Wednesday, January 30, 2013

"At Last" Clocking 9 Knots to Brazil

I've been following the circumnavigation of the Gorrell's aboard their boat "At Last" - an Island Packet 465 like ours.  Setting out from Virginia and now going from St. Helena in the mid South Atlantic to Brazil.  It is wonderful watching the progress around the world and wonderful to know it is on a boat like ours.




Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Hauling the Boat

We have made the decision to haul the boat at the end of February.  While on the hard, we will change out the zincs, paint the bottom and have the work done adding the new AGM batteries, solar panels, ICOM SSB radio, AT-140 antenna tuner, antenna and grounding plane.  it will be easier to do all this near the shop and not at the dock.  

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Therapy

Some therapeutic projects in addition to what is happening listed below:





Therapeutic Hardware
One  Sailrite ZigZag Sewing Machine
c/w LED Light




Courtesy Flag of Aruba - Where I was Born




My Attempt at a Canuck Flag




Elasticized Double Tether  (I've made 
3 of them)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Update

I am on disability leave.  It is a long story and someday will tell it. Until then, I'm reading and doing work around the boat - including the following:


  • Replacing my lead acid batteries with new Absorptive Glass Matt batteries and increasing the power supply from 480 AHr to anout 800 AHr
  • Add 2 - 90 watt solar panels to our arch.
  • Place the GPS antenna on the arch
  • Place the present nav light on the arch.  
  • place 2 new LED flood lights on the arch - one for the deck and one for the aft area off the stern swim platform.
  • a new ICOM 802 SSB radio
  • AT-140 Antenna Tuner
  • KISS ground plane
  • GAM McKim slit lead slip-on antenna that will be put on the starboard back stay.
Pictures of all this will be placed on the site as the work occurs.  

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Circumnavigation Complete!

Two members of our Island Packet community finished a 7 year circumnavigation today.  Congratulations to Lynn and Chuck Evans of IP380 "CYAN" for living the dream and making it happen.  There were celebrations today at harbor Cay Club in Florida as they arrived after crossing the Atlantic. 



CYAN flying the courtesy flags of all the 
countries they visited.

COMPLETE THE STORY

 Hello all.  I must admit to being a bit reticente in completing the story of our trip to Mexico.  It is marred by an incident of mental hea...