Okay I have some time now that we are spending an extra day
in Astoria so I’ll do my bit and add to this as well with some more technical
stuff for everyone’s information. I
figure that learning from others experiences and oversights is an excellent way
to increase one’s knowledge. I didn’t
add mistakes only because when I thought I made a mistake a while back I really
hadn’t K
I left off my last contribution talking about the water
maker. It has been working pretty well
but there is a couple of small leak issues I need to cure but they are nothing
serious and just drip. The vacuum gauge failed after a few hours but with the
low pressure alarm and shut-off working well I’m not sure I’m going to replace
it even though the manufacturer will send me a replacement free of charge. The purpose of the vacuum gauge is to give an
indication the pre filters are becoming restricted and reducing raw water flow
to the high pressure (HP) pump. Something you DO NOT want to do if you expect
the very expensive HP pump to last. We
are finding a visual inspection is more than adequate to determine the
pre-filters condition. I located the
pre-filters where it is very easy to inspect and change them. Something we are doing far more frequently
than we ever expected. In BC waters I
could barely get 200 gals made between filter changes. There is a very large algae bloom happening
out there with all the warm water in the “Pacific Bubble”. Tuna fishermen are reporting areas that are
TEN degrees C above normal off the north end of Vancouver Island. That is scary. However, the algae seems far less now we are
off the Washington/Oregon coast. We’ll
see what further down brings.
All in all I am very happy I took the DIY route with the
watermaker. The features we built in
prevented a component failure from shutting our water making down and I am able
to deal with any problem relatively easy. Unless I don’t have the parts. See below.
Without it this trip would not been nearly as fun. Water is in an unprecedented short supply everywhere
we go and is only going to get worse.
Forget washing your boat down unless you make your own water. Forget
having a shower whenever you want. Not
here.
Single Sideband Nets:
I got the SSB working
okay but haven’t been using it as of late.
Because of the very stable and predominant High Pressure System off our
coast VHF weather reports and forecasts have been more than adequate
irrespective that they have been so wrong.
I joined onto the Northwest net that meets at 0800 daily at 3 megs. What I found was, for me, it was more trouble
than it was worth. To be able to
transmit the batteries have to be fully charged. For this to happen I’d have to get up an hour
ahead to start the engine to charge the batteries. 3 megs at 8 am sucks. Especially with the
atmospherics we were having. I found I
could barely hear anything and had to rely on a relay. The only thing I heard was a lot of noise, people
reporting how many eagles they saw and what a lovely time they were
having. Sorry, not interested. I think the VHF nets down south will be
something I’ll be more interested in. Where is happy hour, where we eating,
where’s the pot luck, who’s going to Costco or Mega etc. etc. In the mean time
I seem to be getting good 3G with my
AT&T sim card in my Iphone/Ipad. I get all the weather and bar info
I need to do my planning and updating along the way. Maybe, again, a function of my aviation
background.
Cell Phone Coverage:
While I’m on communications, a lesson I learned. On the US coast Verizon has far better coverage
than AT&T or so ALL of the US commercial Fishermen and Yachts people we’ve
met say. NO one likes AT&T. Sort of like me and Telus. This is totally
contrary to the info I gleaned prior to leaving. Fortunately I only paid for one month of
AT&T and will get a Verizon Sim card next.
I had some major frustration getting my new SIM card up and
running. Mostly because I’m technically
inept with this stuff. My Canadian
provider only gave me ½ the instructions to unlock my Iphone. Then I mucked up the settings on my notebook
where I deactivated the wireless capability.
I have no idea how that happened.
It turned out I had to sync, backup and restore my Iphone to unlock it. I was told only to sync it. Fortunately a very nice computer repair guy
here in Astoria fixed it in 2 minutes and Voila, I have a phone number and 3G.
Sirius Satellite Radio:
I purchased a Sirius
unit at a clear out price from London Drugs a year ago. If you purchase in
Canada you have no choice but activate in Canada so be aware. We are very happy to have it. We get CBC and great music wherever we
are. I hard wired my unit in with a 5
volt regulator. What I have to do is put
a switch on it. It is on 24/7 and is now
cutting out more often than we would like.
Just did it again L Fixed!
The regulator is obviously not designed to be on 24/7. I’d leave the auto plug on next time. Of course I had to use the wire and cut the
plug off didn’t I.
Head:
We were sitting in Hot Spring Cove when I opened the cockpit
locker and smelt sewage. Yuk!! Closer
inspection revealed sewage on top of the holding tank. My mind said just close the lid. This isn’t
happening. So I did and went kayaking.
When we got back reality hit and I knew I had to deal with it NOW. This is one good reason why you do not want
your holding tank inside your living space if you can possibly avoid it. Okay,
empty the locker, get the things that got sewage on them on deck and cleaned
off. Uncover the Vac u Flush unit which sits on top of the holding tank. Next, where is it coming from? Hmmm, guess I have to flush the toilet to
find out. Yikes! STOP!!!!
Not good! It’s the vacuum pump
bellows. Wouldn’t you know it. The only spare part I don’t have. Stupid because it is the only part that moves
and the most likely to fail. I consulted
with the Vac u Flush people before I left and no one said have a spare bellows
and I didn’t think of it either.
Fortunately, my system has the same pump to empty the holding tank so
disassemble both pumps and put the bellows from the discharge pump into the
toilet pump At least we have a working
toilet and don’t have to contemplate using the “bucket” Phheeeewww!
A phone call to Tofino gets a new bellows on its way from
Vancouver and will be there in a couple of days, we hope. Otherwise we have to hang around Tofino until
Tuesday which will seriously cut into our time in the Broken Islands. We have to be in Victoria by Thursday for an
appointment. It arrived on time and on
we went to the Broken Islands.
Leaks:
I have a persistent leak from somewhere aft of the
engine. It is dumbfounding me. By the process of elimination and isolation,
the only place I can figure it could possibly be is the Rudder shaft. I’ve
added packing to the rudder shaft stuffing box and tightened it down. No
difference. I see some kind of repair
on the rudder shaft housing that looks less than substantial but I have not
been able to get eyes on where it’s coming from. It is quite possibly coming from two places,
or more. I will persevere. I will find
it! Somehow.
Auto Pilot:
Before I left I knew the electric linear drive on my auto
pilot was not strong enough and tired. This is the thing that turns the rudder
on command of the auto pilot computer.
Because there are many choices to make and only so many $$$ I put this
one off until later and purchased a new battery charger/inverter instead. Wrong move considering I have been rarely
tying up with shore power. Dumb move actually.
On our 28 hour transit from Gwaii Haanas to Sea Otter Cove
on Vancouver Island we had swells that tried to broach us to starboard and as
we were on starboard tack the wind was trying to round us up to starboard. Both conditions were too much for the ram and
the autopilot was getting “overpowered” every 30 minutes or so. This was not cool as this was Faye’s first
real offshore experience, at night with no moon in quartering seas and winds
gusting 25 kts. Trooper that she is she
persevered and stood her watch. I
figured she would last an hour at best.
Nope, did the whole 3 hours hand steering when required with reference
to the windex and digital compass. Not
an easy task in the best conditions. The digital compass is just a numerical
readout. No compass rose for context. Oh
yeah, did I mention our wind direction instruments had failed .
Masthead unit failure. L
When we got to Tofino I ordered the new ram that would have
more than adequate power to steer the boat in the most adverse conditions. It was waiting for me in Port Angeles and it
took longer to get at the old one than it did to change it out. It fit right into the existing mount. Took 15
minutes.
Navigation:
Of the eight things we have that have made this trip amazing
so far, I have to say electronic charting has been one of the top three. Those
would be Enclosure, Auto pilot, kayaks, 40 pounds of propane, watermaker,
refrigeration, radar and electronic charting.
Top three being number one, enclosure, number 2, autopilot and number
three, Electronic charting. There are
three independent, redundant systems onboard.
The Garmin GPSMap 10”chartplotter,
a Toshiba Toughbook with MaxSea and an Ipad with Navionics. The Garmin with radar overlay made leaving
Neah Bay and Westport at night and 1/8 mile in fog easy and worry free. Route building doesn’t work as well as it
should so its waypoint to waypoint.
Being a triple A anal navigator the radar backup or secondary nav system
makes reduced visibility passages simple.
But then again, my aviation background helps bigtime. I sit on the left
for hours and hours and monitor systems.
Crap!!! I thought I retired.
Wind Instruments:
The, as I’ve found out, to no real surprise, B&G masthead unit which transmits wind
direction and wind speed to the indicator instruments is ancient. It came with the boat and as soon as we left
Vancouver, naturally, it started acting up.
The B&G repair guy sent me a field repair kit but it was the wrong
parts. He has told me I’m SOL and have
to replace it. Crap, another 1.1 boat
units. ($1.100 US) but if I want the auto pilot to steer to wind direction I
gotta cough up.
Enclosure Leaks:
I had a full enclosure made by North Sails before I
left. One of the things I explained to
them was it cannot leak in the two corners we sit most often. Guess where the only places it leaks
are. I’m a little more than pissed but
have little recourse now. I’m hoping I
can get it fixed down the road and North Sails will help me out. Other than that, the enclosure is, by far,
the best addition I made to the boat. We
have not put on wet gear once. Not once!
We sit in T shirts and shorts while others without go by bundled up like
its winter.
Health Insurance:
I have recently figured out why Canadians aren’t travelling
after retirement. Health Insurance
costs. Since I’m going long term I am in a completely different category. I had to purchase sort of an “ex pat” policy
since I’m gone for more than 188 days,
Dolphin Insurance highly recommended RSA in Montreal. They were great and very helpful. However, for me, because I have exercise
induced asthma and used an inhaler during my Ironman life the cost
doubled. I’m paying $500 per month. Until I get to Mexico. Fortunately I have
family in Mexico and my nephew is going to adopt me and put me on their
healthcare plan. Actually, because I’m
going to be there for a while and because of the boat import rules I can be
added onto their healthcare policy at a great saving.
One thing I learned just in time is that you MUST have your
insurance in place BEFORE departing Canada.
You cannot do this from abroad.
Spare parts and tools to consider:
Any ferrule fittings on water maker lines or fuel
lines. They cannot be reused and not
leak.
A set of short box end/open end wrenches to get into tight
spaces. I am so glad I have them.
Any moving part in your toilet and pump-out system.
