I wanted to use ChatGPT to analyze the content of a book I purchased on Amazon in a Kindle format. Unfortunately, as of earlier this year, Amazon no longer allows you to download Kindle books in any format that can be used for analysis. They can only be delivered directly to Kindle-compatible devices. I believe this is unacceptable. If I had purchased a hardcopy of the book, I could have scanned it in an OCR reader, for example. To get around this problem, I wrote an Apple Script to do a screen capture of each page of the Kindle Reader. It begins by creating a folder on the desktop, then it switches to the Kindle App, then it enters a loop that captures a certain part of the screen, saves the screenshot with a new filename, then turns the page in the Kindle App. This is repeated 500 times.
do shell script “mkdir -p ~/Desktop/KindleCapture”
tellapplication “Kindle” toactivate
delay 2
repeat with i from 1 to 500
doshell script “screencapture -R51,103,1863,1180 ~/Desktop/KindleCapture/page_” & i & “.png”
tellapplication “System Events”
key code 124
end tell
delay 1
end repeat
The starting point of the capture (51, 103) and the range (1863, 1180) were determined by hand using the Command+Shift+4 (the starting points and ranges are on the curser).
The resulting 251 images (251 double-sided pages) were compressed into a zip file, then given to ChatGPT to produce a single pdf file of the book. That pdf file was used as an input to ChatGPT to produce placards. Here is an example of one.
I find myself looking up nautical terms in Spanish fairly frequently. This is not a problem if I have access to cell service and/or the Internet. It occurred to me that I should have access to this information while offline (i.e., remote anchorages or offshore), so I made this placard.
Since the intention was to laminate the placard, I made another one for the backside for everyday Spanish (e.g., when shopping).
Note that for the purpose of this post, these are relatively low-resolution images of the placards. However, full-sized pdfs are available for download here for the sailing placards and here for the shopping placard. To avoid bleed-through, I recommend the two placards be printed on separate pages and then laminated back-to back.
On S/V Aegir-Ran I had a 1990s era ICOM M-710 SSB radio. I had trouble getting it to work properly. The problem seemed to be intermittent. I acquired a second M-710 radio and exchanges some components (the M-710 radio at AT-130 auto tuner, etc.), but this did not solve the problem. The original counterpoise ground was a ring of copper foil built into the hull. Later, I tried a KISS Counterpoise Kit. Neither fixed the problem. The original antenna was the insulated backstay, but when I installed new standing rigging I replaced it with a GAM antenna that slipped over one of the backstays. I lost all of this equipment with S/V Aegir-Ran. Recently, I acquired a ICOM M-802 and an AT-140. The M-802 is of a different design, with the radio separate from a remote control (RC-25) head. I am interested in installing the M-802/AT-140 temporarily on S/V Saint Brendan, in part so I can take it with me when I move own to the next boat, and in part so I do not have to learn a new radio. The M-802 is the last ICOM SSB radio built that does not have a GPS, so it is suitable for the Golden Globe Race.
The idea was to combine the M-802 and AT-140 into a single package that is easily mounted and removed. Note the AT-140 must be mounted close to the antenna.
I did not want to modify any of the cabling so it was necessary to locate the somewhat obscure connects that are used on the units. The flat 4-pin connector on the AT-140 requires a JReady ST6417 Standard 0.093 Connector that I found on Amazon. The corresponding plug on the M-802 is a more rare JST XMP-06V connector, which I found on AliExpress. The circular 8-pin Mini-DIN Connector on the M-802 was addressed with a Plinkwirekb Male-to Female extension on Amazon. The panel-mounted 3.5 mm (1/8″) min jack was wound on Amazon. Finally, the panel-mounted Anderson SB50 Power Connector was also found on Amazon.
With all of labeling sorted out, I turned to designing a case that would combine all of the components. I Used Fusion360 to prepare DXF files that were submitted to SendCutSend for manufacturing.
For the Counterpoise I went old school (and reliable), a porous bronze grounding plate. Unfortunately, a plate of sufficient size for SSB is quite expensive ($1000), but I found a Marino Guest Danaplate 4018 (18″ x 6″) on eBay for $120. Unfortunately, that plate was missing the special gold-plated grounding bolt. I found a replacement bolt (P-12D37, $18) and nuts (P-13A2A, $4 each x 2).
I have been giving some thought to the antenna. In keeping with the idea of a portable system, I am simply going with a single strand of GTO-15 wire that is secured to the backstay with dual loop zip-ties I will use small bits of heat-shrink tubing to create stops so the zip-ties do not slip as I just the GTO-15. up the backstay. The AT-140 is intended for 7 m (23′) or longer antenna. The backstay on a Tartan 34C is 43-44′. I intend to use an active length of 35-37′ for the GTO-15 antenna. This will avoid any impedance problems at high frequency.
I expect the ICOM radio case to be mounted in the quarter berth, maybe in the space that houses the steering quadrant. Accordingly, all electrical cables will be run there (antenna, counterpoise ground, power, RC-25 and SP-24 cables). The quick-release bracket means that basically I simply need to unplug five cables and undo two straps to remove the M-802/AT-140 unit.
The SSB radio I received did not have the mounting brackets for the remote (RC-25) and speaker (SP-24). While I could find the bracket for the SP-24 on eBay, I could not find one for the RC-25. Accordingly, I manufactured brackets:
My followers have noticed there have not been log entries for a week. I apologize for the radio silence. There has been some mitigating circumstances beyond my control. I want everyone know I am fine and am presently in Natal, Brazil. Aegir-Ran ran aground last Sunday. All indications are the boat does not have significant damage, but I have had to make arrangements for a recovery of my vessel, and this is taking some time due to the remote location. We now have a plan to free Aegir-Ran around February 17, the next spring tide. I expect her to be sailed to mainland Brazil to make repairs. Details of the grounding and the subsequent adventure will be posted after the boat is recovered. In the meantime, I want to voice my appreciation to the Brazilian Navy and REBIO for their assistance. They say there are three types of sailors … ones who have run aground, those who will run aground, and liars. I have now joined the “those who have” club.
I have many rituals in the boat. Some are associated with safety. For example, I never leave the cockpit while the boat is moving unless I am wearing my harness and clipped into the jack lines. This is a ritual … no exceptions. Another ritual is breakfast. Breakfast always starts with tea and unless waves are breaking over the cowling and filling the cockpit with water, I always enjoy my tea outside. I can count on one hand the number of times I did not brew tea in the morning. However, even making something as simple as tea is not without danger when underway, especially when the boat is pitching and rolling. As a general rule, when moving around a boat, you always have three points of contact … two feet and a hand or two hands and a foot. If the boat is bouncing around and you don’t have three points of contact, you’re almost certain to topple. So, making tea is largely a one-handed operation. If you need two hands, you need to time your actions to coincide with the motion of the boat. Take for example getting boiling water into your teacup, in my case an insulated Yeti mug with a lid. First you need to boil the water in a pot in the stove. The stove is gimbaled, which helps with the rocking from port to starboard, but not pitching from bow to stern. You have to learn exactly how much liquid you can put in a given pot, which depends on how viscous the liquid is (water vs. oatmeal) but also how the boat is moving (rolling vs. pitching). How long the liquid is in the pot can make a difference as well because as it sloshes back and forth, it builds momentum … creeping ever higher to the lip of the pot. Pouring boiling water into a cup becomes a sort of dance. Your hips sway back and forth with the motion of the boat so as to keep your torso relatively still. If the boat is rolling, you would face fore or aft and your hips would sway port to starboard. Once you have the beat, it’s time to coordinate the movement of your arms. One hand holds the cup, firmly planted on the countertop to give you the illusion of three points of contact, the other firmly grips the handle of the pot of boiling water. The boiling water is held in my dominant right hand, and my arm takes the place of the gimbal stove, swaying back and forth to the motion of the boat. Pouring is not a continuous operation, but one that is done in small measures, carefully coordinated with the rolling of the water to the lip of the pot. As practiced as I am with this dance, I have never once managed to pour a cupful of boiling water into my teacup without splashing some on my hand. Once brewed, I move myself and my cup of tea to the cockpit to enjoy the sunrise. How I manage to get both there while maintaining three points of contact is another story.
The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is an uninhabited Australian external territory consisting of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs (Ashmore and Cartier), as well as the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea generated by the islands. The territory is located in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf, about 200 nm off the northwest coast of Australia and 80 nm south of the Indonesian island of Rote. I arrived here about a week ago following a passage from Darwin. It is my last day in this magical place. I am leaving for Christmas Island in the morning. Ashmore Reef is a natural reserve, and access to only one of the two lagoons and one of the three islands is permitted.
Ashmore Reef is called Pulau Pasir by Indonesians and Nusa Solokaek in the Rotenese language. Both names have the meaning “sand island”. At low tide, the West Island becomes a semi-circular sandbar.
Beautiful patterns are left in the sand as the water recedes.
A shipwreck was also exposed by the low tide. It still had an engine, which now was little more than a large block of rust.
For a seemingly barren island, West Island is teeming with life. The sounds of the birds is almost deafening. The birds must not get many visitors as they seem immensely curious, circling me as I wade to the island. At times, they look like they want to land on my shoulders.
Ashmore Reef is a crucial sanctuary for numerous bird species, supporting over 100,000 nesting seabirds and hosting significant numbers of migratory shorebirds. Key breeding seabirds include Brown Noddies, Sooty Terns, Great Crested Terns, Masked Boobies, and Lesser Frigatebirds, while important migratory species found there include Greater Sand-Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits, and Curlew Sandpipers. The reef also attracts various landbird visitors and smaller numbers of landbirds like the Pacific Reef-Heron and Little Egret. I saw most of these species while visiting the island. Here is a Brown Noddy and her chick.
The other remarkable occupant of West Island are the Loggerhead Turles.
There were dozens of nests on the island that the turtles would return to at night.
Current Position: 13 49.602’S 161 47.577’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 5.1 kt COG: 330; TWS: 17 kt; TWD: 120; Distance to Waypoint (R1, Raine Passage, 265): 1043; Total Miles Sailed: 7484 nm; Engine Hours: 169 Estimate Fuel: 59+14+50
Comments: Despite a good day of sun yesterday, because of the mustard incident in the fridge and the fact I am heading NW (so the solar panels are shaded all afternoon), I found myself with a warm fridge and incompletely charged batteries at 15:00 and had to run the engine for 45m. At 16:00, the 45’ catamaran Lani showed up on the AIS doing 4.6 kt at 283. I have been tracking it on PW. It was 14 nm forward of my starboard beam. Since I was doing about the same speed on 335, we were on collision courses that might have to be sorted out in about 2.5h (after sunset). They were clearly headed for the Torres Strait downwind with a spinnaker. Sunset was at about 17:52. It was the first time in a month I was able to see the sunset with a cloudless horizon. I was about 8 nm from Lani and we had not yet crossed each other’s paths. It looked like Lani was going to cross my bow at a distance of 1-2 nm in about 90m. They had slowed to 3.8 kt and my speed had increased to 5.2 kt. Lani’s captain Martin contacted me via VHF at 18:15. He is indeed headed for Port Kennedy. We briefly discussed strategies concerning the wind and concerning crossing the GBR. As a 45’ catamaran, Lani is faster than my 38’ monohull downwind, so we have different courses planned. We agreed to meet up at Thursday Island. He passed about 3 nm off my bow at 18:40. I downloaded new files at 19:20, mostly to get updated long-range AIS data. It looked like one of the trawler trains was relocated, moving W to E, and would cross my path in about 2h about 30 nm in front of me. There were other long strings of trawlers spread out NW to SE on both my port and starboard, but they do not look like a problem for now. At 12:30 I downloaded a new long-range AIS map to confirm the train of trawlers had passed. There are no more in my path to the Solomons. Putting up the whisker pole was a sound decision. The boat has been doing a solid 5 kt on course. By dusk today, I should have reached the southern edge of Rennell, and I will need to make a decision about whether to turn W or continue N around Zona. It is interesting that PW does not show Rennell as a hazard (although it plots a course around it via the top of Zona), whereas Navionics shows Rennell at 0 feet. I woke up to an alarm at 3:30 and found the boat headed due N. The wind had shifted to 130. I adjusted the windvane and trimmed the sails to point closer to Zona, but I was still headed 5 degrees further E than I wanted. Not much more I can do. Jibing would send me into 60 Chinese trawlers. Woke up to the 5:50 alarm and a tanker was passing 15 nm S of me. It had shown up on the long-range AIS at 17:30, but not on the AIS transceiver (with a 65 nm range) at 3:30. As the tanker was doing 12 kt, it should have shown up. My only explanation is its transmitter is weak. The wind was supposed to be blowing from 197, but it was 138, putting me off course. I was sailing a course of 350 and needed 333 for Zona, but there was not much I could do but hoped the wind backed after dawn as it sometimes does. The wind is supposed to back to 102 tomorrow morning, then 130 and strong after passing Zona. The route now has me going past the smaller island of Bellona before jibing E. In fact, so far N that I’d need to go around the islands E of Papua/New Guinea. I am absolutely not doing that because it is a navigational nightmare there. Also, all of this depends on wind patterns and boat speeds that have not panned out up to now. The latitude that I would need to jibe to travel safely south of Rennell is about 13 20’S, which I should reach by dusk. At that point the wind is supposed to increase 5 kt. I will probably take down the whisker pole and jibe. I will be N of the large group of trawlers immediately W of me (although there is another group further W that I would have to contend with). Alternatively, I could stick with the original plan of rounding Zona, but instead of heading E per PW, I could go SE to avoid the islands off of P/NG. Guess I will be making that call in 12h. It is 7:15, bright and sunny, and very few clouds. Looks like a repeat of yesterday with a bit more wind. The boat is averaging 5 kt and I just saw my first gust of 20. I am going to try to leave the whisker pole up because it helps me run, but if the wind gets much over 20, I will have to take it down. Also, the flat sail created by the pole makes it more difficult to run. I might get a better angle on Zona by removing it, but then I run the risk of the sail bumping as the seas are starting to get bigger. I was going to make French toast this morning… taking advantage of the relatively calm seas, but the bread went moldy overnight. It lasted 4d, which is typical. Does not seem to matter if I refrigerate it or not. Tonight, I will finish off the last of the curry I prepared for the passage. I should try to cook again before the seas get rough. I watched the tanker drop off the AIS map at 25 nm … which explains why I didn’t see it during my check last night. It is becoming a bit overcast and the batteries are not charging as fast as I need them to. At 9:15 I ran the engine for 30m and at the same time ran the watermaker, fridge, fuel pump, and IG. About one-half bowl of water came over with the fuel, which it typical for four days at sea. PW had a warning the boat would roll 10:00 for a couple of hours and that has proven to be the case. I have been studying the weather map and I should be able to leave the whisker pole up until tomorrow morning. However, I definitely don’t want to have to take that rigging down in the dark if the high wind gusts come early. I will break it down before dusk and if I have to run a more northerly course to make the jib behave. At 10:30, the boat accidentally jibed. It took me a few minutes to realize the main was misshapen because the first reefing line had broken again at the grommet in the sail. The strange thing is I specifically addressed this issue before leaving Vanuatu by cutting out the frayed line and replacing it with new rope. Also, it is just not blowing that hard. I really need to find a piece of Dyneema long enough to spice a section into the reefing line. The distance sailed towards R1 in the last 24h was 1093-1043=50 nm. The total distance sailed was 7484-7375=109 nm (109/24=4.5 kt avg.).
The last document you obtain as part of the formalities of leaving a country is a Zarpe. In the context of maritime navigation, “Zarpe” refers to the official clearance document needed to leave a country by boat. It’s a Spanish term that translates to “set sail” and is commonly used in the boating community. In some countries, obtaining a Zarpe is a requirement for legally leaving, and it’s often a document that needs to be presented upon departure from a port. As important, it is a document that is expected at your destination. I have obtained only one so far, when I left Mexico. I described the ordeal in a blog post. I am about to leave French Polynesia and I am working on getting my second. To obtain the Zarpe, I have to know where I am going. So, all day I have been giving that issue some thought.
To keep to my schedule, which is necessary if I am going to be in position to transit the Indian Ocean this season, I have to sail about as many days as I am at anchor. However, the number of days I am at anchor can be out of my control. For example, I have a punch list of things I need to do before I leave Tahiti that incudes a half dozen boat repairs. However, another time sink are the formalities … the paperwork. For example, It takes a minimum of one day to check into Tahiti and a minimum of three days to check out. Which brings me back to the issue of my next destination.
I published a proposed route last year. To help me decide my route going forward, I explored two issues: 1) how long does it take to get there and 2) how complicated are the formalities. Starting with the the time it takes to get places, I calculated the distances between destinations I am considering and created a spreadsheet. Calculating the distance between two points on a sphere is not simple. For that, we turn to Haversines Formula, where the Earth is approximated as a sphere. I used Excel to do the calculation, first by entering the latitudes and longitudes for the locations (using conventional signs for N/S and E/W), converted the degrees to radians, then transposed the matrix:
Note I have chosen to use the radius of the earth in nautical miles (3444 nm). Next I created the equation for the Haversine Formula in cell A15:
Finally, I copied the equation into a 7×7 matrix, which was then automatically populated with the distances between the seven locations under consideration:
Using these data, I could compute the distance I would sail for various routes. If I assume an average 4 kt speed, I can then estimate the time I would be sailing. If I assume I’d spend about a week at each location, then I could estimate the time on land for each of the routes. The sum of these two would represent the total time. The difference between the total times for each route would be the time saved.
The first thing you notice is there is a difference between the first two distances (about 2700 nm) and the next three (about 2500 nm). The reason is the Cook Islands and Samoa are about 13 degrees S and Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji, and Vanuatu are about 16 degrees S. Going N 3 degrees and then ack S again (6 degrees total, about 360 nm) costs half a week in sailing. Second, you can save as much as a month by not making extra stops.
Of course, time is not everything. These locations are paradises. But, I would rather spend three weeks at one paradise than rush from one to the next. After reading about the Cook Islands (and hearing from a friend who is there now), it sounds like the formalities are a hassle. Samoa also has a reputation for a lot of paperwork. On the other hand Tonga is supposed to be very inviting and I am very much attracted to the 170 islands that make up Tonga. Visibility is supposed to be 100′ in the water. I would certainly save 2 1/2 weeks going there directly, and probably more realistically a month. Further, Tahiti is a great place to resupply, whereas the Cook Islands and Samoa not so much so. Finally, there is the fatigue factor of getting the boat ready for a long passage and making that transition from being at anchor to being at sea. My decision is made … I will be heading to Tonga next.
I was invited for “sundowners” yesterday evening by S/V LuLu and the subject of health came up. My hosts noted they had lost weight and generally felt less fit. When I returned to the boat, I weighed myself, the first time since I left Mexico. I am 178. I was 225 when I quit my job three years ago … 47 lbs difference. I am at the weight I was in high school, not through any concerted effort to diet, but simply through my lifestyle. Most of the weight came off in the first year or so after I stopped working. Instead of sitting behind a desk, I was working on and sailing my boat. When I began this current trip almost two months ago, I was perhaps 190 or so. My diet has not changed that much except in one respect, I do not drink any alcohol when I am sailing, although I do when I am at anchor, perhaps 25% of the time. Otherwise, my eating habits remain largely unchanged, I eat one large meal in the afternoon. So, I attribute the weight loss since leaving Mexico (perhaps 15 lbs or so) to the alcohol. Also, I am constantly exercising at sea, keeping my balance and flexing to react to the pitching and rolling of the boat. I feel healthy which is the most important thing.
