also able to catch up with some, now long-time..at least by cruising standards, friends in Oriental. My friends at <a href="https://theretirementproject.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Retirement Project</a> have moved from a blue water cruising sailboat to a trawler and will soon be starting a trip along the <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/great-loop.html" target="_blank">American Great Loop</a>. It was great getting a chance to catch up with them and swap stories over a meal. Safe journeys on your new adventure my friends!</div><div><br /></div><div>Having spent a number of years in Southport, we had some friends there that we wanted to see. A convergece of several factors, had us make the long drive there a couple days ago. We met up with some of those friends at the marina and then went to one of our favorite seafood restaurats in Southport. If you are ever in Southport and want some good seafood at reasonable prices, check out "<a href="https://provisioncompany.com/" target="_blank">Provisions</a>" (officially, I think the name is The Provision Company). </div><div><br /></div><div>West Marine recently had a rasonable sale on line (yes, you read that right... reasonable... at West Marine), so I've now replaced much of the running rigging. It also gave me a chance to practice adding eye splices to double braid line using a fid set I was gifted a number of years ago. I still have to follow the <a href="https:https://www.samsonrope.com/docs/default-source/splice-instructions/dblbrd_c1_eye_splice_web.pdf" target="_blank">written insructions (pdf),</a> but I seem to be proficient at it, albeit very slow. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I write this, we are waiting for the weather to calm down so we can finally get the sails back up (the last window was when I was helping Tom).
A couple day sails after that and we should be ready to do some exploring of the area. Mabe we will go check out the Albemarle ...again... and hopefully not chased away by a hurricane this time. Then there is Cape Lookout and the outer banks. Much to explore. Can't wait to get back to using Rover for what she is meant to do.</div></div>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-91657668959363512992023-02-24T03:50:00.005-07:002023-02-24T16:13:53.823-07:00Where's Rover?So, when I came back to the boat in November, the goal was to again make her ready for a trip to the Bahamas. There were two big-ticket items I wanted to get done in a boatyard: new bottom paint and finally getting the new standing rigging I had purchased just before the pandemic installed. There were also a few other items that needed to be ticked off the repair list. <div><br /></div><div> I tried, and failed, to get boatyards near Southport to haul out the boat and get the work done. Eventually I was able to schedule an appointment with Wilmington Marine Center on Jan 9th. So I went back home for the holidays, expecting I would return to take the boat to the yard at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, that boatyard went radio silent and I was unable to confirm the appointment after the holidays. So, figuring that Wilmington Marine apparently didn't want my business, I then scheduled with another yard in New Bern NC. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was a 3 day trip to relocate the boat there with the help of some friends in Southport. Unfortunately, the trip was during some of the coldest weather of the season, but the new 3/4 enclosure made the trip far better than our trip down from Virginia in January a few years back after building the hardtop. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOG4hgr7dJ9uCYMvBJ7Yv1ZoqukiVWdezqO4bjPqrMeowojJ1y5xM9meI1eU1L3dLfMsLPDjDVOxYJK_KtoTPkMEMGskxVy7oC_yHZ8Lk9wU3QMskXt3NtxdkZKvOW0YZ6ay-jZoSDlBKOv5-XgphBn7RPnhlvB0JQMClxXQnK6ukHRYaS__0PR9aL/s1024/BridgetonSunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOG4hgr7dJ9uCYMvBJ7Yv1ZoqukiVWdezqO4bjPqrMeowojJ1y5xM9meI1eU1L3dLfMsLPDjDVOxYJK_KtoTPkMEMGskxVy7oC_yHZ8Lk9wU3QMskXt3NtxdkZKvOW0YZ6ay-jZoSDlBKOv5-XgphBn7RPnhlvB0JQMClxXQnK6ukHRYaS__0PR9aL/s320/BridgetonSunset.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A calm but cool evening...</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The boat was hauled two weeks ago last Tuesday after a one day delay due to high winds. It was on the hard for 2 weeks. The bottom fortunately didn't look as bad as I had feared, thanks to a trustworthy diver I found in Southport that took a great deal of time to remove the marine sanctuary that grew there during my absence caused by the pandemic. The bottom was cleaned and new bottom paint was applied. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHzdGPN3xu0dgOmYa94ndOH-MRQLM8WLN4UbwnWME8krczbjrg5Dtv8jrERY7DvShn-XyHBItGCp4tJy0QpRu_XmPdzldZvUpQwpHv9gdCrrK92b9ql-mfqa7jYmKXw3Eck38Ial4P3w-WNEAYD8Z1D2R7cV9R423PutvLj3_DMFpUne_wVQDVVqd/s1024/haulout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHzdGPN3xu0dgOmYa94ndOH-MRQLM8WLN4UbwnWME8krczbjrg5Dtv8jrERY7DvShn-XyHBItGCp4tJy0QpRu_XmPdzldZvUpQwpHv9gdCrrK92b9ql-mfqa7jYmKXw3Eck38Ial4P3w-WNEAYD8Z1D2R7cV9R423PutvLj3_DMFpUne_wVQDVVqd/s320/haulout.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rover out of the water</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div> I was also able to find a good rigger in New Bern that was willing to install the standing rigging I had purchased just prior to the beginning of the pandemic. On the hard, and using a man-lift, it took about a day and a half to replace the rigging without un-stepping the mast. Other than one set of fittings that were supplied required modification, the rigging kit from Sparcraft contained everything we needed. The rigger reported during the rigging replacement that the threads in one of the old turnbuckles all but crumbled during disassembly...so it was definitely good that I didn't try to squeeze in one more sail. Finally, after almost 3 years, Rover now has brand new standing rigging. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomvYgSd53-_p4iBEGgHK-DyRX2iLSzi9j-ztvc1MWWo5PeFKyr1SBriwSX4wLMadCyYtc7WbS57kKeMhISdYWBN-CnDPFyMb9Yuz2kjelqwqPciSqEj1ghtexZnTKXpu2dYPZOeH2kq6ZuBk_xmp5F4mWyg78YGDA3oMaFXbhVtyuXqvmPmnu5t3a/s1024/rig&paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomvYgSd53-_p4iBEGgHK-DyRX2iLSzi9j-ztvc1MWWo5PeFKyr1SBriwSX4wLMadCyYtc7WbS57kKeMhISdYWBN-CnDPFyMb9Yuz2kjelqwqPciSqEj1ghtexZnTKXpu2dYPZOeH2kq6ZuBk_xmp5F4mWyg78YGDA3oMaFXbhVtyuXqvmPmnu5t3a/s320/rig&paint.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New rigging and bottom paint</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>During the trip up to New Bern, I found that one of the shaft seals was leaking a bit. I also found some wear of the cutlass bearings during my out-of-water inspection. So, I pulled both props, bearings, seals, and prop shafts. The shafts were cleaned, inspected, polished, and reinstalled with new shaft seals and bearings. Both props were cleaned and painted with cold galvanizing compound (the same stuff Petit sells as prop coat...only at 1/3 the price) and reinstalled with new zincs. The motors were then re-aligned with the prop shafts.</div><div><br /></div><div>While at the yard, I also had the chance to replace the last of the fluorescent fixtures in the cabin with new dimmable LED fixtures. Unfortunately the puck lights I ordered to replace the main cabin lights were a little too large so I donated them to my friends at <a href="https://theretirementproject.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Retirement Project</a>. At least the bulbs in the existing fixtures are already LED. The raw water strainers for the air conditioning units that were failing (the baskets were breaking apart and replacements were impossible to find in the US) were also replaced with brand new strainers. </div><div><br /></div><div>The boat was splashed last Monday, and after spinning up the motors and checking for leaks, the boat left the yard in much better mechanical condition than when it arrived. </div><div><br /></div><div>With all the problems getting reliable marine services and parts in Southport, and the fact that my slip rental was doubling in price with an expected 50% additional increase in a year, I have decided to change the home base for Rover. I was able to find a marina near the boatyard where we were hauled out at the same rate we were initially paying at the old marina before the price increase. The marina doesn't have a pool, but it also doesn't have a ferry blowing its horn at 5:30am or rocking the boat every half hour. Being a bigger town, it is also much easier to find any needed parts and supplies. The facility is simple but nice with several showers, a boaters lounge, and laundry. The docks are floating with large steel pilings and a wave attenuator that seems to do a really good job of keeping the water inside the marina calm. The harbormaster and his assistant are really nice folks, are happy to help with anything you need, and they seem to keep up with maintenance. I'm looking forward to having my boat here. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Zfy8ks-B9qw4jPRVjXo9FYEWVU97JQ1-qrsIskzxIu0f4HCB_inSt4nFihzFITho_Wdq58oLNs46NAyBamVuWuwPm4pKd-xLbv8cGvfc91GcWevQ-LkOLhyy0CxvNG6Yhne0TczvVjNfRYlblMR51wYxlV2Hvp1k-E1BnEcH1NvDrStzv02oaksL/s1024/bridgetonMarina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Zfy8ks-B9qw4jPRVjXo9FYEWVU97JQ1-qrsIskzxIu0f4HCB_inSt4nFihzFITho_Wdq58oLNs46NAyBamVuWuwPm4pKd-xLbv8cGvfc91GcWevQ-LkOLhyy0CxvNG6Yhne0TczvVjNfRYlblMR51wYxlV2Hvp1k-E1BnEcH1NvDrStzv02oaksL/s320/bridgetonMarina.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a new home.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-9696988581346074192021-09-03T08:53:00.000-06:002021-09-03T08:53:30.144-06:00First Camping Trip with the Updated Trailer<p>Once I finished with the trailer updates, it made sense to take it on a trial run. So, our first camping trip of the season was a simple long weekend. But where to go ended up being an interesting question.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Oj6BuPBoB2g/YTIeYORApYI/AAAAAAAAFaU/8qUVJv-f658SkKlCEYGa61d3G7jtOYhDwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Oj6BuPBoB2g/YTIeYORApYI/AAAAAAAAFaU/8qUVJv-f658SkKlCEYGa61d3G7jtOYhDwCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Colorado is well known for beautiful scenery and outdoor activities like camping. Unfortunately, in recent years, Colorado is also known for having an exploding population. When I went camping as a kid, one would load up the trailer and head for a campground or area of choice and setup camp. These days, if you want a camp site, you apparently have to reserve them months in advance via Recreation.gov or a private campgrounds website. If you want to camp in other than developed campgrounds (what they call "boondocking" in the camping world), you take a big risk of not being able to find a spot. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mT4YLdxGwts/YTIfUZNyviI/AAAAAAAAFac/x8zLQ8Hq6pUXh_VMI9VoE9wfLxkV-CF4wCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mT4YLdxGwts/YTIfUZNyviI/AAAAAAAAFac/x8zLQ8Hq6pUXh_VMI9VoE9wfLxkV-CF4wCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2019/10/15/denvers-traffic-is-bad-and-a-new-report-says-itll-only-get-worse/" target="_blank">CPR article on Denver traffic</a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We actually went on a couple of scouting day trips prior weekends to see what it was like trying to find boondocking sites that would work for the trailer. Anything we found within a few hours of home was always occupied. Even worse, many of the ones closer to metro areas seemed to be occupied by people that appear to have been in those spots for well over the 14 day maximum stay. I guess the homeless problem in the Denver area has spread into the nearby mountains. So much for getting away.</p><p>We decided the best bet was to head up to Wyoming in hopes that there would be fewer people there. We found a couple options and in June gave it a try. Our first choice of a camp site was one a little off the beaten path in the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbr/recarea/?recid=81614" target="_blank">Snowy Range</a> area of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Unfortunately it had been rather rainy in the area and it didn't take long on the forest service road to determine it would be impossible to tow the trailer to the camp site without ending up stuck in the mud. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-koB0kH60MjM/YTIxP1AmYMI/AAAAAAAAFbE/0eKcf-9Io4IJ9-lRP_6lnjmszkq591BngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2261/SnowyRange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="2261" height="106" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-koB0kH60MjM/YTIxP1AmYMI/AAAAAAAAFbE/0eKcf-9Io4IJ9-lRP_6lnjmszkq591BngCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h106/SnowyRange.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Snowy Range in Southern Wyoming</td></tr></tbody></table><p>So we turned around and backtracked to the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbr/recarea/?recid=22872" target="_blank">Vedauwoo </a>campground. This area was lower altitude, drier, and paved so the muddy roads would not be a problem. Not the ideal place, but suitable for a weekend test run of the new camper systems and...well...it was at least out of the house. By the time we got back to Vedauwoo, there were only a couple spots left, fortunately we did fit in one of them. So this is where we parked the trailer for the weekend.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWBG9BWF7dM/YTIwUBzw08I/AAAAAAAAFaw/PW5Cf8XRXmEZxiuAJEqcGBZDDn7orIl-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Vedauwoo-Tucker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWBG9BWF7dM/YTIwUBzw08I/AAAAAAAAFaw/PW5Cf8XRXmEZxiuAJEqcGBZDDn7orIl-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Vedauwoo-Tucker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our camp site (and our dog Tucker <br />waiting to get in the camper)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For a designated campground just off of I-80 in an area that upon first blush isn't what one would call scenic, it is surprisingly nice. The camp sites aren't as dispersed as one would hope, but the area has some nice rock formations and more woods than one would expect when looking at the area from the interstate. There are a number of hiking trails to keep one entertained as well.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFZZdff8j3w/YTIwxmDsFLI/AAAAAAAAFa4/pNBWGwD3ricAtLXSJ1-YETwTL-6QtajdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/VedauwooCampground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFZZdff8j3w/YTIwxmDsFLI/AAAAAAAAFa4/pNBWGwD3ricAtLXSJ1-YETwTL-6QtajdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/VedauwooCampground.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nearby tent camp site.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NC-ZNWPP4IY/YTIw8NdKQrI/AAAAAAAAFa8/5pUTBdmdzFksMlWtM7t0SIXfxBmmyXBoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/VedauwooHike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NC-ZNWPP4IY/YTIw8NdKQrI/AAAAAAAAFa8/5pUTBdmdzFksMlWtM7t0SIXfxBmmyXBoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/VedauwooHike.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hiking trail just behind the<br />above camp site.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Testing the upgraded electrical system went well. The inverter worked as expected. The solar panels, setup facing south at a low angle, kept the batteries topped up the entire trip, and when not using power hungry things like the tank heater, we never went below 80% capacity based on the new battery monitor. </p><p>I feel a bit sorry for Wyoming...as we were far from the only people from Colorado that were trying to escape there for the weekend. Just as we were trying to get away from the hordes of people flooding into Colorado, I'm sure those native to Wyoming would probably like it if they weren't pouring into their state every weekend. </p><p>Other than the mass return to the Denver area on Sunday, the trip was a nice escape for us and we are happy with how the camper performed for our needs.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-91049158025932499242021-08-11T21:06:00.000-06:002021-08-11T21:06:01.129-06:00Travel Trailers Aren't What They Used To Be<p> I'm not intending to write a lot about the trailer on the blog, but there are a number of similarities between cruising and camping (at least how I want to camp anyway). So, I hope this provides some useful information as well as entertainment value as I write a bit about these experiences.</p><p>I spent way more time in marinas than I wanted while I was on the boat and I don't want to spend time in the camper at RV park type campgrounds. What I've found is the modern camper seems to be setup to work best with "full hook-ups" (electric, water, and sewer connections at the camp site) commonly found in the aforementioned type of campgrounds. Personally, I'd rather camp a little further away from the crowds...more like anchoring out on my own.</p><p>Back when I was a kid, at one point my family owned a small 16 foot travel trailer built sometime in the 60's or 70's I think. It had a table that folded into the main bed, a bunk bed that folded down from the wall, a propane stove, a propane lamp, a small propane refrigerator, a small water tank accessed via a hand pump, and a small portable chemical toilet that slid out from a small cabinet when needed. If you had propane in the tank, you really didn't need anything else other than enough room to park the trailer and you were set. Yes, it was a more comfortable way to camp than backpacking (which I did as well), but it was still a somewhat rustic way to travel compared to what seems to be the current standard.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ObbFduoAha4/YRQ5sszJ--I/AAAAAAAAE-c/emvyTFDIF_ovnW7FJKtmW5JdgGtUBT12QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ObbFduoAha4/YRQ5sszJ--I/AAAAAAAAE-c/emvyTFDIF_ovnW7FJKtmW5JdgGtUBT12QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stock picture of our trailer model.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Modern trailers have many more creature comforts, but they come at a cost. Our new-to-us trailer has a fold down queen size murphy bed, a large, two basin kitchen sink, propane stove and oven, propane refrigerator two or three times larger than the old trailer, a microwave, air conditioner, propane furnace, a myriad of electric LED lights, amplified TV antenna and cable hookups, and a power retractable awning. It also has a separate bathroom with sink, toilet, and shower. The water tank is probably 4 or more times larger than the old trailer and no hand-pumping is required. If it doesn't run on propane, it runs on either 12 volt DC or 120 volt AC power.</p><p>Since there is a 12 volt DC system, modern trailers can be used without hookups. Unfortunately most come from the factory with a single 70 to 75 amp/hour lead-acid battery (a bit less than Rover's nearly 700 amp-hour battery bank). So, realistically, there is only about 35 amp/hours of power available. There is no inverter, so 120 volt AC items like the microwave, air conditioner, TV, or the 5 power outlets are of no use if not plugged in to shore power. If there were an inverter, the microwave or air conditioner could easily deplete the battery in mere minutes. As it is, the camper's parasitic draw on the battery (from the electronics in the refrigerator, propane detector, etc.) is a little under 1 amp, so a couple days just sitting can deplete the battery without even turning on the lights or using the water pump. What all this means is that my, and I assume most typical, campers can really only last a day or two without being plugged in to either shore power or a generator to recharge.</p><p>So, I made a few modifications to the trailer once I got it back to Colorado.</p><p>Realizing the battery power was insufficient, I replaced the standard battery with two 6 volt golf car batteries sourced from Sam's Club. Wired in series, this boosts the 12 volt power storage from 75 amp/hours to 215 amp/hours. The single battery box was replaced with a dual battery box. This upgrade tripled the usable power for around $200.</p><p>In order to stay someplace without power for longer than 3 days or so, increasing the battery bank wasn't enough. The trailer came with a pre-wire for solar from Furrion. The pre-wire is nothing more than a little bit of wire and a non-standard plug outlet (I assume they hope you will then buy their overpriced 100 watt kit). I was able to find the plug and I decided to create my own foldable portable solar panel system. Instead of the usual PWM solar controller sold with the kits, I was able to find a relatively low priced MPPT controller. This means I could then efficiently use a higher output panel. I created a 140 watt foldable panel kit that will charge the batteries significantly faster than the pre-made 100 watt PWM kits for about the same price. I would imagine this setup would work equally well for a smaller sailboat or any other smaller solar power setup.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0YbMCbQvNc/YRQ-TC_-4mI/AAAAAAAAE-k/e1kP6avGb1Y_s55E7Mh2G3F6iCq6YohvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/SolarController.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0YbMCbQvNc/YRQ-TC_-4mI/AAAAAAAAE-k/e1kP6avGb1Y_s55E7Mh2G3F6iCq6YohvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarController.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The solar controller mounted inside the trailer.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZn1Hc_sYIY/YRRBL-BjLeI/AAAAAAAAE-0/QlUxp5sBa3c_FvYb8LGZjVIJ_wJ1ezqWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/SolarSetup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZn1Hc_sYIY/YRRBL-BjLeI/AAAAAAAAE-0/QlUxp5sBa3c_FvYb8LGZjVIJ_wJ1ezqWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarSetup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The solar panels setup at one of our campsites</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ghd1-KcRsc/YRRB3QAX_dI/AAAAAAAAE-8/WCr3tC72RBcEDFWYNeouK1WsIbB8uX9XQCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/SolarPanelBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ghd1-KcRsc/YRRB3QAX_dI/AAAAAAAAE-8/WCr3tC72RBcEDFWYNeouK1WsIbB8uX9XQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarPanelBack.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear view of the solar panel "suitcase".<br />(carry bag not shown)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This takes care of the 12 volt DC power supply, but not the 120 volt AC one. I had mentioned using an inverter, but even 215 amp hours of battery won't be enough to power an inverter to support power hungry items like microwaves or air conditioners for long enough to be useful. It can, however, supply enough power for some smaller things like a TV, small fans, chargers, a countertop ice maker, or whatever. So, I decided to install a 600 watt peak, 300 watt continuous inverter since it wouldn't use as much power (and I wouldn't need to run new wiring). I was unable to find a smaller pure sine wave inverter with a remote switch, so I removed the on-unit switch and dual color indicator LED of the one I found and replaced it with an RJ45 connector that I then wired to a switch that had a dual color LED to create a remote switch that provides the red/green indications of the original unit. The inverter was then inserted into the outlet circuit on the trailer with an automatic switch that will allow it to use shore power if available and the inverter if not (and the inverter is turned on). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-racal7XLhfY/YRRhS_Gq_zI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/0wDGLq6JwIokPl0umMsNUNoKgCCc_T4mwCLcBGAsYHQ/s800/20210518_084952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-racal7XLhfY/YRRhS_Gq_zI/AAAAAAAAE_Y/0wDGLq6JwIokPl0umMsNUNoKgCCc_T4mwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210518_084952.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inverter, modified with a remote indicating switch.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now that we have a way to store more power and generate power, it made sense to have a better way to monitor the power available in the batteries than the simple 4 LED display that came with the trailer. Instead of the expensive Victron monitors, we decided to give the AiLi/QWork monitor a try. It seems to work well. I'm considering adding one to the boat.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SD6nCn_-W_I/YRRJ8tJitUI/AAAAAAAAE_E/p2auoLYHL8Qy1KpMj0GaVo3briysXOkrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/IMG_20210528_111137776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SD6nCn_-W_I/YRRJ8tJitUI/AAAAAAAAE_E/p2auoLYHL8Qy1KpMj0GaVo3briysXOkrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20210528_111137776.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inverter and tank heater switches, <br />the master battery disconnect, and the battery monitor.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There were a couple other modifications as well. The first time we used the camper was late last fall and the trip was cut short because we ran into sub-freezing temperatures the last couple nights. I don't know that the tanks would have frozen, but the lines might. To prevent this in the future, we added a tank heater and some insulation to the fresh water tank lines. We figured a jug of RV anti-freeze in the waste tanks would be sufficient to protect them, but you can't do that to the fresh water tank. For a creature comfort feature, we also added a MicroAir Easy Start that allows the air conditioner to be run off of a small 2300 watt inverter generator. One final addition was a master battery disconnect switch similar to what is found on most boats. This way I could disconnect the battery bank to prevent discharge while it was parked in storage.</p><p>So, just like the boat, it didn't take me long to start customizing the trailer to better suit our needs. If anyone is interested in any of the details on these projects, let me know and I'll try to post additional information.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-58180728913260113922021-07-30T10:18:00.001-06:002021-07-30T10:18:19.308-06:00A Sailing/Cruising Blog or an Travel/Adventure Blog?<p>Ok, I've got a question for you. This blog was originally intended to document our conversion to a cruising lifestyle. Obviously plans have changed and while I will continue to write about sailing I know these will be less regular than they were in the past.</p><p>When COVID19 became an issue, I was preparing for a trip to the Bahamas. My hope is to reschedule that trip soon...but that is another story. After the Bahamas trip obviously needed to be rescheduled, my focus then became how to get back home. As mentioned in my prior post, the solution ended up to buy a small travel trailer. </p><p>Since returning home, we have taken a few trips with the trailer. We have also made some modifications to the trailer so it would work better for us. Some of this is surprisingly similar to sailing/cruising while other aspects are obviously different.</p><p>So, my question to you is...are you interested in hearing about the travel trailer stuff? Or should I keep the blog more sailing oriented? I don't think this will turn into an RV blog by any means, but it would give me something else to write about during those dry spells when I am not at the boat.</p><p>What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know.</p>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-64244291759154467122020-08-05T08:24:00.000-06:002020-08-05T08:24:08.479-06:00One More Hurricane and I'm Doing FineYes, I'm still in Southport. Yes, the area was hit by hurricane Isaias that spun off at least 3 tornadoes. Yes there were at least two marinas that experienced significant damage. Neither me nor my boat were at those locations. So, don't worry about me, other than being without power or internet for a day or so, I'm doing fine.<div><br /></div><div>Often news reports tend to get the details wrong and if you saw the stories that hinted at the Bald Head Island ferry marina (where Rover currently is) suffered significant damage, it did not. I wish I could say the same for all the marinas in the area, unfortunately there is some major damage at the Southport and South Harbor Village marinas. Several friends and one sister ship to Rover were, unfortunately, staying at the marinas that were impacted. I did try going over to Southport Marina to check on those boats, but the police have cordoned off the area and I was not able to make it out there or even find a vantage point where I could take decent pictures to send to my friends. I was able to find some pictures taken by others and it looks like my sister ship, Tide Chaser, is still afloat without too many boats piled around it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them, as well as anyone else in either marina, has survived with minimal damage. Unfortunately, I know that will not be the case for everyone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Given my boats current location at a ferry terminal and a couple ferry captains that seem to think they should be driving for NASCAR, I have a tendency to over-tie-up my boat all the time. When preparing for this storm, I really only had to double up and reposition a few lines and then hope that the marina facilities and structures are up to the task. Yes, I also do other preparations like making sure nothing gets tossed about and all through hulls are closed, etc. Given that the storm had been categorized as everything from a tropical storm to a category 2 hurricane, I didn't take any chances and secured Rover to deal with just about any strength storm. Honestly, my biggest fear isn't in my preparation, but the preparations of others. For this storm, everything turned out fine and both this marina and the one where my boat is normally stored came through just fine.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9k6HCOuRVyA/Xyq-J0sLPtI/AAAAAAAAER4/bi7lbJLGPy4tG5geWeIbSFvdnF2fSG5HgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/IMG_20200804_100321066_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9k6HCOuRVyA/Xyq-J0sLPtI/AAAAAAAAER4/bi7lbJLGPy4tG5geWeIbSFvdnF2fSG5HgCLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h384/IMG_20200804_100321066_HDR.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rover after the storm. <br />(I opened the hatch during my post storm inspection, it was secure during the storm.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I actually did not stay on my boat during the hurricane. But the reason may not be what you think. Since I've been stuck in Southport for so long due to safety concerns with COVID19, I've been trying to figure out a safe way to make it back to Colorado. Given that the virus seems out of control in much of the country; the idea of using public restrooms, hotels, and restaurants would only increase the risk that I could catch and then bring the virus back with me on a road-trip back. So, my wife and I decided the best option would be if we acquired a camper trailer. This way I would have a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen that I had control over. The past weeks I've been looking for said trailer and, naturally, finally found one last Friday. I spent Saturday morning sanitizing the trailer and then left it locked up to bake in the sun to hopefully eradicate any "nasties" until Monday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, that means that I now had a boat, a camper, and a truck that were all in the path of the storm. A fellow boater and dock mate that lived near Southport but several miles inland graciously offered to let me park my "new to me" trailer at his house and stay there for the storm. Nestled between two sturdy houses that protected me from the expected wind direction and relatively clear of potential for flying debris, the camper and I were tucked in to wait out the storm. Other than losing power, internet, and phone service for a while, we all made it through just fine.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOsmmsdurw8/Xyq-ol_TO8I/AAAAAAAAESA/7jv-6TWhy9EAmc8heG15gGFSS5VOOIUEACLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/IMG_20200802_165928395_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOsmmsdurw8/Xyq-ol_TO8I/AAAAAAAAESA/7jv-6TWhy9EAmc8heG15gGFSS5VOOIUEACLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h384/IMG_20200802_165928395_HDR.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The camper hiding from the storm.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>So, both I and my property are just fine and I actually may be able to head back to Colorado soon. I have a couple small projects to complete on the boat and now the camper, but then I should be on my way.</div><div><br /></div><div>My heart goes out to those that were much less lucky than I in this storm. If you are near Southport and need anything, please feel free to reach out to me for help and I will do what I can.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-60502648278385439562020-06-06T09:35:00.001-06:002020-06-06T09:35:27.204-06:00Ice Cream On BoardIce cream is often a special treat when you are on a boat. No matter where you are, on a warm day it is nice to have a cool treat to enjoy. But if your boat is like mine and your freezer doesn't really get cold enough to keep ice cream frozen, it is a rare treat that usually has to be purchased in a single-serving manner to be enjoyed at the time of purchase. This isn't really a problem with my boat freezer, just a limitation of how a low power consumption 12 volt cold plate style boat refrigerator/freezer works.<div><br /></div><div>Many people, in order to provide more freezer space for a long trip or just to keep things colder turn to portable refrigerator freezers. These units often look like a cooler or ice chest, but inside they contain a small compressor driven refrigerator plate that usually runs on 12 to 24 volts DC. The best units are well insulated, can maintain temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17.8C) and don't use a lot of power. Of course the down side is the best of these also cost $800 or more for something the size of a medium size insulated cooler.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course I'm...um...lets say thrifty...and the price of these coolers was a non-starter for me. Being stuck at the boat in the middle of this Covid19 pandemic, a better freezer option became a bit more important. A better freezer would allow me to make fewer trips to the store as well as pre-chill items before adding them to my regular freezer (adding warm items to a cold plate fridge or freezer warms the items near them and is a potential food safety issue). After doing a bit of looking, I found there were several other options for small compressor driven coolers at a much lower price point (from $200 to $300) and would run on 12 volts DC. Of course, the question is how much "worse" are these than the much more expensive units? Will they actually keep sub-freezing temperatures? Will they use way too much power for use on a boat? I looked through the reviews and finally chose one to give a try.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Os6H8VZWL._AC_SL1000_.jpg" width="277" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The unit I chose was the Joy Tutus 26 quart portable refrigerator. I chose this unit because it claimed to be able to go to -7.6 degrees F, had a reasonable size with no handles that stick out so it would fit where I wanted to put it, claimed to hold reasonable temperatures for a while even with power disconnected, and had a company that at least had a web site and email addresses available (other than through Amazon) in case there were any warranty related issues. It was ordered through Amazon and arrived on time with no noticeable damage, although the driver apparently didn't see the right-side-up logo as it was sitting upside down (so, I had to turn it right side up and let it sit for 12 hours to make sure any compressor oil drained back to the compressor before startup). They claim the unit can run at up to a 30 or 35 degree angle, which should be more than sufficient for any boat or road trips taken with it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The unit has a plastic exterior with non-skid feet and nothing but the 90 degree angle plug that sticks out to get hung up on anything (of course you need to make sure to not block the air louvers so it doesn't overheat). The "buttons" are a touch-sensitive plastic panel that acts similarly to a smartphone touchscreen (doesn't appear to be mechanical). Inside the cooler, the bottom pan is plastic and the side walls are painted metal and contain the cooling (evaporator) coils that seem to wrap all the way around the sides of the cooling chamber. A half-gallon milk jug does fit standing upright inside the chamber. The lid is also plastic with a foam rubber seal around the edge and uses magnets to hold the lid closed. Unfortunately, the molding of the plastic lid may have resulted in a little bit of a bow and, with the seal in the lid having a tight tolerance, it leaves a very slight gap for about two inches in the front center of the lid (the seal failure is apparent as ice builds up at that location when in use as a freezer). Overall, for a relatively cheap cooler, the fit and finish aren't too bad other than the door seal. The unit comes with a 12/24 volt cigarette socket style power cord for direct DC operation and a "power brick" style transformer (like many laptops) so it can be used with 110/220 volt AC sources.</div><div><br /></div><div>Operation is pretty straight forward. Touching the on/off icon on the panel for 3 seconds turns the unit on. The display shows the current temperature inside the unit. Pressing the (+) or (-) buttons adjusts the temperature, pressing the setting (gear) button switches between Max and Eco modes. If you press the setting and (+) at the same time for 3 seconds, the display switches the display between Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature display (but there is no indication on the display as to which way it is set). After a minute or so with no buttons pressed, the touchscreen locks to prevent accidental adjustment or power off. To unlock, you have to press the setting button for 3 seconds. The unit remembers the last setting and will resume where it left off after a power interruption (tested by unplugging for 2 hours).</div><div><br /></div><div>After turning the unit on, the display read 70 degrees. I set the unit for -8F in Eco mode and the display read 24 degrees in about 20 minutes, which is in-line with their claims for cooling (with the chamber empty). After another 15 minutes it read 12 degrees. At this point I placed a pre-frozen (~20F) half-gallon milk jug that was filled half-way with water into the unit. I noted that the thermometer read 28 F at this time. After an hour from the initial turn on (with the pre-frozen jug now inside) the display read -3F and the inside thermometer was around 10F. The unit didn't seem to get much colder according to the display over the next 40 minutes (the thermometer temperature did drop by a few degrees), so I switched it from Eco to Max mode. It did eventually reach the displayed temperature of -8F, but it took a while and I honestly don't know the exact timing as I was only checking on it every 30 minutes to an hour at that point.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cg7aVR8X7sA/XtpG6P4V-lI/AAAAAAAAEP4/42wKAToQ-TctUj75J2-Kb3tImSZazX9iwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/JoyTutusCooler.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freezer holding 1/2 gallon milk jug and making<br />ice. You can see the lid seal issue as well.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div><div>For the power consumption tests, I used a KillAWatt meter and the AC adapter that came with the unit as I don't have any convenient way to measure power consumption over time using the direct DC chord. As a result, the following numbers should be higher than actual performance if connected directly to a DC source due to the inherent losses in converting power from 120v AC to 12v DC. After the one test getting it to go to it's maximum cooling setting of -8F for a short period, most of the rest of the testing used settings between -1 and -3F. The only things inside the cooler were a small, simple, refrigerator thermometer and a half gallon milk jug filled half-way with water (ice). I kept the ambient temperature in the boat between 76 and 79F for the tests.</div><div><br /></div><div>It has two power consumption profiles, MAX and ECO. From what I can tell, ECO just runs the compressor at a slower speed...and in the grand scheme of things doesn't appear to be much more economical (I suspect it is actually less but did not run many tests in both modes)...it just limits the max power it can consume at any one point in time (I assume it runs longer to reach/maintain a given temperature).</div><div><br /></div><div>In MAX mode, I saw power usage when the compressor was running between 37 and 57 watts with the large majority of that between 38 and 42 watts. If you assume no loss in the transformer, that max range would be 3 to 4.75 amps at 12 v DC nominal. So, actual DC usage would again likely be less.</div><div><br /></div><div>In ECO mode, I saw power usage between 35 and 42 watts with the majority between 30 and 35 watts. Again converting to 12v DC and assuming no loss, that would be between 2.75 and 3.5 amps.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over a 72 hour and 24 minute period, the KillAWatt reported 1.89 kw of power used from a point where I turned the cooler on after it was at room temperature of 77F, set it for -3F in Max mode and placed the frozen jug of water in it. During this time I made ice using two regular refrigerator ice trays 3 times and checked the internal thermometer readings twice a day and noted any differences between what the display read and what the thermometer said. I figure this activity would roughly equate to normal usage of a freezer. 1890 watts over 72.4 hours is 26.1 watt/hours. At 12.5vdc (~12v nominal in ~80% charged state) that would be 2.09 amp/hours or around 50.2 amps per day as a freezer. I assume power consumption would be less if being used at refrigerator temperatures.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I were to take a guess, I'd say that the power transformer brick is probably in the 80% efficient range...so the 12v DC numbers above would make for a very conservative over estimation of actual power used when directly connected to a DC source. Unfortunately, I just don't have the means to run this test using the direct DC connection. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>The last test I ran was to see how long it would keep contents cool without power. So, when the cooler was reading -1F and the internal temperature was reading 5F, I placed the frozen jug of water and thermometer in the cooler, let it sit for a few minutes to stabilize, and then turned it off. I then turned it back on momentarily after an hour and the display claimed the temperature had jumped to 24F. Another hour later, I checked again and it claimed the temperature was 29F. Another 45 minutes later, I checked again and it was up to 34F. At this point I opened up the cooler to check the thermometer and it read 42F. Not the 10 hours from 0 to 34 that the original listing stated, even when having the frozen block of ice in the milk jug helping out. The initial jump may have been related to opening the cooler when putting the ice jug into the cooler and the fact the ice jug was stored in my boat freezer at 18F...but the rise still seems faster than it should, again indicating the insulation isn't optimal.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>So, from an energy use standpoint, this portable refrigerator/freezer doesn't seem bad. Yes, it may be a bit higher than the really expensive ones, but it meets my needs quite well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, didn't I mention ice cream? Well, I did perform an ice cream test. After the initial testing, I plugged the unit directly into one of the boats new DC sockets and set the refrigerator to -2F. I bought a half-gallon (OK, 3 pints...since you can't get an actual half gallon of cheap ice cream these days) of house brand rocky road for the final test. Over the course of the next week or so, I had ice cream as desert after dinner. The ice I made for drinks was the other item normally in this unit. In my regular boat refrigerator, if you put ice cream in the freezer it wold be OK the first evening, soft serve the second evening, and a milk shake by the 3rd. With this unit, the ice cream remained frozen and at a serving temperature of about 4 degrees F over the course of a week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other observations about the unit. So far it seems quiet. I can just hear it if it is the only thing running on the boat. But if there is any other ambient noise, it drowns out the quiet hum of the compressor. It sits just outside the always open door to my berth and I cannot hear it at all inside the berth. That makes it quite a bit less noisy than the small bar refrigerators like you usually find in hotel rooms. When acting as a freezer, some condensation does occur on the sides and bottom of the unit, so the insulation isn't perfect. As previously mentioned, the lid seal seems to have a very small leak right at the opening handle notch as ice slowly develops there. I notice that when I place items in the lower left corner of the chamber (as viewed looking down from the front of the unit) the displayed temperature tends to quickly jump, so I believe this is the general location of the internal thermometer.</div><div><br /></div><div>And speaking of the thermometer...at the temperatures I was testing, I found the internal chamber temperature measured with a thermometer at roughly the center of the chamber to be about 5 to 7 degrees higher than what was displayed by the unit. This is not unexpected and, as anyone that has ever used a refrigerator that doesn't have a fan to circulate the air will know, is quite normal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is the unit as good as the much more expensive Engel or Dometic units, probably not. But it does meet my needs and at a much more wallet friendly price. Longevity is still a question, but if it lasts a while, I think it will make a nice addition to the boat. I do really like having the ability to pre-chill leftovers before putting them in the boat freezer, having plenty of ice for drinks, and of course ice cream on board. Now that I can make ice and store ice cream, I might have to give one of those ice cream maker balls a try.</div><div><br /></div>Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-37557009006376562912020-05-13T15:35:00.001-06:002020-05-13T15:35:55.780-06:00Making the New Water Heater LastOn a boat, particularly in a salt water environment, a lot of corrosion occurs. We usually do what we can on a boat to prevent, or at least delay, the corrosion. We use materials that are resistant to corrosion, we paint things, and we even use replaceable sacrificial metals to protect other metals. Well...most of the time anyway...<br />
<br />
If you recall in January when I returned to the boat, one of the items I had to replace was the water heater as it had developed a leak. Well, I ordered one and did the replacement and have to say I've been happy with the results. Hot running water is a nice thing to have...particularly for washing dishes and taking showers. And I hadn't really thought of it much until a discussion on the longevity, or lack thereof, of boat water heaters occurred on the Leopard owners Facebook group. The original poster was wondering...or complaining...about how he was only getting a couple years out of replacement water heaters. And, of course, the heater he mentioned was the same one that I had just installed. The usual types of replies about favorite brands and/or how nothing was made well anymore occurred, and then there was one reply that made me think...well duh, why hadn't I thought of that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkFNcO6FRzE/Xrxj-L7h7eI/AAAAAAAAEN0/mowQ5GhHzO0fttN2-B_8HnfDrjG4xd3VgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_20200513_143117251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fkFNcO6FRzE/Xrxj-L7h7eI/AAAAAAAAEN0/mowQ5GhHzO0fttN2-B_8HnfDrjG4xd3VgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200513_143117251.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sacrificial anode for the water heater. that<br />is made by the same company</td></tr>
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Even cheap residential water heaters at the local big-box hardware stores come with sacrificial anodes installed. Why on earth doesn't the boat water heater have one. We have sacrificial zincs on propellers and propeller shafts, in engine cooling systems, on outboard motors, and just about any other piece of metal that touches the water. But unlike every house on land, these water heaters don't seem to come with a sacrificial anode. I guess that is why the boat water heater has a one year warranty when, for about the same price, a residential water heater comes with a 6 year warranty. Well, as it turns out, you can actually buy a sacrificial anode rod for a boat water heater. So, not wanting to go through replacing the water heater again in a couple years, I did.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out with the old...</td></tr>
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Since the boat water heater doesn't have a dedicated mounting location for the anode, they are designed to replace the existing drain valve on the water heater. It was a bit of a pain to remove the plastic drain valve (it would have been much easier if I had known to do this before I installed the water heater...which is why I'm telling you about it now) as there is limited clearance with all the connections on the front. Installing the anode with the integrated drain valve is easier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7bRQ-nFN3U/XrxkcqyvA8I/AAAAAAAAEOE/32sddRR6Dqo94c8soyAPTWu226tTLf4NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_20200513_154349964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7bRQ-nFN3U/XrxkcqyvA8I/AAAAAAAAEOE/32sddRR6Dqo94c8soyAPTWu226tTLf4NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_20200513_154349964.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...in with the new.</td></tr>
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While it may look like the drain valve is much smaller now, the actual opening inside that plastic valve is not much, if any, larger than on the replacement petcock. So I'm sure it will drain equally as slow either way. Hopefully this $16 addition will extend the life of my new water heater by a few years.Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-79270087376907898592020-05-04T11:24:00.000-06:002020-05-04T11:24:42.568-06:00New SunroomAfter building the hardtop for the boat, one of the next items needed was a replacement dodger. For those that don't own a boat, the dodger is essentially the front windshield for a boat. It isn't strictly necessary as, unlike a car, you aren't cruising along at speeds fast enough that something flying in from the front isn't likely to cause injury...but anyone that has spent much time at the helm of a boat on a less than perfect day may disagree. When we completed the hardtop in Virginia it was around Christmas and we were in a hurry to head to warmer locations. At the time I jury rigged the old dodger so we would have at least minimal protection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrlOwFfrbtA/VoqVJFkWpoI/AAAAAAAACm4/LvahQQ0ZXE0920TAdLvt9Sx1_ABa0I7PQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/TopTempDodger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrlOwFfrbtA/VoqVJFkWpoI/AAAAAAAACm4/LvahQQ0ZXE0920TAdLvt9Sx1_ABa0I7PQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/TopTempDodger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jury-rigged temporary dodger.</td></tr>
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During that cold and rainy trip south, it became very apparent that just a simple dodger up front wasn't really sufficient to protect someone at the helm from bad weather. The cold rain always seemed to be blowing in from the starboard side and that made manning the helm a miserable experience. So, back before this virus when I was looking at heading to the Bahamas in February, a better dodger and side protection...at least for the starboard side...was very high on the upgrade list.<br />
<br />
Having an enclosure made was not going to be an option as that would be too costly for something just to improve comfort for the upcoming trip (small sailboat enclosures usually cost more than $4000 and I'm sure mine would be much higher due to the size). A while back we purchased a Sailrite sewing machine and part of the justification of that purchase was to tackle projects like this. My goal was to create a cost effective and serviceable solution that could be used when needed and taken down most of the time. Just like the hardtop, this would be my first time attempting to create something new for the boat, so higher end materials were less of a concern. If I really screwed things up, at least I wouldn't feel as bad about it if the materials didn't cost a fortune.<br />
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First thing was to come up with a design. At first blush, it seems like a fairly straight forward process...create some fabric and clear vinyl panels that would enclose the front and at least part of the sides of the cockpit. Of course, the devil is in the details. I wanted to utilize the existing lower mount for the old dodger and then there was what to do about the sheet winches that are right in the middle of where enclosure panels would normally go. Ideally, having all the winches inside the enclosure so you can stay dry while adjusting sails would be good, but in the end I could not figure out a way to make that happen. In the end I came up with a design for a front panel and two smaller side panels that would wrap around behind the winches so that one could at least operate the winches with the panels in place. I also planned for partial panels along the sides so the helm would be protected.<br />
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From there I came up with an estimate of how much clear vinyl and material was needed for the project. 5 yards of vinyl and 4 yards of material looked like it would be enough. Checking online, I was able to find a supposedly marine grade vinyl for about $85. Sunbrella, on the other hand was about $25 to $35 per yard. I decided to check a discount fabric store in nearby Wilmington and found they had a roll of Sunbrella in an off-white color that just about perfectly matched my gel-coat for $17 at yard. Another $100 worth of zippers, snaps, thread, pattern material, and other sewing notions from Sailrite as well as reusing a few zippers from the old dodger and it looks like I could make an enclosure for around $300. On that trip from Virginia, I'm sure my wife and I would have gladly paid $300 for the added comfort of a dry helm out of the wind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhiJyquXNTo/XrA8bJ7jF0I/AAAAAAAAD0M/bo5stpmSgKghRGMH7urUnPrZPuKKlMYqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DodgerPatternFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhiJyquXNTo/XrA8bJ7jF0I/AAAAAAAAD0M/bo5stpmSgKghRGMH7urUnPrZPuKKlMYqACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DodgerPatternFront.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creating the dodger pattern.</td></tr>
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After watching and re-watching several of the how-to videos from Sailrite, I began the process of creating patterns for the front dodger. Of course, creating patterns by myself, outside, in the wind was a bit of a challenge. Trying to get the plastic stretched tight and marked before the wind would come along and blow it all down took several tries and in the end was not perfect...but good enough. Creating the dodger in the salon, when the dodger spans the distance across the salon and galley was an interesting task. I cut the Sunbrella material into the numerous strips I needed using a straight edge and wood burning tool. Fortunately some of the tricks I picked up from the how-to videos as well as judicious use of the Sailrite seam-stick basting tape for canvas helped a great deal with the assembly and sewing tasks. After a lot of sewing, I had a new dodger that took advantage of the extra viewing area afforded by the new hardtop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pa3NNM0PrJ0/XrBAHqjKr_I/AAAAAAAAD0Y/38V9zjJHpCo3cH5w681pMPmNRjZ4pGMSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DodgerCuttingStrips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pa3NNM0PrJ0/XrBAHqjKr_I/AAAAAAAAD0Y/38V9zjJHpCo3cH5w681pMPmNRjZ4pGMSACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DodgerCuttingStrips.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting long strips of Sunbrella</td></tr>
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Next came the two small panels that ran behind the winches. It was a pretty straight forward process to pattern and create those small panels out of the Sunbrella material. These panels extend past where the existing mounting hardware was, so I had to add snaps to hold the bottom of the panels. While on the Sailrite site I found that they had a new type of snap called a Snad that utilizes 3M VHB tape so I wouldn't have to drill holes in the hull for conventional snaps. The only downside to the VHB based solution that I've found thus far is that it takes up to 72 hours for the snaps to fully bond to the surface.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlLNhZO1D8s/XrBC-3CSAjI/AAAAAAAAD0k/7cNqn9xYunwI02rzsWGUqFS3NnVSHKCCACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SewingDodger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlLNhZO1D8s/XrBC-3CSAjI/AAAAAAAAD0k/7cNqn9xYunwI02rzsWGUqFS3NnVSHKCCACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SewingDodger.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sewing the dodger.</td></tr>
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After getting the winch panels done, I realized I actually had enough material to make full side panels for the cockpit instead of the half-width panels that I originally planned to make. I was having a difficult time determining how to best secure the half panels, so this solved that problem...but created another. Snaps were less likely to hold such a large panel in place in the wind so I had to come up with another solution to attach the panel to the arch. While trying to figure out the best way to attach the panels, I went ahead and created the panels. When I made the hardtop, I included a design element that would hopefully aid in the installation of a full enclosure. The bottom of the "handrail" edge around the hardtop can be slit at the bottom creating an awning track. This track would then allow for installation of enclosure panels using a pre-manufactured bolt rope that slides into the slot. The solution for holding the panel to the arch is essentially the same solution. I took the old awning track that came off of the arch when I installed the hardtop, cut it in half, and attached the segments to the arch. One more zipper per panel and more of the bolt rope, and viola, the panel is attached. The boat now has a 3/4 enclosure, with the back left open.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-84rJHDL2Q/XrBHLaEFk7I/AAAAAAAAD0w/D6i8Epqb4xgGC-YUla2_m8mOeUCeRBuGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Enclosure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-84rJHDL2Q/XrBHLaEFk7I/AAAAAAAAD0w/D6i8Epqb4xgGC-YUla2_m8mOeUCeRBuGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Enclosure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The end result isn't perfect, but it is functional and doesn't look too bad. The vinyl isn't as optically clear as the expensive stuff (it has minor distortions that I think are due to the manufacturing process) but it is good enough and well worth the trade-off for keeping warm and dry. If I keep up with the maintenance of the vinyl (regular polish and UV protectant...same as is recommended for the much more expensive vinyl products), I have confidence that they will last a long time and will be a nice addition to the boat.Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-10044635046928882062020-04-24T08:21:00.000-06:002020-04-24T08:21:50.626-06:00Provisioning Tricks and ToolsProvisioning for a longer trip is always an interesting task on a boat. Having to plan what to cook for an extended period of time, how much to purchase, and how to store the provisions are tasks that anyone cruising on a boat must tackle (unless you are lucky enough to be anchored somewhere that has a boat "drive up" or delivery service like <a href="https://pizza-pi.com/" target="_blank">Pizza Pi</a>). In this time of COVID19 restrictions, even though many are not actively cruising, longer term provisioning is a similar task for anyone that doesn't want to visit a grocery store often regardless of if they are living on a boat or on land. But where do you start.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My galley...which never looks this clean.</td></tr>
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Unless you are one of those rare people that could appear on the food show "Chopped" where people whip up decent meals from random ingredients, you will probably need some recipes. The old school card catalogs, recipe binders and books are one way to have recipes handy, but they can take up a lot of valuable space on a boat, are subject to water damage, and require a lot of manual work for planning and provisioning. One tool I have found helpful is a recipe app for my smart phone and tablet. While electronics are still susceptible to water damage, having the data stored on multiple devices and taking some precautions to protect them will help ensure they are available when you need them.<br />
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In addition to storing the recipes, these apps can often help with meal planning and creating shopping lists to simplify provisioning tasks. I originally started using an app called Pepperplate and found it to be adequate, if a bit glitchy at times. Unfortunately, just as we were preparing for the Bahamas trip, the makers of Pepperplate suddenly sprung a paid subscription model on their users with no way to export their recipe data. That behavior didn't sit well with me so I quickly tried to find a replacement (they later provided a simple export after much backlash and a significant hit to their reputation among their users). The requirements for the replacement application were:<br />
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<ul>
<li>It must work on Android and preferably on Apple devices and Windows as well.</li>
<li>It must store recipes in a local database so it works even with no internet connection.</li>
<li>It must have some ability to generate meal plans for multiple days or weeks.</li>
<li>It must be able to generate shopping lists from recipes and meal plans.</li>
<li>It must have the ability to import/export recipe data.</li>
<li>It should have the ability to synchronize data between multiple devices.</li>
<li>It should have the ability to import recipes from popular online recipe sites.</li>
<li>It should have the ability to scale recipes to vary number of servings.</li>
</ul>
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With limited time, I narrowed it down to the two applications <a href="https://www.paprikaapp.com/" target="_blank">Paprika </a>and <a href="https://www.recettetek.fr/" target="_blank">RecetteTek</a>. Paprika is rather well regarded, but the trial was limited, purchase is per platform or per device and per major release (as best I can tell), and I didn't have time to dive very deep into its functionality before purchase as we were preparing for the trip at the time and I needed to manually rescue my data from Pepperplate before they shut me down. I decided to give RecetteTek a try as it seemed to have most of the features I wanted and was free so my crew could also use it to help with planning without incurring an additional cost. I'll do a review on it at some later point. In general, these apps help make planning and provisioning easier and you end up with a shopping checklist of items to purchase without ending up with a bunch of missing ingredients or excesses.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGHjr_-FOgE/XqLpGoioa7I/AAAAAAAADys/K4lhFKqBgroNrpZ7UKBu3DopRK4l5gjlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RecetteTekShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGHjr_-FOgE/XqLpGoioa7I/AAAAAAAADys/K4lhFKqBgroNrpZ7UKBu3DopRK4l5gjlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/RecetteTekShot.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RecetteTek with some of my <br />recipes and provision entries.</td></tr>
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Another trick I figured out that is related to the recipe app is provisioning for other non-recipe or non-food consumables. I created a "recipe" in the app that simply includes a list of snack and condiment items like popcorn, chips, candy, mustard, salt, and pepper as ingredients so they can be easily added to the provisioning grocery list. Another has non-food consumables like toiletries and cleaners with estimated quantities of consumption for one person for one week (so you can simply scale the "recipe" for number of crew and length of time and then add it to the shopping list). This way I don't forget to get the ketchup, dish soap, or toilet paper.<br />
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Obviously storage space is limited on a boat, and cold storage is at a premium so canned and dry goods, and recipes that can use them, are a great help. Still, one likes to have fresh...or at least frozen...items around. Of course, even if you are lucky enough to have refrigeration on your boat, that system has some quirks too. Unlike the big refrigerators you find in the average American kitchen, the efficient boat refrigerators are often top loading, smaller overall size, and lack an air circulation fan. The result is you can put a lot into a smaller space and they can run fairly efficiently on 12 or 24 volt power, but it takes a lot longer to cool or freeze items.<br />
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I've found 3 tricks to deal with the boat refrigerator. The first is to realize the refrigerator is most efficient and works best when it is full, not empty. So, if I don't have a lot of stuff to fill the refrigerator or freezer, I will place old milk jugs full of water in it to take up space and provide more thermal mass than the air alone. Another trick is to never put anything warm in the refrigerator or freezer. Since there is no circulation fan, all cooling is of a radiant nature and warm items take a very long time to come to temperature. In the process the warm item can also warm up surrounding items which makes the whole thing less safe. The last trick, particularly for the freezer, is to package as much as possible in single serving or single use packages. Smaller packages take less time to cool before putting them in the fridge, can freeze faster than larger packages, can often make better use of refrigerator space, and doesn't require you to repeatedly thaw and refreeze items when you need some.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f8C14eYqSos/XqLp6ZKvKDI/AAAAAAAADy0/OVQB0LniISwU1mhygSW5O2rZarSKcKYjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SavingBroccoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f8C14eYqSos/XqLp6ZKvKDI/AAAAAAAADy0/OVQB0LniISwU1mhygSW5O2rZarSKcKYjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SavingBroccoli.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turning a broccoli crown into multiple freezer packs using <br />the hints from the <a href="https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html" target="_blank">National Center for Home food Preservation</a>.</td></tr>
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One last thought about food storage...as this is what prompted me to actually start writing this post. In this day of COVID19 I've found I'm taking a better look at how I am storing food on the boat. I know that some things that we regularly refrigerate don't actually require refrigeration. I didn't realize that cabbage, which seems to be refrigerated in the store, actually does better sitting on my counter than it does in a bag in the fridge. With the shortage of canned options, I've also been freezing some fresh stuff for later use. I found <a href="https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html" target="_blank">this website</a> that has recommendations and best practices for freezing all sorts of things (like the broccoli above). The website <a href="http://theboatgalley.com/">theboatgalley.com</a> also has many tips and tricks for food storage.<br />
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I hope this is helpful for your provisioning tasks...be it for a long cruise or just waiting out the current virus scare. If you have other tips or tricks, I'd like to hear about them...so feel free to let me know in the comments below.<br />
<br />Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-28093109450483455502020-04-15T13:39:00.001-06:002020-04-15T13:39:51.844-06:00Keeping BusyAt this time I believe that most of the U.S., despite the lack of a federal mandate, has some sort of restrictions on the gatherings and movement of people in an attempt to slow the spread of the Corona virus pandemic. Most have some variant of a "stay at home" or "shelter in place" order. The result of which seems to be a lot of boredom...to the point that people are <gasp!> even cleaning their own homes. For a boat owner, finding something to do is pretty easy. I've heard it said many times that if you think there is nothing to fix on your boat, you simply aren't looking hard enough. In my case, it doesn't seem to take a lot of looking.<br />
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I think I've previously written about the work that I needed or really wanted to get done before making the trip. A few things were known and there were many more that were discovered once I returned to the boat. In hindsight, it is probably a good thing that there were so many items that resulted in delays to the trip, otherwise my crew and I may well be stuck in the Bahamas right now or figuring out how to make a direct sail back to the U.S. If you are curious what is going on in the Bahamas right now with regard to boaters, you can click <a href="https://blog.bahamasmarinas.com/2020/04/14/bahamas-government-protocols-for-boating-in-the-bahamas-april-2020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see the current (as of 4/15/20) situation.<br />
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Work on the boat does continue, albeit at a slower pace. Part of that is due to the fact that it appears I will have a fair amount of time before this pandemic subsides so I'm not in a particular hurry now. Another reason is that getting supplies has been complicated by the COVID19 pandemic response and other issues. There is also the conflict between the need of help for some tasks and physical distancing requirements/recommendations. <br />
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The first delayed project has been the rigging. Getting the rigging at a price that wouldn't scuttle the trip before it started was one of the first delays. Now that I have the rigging, social distancing and travel restrictions prevent any further progress on that task for the time being.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rigging finally arrived. 180 lbs or so.</td></tr>
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Unable to find a suitable replacement dinghy at a reasonable price, the decision was made to try and refurbish my well sunburned dinghy. Patch material, refurbishing paint, and replacement valves were ordered. The patch that has leaked for as long as I have owned the boat has been re-patched and now holds air and another patch has been applied. Initial base coats of the rubber paint has been applied and the dinghy now looks significantly better and holds air. Unfortunately more base coat was required and the new can was found to have been partially solidified when it arrived, therefore a replacement had to be acquired. It finally arrived yesterday, so naturally it is cold, rainy, and windy outside today. But progress will continue on that project.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1QiNIczii4/XpddqSecPBI/AAAAAAAADxc/t8aLYbrU4f82YqL7u45K59bMEDS2yQ0zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Dinghy-refurbishment-before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1QiNIczii4/XpddqSecPBI/AAAAAAAADxc/t8aLYbrU4f82YqL7u45K59bMEDS2yQ0zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Dinghy-refurbishment-before.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinghy original condition.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mz2gFQOLcsM/XpddxnsY1ZI/AAAAAAAADxg/m-hxuzy6_cMp5ghOuCqZTpDFGUT8R_nDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Dinghy-refurbishment-mid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mz2gFQOLcsM/XpddxnsY1ZI/AAAAAAAADxg/m-hxuzy6_cMp5ghOuCqZTpDFGUT8R_nDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Dinghy-refurbishment-mid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinghy after first base coats of restoration paint applied.</td></tr>
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The partial cockpit dodger/enclosure was a project that I had planned to do before getting to the boat. A trip my wife and I made from Virginia to Southport in early January, just after completing the hardtop build, emphasized the need for protecting the helm from the weather. The front dodger was created a little while back and is up and functional. After completing that part, I found I had enough material to do complete panels for the sides, so I altered the design and created those side panels. Unfortunately, I was lacking a couple of zippers to complete the build and those arrived only a couple days ago. So, that project is almost complete, again just waiting on the weather so I can do a final fit and determine the exact position for attaching the zippers and a couple additional snaps. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bv4-1TbNb0I/XpdeJHoscqI/AAAAAAAADxw/3zmfMDFlLn8h9-Py_qEHX_lv7Y_RdZCVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Enclosure_Side_TestFit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bv4-1TbNb0I/XpdeJHoscqI/AAAAAAAADxw/3zmfMDFlLn8h9-Py_qEHX_lv7Y_RdZCVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Enclosure_Side_TestFit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test fitting enclosure panels.</td></tr>
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Since it appears that I will be on the boat for a while as the temperatures rise here in North Carolina, I decided to revisit continuing issues I have had with the raw water pump for the air conditioner. After several attempts to repair the existing pump, the motor finally seized up and a replacement had to be ordered. As is my usual luck, despite ordering the correct pump, the one that was shipped to me was not a 115 volt A/C pump but a 230 volt one. That had to be returned and the correct one re-ordered from a more trustworthy supplier than Amazon. The replacement arrived about a week later and was installed and I'm happy to report that the air conditioner is again operational. Hopefully it will stay that way for a while.<br />
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My boat was a former charter boat and was equipped with several 115 volt AC plugs, but only one 12 volt DC plug. Since the native boat power system is 12 volt DC, it is rather inefficient to convert power from the 12 volt battery bank to 115 volt AC using the inverter and then back to DC voltage to power things like phone, radio, and flashlight chargers. I have now installed two new 12 volt DC sockets to provide a more efficient means of utilizing the house battery power. With the earlier addition of solar, the boat is now more self sufficient than ever before.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MTzwyWcPfWs/XpdhnmLashI/AAAAAAAADx8/IAdSjFGBXLQtMWie4iOW13EruJiILF_yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/12v-New-Berth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MTzwyWcPfWs/XpdhnmLashI/AAAAAAAADx8/IAdSjFGBXLQtMWie4iOW13EruJiILF_yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/12v-New-Berth.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New 12 volt socket with USB charger in it.</td></tr>
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There are other projects that I initially intended to defer until after the trip that are now getting some attention while I have time. I wasn't happy with the velcro that was used when I initially recovered the salon cushions and have since reworked those covers. I'm continuing to retrofit some of the lights with LED strips to further lower power consumption. I've finally managed to identify one of the leaks the boat had during heavy rains and will be looking at repair options for it.<br />
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Social distancing and my lack of desire to go to stores any more than absolutely necessary has also given me a chance to use supplies and practice techniques that come in handy when living in a remote anchorage or on passage. Learning better techniques to store various fresh vegetables and what can be easily frozen to extend shelf life is a continuing process. I'm also getting better at controlling the boat oven for baking more delicate items like breads. I've even tried Nido powdered milk that came recommended at <a href="https://theboatgalley.com/great-powdered-milk/" target="_blank">The Boat Galley</a> and have to admit it is almost as good as fresh and certainly suitable for baking and as a coffee creamer.<br />
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Speaking of not wanting to go out shopping, since I have a sewing machine handy, I offered to sew masks for the local hospital if they were in need. Thus far, they have not indicated a need, but I am on their list of people to contact if the need arises. I did create a couple masks for myself for if/when I need to go to the grocery store. One of the other boaters here at the marina has a daughter that has an immune disorder, so I also made a couple masks for them. It was an interesting exercise to try and figure out materials I had on hand that would make a reasonable mask. What I found was that non-woven fabrics were generally considered better than woven fabrics for trapping smaller particles. What I ended up using for my own design (again, with what I already had on board...which was very limited) was the non-woven material used in some types of reusable shopping bags for the outer layer and a cotton bed sheet for the inner liner. Since I have a spool of stainless steel safety wire, I used pieces of it to create the bendable nose bridge. Although I can make no guarantees about the effectiveness of the masks, I'm reasonably confident they are far better than nothing. <br />
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So, in these strange times, I continue to keep myself busy.Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-10050327186235471952020-03-28T08:47:00.000-06:002020-03-28T08:47:01.893-06:00The New NormalWell, this is certainly not a post I envisioned when I headed out to the boat to prepare for the trip to the Bahamas. Up until recently I've been working hard to get the boat back into proper cruising shape and I think it is about there. There is one big item left...but more on that later.<br />
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Unfortunately, while I was busy working on the boat, the SARS-Cov-2 (Coronavirus or COVID19) virus was busy spreading across the planet. For a while, perhaps fueled by some of the mis-information that was available at the time, I had held out hope that the spread would slow or not reach the more remote places and small towns where I am or intended to travel. Unfortunately that turned out not to be the case at all.<br />
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Around the time the replacement standing rigging finally arrived at the boat, it was increasingly evident that the trip was not likely to happen. My help had gone back home several weeks prior while we awaited the creation and delivery of the rigging and it was obviously unwise for him to return to the boat once the rigging made it to the boat. It also seemed like a bad idea for me to pack up, drive more than half-way across the continental United States and return home. The idea of all that public contact by staying in hotels (if they were even open), eating fast food, and getting gas and supplies for the trip would only increase my risk of coming in contact with the virus and possibly spreading it with me. So, I decided that I would "shelter in place" and take the time to continue working on the boat...albeit at a slower pace.<br />
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In some aspects, the cruising lifestyle lends itself rather well to physical isolation. If you are on your boat and are well provisioned, it is fairly easy to isolate yourself from society for a relatively long period of time. Unfortunately, if like me, you have not yet provisioned for a trip, all of the panic hoarding of supplies has made it almost impossible to provision now. Trying to get groceries and supplies for a week or two can be an exercise in frustration. Not only are you met with bare shelves, but physical isolation seems nearly impossible as everyone seems to crowd the stores trying to find coveted items like fresh meat, canned goods, cleaning goods, and toilet paper. Fortunately I was partially stocked for a trip with four people, so I do have enough to get by...at least until our supply chain can catch up and some of the panic hopefully subsides.<br />
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Amid all the bad panic behaviors, there is also what seems like a sizable contingent (at least here in relatively rural North Carolina) that still believe this is a hoax, or just another flu, or will somehow disappear in a few weeks, or for other reasons that escape me, seem to ignore hygiene and physical distance recommendations of the scientific community. While I'm not at anchor and completely isolated, I am glad that I am at the farthest slip out at the far end of the marina, so there is very little traffic around my boat.<br />
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My hope is to reschedule this trip once all of this blows over. In the meantime, I have a number of projects to work on...guess that is another advantage of owning a boat in these times...there is always something to fix or improve on a boat. I should also have a bit more time to catch up on blog posts. <br />
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Hope you are all staying safe and finding good ways to pass the time.Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4773370276862539169.post-89407434298467042342020-02-17T13:35:00.000-07:002020-02-17T13:35:30.484-07:00Power of the Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I eluded to in my last post, there is one project, or upgrade, that made the list along with the repairs, and it is something that I had wanted to do since before we built the hardtop. When Doug, my crew that came to help out with some of the repairs on the boat, came up with a system that wouldn't cost too much more than the fuel I anticipated we would use with the generator on the trip (at Bahamas prices), I decided it was a worthwhile investment. I'm, of course, talking about adding solar power to the boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/.image/t_share/MTUwMTAzMDI4ODEzODY2Nzc4/soelcat-12-an-autonomous-solar-electric-catamaran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="SoelCat 12, an autonomous solar electric catamaran" border="0" height="173" src="https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/.image/t_share/MTUwMTAzMDI4ODEzODY2Nzc4/soelcat-12-an-autonomous-solar-electric-catamaran.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, this is not my boat.</td></tr>
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<br />When I was designing the hardtop, I intentionally moved the sail viewing window forward just a bit in order to allow for the larger size panels you often see in residential applications as well as building in wire chases that could be used for solar. At the time, getting panels for around $1 per watt was a very good deal. Now the power output has increased and prices have fallen and you can get <a href="https://www.altestore.com/store/solar-panels/rec-solar-panels-p41384/#REC320TP2M320" target="_blank">320 watt panels</a> that should put up with the marine environment for under $0.60 a watt. He also found a <a href="https://www.makeskyblueusa.com/product/60a-mppt-solar-charge-controller-w-wifi/" target="_blank">MPPT solar controller</a> that was getting pretty good reviews for $150. A couple lengths of <a href="http://www.genuinedealz.com/6-awg-gauge-battery-cable-tinned-copper-marine-wire-black-by-the-foot" target="_blank">6 gauge wire</a> from the controller to the batteries, the<a href="https://www.bougerv.com/products/30-feet-cable-1?variant=31119914532912" target="_blank"> special 10 gauge wire</a> for hooking up the panels, a couple breakers, a wire gland for sealing the wire chase hole in the hardtop, a special tool for installing weatherproof MC4 connectors on the wires, and a couple other odds and ends for installation and I'd get "free" power from the sun. Since Doug would be passing nearby the solar panel supplier on his way to the boat, it would also save me the (not insignificant) shipping cost for the panels. The whole system would end up costing me around that magic $1/watt number that used to be reserved for just the panels.<br />
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The first step in the process, after getting all the materials to the boat, was to drill new holes in my beautiful hardtop. Having worked so hard on that top, I had mixed emotions about drilling 5 holes for each panel in it...but if I wanted solar it had to be done. We brought one of the panels to the boat, attached the mounting brackets to it, and marked the four mounting hole locations for each panel. We carefully determined where the middle of the wire chase was on the underside of the top and marked the larger hole for the wire chases. Using my drill guide, I drilled oversized holes until we reached the bottom fiberglass skin, cleaned them out, filled them with epoxy (the top is foam cored, so I needed to create a sealed "sleeve" for the holes that would also act as a compression post to tighten bolts), and drilled the smaller final size hole at each location. It all sounds simple enough, but this is a boat project so we had to fight weather, wait for epoxy to cure, as well as other issues so making the holes ended up taking 3 or 4 days to complete.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JWwOKAhtYEk/XklNlzm2kJI/AAAAAAAADqo/bnZIjoJTzlMCUAp7LrSNONoV9pWAze8_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SolarLocatingChase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JWwOKAhtYEk/XklNlzm2kJI/AAAAAAAADqo/bnZIjoJTzlMCUAp7LrSNONoV9pWAze8_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarLocatingChase.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carefully locating the center of the wire chase.</td></tr>
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While waiting to complete the holes in the hardtop and get the panels mounted, we installed the solar controller, breaker, and wiring from the controller to the battery bank. The solar controller and breaker were mounted in the engine room next to the original battery charger for the boat. The wiring was run from the large main bus bars below the main electrical panel (think of a bus bar as the extension of the positive and negative posts of the battery bank), through the breaker, and on to the controller. The controller connection was another interesting problem to solve. Our calculations showed that we should use 6 gauge wire for the charger, but the charger terminals would fit at most a 9 gauge wire (remember the larger the gauge number, the smaller the wire). Since the controller is rated for 60 amps, it has two connectors for each of the positive and negative battery outputs and the instructions said to run two wires to the battery...probably done to save in production costs of the charger. Well, I didn't want to double up wires. It turns out if you take a 6 gauge wire, strip off the cover, divide the wire strands in half, and re-twist them into two conductors you end up with two 9 gauge wires. So, that is exactly what we did to the end of the 6 gauge wire cable. Marine grade wire cables use thin diameter strands of wire for the conductor (for added flexibility) so it was a fairly easy process. Seal it all up with quality adhesive lined heat shrink tubing and viola, a custom single cable that hooks up to the controller. A few zip ties and zip tie mounts and the cables were installed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drilling and filling holes in the hardtop.</td></tr>
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Once all the holes in the hardtop were ready, we mounted the solar panels and sealed the top sides of those holes with butyl tape. We then used an electricians fish tape to pull wires from each of the solar panels through the unsecured gland boxes, the chases in the hardtop, and to the access panel in the top corner of the targa (arch at the rear of the boat). There we used two Y adapters to connect the solar panels in parallel and ran the resulting single set of wire down the rest of the arch, into the engine room and over to the controller.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdsYoZszuMs/XklOXCj1DxI/AAAAAAAADq0/c3eEYAtlm4I2vxfZKQAe8CWitHYfiuIZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SolarCustomWire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdsYoZszuMs/XklOXCj1DxI/AAAAAAAADq0/c3eEYAtlm4I2vxfZKQAe8CWitHYfiuIZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarCustomWire.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making the custom connection wires.</td></tr>
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After wiring the controller up, were now ready for a test. Of course, we were ready at about 5pm and the sun was a short time away from setting, so this wouldn't be a real test of power generation, but it would be enough to verify everything is hooked up and working. We flipped the breaker on the battery connection and the controller came to life and recognized it was connected to a 12 volt battery bank. A few parameters were set in the controller and then the solar panels were connected. We have power generation! It was only about 150 watts coming from the panels and a couple amps going into the batteries (I don't recall the exact numbers), but it was proof that the system works.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6yaGCdTcu4/XklOmzOkoUI/AAAAAAAADq8/X_9h_q2uJK0CCDyywEocgWYgA3ih3ez9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SolarController.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6yaGCdTcu4/XklOmzOkoUI/AAAAAAAADq8/X_9h_q2uJK0CCDyywEocgWYgA3ih3ez9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarController.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar controller mounted next to the original charger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The next day we did a second test. It was fairly sunny and right around noon and....wait a minute. It was only showing 150 watts from the panels and under 10 amps going into the batteries. Oh yeah, need to turn off the regular charger and drain the batteries a bit...it was doing a constant voltage topping charge because my regular charger was taking care of the batteries while I'm plugged in at the dock. I used the inverter and a space heater to pull some energy out of the batteries and then tried again. That's more like it. Even with the boat sitting so that one panel tilts a bit north and the sun was at best about 45 degrees from overhead, we were seeing 460 watts coming from the panels and 31 amps (at proper charge voltages) going to the batteries. Yay!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kram1tNtOZM/XklL7aad1tI/AAAAAAAADqQ/3eW7VoVfr_sJG_HtAQ3qyQBOmEV40al0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Screenshot_2020-02-15-09-53-54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kram1tNtOZM/XklL7aad1tI/AAAAAAAADqQ/3eW7VoVfr_sJG_HtAQ3qyQBOmEV40al0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screenshot_2020-02-15-09-53-54.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Data from the Android App.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I finished tidying up the wiring and checked the connections with my non-contact thermometer to make sure there wasn't any resistance causing heat build up. We then reinstalled all the access panels and I glued down the wiring glands on the top so it is again waterproof. The only thing left to do on the install is figure out some sort of skirting for the panels so lines don't accidentally get hung up under the panels.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yK54P41A0JM/XklLtPhkC9I/AAAAAAAADqM/KhFBwpKAMc4vjo6WY4S4VajT6BIy6YTrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/SolarPanelsInstalled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yK54P41A0JM/XklLtPhkC9I/AAAAAAAADqM/KhFBwpKAMc4vjo6WY4S4VajT6BIy6YTrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/SolarPanelsInstalled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panels Installed except for line deflection skirting.</td></tr>
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<br />
In the days since the initial install, I have run a number of other tests and found that, as long as I'm not running electric heaters or air conditioners, the setup seems to keep the batteries charged. Of course the real test will be sitting at anchor when I have to use the inverter (or...shudder...the generator) for 120 volt AC service. <br />
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I also found a glitch in the solar controller. It was rarely going into its float charge state. I contacted their technical support (which only seems to be available via e-mail) and found that the charger has a hard coded value for the switch over point from topping charge to float charge and doesn't take into account the recommendations of most of the battery manufacturers or size of the battery bank. For most solar installs that have loads that take power most of the time, this isn't really an issue as charging time is limited by sunlight hours. The only time it comes into play is when the battery is fully charged and there isn't a load (like a boat in storage). I was informed that, at the price point of the charger, the manufacturer would not change the programming of the device to better align with the lead acid battery manufacturer recommendations. Fortunately there is an easy work-around by simply setting the controller to limit the charge voltage to the lower values used for float charging when the system isn't actively used. With the WiFi feature of this controller, it is easily done. Not the ideal solution, but good enough for my purpose.<br />
<br />
Overall I'm happy with the result. One of the things I really hated was to have to start the generator in an otherwise peaceful anchorage in order to recharge batteries. With this addition, I hope I won't have to do that very often. Not having to burn fossil fuels in order to produce energy is also a good feeling.<br />
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<br />Mike Boydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14279932231094933575noreply@blogger.com0