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MORE TECNICAL CRAP FOR THE GEAR HEADS |
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For you technical types, such as myself, following is more information than you probalby need to know about the boat. Personally, whenever I go aboard another boat I am always looking at equipment, designs and installations to see how other folks have outfitted their boats. So... here goes. |
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NAVIGATION |
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We rely on a comination GPS/Chartplotter nor navigating. Our unit has interal charts, which are fine for general piloting but are not accurate enough for close costal cruising. We have discovered that the installed charts of the US are fairly accurate, but the Mexico charts are often more than a mile off. It has shown us docked on top of a hotel, anchored a mile inland and sailing over the top of an island that was a half mile away. Due to these inaccuracies, we sumplement the system by using radar, cruising guides with updated GPS coodinates, and good old visual navigation skills. We also keep up with paper charting and a hand written log, skills that seem to be fading into obscurity amound today's modern wired cruisers. I would like to brag that I have also kept up with the archaic, but very reliable, skills of celestial navigating, but truth be told, I have let what minimal skills I once had completely atrophy. We do have a sextant on the boat but it has reamained sealed up in it's case, unused since we left in 2004.
NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT:
Garmin GPSmap 182C color chatplotter/GPS
Furuno GP-31 back-up GPS
Garmin 48 handheld GPS for the Ditch Kit
Raymarine SL70 24 mile radar
B&G Autopilot
Standard Horizon Depth, Speed and Wind Instruments |
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COMMUNICATION |
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Long distance communication is via our Single Side Band High Frequency radion that is used for both voice and email having a range of over 2000 miles. Having a HAM radio license, we send our email via the WINLINK System. A completely free service run by HAM radio volunteers. Local and short distance, boat-to-boat and boat-to-marinas, is via a VHF radio with a range of up to about 10 miles in good conditions.
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT:
Icom M802 SSB radio with and AT140 Tuner and Pactor IIE model for email
Standard Horizon Eclipse Plus VHF Radio
Standard Horizon HX350S Hand Held VHF Radio |
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS |
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Most of the boats electrical systems are 12 volts dc, provided by a bank of three 220amp AGM (Absorbed Glass Amt) batteries for a total capacity of 660 amp-hours. When at anchor we can usually go for 3 to 4 dasy without recharging. Our greatest power drain is refrigeration, accounting for more than half our daily power consumption. The batteries are recharged by a combination of solar panles and an engine driven alternator. With sunny days the solar panels will keep up with 50 to 70 percent of our useage allowing us to go 3 to 4 days without starting the engine to recharge.
We also have some items that are powered by 120vac, generally used when we are at a dock and have shorepower. We can supply 120vac on a very limited basis using a 2000 watt inverter but this uses precious battery capacity at an alarming rate. The 120vac items that we will power with the inverter are our microwave oven (for very short bursts), a DVD player and TV. (Yes, we have a DVD player and TV onboard so we can occasionally watch a movie.)
ELECTRCIAL EQUIPMENT:
Batteries - three 220amp "Lifeline" AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) 12vdc
Solar Panels - three 80watt BP panles coupled to a Xantrex regulator
Alternator - 120amp Ample Power controlled by a Ample Power
Next-Step regulator
Charger/Inverter - Prosine 2.0 100amp charger, 2000 watt inverter
System Monitor - Xantrex Link 10 |
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CONTINUE |
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