On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 04:45:14 GMT, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:
Greetings, again, to all you masochists following our journey :{
In the interests of limiting masochism, I've snipped liberally.
Well, yes, and no. The deck boxes leave a bit to be desired in a couple of
areas.
I think I liked the IDEA of deck boxes, not knowing anything about
these particular ones...G
No matter, these, if retained, are easy enough to fabricate
properly or repair/upgrade/modify if worth saving.
Exactly. See how they work out. I think one forward of the mast, if
possible, would be nice, but that's often where the liferaft goes.
Either way, I'm
likely to want to add to the battery capacity in this boat.
I agree. Centerline, low and near the CG is the way to go. Inboard on
L-shaped settees are possibilities.
.. Since we
don't expect to be at docks overnight, to use the AC would mean running the
generator, not something we're anxious to do.
Too much complication for me. My logic would dictate that if I get too
hot, I would sail to somewhere cooler...anyway, I love simple, robust
systems that are accessible and quiet. Quiet is a big deal with me, as
is renewable energy, etc. A/C is nice, but that's why God invented the
mint julep....
Back to the 'project boat' though, likewise, I'm still attracted to that one
for reasons not merely financial: It's a cutter, a deep keel, and already
has two very large solars and two wind generators (and a towed generator,
too!). However, these are the projects we'd asked about, and their
estimates (time in hours)
Cutters are great for the sail-handling options and particularly the
reaching (genoa staysail) and reduction (flattened heavy staysail)
options. Is the staysail loose or club-footed and is it hank on or
furling?
major info snip
Certainly, as the first things we do on the boat, I don't think I
want
to make a 'delivery run' of 10 or so days, straight through, if we're very
lucky.
I think that would be stressful and counter to the spirit of the
voyage. Shake-down cruises (excluding safety/boat and crew integrity
factors) should be low stress where possible. Enjoy and learn from the
boat and the weather, and just take it easy until outside forces
require a harder sail. Getting one's sea legs is gradual.
For the same reasons, I would make a suggestion: Make Season One
(winter) very light on the cargo/supplies. Pretend you're camping and
don't load down the boat with the stuff (save spares, etc.) you think
you'll need for extended cruising. Essentially, you aren't going
extended cruising right away...you are puttering to the BVI and
lurking for the Christmas winds, right? If you are "light loaded", it
will be much easier to determine what's REALLY essential in a clean,
open boat with plenty of stowage. Throw in a credit card, half a
fridge full of food, two duffels of clothes and a toothbrush...oh,
wait...and BEER...and just go sailing. In the spring you can go back
to the States and cherry-pick from the storage locker you rented
before you left. I would be surprised if half the stuff you thought
you'd bring ends up on the boat...particularly if you have a
washer/dryer aboard.
as
well as wanting everything 'just so' before we set out.
That will never happen. If you wait for the boat to be perfect, as
opposed to perfectly sound for extended cruising, you'll die old and
penniless G. There's nothing wrong with improving one's boat and
making all Bristol, but quite frankly, on extended cruising, you and
she are going to be the primary worker bees while passagemaking.
That's why a small work area for working in wood is very helpful.
Complex joinery is best left to the experts, but if you want to build
boxes, holders, and replace strips or planking and stain to match (or
cut and apply veneer, if you prefer), that's easily learned, or easily
finished profession by tradespeople.
If it's that dark below, paint the headliner, maybe. Upgrade the
lighting. Do the stuff necessary that gets you underway. If it's still
a big deal after six months, haul and redo in a cheap part of the
world where they have the skills. Trinidad's one such place, so is
Venezuela, as I've heard., although parts of there are getting a bad
reputation.
OTOH, if we were to
wait, we could most likely easily afford to redo in teak, with the
difference in costs...
Well, it's cheaper where they grow it, that's for sure.
Decisions, decisions :{))
But, I tell ya...
It's sure fun getting there. We're starting to taste the salt spray...
Excellent. Here's some titles I've found helpful:
http://www.sheridanhouse.com/catalog...ng/sellup.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...255882-0336131
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books
You've probably read them all, but they all stress the importance of
avoiding "perfection" in favour of "getting underway" G.
R.