Month: March 2023

Since the solar panels were installed in the hard dodger, I have been concerned that the topping lift was not beefy enough. Quarter inch double braid seemed to be insufficient and it was not possible to increase the diameter without significant modification of the boom. Also, the single block did not deliver sufficient leverage to lift the boom with the extra weight of the sail pack when the mainsail is lowered. The boom vang struggles with the extra weight as well. To deal with these issues, I replaced the double double braid with block with Dyneema and the single with two blocks, a Schaefer 3 Series Single Block Stainless Steel Cheeks with Becket and Swivel Shackle and a Schaefer 3 Series Single Stainless Block with Front-Side Shackle. A Brummel Lock Eye-Splice was used to attach the Dyneema to the becket.

A Spinlock XAS single clutch was mounted on the boom the finish the upgrade:

I have been focusing safety equipment this week (ditch bag, InReach, AIS, etc.). Today I registered an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon. The beacon was registered with US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since a Category 1 EPIRB is being used (which means it is capable of automatically deploying, it was mounted out-of-the-way on the deck.

Category I EPIRBs are housed in a special bracket equipped with a hydrostatic release. This mechanism releases the EPIRB at a water depth of 3-10 feet. The buoyant EPIRB then floats to the surface and begins transmitting.

Upon deployment, the EPIRB’s built-in GPS will fix your position to within a few meters and then utilizes a powerful 406 MHz signal to relay a distress call to orbiting satellites. When triggered, the EPIRB broadcasts a unique registered distress signal (that includes the vessel’s MMSI) that not only tells rescuers where you are, but who you are.

An additional feature of the EPIRB is a 121.5 MHz secondary homing transmitter which means that once Search and Rescue teams have been deployed, they are able to home in on your exact location. The rescue is also assisted by a a LED strobe built into the EPIRB.

When I purchased the boat, it can with a hard-chined rowing boat for a tender, a Walker Bay 8, which was poured by a Yamaha 2.5 hp engine. While the Walker Bay was perfect for the Sea of Cortez, it was inappropriate for where I plan to go. I needed a dingy that could carry provisions, that I could beach in a surf, and that I could dive off of. The new dingy had to fix on the foredeck (9′ or less) and had to be light enough to launch single-handed. I also wanted a RIB (that could plane, and thus be relatively fast. I settled on an AB 8UL, which is constructed of Hypalon and has an unfinished aluminum hull. I saved $800 in taxes and $800 in shipping (and perhaps a month) by driving to Oxnard California to pick it up. I sold the Walker Bay to a local for $150 today and the RIB is now in its place. I need to sew chaps for the new dingy and a cover to store it on the foredeck.