Several glorious days here are due to be interrupted by rain, but during them I have gotten some work done.
The top photo shows GANNET with the spaces between the Raptor nonskid pads painted with KiwiGrip. Like all my work, except vainly I think my writing, it cannot bear close scrunity, but it definitely passes my viewed from a boat length away test.
The second shows some minor recent additions to GANNET.
The three objects on the left are solar lights which I use as cabin lights. I have used the top two before. The middle one, LuminAID was brought to my attention by Steve Earley. Carol gave me one of the top, MPOWERED, once as a gift. And the bottom Kizen I came across while looking for the other two. It is something like a plastic hockey puck. All three can be accordioned into a larger lamp, but I get enough light using them collapsed flat.
The top middle is a Spinlock halyard clutch. I like the one I installed to starboard of the companionway for the main and spinnaker halyards so much that I decided to replace the clutch for the jib halyards to port of the companionway. The Spinlock is designed for line as small as 4 mm and is infinitely easier to thread a halyard through than are the Lewmars I was using.
Below the clutch is a roll of gray leather repair tape.
I have been using Blue Performance sheet bags ever since I bought GANNET in 2011. After her circumnavigation I replaced the bags in the cockpit. The new ones are not as well made as the ones they replaced and some of the fabric has already cracked. This is cosmetic rather than structural, so I decided to try repair tape. Some of the repair tape is now in place. It looks quite good. We will see if it lasts.
To the right obviously is a fire extinguisher. I read that the Coast Guard has changed rules for fire extinguishers and so I bought one that meets the new requirements. Thinking about the rules, I decided to check the shells for my Orion flare gun. Naturally they are out of date. I ordered new ones from that well known marine supply store, Amazon.
Other new things were ordered today but won’t be here until next week.
GANNET’s two Lifeline Group 24 AGM batteries are six or seven years old. I bought these in New Zealand. That is beyond their projected life expectancy. They seem still functional, but I ordered two new ones.
And I placed the order for an ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo electric outboard. This is the same model used by the French sailor in the video linked in the last journal entry. With a larger battery it will have a greater range than the Torqeedo which is a consideration in the narrow waterways in this part of the country, and I am curious about the hydrogeneration, which will cause drag and noise, but will also increase range.
ePropulsion offers an external remote throttle at no extra cost, but it is an either or proposition. There actually are two external throttles. One side mount. One top mount. The side mount would require cutting a hole in GANNET’s cockpit. The top mount is wireless. It may be totally reliable, but I am not comfortable with being able to control the outboard only with a wireless connection, so I ordered one with the conventional tiller arm.
A problem solved itself as problems often do.
The closet boat yard in which I could have GANNET hauled out and antifouled is about 18 sailing miles away in Beaufort. When I called today I learned that they are booked until July and that I would not be permitted to stay on the boat while it was in the yard. Both are deal breakers. Beaufort is considerably more than 18 miles from Hilton Head Island by land. It would be a more than $100 taxi or Uber ride. I could afford that, but I won’t. So I have made arrangements at St. Mary’s Boat Services in the south of Georgia where I can stay on board while in the yard and can do my own work. I was assisted in this by my friend, Andy. I thank him.
Those of you who followed the Hilton Head eaglecam know that the two eaglets died of avian flu. My friend, Susan, sent me a link to another eaglecam, this one I presume around Big Bear Lake in California. I thank her. The location is more scenic than was the one in Hilton Head. I hope these eaglets are more fortunate. If you need an eagle fix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-I
6 comments:
I remember you staying aboard Egregious at Half Moon Bay Marina in Auckland 1975 or 76. I worked there for a few months during my own cruise. I later towed you to downtown Auckland with Snoopy our little tugboat.
Good to hear from you, Gary. It was March/April, 1976. I think you towed EGREGIOUS from downtown’s then King’s Wharf rather than to downtown. I remember the tow well and the kindness of those at Half Moon Bay. That was my first of many sails to New Zealand. I am long on the record of preferring the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern. I’d live there if I could.
Webb,
Not sure what type of outboard mount you have on Gannet. On my Moore, Crazy Horse, the stock mount is a tube that fits through a corresponding angled hole in the transom.
Problem I had was once when sailing, the tip of the motor (light weight Aqua Bug) was dragging in the waves behind the boat and it lifted the mount and motor up and out of the transom. I remember feeling something momentarily feeling odd at the helm and it had to be the motor bumping the rudder on the way down.
Keep that in mind if looking for regeneration by dragging the prop underway. At least have a line tied to the stern rail so all is not lost! ha ha If you have a bolt on motor mount, never mind.
Take Care,
Richard
Crazy Horse #21
That is good advice, Richard. I have the same slide in outboard mount you do. I have always tilted the Torqeedo out of the water as soon as I start sailing, so this has not been a problem. I will attach a line to the ePropulsion.
Mine was tilted up as well but the waves were still catching the end of the motor just enough for the unexpected.
Enjoy your new electric motor! Looks to be an improvement over the older one.
You might enjoy the eagle cams on the Channel Islands in California, there are several.
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