Not So Common

We left the marina in North Palm beach on Saturday morning. A short backtrack to the Lake Worth inlet and we were again out on the ocean. Sails up and engines off we sailed north all day and rounded Cape Canaveral early (like 4 AM early) on Sunday morning. The forecast winds of 10 to 15 knots were about 25 knots, and the 2 foot seas were more 3 to 4 with an occasional 5 thrown in as we rounded the cape.  The NOAA weather radio channel reported winds at the Kennedy space center at 8 knots.  Guess they need a buoy out near where we were.  We arrived in Daytona and dropped the hook just off the ICW near downtown Daytona Beach. The next morning we made our way up the ICW and are back in Hammock Beach Marina to pick up our cars and plan our next leg of this northbound trek.

But that is not really the point of this post. The point is more observations I've made about this trip. First, I don't think I like traveling, at least on the ICW, on weekends. It seems that there are a lot of weekend warriors who come out to play.  These folks are typically in smaller boats with much larger engines and even larger stereos. Best I can tell, a good number of them have no idea of the right-of-way rules nor do they seem to possess basic self preservation instincts. It starts to feel like weekend sailing on the reservoirs back home, except here there are fewer people out checking on boater sobriety. Even if one didn't take boater education classes, one might think that a large boat with a tall stick is limited in its ability to maneuver when passing under a bridge or through a drawbridge. Or self preservation might kick in before zipping a wave runner just feet across our bow.  But I guess common sense and common courtesy just aren't that common.

We encountered a lot of these people out on the water in what could only be described as a makeshift demolition derby when we departed Palm Beach. Once on the outside, we fortunately only had to dodge all the fishing boats that seemed to be as thick as the mosquitoes on Elliott Key at dusk. I think there may have been some sort of fishing derby going on for we had never seen so many out at one time.  Fortunately they were far easier to avoid than the little power boats scurrying around in the channel.

Hours before passing by Cape Canaveral, the USCG came on the radio and warned of an 18 to 25 foot boat with outboard that was overturned and floating somewhere in the area.  Since we would be passing within a mile or so of the coordinates given, I ended up calling the Coast Guard to verify that I copied the coordinates correctly and asked if they had any updated information.  They did not.  We both kept an eye out for this mysterious overturned yet floating boat in the moonlight.  We also used our radar in hopes that enough of it might be sticking up to give us a ping if we got close.  Fortunately we never saw (or ran into) the boat.  I still wonder if it could have been a lost partier from one of those boats back in Lake Worth. Somehow a less-than-sober boater getting lost out on the cape or even just failing to properly tie up his boat at the end of the day didn't seem very far fetched. It is nice to know that the Coast Guard is doing its best to help keep us safe out on the water.

Coming into Daytona on Sunday was similar to the scene we left in Lake Worth.  I started to wonder if this is why there is so much contention between sail and power boaters.  To sailboats, power boats are like flies buzzing around your head, creating wakes that jostle the boat and seem to have no regard for anyone else.  Power boats probably see sailboats as nothing more than slow moving obstacles in their way. The power boats that I've found to be annoying are always the ones that have very big engines relative to their size and weight.  Trawlers and tugs generally seem to be more courteous and respectful.

Our last bad power boat encounter occurred just after we passed through Flagler Beach.  We looked back to see a power boat heading our way.  Actually, what we see is the bow of a boat and a large wave emanating from either side of the bow. Having just passed through the area, we know it was a no-wake zone to protect the manatee this time of year.  From a mile away we could clearly see the wake he was producing and knew he wasn't obeying the restriction.  As he got close, we slowed down and moved to the side in hopes he would slow down when passing us.  He did slow down a bit, but still sent our boat rocking as he passed.  And as soon as he was around us, he was back at full throttle, throwing waves of water over the shoreline and into people's yards.

When we arrived at the marina, we tried calling the staff on the radio but got no response.  Since we were familiar with the marina, we easily made our way to the pump out station.  As we were tying up, the assistant harbormaster stopped by and asked if we got the name of a boat that sped by a short time ago and sent a large wake through the marina damaging a couple boats (this was why she didn't answer...she was busy dealing with that mess).  Having recently left an impression on us, we knew the name of the boat she was looking for, the Scotsman.  They called the authorities, and last I know, they were trying to intercept this boat as it headed north. I hope they catch him.

I know this post has been a bit negative,but the trip in general has been far from it.  So, I'll leave you with some more images from the trip.

Tarpon Basin Anchorage

Cape Florida Lighthouse

The  southern Florida coastline

The space coast and VAB in the distance

Public Service Announcement

Just a quick public service announcement today.  Things always seem to take longer on a boat.  Even if you watch a how-to video and it seems really easy, it will take at least 4x longer than you planned...and usually more like 8x longer.

Yeah, I should have the lifeline netting installed in a few hours....so far a few has been about 8 hours and I'm almost half way done.

What a Difference a Day Makes

With the trip postponed for a day, it gave me extra time to clean up the boat and make it ready to go. Something I could use. I spent much of the day trying to better organize the boat, doing some last minute shopping, and watching the weather. I went out in search of some more storage containers and, since I expected the overnight to be cold, some better gloves.  I found some containers, but cold weather clothing doesn't seem to be an option in Georgia...even though it has been getting cool there.

Saturday evening I realized I hadn't tried starting my grumpy engine all day and so gave it a try. This time I couldn't get the engine started at all. This was getting more than a little annoying. Then I realized that, while I inspected the fuel filters early on in the troubleshooting process, when I went to replace them I was interrupted and...squirrel!...forgot to replace the secondary engine mounted filter. Of course, it was getting late and I figured my neighbors wouldn't like hearing me cranking the engine all night so I didn't get to test this theory until the morning of the day I wanted to leave.

I pulled the filter early the next morning. It still looked like it was in good condition with no dark color or appearance of being clogged.  I installed the new filter anyway and gave the engine a try. Even though it was cold, it fired up about as fast as it ever did. Whew. My best guess is that the air that was introduced by the leak I fixed earlier had probably resulted in the premature clogging of this secondary filter by all the fun stuff that can grow in diesel fuel.  At some point I should see what I can do to flush the fuel lines and "polish" my fuel. In any case, problem solved and it looked like I was finally ready to go.

The engine culprit

I called my friends Dieter and Britton (yep, the same ones that helped me retrieve my ring) who graciously offered to help me move the boat to let them know we were good to go. They made the trek back up to Brunswick to meet me at the boat. They also brought another passenger along for the ride, Anatoli is their Anatolean Shepard puppy that would be going with us. This would be his first long trip in a boat, so it should be interesting. We will see if he will use the grass mat and tray provided if the need arises (something we still need to train our dogs to use as well).

According to the forecasts the weather that caused me to postpone the trip was supposed to be calming in the afternoon and that would make for a somewhat more comfortable overnight coastal passage. The small craft advisory was to end at 3 PM, right about the time I wanted to depart for the overnight sail down to St. Augustine. Once we were in St. Augustine we would take the ICW to the Marina at Hammock Beach.

Trying to convince Anatoli to use "the pad"

After my friends arrived, we checked the weather. The forecast had been updated and now the small craft advisory extended until 10 PM. Shoot. Seas were forecast to be 3 to 4 foot on a 5 to 6 second period with winds from the northeast at 18 to 25 knots. The one advantage was that the waves were also out of the northeast so we would be traveling with them and this would make a ride more comfortable than if we were running against them. We cast off from my slip and made our way over to the refueling dock to top off and pay my final bill.

We sat at the fueling dock for a little while, debating the weather.  Using the marina's WiFi we were able to look at what several of the reporting buoys were saying.  It didn't look as bad as the recent forecast and was more in line with the original forecast.  Finally around 4:30 pm or so we decided it wouldn't hurt to go out and see what conditions were like.  Worst case, we could always turn around and come back.

A bit bouncy leaving Brunswick

We made the long trek from the marina to the Brunswick inlet.  It was about 6 PM when we passed the mouth of the inlet and were in the Atlantic.  The winds were out of the east at 16 knots and the seas were out of the northeast at 2 foot with a 4 second period.  Not too bad at all, actually pretty good conditions for us to sail south.  So, once we make our way out of the channel, we prepared to raise the sails and head south.

Since it was getting dark at that point, my new deck light really came in handy when working at the front of the boat.  I went forward with Dieter to raise the main and give a second demonstration of the reefing system while Britton was at the helm.  Between the waves and the dark, we had a fun time getting the main raised.  With the lazy-jack system on my boat you have to be careful when raising a sail with full battens or they will snag on the jack lines. As a batten gets near one of the lines, you have to make sure the sail luffs and is centered in the lines and then quickly raise the sail past the jack line before a gust of wind blows the batten into the lines. We finally got the sail raised to the first reef point, shut down the motors, unfurled the genoa to it's first reef point, and headed south.

At this point I found out that Britton wasn't feeling well. Since they own a sailboat and intended to go cruising, I never thought to ask but it seems she can get seasick. I always keep some Bonine on board and offered it to her. She declined and said she had been taking something and hoped the feeling would pass. Dieter and I also made the usual suggestions to get into the fresh air and to try to look out on the horizon. If I had known, I probably would not have suggested an overnight passage (particularly around a new moon) as it can get pretty dark and I've heard that can make seasickness worse. I asked if we should head back, but she wanted to press on.

It was actually a very nice sail for us (well, except Britton). We were making 7 to 8 knots directly on course that evening an until about 1 AM. The boat motion wasn't that bad, so I decided to forego the chili I had made and instead opted to make some fish tacos (chopping involved). Well, actually it was more of a burrito or wrap since I don't keep multiple sizes of tortillas on board and I find the large tortillas to be pretty versatile. They were a hit with Dieter.

We had originally planned on 3 hour watches overnight. Dieter said he was feeling good, so he opted to take the first shift and I went to bed around 10pm.  A couple hours later Dieter woke me up.  Apparently the head wouldn't flush.  What is it with the head problems ever since Stingray Point replaced the black water lines. I couldn't get it to flush either, it was acting like the line was blocked.  I tried both the holding tank and direct overboard options and no joy. Fortunately it was only liquid, so I pumped it out of the bowl and into a bucket with one of my handy squeeze bulb siphon pumps and declared that head off limits for the rest of the trip.

Dieter said he was still feeling good, I think he was having a lot of fun, so he kept watch and I went back to try to sleep for a couple more hours. Dieter came down and got me again after he spotted some strange lights on the horizon and wanted a second set of eyes to take a look. We were south of Jacksonville and there was something that almost looked like a oil platform in the distance. And just to the left of that was a single green light and further to the left was a single red light. If we were facing the shore I'd almost think it was two marker lights at a funny angle and a hotel on the beach...but we were not. The red and green could be nav lights, and the spacing would indicate it could be a VERY large ship heading straight for us...but the lights were backwards and without any other lighting in between, it seemed rather unlikely (big ships seem to always have some other deck lighting on). We altered course to pass port to port just in case. Then the red light turned into a green light. We adjusted our course back to our original thinking maybe it was a really large boat or three passing in front of us. As we approached, we were able to finally figure it out.  The mass of white lights was actually a boat, you just couldn't make out any nav lights on it due to how well lit up the entire boat was. The other lights were barges that were being towed by the boat. We think that the one light that turned from red to green was one of the barges that would occasionally surf down a wave and turn so you would see the port nav light instead of the starboard one. This was one set of lights you'll probably never see on a boating test, and was an interesting case to see in real life...and a little confusing to sort out when you are a bit groggy at night.

At this point I think it was sometime around 2 or 3 AM. Dieter was finally starting to get tired so I took the watch and he headed to his bunk. Outside it was getting warmer. The winds were also dying down a bit and our speed had slowed to around 4 knots. That was actually a good thing as had we had maintained 7 knots or more, even after leaving Brunswick late, we would have made it to St. Augustine well before sunrise.

The remaining portion of my night watch was uneventful. The wind and seas continued to calm. At one point I was in the galley getting myself something to drink and I saw a light out on the horizon through my new salon window. I pop my head back outside and realize it was a very thin sliver of the moon in the distance. The tint of the new windows made it look a bit more red, but outside it was more orange. It was nice to see though, as it indicated the sun would indeed be rising soon. With all the light pollution in a city, I don't even think you would have been able to see it. As the wind continued to die down and shift to the south, we dropped to around 3 knots and I decided to shake out the reef in the genoa to see if we could get to St. Augustine by 7 AM.

Another sunrise over the Atlantic.

As the sun arose, I went in to the galley to make some coffee.  Dieter woke up and came out in time to see the sunrise.  Britton remained curled up on the salon settee with Anatoli (I was feeling pretty sorry for her, while I've never been that susceptible to seasickness, it had to suck).  Since we were getting closer to the St. Augustine inlet, I decided I would quickly make breakfast before we had to go in.  No one else was interested (except Anatoli), so I made myself a breakfast sandwich and had it while we prepared to lower the sails (and Anatoli got some scraps of ham as well).  We had sailed all the way from Brunswick to St Augustine without the engines....only running the generator a couple times to top of the batteries and run the cabin heaters.

St. Augustine

We made our way through the inlet and only had to wait for a few minutes for the 8:30 opening at the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.  Britton an Anatoli emerged from the cabin and were greated with sun and warmer temperatures, something I think both of them (particularly Anatoli) liked.  We continued our trek down the ICW, past the Crescent Beach bridge and around the many reported shoals and marker changes, and arrived in Palm Coast just after noon.

Waiting on the Bridge of Lions

As we were approaching Palm Coast, the winds started picking up and by the time we got there, I think it was gusting up to 30 knots.  This ought to make for a fun docking experience...fortunately I have more confidence and ability than I did the first time I was here.  I was assigned a slip so I would be backing the boat into the wind when I was entering the slip and that made it a bit easier.  I was able to get the boat into the slip and Dieter onto the finger pier and we could then use the dock lines to settle her into position.  It actually looked like I knew what I was doing.

The total trip was 110.5 NM and took us 19 hours and 44 minutes.  That gives an average speed for the entire trip of 5.6 knots including time messing with the sails and waiting on bridges.  The highest speed recorded by the OpenCPN log while sailing was 7.96 knots and the low was 2.61.  I'd guess our sailing average was somewhere around 5.6 knots as well.  Not too shabby.

And the best part.  After getting the boat squared away, I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals instead of the t-shirt under a sweat shirt, long pants and socks I was in all of yesterday in Georgia.  What a difference a day and a few degrees of latitude make.

Everybody Talks About the Weather...

...but no one ever does anything about it.  That quote from Charles Dudley Warner seems quite appropriate for a sailor.  I am certainly not the first sailor to have to wait on better weather to travel, it seems that is a very regular occurrence.  Funny, since I had the same issues when flying.  Now if were someone that could do something about it.

My original plan was to depart Brunswick on Saturday afternoon, do an overnight sail to the St. Augustine inlet, and then travel down the ICW to Palm Coast.  But the forecasts for Saturday night through Sunday morning are calling for some pretty rough seas.

The Sunday Windfinder forecast for St. Augustine buoy

Wave height at 6 foot on a 5 second period is not what I'd call a fun thing to do during the night, so I've decided to postpone the trip for a day.  Things are supposed to calm down on Sunday afternoon in time for our sail, so that is the current plan.  Of course, the idea that "plans for cruisers are written in the sand at low tide" also seems appropriate, so we will see what happens when the forecasts are updated in the morning.

I regularly consult Windfinder, as well as NOAA and Weather Underground (and sometimes the ADDS Aviation Weather site) for weather forecasts and information.  What weather sources do you use?

In the meantime I've been continuing to clean and organize the boat.  Or at least I'm trying to organize it.  I have to admit my organizing skills aren't the best and, as a result, a lot more stuff is laying around the boat than safely tucked away in an appropriate storage place.  But I'm working on it.  I've acquired a few more plastic storage containers to try and get some things under control.  Meanwhile, the rear berth in the boat still looks as bad as the garage in my land-based home was.

I did try starting the starboard engine this morning to see if my cleanup of the glow plug connections made any difference.  Unfortunately, it did not.  I've tested the glow plug circuit to verify battery voltage was available when the preheat button was pushed and that the plugs indicated proper resistance, so the search will continue after I get the boat moved.  The engine starts and runs fine if the engine is at least slightly warm, so it shouldn't pose any problems for the trip.

I also made some chili this evening that I thought might sound good for a meal while on a cool evening passage. I start with the basic recipe from The Boat Galley, and then added some additional vegetables to create a reasonably well rounded, one bowl meal.  If seas are reasonably calm, I may decide to make something more elaborate, but it is nice to have an easy to make meal when the boat is bouncing around.

Sorry about slowing down on the posts lately, but I figured I would spare you some of the details of cleaning up from "project mode".  If you need more detail, you can go clean your garage and then your bathroom and that ought to demonstrate the skills I've been using the most the past couple days. And to really get the right effect, you need to store everything in one cabinet in your kitchen or under your sofa.

Brrrr

Baby, it's c-c-c-c-cold outside. Last night Brunswick, GA. was under both a hard freeze and high wind warning. Depending on which weather site you believe it was either 24 or 25 degrees farenheit as the low. And I'm pretty sure the winds were in the 15 gusting to 30 knot range. Not a good combination as that puts the wind chill somewhere in the teens for the evening. When I got up this morning, the temperature was reported as 26 with the Weather Underground "feels like" temperature of 18.  It sounds like the next couple days are going to be a bit chilly before things improve.

Weather Underground graph showing
the dip into the 20's this morning.

I know I shouldn't be complaining given that back in Colorado they had sub zero temperatures from this same cold front a few days ago, but homes there are built to handle it. Boats, at least catamarans designed for cruising in the Caribbean, are not. And my wardrobe, that consists of more swim trunks than long sleeve shirts, isn't helping either. Fortunately I am at a dock and plugged into shore power, so I left the reverse cycle AC running in heat mode overnight. Originally I didn't think I wanted air conditioning on a boat, but right now I'm glad they can provide some heat.

Maybe it was a bit overkill, but I also put a small 130 watt radiant heater in the unheated locker on the bridge deck where my water tanks and related plumbing are located. I also ran the engines for a bit to help add a bit of heat to the engine room (where some additional plumbing is located). I figure a little extra precaution is better than climbing into the recesses of the boat to replace plastic fittings that could break if they froze. Not sure I want to see this month's electric bill though.

This puts a hold on some of my boat fixing projects as well.  Neither fiberglass nor sealants like to cure in temperatures this cold (and I can't blame them).  Continuing the work waxing the boat is definitely not in the cards for today.  And in the case of the salon window re-bed, I don't think I really want a big hole in the side of the boat when it is this cold.

So, while I wait for better weather, guess I'll write a blog post, clean up the boat since stuff is scattered everywhere from the projects I have been working on, do a little more project related research, some reading, and some cooking.  Making a big pot of chili sounds good on a cold day and the cooking will add heat to the boat...a a nice bonus.

Now, where'd I put that fireplace....

It Has Been an Interesting Year

A couple days ago it was a year since I first left Colorado to start living aboard and fixing up the boat. It started with a three day marathon drive from Denver Colorado to Hammock Beach Florida. Since that time I have done a lot to get the boat's systems working and get it up to shape for both living aboard and traveling.

Spending time in Hammock Beach getting basic systems like the port electrical, refrigeration, water, and propane systems working while still working at my day job as a software engineer. Fixing lights and updating to LED as I go, patching up some issues in the gel coat and rebedding hardware. Fixing and servicing engines, learning how to maneuver the boat in tight spaces, and generally learning a lot about my new home. It was, and still is, a steep learning curve.

Then moving the boat up to Georgia to continue work while avoiding the tourist un-friendly tax policies of Florida.  Arriving at Brunswick Landing Marina strapped to a SeaTow boat after an engine overheat mishap.  Resealing boat hatches well into the dark one evening. Disassembling, servicing, and reassembling the neglected line winches. Dissassembling the outboard motor to replace the impeller destroyed by my surveyor. More engine issues and various other odds-and-ends kept me quite busy.

Then taking the boat to Virginia to get some work done while going back to Colorado to "retire", help out with the estate sale, and wrapping up my land-based life.  Getting the sails reconditioned and a new stack pack and UV strip installed. Replacing the black water lines that had started to smell. Eventually going back to Virginia to get at least some of the work done that the yard failed to complete.  Removing a through hull, painting the bottom, and hunting down replacement parts for my running rigging and anchor roller, and installing a better anchor.  Attempting to patch a slow leak in my dinghy and slowly making progress.

Finally moving the boat back to Georgia to escape the cold weather in the Chesapeake. More battles with lights on the mast, water pumps, and the outboard motor. Trying to figure out the best way to care for, protect, and fix 15 years worth of charter-abused and neglected gel coat.  Fixing the fiberglass arch.  And finally getting all the lights on the mast to work for the first time.

Throughout all of this, I've spent a lot of time on Google.  Researching the best ways to bed hardware and hatches and the salon windows on the boat.  Looking into water makers, sanitizing fresh water tanks and keeping the water fresh, adding a hard-top bimini, adding solar and wind power to the boat, reducing power consumption, learning new skills like creating eye splices in lines, and many other subjects.  And, of course, I've even managed to squeeze in a little time writing blog posts.

Even though the focus has been on working on the boat, it hasn't all been work.  I've met a lot of nice people and made new friends along the way (despite my rather embarrassing inability to remember names).  Spent last new years with Pete watching the fireworks in St. Augustine.  Had a great time at both the cancelled renaming ceremony turned impromptu gathering and the official renaming ceremony for Rover.  Got to see a space launch from a distance. Experienced one of the best sunsets I had ever seen.  Laid out on the trampoline and looked up at a star filled night on passage. Played tourist a few times, checking out what various locations up the coast had to offer. Spent time at anchor and others at parties at the marinas I've visited.  And I've met a number of people through my blog and I appreciate all those that reach out, provide encouragement, give me helpful tips on tasks I'm trying to complete, or even just say hi.

It hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't have traded the past year for my old life living behind a computer 50 weeks a year.  My only wish is that my wife and dogs could have spent more time with me during all of this.  Knowing that this should change, I am looking forward to the upcoming year.

Here's to a fantastic 2015.  Happy New Year!

Now I'd better go figure out what appetizer to take to the marina New Year's party..

The Stars

I know most of my recent posts have been about boat repairs...and, well, that is most of what I seem to be doing when I'm not working the day job.  But one of the simple pleasures I have is that I get to sleep under the stars.

You see, that hatch that is over my berth that was dripping on me the other day is also my view of the stars on clear nights.  I can see Orion or other constellations depending on the orientation of the boat and the moon makes it's periodic appearance.  It is one of the little perks of living on a boat.

And as for that dripping, keeping air circulating with the fan seems to cut down on the condensation on cool nights so I haven't had any further problems with that.  Not intuitive to have a fan running when it is cool, but it works.

Looking up at the stars makes a nice way to end the day.

Is the Boat Dissolving?

This actually started just after we bought the boat, but I haven't managed telling the story until now.  When my wife and I bought the boat, we didn't actually stay on it until after we moved it to the marina at Hammock Beach.

Well, the first night at the marina we climb into the berth and turn off the lights.  It was a good temperature so we didn't have AC, heat, or fans running.  In the quiet of the dark, we started hearing a crackling sound. We both thought it was a bit strange and just a little concerning. In our limited time staying on boats, we had never heard anything like it so I got up and listened intently trying to locate the sound.  It appeared to be coming from the lower hull.  Not sure what the sound was, I pulled up the floorboards to look into the bilge. I didn't see a thing out of the ordinary.  With the floorboards up, I once again listened and the sound seemed to come from all around on the hull.  And with the floorboards up it sounded a bit like the fiberglass was cracking.

I sat there and listened, tapped on the hull (which I know is about 5/8" solid fiberglass at the bottom) and pondered what the noise could be.  Is the somewhat cool water causing the fiberglass to expand and contract unevenly?  Is something eating through the hull?  Is this just a "normal" sound that I've never heard before?  After staring at the dry fiberglass hull for a while, it was getting late and I decided that the boat wasn't sinking so we just put the floorboards back and went to sleep.  Hopefully the rush of water will wake us up if the hull gives way.  The next days the boat remained afloat but the crackling sound could be heard anytime the boat was quiet.

Now, fast forward to a week or two after I get back to the boat.  I still hear the noise but, while I have no explanation for it, have dismissed it as a "normal boat noise".  Talking to one of my dock neighbors, they were telling me how they were hearing a noise like crackling or water leaking into their boat.  They invite me to come listen and, sure enough, it is the same noise that I've been hearing all along.  They hadn't noticed it until they started doing some work near the hull (they are a motor yacht and their hulls are covered with cabinets and other things that mask the sound).  I told them I had been hearing the same thing since I've owned the boat and had dismissed it.  They couldn't believe it was the same noise so I invited them to come listen.  Sure enough, they agreed it was the same noise.

As we were standing on the dock discussing the strange sound that we both hear, one of the locals wandered by and offered an explanation.  Apparently, when it gets a bit cooler, some small shrimp tend to come out and they are the cause of the noise.  Neither of us had every heard of such a thing, but sure enough, a quick Google search reveals it is quite common.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpheidae

Or for an over-dramatic video explanation...



In any case, it is fascinating...and good to know that my fiberglass boat isn't dissolving.

Television

Living on land there are tons of options for television in your home.  Most of them you have to pay for (Cable, Satellite).  Moving aboard a boat changes those options a bit...at least if you don't have infinite funds and/or don't plan on staying put.  Sure, there are tracking satellite dishes or you can get satellite or cable at a marina (one guy at the marina has one of these), but if you are like me and don't want to spend a lot of any money on television, then you will be looking for other options.

Many networks and popular shows can be found on the internet. I'm a fan of the Daily Show and you can see the show (admittedly a day after it airs) on their web site. Of course there are a few that either don't stream all their shows or want you to pay to see them. And, of course, there can be problems with unreliable or slow internet assuming you can find it at all (this could be the subject of a post itself...and for me recently was). So, if you can't live without your favorite television shows, you might have a problem cruising unless you can find an alternate way to get your fix.

Fortunately in most metropolitan areas, there are a number of "over the air" broadcasts of the major networks available and with the digital sub-channel system, there are a number of sub-channels available on each channel. Unfortunately, I seem to be in a fringe area of the Jacksonville broadcast area and getting reception is a bit of a challenge.

Now I didn't think I would miss Television all that much, and the truth is that for the most part I don't.  But I used to turn on the news in the morning as background noise when I was getting ready and this is actually the part I miss.  Even as slanted and poorly investigated most "news" stories are these days, it still did apparently give me a bit of an idea of what is going on.  Ok, maybe it is just to get the day's weather that I find useful.  In any case, I do find access to local news is occasionally worthwhile.

Knowing that the antenna (a small amplified set of "rabbit ears") that the prior owner had wouldn't pick up a channel and knowing I wasn't going to go to the trouble of putting one up on the mast, I picked up an interesting option when we were shopping at Costco just before I left.  I figured for the small cost, it was worth giving a try.  The antenna I am using is not a regular type of antenna but is an amplified thin flat panel called the FlatWave.

The results have been pretty good.  Where the original antenna would maybe pick up one channel on a good day if you oriented it perfectly, the Flat Wave mounted in the salon back window usually picks up at least three of the six primary channels and their associated sub-channels when using the amplifier (and the amplifier uses USB power so can be run from an AC or DC transformer or even a TV with a USB jack).  Good enough to find some news in the morning or to have it playing in the background while I write this.

So, if you are looking for a simple amplified antenna that doesn't require much space (or running cables and a climb up the mast) you might want to give this one a try.

Improving Internet Connectivity

Before moving aboard I knew we were going to need at least some internet access (I have a blog after all).  And with all the free WiFi access points around and the fact that I know several cruisers that regularly get internet access through WiFi, it seemed like a no-brainer to get a device to pick up distant WiFi signals.  After a little research, I decided on The Wirie AP.

Image from TheWirie.com

Working in the computer industry I could have easily built something similar to this device, but since it was developed by a fellow cruiser and I believe it has one component that is superior to the other retail options on the market (the antenna), I decided it was worth a bit of a premium price.

The marina I am staying at has WiFi so this wasn't a high priority project.  But the access seemed a bit unstable so I decided to temporarily setup the Wirie to see if it would improve signal reliability.  I had it sitting on the settee and plugged in using a transformer and it helped quite a bit so I decided this weekend that I should go ahead and get it installed.

I wanted to tie it into the 12v "spare" circuit that otherwise only seems to run the cigarette lighter power socket on the panel.  Of course, where that circuit actually goes is a bit of a mystery.  The copy of the boat manual has basic wiring layouts and a schematic of the power distribution panel.  Unfortunately, the manual was printed from a digital copy and the image of the panel is rather pixelated and you can't actually read most of the labels.  So I had to turn off all the 12v circuits on the boat except the spare and take my multi-tester down into the engine room to see where, or if, it runs down there.  After several trips climbing down into the engine room, I was able to find the circuit.  Now I know where to run the power wire that is the only connection that the Wirie AP needs to operate.

Power panel with wiring complete

I decided that while not optimal for reception, that I would mount the box on the vertical pole that is part of the davit system and supports the arch.  This would keep it a bit out of the weather, make it easy to access if needed, and the wiring run shouldn't be very difficult.  I started opening up access panels to run the wire.  That lead to the discovery of several wasp nests inside the arch.  They looked empty so I knocked them down with a screwdriver.  Well, guess what, they weren't empty.  Six to eight wasps started crawling around on the deck of the boat around where the nest had landed.  Fortunately I had some wasp spray from when I dispatched another wasp trying to build a nest on the arch, and soon the deck of the boat looked like a wasp massacre.  Not sure why wasps seem to like that arch so much, but I've removed at least 4 nests and can only imagine there might be one or two more hiding in there somewhere.  Sorry, no pictures...I was more concerned with getting rid of these uninvited guests at the time.

I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the bottom of the arch so I could feed the wire into the boat.  Since the hole is on the underside of the arch, I decided not to seal it (just like the rear nav light wiring that is next to it).  I ran the wiring along the same path as the nav light over to the distribution panel.  I added a 2 amp inline fuse, that I picked up from Sailors Exchange the day before, to the positive lead.  I then crimped on the appropriate connectors and attached the two wires to their respective locations on the panel.  I powered up the unit and it was alive.

Installed and operational

As I'm writing this, the Wirie is picking up 24 different wifi signals in the area.  Most are secured, but there are 9 that are not. And I know that at least one of them is a couple miles away and not in direct line of sight. In comparison, the WiFi adapter in my laptop, that I had always thought had pretty good reception (better than my tablet or phone anyway), only picks up 7 of which 4 are unsecured and my phone only picks up 4.  I'd say that should increase the ability to find internet on the boat and keep me connected.

Creaking Dock Lines

While I've spent some time on boats, I've never lived on one parked at a marina for a couple months straight (our boat has been tied up in this marina since December) so I was not aware of how much dock lines can creak and groan.  But the other night the winds were up a bit and our boat was regularly tugging at her dock lines.  And each time a line pulled taut, it would creak or groan.  This is not something that is conducive to sleep, especially when one of the cleats  is attached to your bedroom.  The sound travels through the line and straight into the boat.

So, after a rather sleepless night, I decided to do a little investigating since I'm sure I'm not the first person to experience this.  Sure enough I found a number of discussions on the subject and various remedies.  The cause is apparently friction and can normally occur in a few key ways.  Rubbing against the boat seems the most obvious, especially if you have lines running through hawse pipes (holes in a boat designed for anchor and dock lines to pass through the hull to a cleat or storage).  They can also rub a bit against the cleat itself and lines can also creak due to internal friction.  None of these are good as the friction causes wear.

The quick fix seems to be to wet the lines and that helps lubricate the fibers and help prevent the friction and the noise. I went out with a jug of water and soaked each of the lines and they immediately quieted down.  Of course this is not a permanent solution unless it rains a lot...in which case you likely won't be getting the noise anyway.  There are various chafe guard options from ones you can buy to making your own out of old rubber hose and similar materials.  This should work if your lines are rubbing on the boat, but I don't know how it would work for noise at the cleat and I'm pretty sure it won't work for the internal noise.

Many of the dock lines I have came with the boat and are rather old and I have no idea the last time they were washed (BTW...you need to wash dock lines regularly to remove dried salt that causes excess wear).  Because of this they are also fairly stiff to handle and use.  I had heard one recommendation to soften lines by soaking them in a bucket of water with some fabric softener.  Since the water worked for quieting down the lines, I decided it was time to give the fabric softener idea a try.

I grabbed some cheap fabric softener at the store and started soaking some spare lines I had in a mixture that was fairly heavy on the fabric softener.  I let them soak for a couple hours and then pulled them out to dry a little.  I then swapped out the lines with ones in use and gave them a soak as well.  The last couple days I haven't had any more creaking, so hopefully that will help for a little while.  In the end I probably need to get some new dock lines as most of the ones I have are rather old and some are not in the best of shape...maybe I can find ones that are better about creaking...who knows (if you do...please share).  And for those following along that are still in the earlier stages, hopefully this info will help spare you a sleepless night at a dock.

Of course, the ideal solution is to not be tied to a dock so long...but while all the work is being done, I will unfortunately be tied up a bit longer.

The Start of "The List"

I'm sure that everyone that owns a boat has "The List"...the items that need to be fixed on their boat.  And from what I understand, the list is never really complete as items are often added as fast (or faster) than they are removed.  From the survey on our boat, we have a moderate sized list.

The main reason that I am moving onto the boat in Florida is so I can start working on, or at least coordinating work on, the boat. From the survey, here is a list of some of the higher priority items that I will need to address:

• Service engines.
• Rebed stantions.
• Replace running rigging for reefing systems.
• Mount loose bilge pump automatic switch.
• Chase down issue with intermittent power to port forward cabin lights.
• Deal with some wood rot around the refrigerator (suspect plumbing hole in box allowing condensation-need to seal).
• Replace leaking exhaust mixing elbow on generator.
• Clean/sanitize fresh water system.
• Replace 110v socket that doesn't work (can't insert plug into socket).
• Upgrade anchor.
• Fix windlass.
• Repair, or more likely replace, the dinghy.

As you can see, they weren't all that serious of items, more general maintenance. After taking possession of the boat and moving it, we found some additional items that needed to take precedence:

• Engine running warm, check/clean/replace heat exchanger.
• Propane appears to be leaking out of fittings in propane locker. Investigate and repair
• Engine and transmission controls are excessively stiff, need to replace.

So those were the items I was expecting when I arrived at the boat.  Since I still have my full time job, I needed to start work so I unloaded my car and took the stuff I brought to the boat.  I quickly stowed stuff and fired up the computer so I could start working at my job.

Well, after being there a few hours, some ripples in the marina caused the boat to rock and the bilge alarm went off.  I quickly run around the boat inspecting bilges to find out where the issue is.  What I find is some red liquid in the bilge of the starboard engine compartment.  Sigh...guess I have another item to add to the list.  I also need to quickly pump some of the liquid out so the bilge doesn't trigger again...discharging this red liquid into the marina. I confirm a few more times that the levels in the engine compartment are not rising and with Pete's help, find someone to come take a look tomorrow.  Red liquid usually indicates transmission fluid, which doesn't sound good.  

After work I unpack some stuff, and being completely exhausted from the marathon drive, make the bed and go to sleep.  That is how the first day living aboard went.  So far I have no propane system and the refrigerator is off so I could dry out the rotting cabinet.  It feels a bit more like camping on a boat...or a cramped hotel room with a long walk to the bathroom.  Hopefully tomorrow will go better.

Happy New Year!

Boy, so much has happened this past year...and for that fact, the past 5 days.  I packed up some stuff (and forgot a bunch of other stuff), drove 1820 miles in my little Toyota Celica, moved aboard our boat, started working my current job from the boat, and started getting settled in to this new life.  Finding more to add to the list of projects I need to start working on to turn it from a boat into our home, but I have started a couple of them. Met a lot of nice people and I even made to the St. Augustine Beach new years celebration (that, in true cruising fashion, celebrates the new year at 8:30pm). With all that has happened this week, I was pretty exhausted and crashed before midnight.  I did awaken at midnight when some local fireworks were set off (the un-insulated hull of a boat doesn't dampen the sound...was a bit like the inside of a drum when the loud ones went off).

I need to get into a better groove for these posts as I have so much to write about...but need to tend to some more urgent issues so I will just wish you a happy new year and leave you with a little video of last nights fireworks finale.



That was only the very end...the whole show was quite a bit longer.  They put on a pretty good show. Thanks again Pete (coolest boat broker in the world), for inviting me along.

Happy New Year!  May 2014 be all you can dream it can be.

Health Insurance

What is it they say about the best made plans?  Well, in the middle of my search  for a boat, life has thrown me a little curve ball.  A few days ago I had to go in for a minor outpatient surgery.  I'm at home recovering now and everything should be OK, but it has put my search on hold for just a little bit.

This got me thinking about healthcare again.  Of course right now I, like many working stiffs in the U.S., have health insurance provided by my employer.  Over the past years the portion of this insurance that the employee pays for has gone up considerably while the coverage seems to have gone down.  While I haven't received the final bill, between all the deductibles and copayments and multiple billings. I expect I will owe several thousand dollars...for this outpatient procedure.

I'm pretty sure that for the cost I'll end up paying myself, I probably could have flown to one of a number of places where healthcare is both decent and affordable.  If I had been able to think straight at the time, I should have looked into this.  Maybe I could have been recuperating in some tropical locale where I could look at some boats instead of sitting at home.  Oh well.

General Hospital in St George's, Grenada

In the U.S. we always hear that we have the best healthcare in the world. (We should tout that we have the best propaganda and advertising in the world).  While I'm sure we have some very cutting edge research and procedures that can better save lives here, I think the truth is that for most of the average working stiffs in the U.S. our medical care is determined mostly by an insurance company that works as a for-profit business. Their primary concern is to make a profit for their shareholders and their secondary concern is selling their insurance to the companies we work for as a reasonably cost-effective "benefit".  The end result is that I doubt most of us actually have direct access to the "best" due to the prohibitive cost and lack of coverage by our insurance providers.  When pitting my well-being against the profit of a corporation, I don't think I'll be betting on my well-being as the insurance company's primary motivating factor.  So, this leaves most of us with more "average" healthcare.

I have a friend whose father retired to Mexico a number of years ago.  As with most traditional retirement-aged folks, they have had somewhat regular experience with the medical care there.  The father is happy with the healthcare he has received and finds that the quality of care is very similar to that found in the U.S., with many of the doctors and specialists actually U.S. trained. The difference is that the cost is significantly less, on the order of 25% to 33% of what comparable care costs in the U.S.  By the time I calculate what I've paid in insurance premiums and what I'll pay in deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance (a fancy term for a percentage that you will have to pay out-of-pocket anyway), I'm pretty sure I'll have paid for more than 33% of my U.S. priced medical care this year.

The only thing that the insurance companies seem to really do for us is to negotiate somewhat more reasonable rates with medical providers (you know, when the doctor charges you $100 for something, the insurance says they apply a "discount" and the charge is reduced to $10).  Ironically, this isn't that different from the cost controls used in many of the public healthcare systems in the rest of the world.

When I was doing research on this subject a while ago, I ran across an insurance company that would provide international health insurance.  I don't recall the exact figures but from what I could remember at the time, I could get insurance for my wife and me that would cover us everywhere except the U.S. and it seemed fairly reasonable.  If we wanted to add coverage in the U.S., the cost of coverage was multiplied by a factor of about 8.  So, apparently the U.S. does have the most expensive healthcare in the world.

It seems in most cases we plan to be in places that will have decent healthcare at reasonable prices.  So, do we simply "self insure" (a.k.a. pay our own way)? Buy a policy with a high deductible that would cover more catastrophic issues? Should we consider some sort of evacuation plan (can fly you to somewhere with better medical care if you are not near facilities that can help)?  Lots of questions to be answered.  Depending on the cost, I think we will likely do some catastrophic/self insure combination.  If we do include an evacuation plan, would we evacuate from the U.S. to find reasonable healthcare.  Hmmm...

Here are a couple links for health insurance for cruisers/travelers:
Health Care International
International Medical Group
Diver Alert Network (DAN) - Scuba-oriented, but covers other issues as well.

The Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35

The Thursday evening before the US Memorial Day weekend, on a whim, we decided to check out airfare to each of the locations where a Tobago was for sale.  Imagine our surprise when we found that we could get tickets to see one of the boats for as little as $68 each way(1).  So first thing Friday I call our broker to see if there was any chance that a broker could show us the boat last minute on a holiday weekend.  A broker would indeed be available so we quickly setup a trip and were off to see a Tobago.

Boarding the Tobago is via the familiar "sugar scoop" transom steps on each hull.  They are a tad steeper than the Lagoon 37, but very workable.  The cockpit is decently sized with wrap around seating and is covered by a fabric bimini. The helm is on the right side with a raised seat.  Visibility at the helm is a bit restricted due to the bimini height (or lack thereof). Access to the foredeck is excellent with wide walkways.  The anchor locker is divided into two spaces with a fair amount of storage for other items.  The boat does lack a separate dedicated propane locker (and shut off solenoid).

The salon has a curved table with wrap-around seating.  It is a galley up design, and the dedicated kitchen space is fairly small.  The salon table is close enough that it can effectively become part of the kitchen.  There is only a single basin sink but there is a recessed area moulded into the counter that contains a drain that might be usable  for some tasks if you can get water over to it.  The refrigerator is front-loading but more spacious than it appears from the door.  There is no freezer.  The views are very nice with wrap-around windows.  Ventilation seems adequate with two forward facing hatches, a small hatch over the oven, and the sliding door to the cockpit.

Down in the forward part of the port hull is the master berth and an optional single berth or additional storage space.  The bed sits across the hull and up on the bridge deck and is queen size on one end but does taper down to 3' 4" at the other end (and there is an overhang for a small part of that). The optional single berth is accessed through a door over the bed or via a hatch from outside and sits in the forward V of the hull.  There is a large storage cubby under the bed, otherwise there is not a lot of storage in the stateroom. While I've seen pictures of these boats with doors, this one actually had roll-up vinyl fabric for the doors.

In the back of the port hull is the primary head.  It lacks a separate shower, but is a decent size for an integrated shower head.  Behind the head is the engine room which contains the battery banks, a good amount of storage, and of course the engines with decent room to work.

This boat was the two head version, so the starboard hull was very similar except the double berth runs along the hull and sits down in the hull so the bed dimension 4' 6" at the larger end and tapers slightly down to 4' at the narrower end and the  optional single berth sits forward of that.  The head and engine room are the mirror image except there are no batteries in that engine room. In the 3 stateroom version, the head is replaced with a berth that sits over the engine.

So, we've now seen both the Lagoon 37 and the Tobago 35.  And...we're torn.  Both boats are nice and have good aspects and bad ones.  In general a 35 foot boat should be cheaper to maintain than the 37 (bottom paint, dock fees, etc.). The Lagoon staterooms are a bit larger with more hanging space. The Tobago is supposed to be a better performing boat than the Lagoon, especially in lighter air.  The galley space in the Lagoon is better with a built in freezer.  The Tobago is a newer boat and more expensive (my broker has proven that the asking price of the Tobago's currently on the market are all well above the comps). The list goes on.

What to do...what to do...

(1) Being a pilot and understanding the plight of the professional airline pilot, I really don't like to brag about cheap fares.  I'd much prefer a capable captain that knows what to do when things go wrong.  Of course these days does the money go to the pilot or the company.  Fortunately Southwest does pay it's pilots better than average so I guess I can live with that.

A Weekend of Boat Shopping - Day 2

Day two began with us making a quick trip from St. Augustine to Jacksonville as a nice couple who recently bought a 39 ft Prout graciously allowed us to come check out their boat (saving us a drive to New Port Richie or New Bern, North Carolina).  The Prout is an English design and pretty much every one that is in the United States sailed here from Britain, so they are sturdy blue-water boats.

Walking around the outside of the boat you can tell it is a quality boat.  Unlike the Gemini from yesterday, you hardly see any cracking in the gelcoat and the deck doesn't give under your feet (and this boat is around 15 years older than the Gemini from the day before).  Similar to the Gemini, the Prout has a solid forward bridge deck.  You won't find any trampoline here which does add weight (they are known to be a bit heavier for a catamaran).

Inside the boat there is a lot of space with an absolutely huge salon.  It is a galley down design with 3 large berths.  The boat has a lot of nice wood accents (even a small built-in bar...or maybe that is for afternoon tea), but being a mid 1980's boat, the interior does feel a bit dated (something that could be easily addressed in a refit if one wanted to).  My wife and I liked the boat. The one thing I didn't particularly like is the rather small entrance from the cockpit into the boat.  It is a roughly 4.5~5 ft high hatch and the idea of having to duck thru it every time I want to go in or out doesn't appeal to me.  I actually did take some pictures (I know...I'm surprised I remembered too) but I won't post them as this was a privately owned boat and the couple was in the middle of refit work and repairs and the pictures wouldn't do justice to how nice the interior actually is.

(Brown and Nancy, Thank you again for your hospitality.  We will hopefully see you soon with some time to sit down and swap boat refit stories over dinner or sundowners.)

After Jacksonville, we make the short hop to Ft. Lauderdale (yeah, a mere 330 miles away in our overgrown roller skate).

The Fox "Economy" Rental (anyone have a shoe horn)

In Ft. Lauderdale, we took a look at a couple more large catamarans mostly for the sake of looking at features (we'd love to own some of these boats...but short of winning the lottery it just isn't in the cards). We got to see a Voyage 43, a Fountaine Pajot, and a couple others. Here are a couple images of boats about 5x our price range (sorry, don't remember the models...but if you are interested in one I'm sure our broker would love to show them to you).  A nice looking galley up and you can see a washing machine in the distance.  And I think my wife liked the "master berth" below.

Nice Modern Galley Up Design

Master Berth that spans the bridge deck

Back to reality, we also looked at another Gemini.  I was able to confirm that the gel coat cracking and deck flexing was not limited to just the first one we saw although this one was a bit better.  We also determined that the Gemini, while may be sufficient for a couple or a small family for vacations, we think it would be too small for us and our dogs as a permanent home.  It was described to us as an efficiency apartment and I'd have to agree that seems a good description compared to other catamarans in the 32 to 38 foot range.  While I have no idea of the maneuverability of the Gemini under power, I do think I prefer the redundant safety of two engines over the single engine configuration.

Another thing I learned from this boat is that the hoses used for waste plumbing can actually begin smelling like the stuff they are carrying.  I don't know if it is just cheap hose or if all hose will eventually do this, but I think a replacement schedule may be in order on  any boat to prevent leaking as well as smells.  phew.

With the long travel time, this was the end of boat viewing on day two.  Fortunately, this was a 3 day trip for us and day 3 will actually include 3 boats that are all on our list (part of the justification for heading to Ft. Lauderdale) before we catch our flight back home.

How Do You Buy A Boat From 1000 Miles Away?

This is a question I've been grappling with for quite a while now.  The middle of Colorado is about 1000 miles from the nearest ocean.  The largest bodies of water in the state are what I'm sure many in other places would call ponds.  Needless to say, there aren't a large selection of boats you (or at least we) would consider living on full time.  Even if there were, we would still need to get it to the ocean where we want to be.  And I don't think we could sail it down the creeks we call rivers here (even though a few rubber ducks may fit).

Rubber Ducks on Boulder Creek

The internet certainly makes some research much easier.  Since we decided to go with a catamaran we've been looking at various boat specifications, plans and pictures online.  A task that would have been much more difficult 30 years ago without the web.  But I'm still a visual person, and I really need to see these boats in person.  What I see in a picture and reality often differ.

Of course, trying to see every possible boat that might work would only lead me to singlehandedly fund the US airline and hotel industry...and not something I can do for long if I actually want to buy one and sail away.  So we've got to narrow things down a bit.

The "longer list" of catamarans that might work (basically every catamaran that we could find that were sufficient to live aboard and under 40ft) are:

• Fountaine Pajot Athena 38
• Fountaine Pajot Mahe 36
• Fountaine Pajot Tobago 35
• Gemini 3200/105M/105Mc
• Lagoon 35 CCC
• Lagoon 37
• Lagoon 380
• PDQ 32 (& LRC)
• PDQ 36 (& LRC)
• Prout 33 thru 37

I know there are a few readers that have some knowledge or experience...so if you have any insight on what you would choose (or have chosen), I'd love to hear any thoughts.  We're looking for a coastal cruising liveaboard boat that may make occasional longer passages and can accommodate 2 plus 2 dogs and guests. Oh, and while the more reasonable the price the better, I'd better throw out a cap of $180K or so.

Right now the top 3 on our list seem to be the PDQ 32 & 36 LRC versions, and the Lagoon 37.  While some boat-specific items were considered, most of the appeal of the above is based on the creature comforts.  So, to my friends and family reading, feel free to click thru the links above and provide any thoughts you may have as well.

Looking At Boats in Florida - The PDQ 36 LRC

10 days on two boats was most of our trip to Florida, but we did have a few more days before we returned to Colorado.  Since we think we'll be going with a catamaran, it would be nice if we could see a few before we left.  Thanks to some of my looking thru boat listings, I did have at least a very basic idea of what we should be looking at.

Since it is just going to be the two of us, our dogs, and some occasional visitors (I do hope), a large boat would seem to be much more than we need.  The 41 foot Maine Cat we took lessons on was home for 7 people for our class and trip.  It was way more than enough for a smaller crew and the added expense of a large boat goes against one of the reasons we are doing this.

The smallest catamarans suitable for living aboard seem to start just larger than 30ft.  The requirements (we think) we have for accommodations at this point are:

• A queen size or better master berth.
• Accommodations for two or more guests.
• A boat that will be comfortable at anchor as well as at sail.
• A shower I don't have to wear.
• Low draft.

So, the boats that we think might fit this criteria were:

• Gemini 105mc
• PDQ 32 and 36
• Fountaine Pajot 35
• Lagoon 35 and 37

While you would think that Florida would be a good place to look at boats, we were only able to find one of the above boats that was for sale in the area and we could look at while we were there, a PDQ 36 LRC.

The PDQ 36 is a nice boat.  It's obviously well constructed with two queen berths at the front of the bridge deck just behind the trampoline, one accessed from each hull.

Photo courtesy of www.pdq36.com

Behind the large berth in one hull you will find a good size galley mid hull, with a rear compartment that has been apparently configured based on the original owner's specifications (It can be a double berth, storage, or I've even heard one case where it was setup as a mini dive shop with air compressor and everything).

Behind the berth in the other hull is a nav station with seating, a desk, and the usual electrical control panel.  At the rear of this hull you find the head with a separate shower enclosure (no wearing a curtain here).

The bridge deck also supports a large seating area or saloon behind the two queen berths and it can be converted to additional sleeping area if needed.  The interior has quite a bit of space that is very well configured.  There is also a lot of teak flooring and other wood accents that make the space warm and inviting.

Moving back from the saloon you exit to the cockpit.  The cockpit is covered by a hard bimini.  Unlike many catamarans, the cockpit is rather small and well enclosed.  Not very suitable for a party or dining al fresco, but might feel very secure while on passage.

Since this was the LRC version, instead of the usual outboard engines, this boat has twin diesels in the back of the hulls.  My understanding is that the outboards are lighter and can be swung up into the hull to reduce drag, but the inboard diesel engines are considered more reliable and are better for battery charging and auxiliary water heating.  I'm not sure which is the better choice...as they seem to say with all things boating...it's a compromise.

Other than the cramped feeling of the cockpit, I'm pretty impressed with this boat.  Of course, I don't exactly have a lot of knowledge of these size boats...having only seen a couple of them new at the Annapolis boat show.  I do think the PDQ's will likely be on our short list.