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Thread: Interested in a boat for 2018 TransPac

  1. #521
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    D-93

    Tomorrow will be 3 months to SHTP start date. 3 months ... What's left on my list, in no particular order:

    1. Finalize auto-pilot setup;
    2. Get and test small 2 stroke generator;
    3. Get whisker pole;
    4. Get life raft;
    5. Cross-check med kit;
    6. Sort out anchoring and shore transport in Hanalei;
    7. Decide what goes in the crate to Hanalei;
    8. Decide where Double Espresso goes after the race;
    9. Look for better e-rudder choice.

    Optional "fun" stuff:
    1. Mini bilge pump;
    2. Wifi AIS and NMEA data;
    3. Sort out shore power;
    4. Power bank for modern electronics devices;
    5. Sleep sensor.

    I think that's it ... besides sailing of course ...

  2. #522
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    D-92

    I took my mother who's visiting from France to Richmond as she wanted to see Double Espresso. I dissuaded her from climbing the ladder aboard, as much for her safety as to limit surprises (it's tiny in there). She thought the boat looked nice and appreciated the espresso beans' touch on the hull. Good! Hopefully she'll rest just fine while I bounce off the coast, cold, tired and wet.

    I took the opportunity to check the solar controllers' status and they all showed as charging (with the more advanced PWM showing absorption charge). It would still be nice to have an MPPT and battery monitor in there.

    Since it rained quite a bit I checked the bilge too. Since I've re-bedded the stern hatch screws it is not filling up nearly as much as it used to. 10 sponge dips and the bilge was empty. It used to be full sometimes so that's very promising, maybe not everything will be wet after the first 2 days!

    About the med kit what I have is the ORION Blue Water emergency medical kit, with a few personal touches. Anyone has a left over med kit from a previous SHTP they'd like to part with?

    I took chart 530 back home and draw a straight line between Hanalei and San Francisco: that's my route for now.

    I've continued hopping almost daily on my bicycle (indoor trainer), trying to get some of that land blubber off my waist. 40 minutes is as much I can manage these days.

    Not much happening ...

  3. #523
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Long Beach, CA
    Posts
    1

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    I've seen several 2 stroke generators in LA Craigslist. Is this what you're looking for?

    https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...540188085.html
    doghouserob
    1970 Cal 29
    Gypsy Bumboat
    Long Beach, CA

  4. #524
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    Quote Originally Posted by doghouserob View Post
    I've seen several 2 stroke generators in LA Craigslist. Is this what you're looking for?

    https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...540188085.html
    D-90

    Yes, but these used to be half the weight and half the power :-)

    I did find a whisker pole for $150 on CL. Yeah!
    Last edited by jamottep; 03-25-2018 at 07:00 PM.

  5. #525
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    D-89

    I just realized that this SHTP will very much be a solo adventure for me, before leaving, leaving, during and after. My family will be gone summer vacationing (the kid) or working (the wife) well before the race starts. They will return early July but I considered the cost of having them travel to and stay on the island prohibitive. It looks like this is turning into the solitary transpac ... I considered to use the adjective "lonely" for a moment but I don't think it would reflect my state of mind.

    Updated list: I forgot that I don't have a barometer, besides the sensors in the tablet/phone, and I now have a whisker pole (I'll just have to find a place to store it and figure out how to best use it).


    1. Finalize auto-pilot setup;
    2. Get and test small 2 stroke generator;
    3. Get life raft;
    4. Cross-check med kit;
    5. Sort out anchoring and shore transport in Hanalei;
    6. Decide what goes in the crate to Hanalei;
    7. Decide where Double Espresso goes after the race;
    8. Look for better e-rudder choice.

    Optional "fun" stuff:
    1. Mini bilge pump;
    2. Wifi AIS and NMEA data;
    3. Sort out shore power;
    4. Power bank for modern electronics devices;
    5. Sleep sensor;
    6. (true) Barometer.

    I haven't been sailing DE for a while now. I'm hoping to go tomorrow.
    Last edited by jamottep; 03-26-2018 at 03:00 PM.

  6. #526
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    296

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    Quote Originally Posted by jamottep View Post
    It looks like this is turning into the solitary transpac ... .
    I hadn't thought of it those terms, but same applies in my case. No one is traveling to the Bay Area to see me off, no one will join me in Kauai, and it is unlikely anyone will be on hand to greet me when I get back to California. I certainly don't mind, and I doubt that such circumstances are unusual for this race. We are, after all, singlehanded sailors for a reason . . . or for several.

    In any event, the company at the start and finish, plus the radio calls during the race (and likely during the return), add up to considerably more human contact than I typically have sailing. Singlehanded, yes, but far from what Webb Chiles would consider "entering the monastery of the sea."
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  7. #527
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    Quote Originally Posted by AZ Sailor View Post
    I I doubt that such circumstances are unusual for this race.
    That'd be interesting to confirm ...

    D-88

    I took Double Espresso for a ride today. When I hooked up the mule to the trailer something went wrong. I went in forward and the cart did a wheelie; the trailer didn't budge. It took me 15 minutes to figure out that somehow the tow/back up lock was in the tow position, locking the brakes. Something I didn't know about. Next when I pulled the ladder it broke. I was getting a little concerned that the day was off to a bad start.

    I chose to not use the engine today and left under main only. It took a while to get out of the marina but my back was happy at the end of the day.

    I sailed to the slot and tried the whisker pole with the #3. It went reasonably well and I'm sure there'll be ways to improve.

    I also hoisted the spinnaker a couple times. It wasn't blowing 25 kts but it was my first time in 15 kts. The first hoist didn't work out as the wool strings didn't pop so I had to take it down and relaunch. I pumped up the gain setting on the autopilot and that helped quite a bit; it's good that I'm finally starting to think about this.

    I did a few GoPro shots so I may post these some day.

    So a couple things got added to the list: fix the ladder and move the fire extinguisher (it's messing with the starboard compass big time; these newer Kidde are bad).

    I came home tired but happy with my progress.

  8. #528
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    D-87

    Being unemployed I have time on my hands. Here are a few things I did today in BYC:

    1. I somehow fixed the ladder;
    2. I adjusted the compasses' calibration rods (I moved the trailer around and used a handheld compass to follow Ritchie's instructions);
    3. I moved forward the blocks that I use for the #3 outboard leads;
    4. I flipped the #3 jib cars so I could move them a little more forward;
    5. I moved the fire extinguisher and the galley (try that on your cruising boat :-);
    6. I verified that for the first time known to me the mini solar panel charge controller went into float mode;
    7. I installed my micro bilge pump (see picture below); I'm not kidding when I say it's tiny. I filled up the bilge half way and the pump emptied it in less than 2 minutes. Is it going to work at sea? Well, future will tell. If it doesn't I wasted $10 and 1 hour. If it does work, oh what a life saver! I fairly well know what most offshore experienced sailors think of this ... I can hear you guys chuckle this far :-)

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  9. #529
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    A short movie, of poor quality, I'll try to do better next time; I haven't used the GoPro in a while!

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ERc1IYfNGoeqgqpi1

  10. #530
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    D-86 and nothing to show for it ...

    I thought about main halyard failure today and I realized that I don't know if my mast has one or two halyards exiting aft. I know I have 3 fore (1 jib, 2 spin).

    What has been tried with success here?

    1. Have a messenger line at the ready? How do you keep it out of the way?
    2. The mainsail head has 3 grommets; I snap the shackle on one of them. I could lash another through the eye splice at the end of the halyard.

    During the previous PacCup there was no chafe on the halyards (well, there was some at the clutch). So I think I'm good there but there's always the risk of something else failing.

    Speaking of chafing at the clutch I should shorten the main halyard a bit to move the chafing somewhere else.

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