Tour

So the idea is to practice making journeys along the coast, going slowly, and stopping for a few weeks at a time to catch breath and get the systems working correctly.

If I depart in March, I can hop to Swansea, then along the coast to Milford haven. If the weather is good we can travel around the coast to Aberystwyth, then Pwllelli, and the North Wales coast. Perhaps the target should be to get there for a day out with Roger and Marjory before having a long holiday on board the (now) we sorted boat.

Where we go at that stage depends on how well the passage has gone. Perhaps we can feel brave enough to continue northwards to the Inner Hebridees. Perhaps we feel this is far enough and come home again.

It will tell us what we need to know about our boating aspirations.

2012

If I am to practice a tour/cruise by motorboat, I should start with a season of weeks away to build up gradually. Just a week at a time, moving just 40 miles or so, two hours at 20mph, will establish the routine and enable me to find the equipment and techniques needed.

I can start on Monday with getting the boat fuelled up, the oil and water levels checked, and the holding tank cleared out. The boat can be maintained and cleared up. The food stores can be bought, or brought from home, and the boat made liveable.

The next few days are for the journey, taking the first good weather and tide.

In the rest of the time, the planning is done and the maintenance updated. If that is complete, then I can explore ahead of the weekend when I am collected or find my way home via trains or busses. The boat will then remain at a marina for a few weeks until the next time.

At each new stopping place, we take a weekend to explore on land or water.

The whole idea is to settle into a routine and be able to work away at the facilities and systems on board. The weeks at home will allow spare parts to be ordered and improved methods to be devised. It might be a better recipe, or a better way to dry clothes. We shall see what the experiences show are needed.

I will be able to settle the communication equipment into place. Security is a big worry so the equipment will need to be concealed. Its probably best to do that when I’m on board and can look around for hiding places. In a boat there are lots of paces to put gear so that is can operate without being tampered with.

I’m thinking of the communication and security stuff especially. Its best for that not to be too visible. I need to have the TV/computer monitor visible, but it could either be bolted into place or tucked into a cupboard that isn’t evident.

The routine would need to include cleaning of everything, cooking, washing of clothes, and tidying away. The boat may be small, but the time needs to be allocated to each of these daily tasks.

I’m going to see how practical it is to get TV from the new digital stations, and how well broadband signals are available around the coast. I can fall back on satellite TV when I am securely moored, and a combination of VHF and broadband music stations.

The power will need to come from somewhere. In the main the marinas will have electricity for me, but I will want to use the batteries with inverters too. I need to monitor the condition of the batteries, and may need to buy a 1000w generator to top up the batteries at times. With these I can use the 1300w kettle and vacuum cleaner, assuming that the 1500w inverter has decent enough cables.

Hot water will come from the kettle, and that will be powered with meths. I might also get the water heater operating, firstly on a shore-supply, and then using engine heat. Hot showers are a necessity, but on board, not in the marina facilities. I need to be able to operate at anchor away from the pontoons.

The list of jobs needs to be precise, and all inclusive so that I have a routine that covers everything. Better to include it all than to allow anything to be forgotten:

• Check boat
• Check weather forecast
• Make breakfast
• Shower and dress
• Clear dishes
• Decide whether to move on

If we are to stay:

• Tidy cabin and bedding
• Check the anchor light and switch off
• Check batteries and recharge if required
• Switch on daytime equipment (music, phones, VHF, Internet, chargers, computers)
• Check engine oil and water
• Check stores, water and meths levels
• Fuel boat and empty holding tank, dump rubbish
• Clean cabin, vacuum
• Morning coffee
• Boat is now ready to use if required
• Decide on maintenance priorities
• Clean cockpit upholstery, glass, and brightwork
• Wash hull and decks
• Prepare lunch
• Passage planning
• Check afternoon weather forecast
• Maintain systems as required
• Preventative maintenance to all systems: dinghy, water systems, bilge pumps, engines, lights, communications, TV and audio, windscreen wiper/horn/searchlight, navigation gear, GPS tracking, iPad, cooking equipment, ditch-bag, life jackets, etc
• Check battery condition and adjust charging
• Adjust fenders and lines.
• Explore locality by dinghy or on foot
• Make dinner
• Check weather
• Decide whether systems are ready for departure tomorrow
• Stow and secure dinghy, and deck furniture
• Switch electrics to overnight needs (lights, TV, phone, Internet)
• Check mooring lines and security

If we are to go:

• file plan with departure marina and arrival marina
• check gate opening times
• file plan with coastguard
• email plan to blog site
• check fuel levels
• Stow loose items
• Bring ditch-bag to cockpit
• Make flask of tea, and sandwiches.
• Switch electrics to passage requirements (all radios and phones, lights on, bilge pumps, GPS tracking, video cameras)
• Warm engines and check operation
• Don weather proof gear and safety equipment. Clip on hand-held VHF, phone, camera.
• Empty pockets of all other loose items
• Confirm conditions and depart slowly
• Explore sea and wind conditions outside the harbour
• Decide on whether to proceed
• Keep to waypoints without deviation except in emergency
• Record passage in written log, or video diary, recording speed, revs, temps and pressures.
• Photograph progress
• If possible, email en route passage progress (just location)
• Stop boat every 20 minutes to open engine hatch and check
• Check progress against plan
• Stop boat 10 minutes from destination, drive in slowly
• Radio destination to confirm arrival, and ask for arrival information
• Before stopping engines, raise the hatches and check
• On arrival confirm with coastguard and with departing marina, email blog site
• Make tea and have snack.
• Stow clothing and ditch-bag
• Connect electricity, set systems to daytime, moored, check batteries
• Heat water and refill water tanks
• Clean cockpit
• Clear cabin of any fallen debris, and check contents
• Wash down boat
• Write up log, decide actions required

Return to daily routine. Each trip should last three hours, allowing for 40-50 miles travelled and time spent at slow speed.

So departing at 7am allows the destination to be reached at mid morning, allowing the rest of the day for settling in, and exploring.

2012

If I am to practice a tour/cruise by motorboat, I should start with a season of weeks away to build up gradually. Just a week at a time, moving just 40 miles or so, two hours at 20mph, will establish the routine and enable me to find the equipment and techniques needed.

I can start on Monday with getting the boat fuelled up, the oil and water levels checked, and the holding tank cleared out. The boat can be maintained and cleared up. The food stores can be bought, or brought from home, and the boat made liveable.

The next few days are for the journey, taking the first good weather and tide.

In the rest of the time, the planning is done and the maintenance updated. If that is complete, then I can explore ahead of the weekend when I am collected or find my way home via trains or busses. The boat will then remain at a marina for a few weeks until the next time.

At each new stopping place, we take a weekend to explore on land or water.

The whole idea is to settle into a routine and be able to work away at the facilities and systems on board. The weeks at home will allow spare parts to be ordered and improved methods to be devised. It might be a better recipe, or a better way to dry clothes. We shall see what the experiences show are needed.

I will be able to settle the communication equipment into place. Security is a big worry so the equipment will need to be concealed. Its probably best to do that when I’m on board and can look around for hiding places. In a boat there are lots of paces to put gear so that is can operate without being tampered with.

I’m thinking of the communication and security stuff especially. Its best for that not to be too visible. I need to have the TV/computer monitor visible, but it could either be bolted into place or tucked into a cupboard that isn’t evident.

The routine would need to include cleaning of everything, cooking, washing of clothes, and tidying away. The boat may be small, but the time needs to be allocated to each of these daily tasks.

I’m going to see how practical it is to get TV from the new digital stations, and how well broadband signals are available around the coast. I can fall back on satellite TV when I am securely moored, and a combination of VHF and broadband music stations.

The power will need to come from somewhere. In the main the marinas will have electricity for me, but I will want to use the batteries with inverters too. I need to monitor the condition of the batteries, and may need to buy a 1000w generator to top up the batteries at times. With these I can use the 1300w kettle and vacuum cleaner, assuming that the 1500w inverter has decent enough cables.

Hot water will come from the kettle, and that will be powered with meths. I might also get the water heater operating, firstly on a shore-supply, and then using engine heat. Hot showers are a necessity, but on board, not in the marina facilities. I need to be able to operate at anchor away from the pontoons.

The list of jobs needs to be precise, and all inclusive so that I have a routine that covers everything. Better to include it all than to allow anything to be forgotten:

• Check boat
• Check weather forecast
• Make breakfast
• Shower and dress
• Clear dishes
• Decide whether to move on

If we are to stay:

• Tidy cabin and bedding
• Check the anchor light and switch off
• Check batteries and recharge if required
• Switch on daytime equipment (music, phones, VHF, Internet, chargers, computers)
• Check engine oil and water
• Check stores, water and meths levels
• Fuel boat and empty holding tank, dump rubbish
• Clean cabin, vacuum
• Morning coffee
• Boat is now ready to use if required
• Decide on maintenance priorities
• Clean cockpit upholstery, glass, and brightwork
• Wash hull and decks
• Prepare lunch
• Passage planning
• Check afternoon weather forecast
• Maintain systems as required
• Preventative maintenance to all systems: dinghy, water systems, bilge pumps, engines, lights, communications, TV and audio, windscreen wiper/horn/searchlight, navigation gear, GPS tracking, iPad, cooking equipment, ditch-bag, life jackets, etc
• Check battery condition and adjust charging
• Adjust fenders and lines.
• Explore locality by dinghy or on foot
• Make dinner
• Check weather
• Decide whether systems are ready for departure tomorrow
• Stow and secure dinghy, and deck furniture
• Switch electrics to overnight needs (lights, TV, phone, Internet)
• Check mooring lines and security

If we are to go:

• file plan with departure marina and arrival marina
• check gate opening times
• file plan with coastguard
• email plan to blog site
• check fuel levels
• Stow loose items
• Bring ditch-bag to cockpit
• Make flask of tea, and sandwiches.
• Switch electrics to passage requirements (all radios and phones, lights on, bilge pumps, GPS tracking, video cameras)
• Warm engines and check operation
• Don weather proof gear and safety equipment. Clip on hand-held VHF, phone, camera.
• Empty pockets of all other loose items
• Confirm conditions and depart slowly
• Explore sea and wind conditions outside the harbour
• Decide on whether to proceed
• Keep to waypoints without deviation except in emergency
• Record passage in written log, or video diary, recording speed, revs, temps and pressures.
• Photograph progress
• If possible, email en route passage progress (just location)
• Stop boat every 20 minutes to open engine hatch and check
• Check progress against plan
• Stop boat 10 minutes from destination, drive in slowly
• Radio destination to confirm arrival, and ask for arrival information
• Before stopping engines, raise the hatches and check
• On arrival confirm with coastguard and with departing marina, email blog site
• Make tea and have snack.
• Stow clothing and ditch-bag
• Connect electricity, set systems to daytime, moored, check batteries
• Heat water and refill water tanks
• Clean cockpit
• Clear cabin of any fallen debris, and check contents
• Wash down boat
• Write up log, decide actions required

Return to daily routine. Each trip should last three hours, allowing for 40-50 miles travelled and time spent at slow speed.

So departing at 7am allows the destination to be reached at mid morning, allowing the rest of the day for settling in, and exploring.

Recovering the Danghy

After a damp and windy weekend, I did go to the boat this afternoon to collect the aluminium dinghy.

I motored down to the slipway and transferred the motor and fuel tank to the rubber dinghy, then had some welcome assistance to get the aluminium dinghy into the van. It was an exhausting process in the strong wind, but eventually I was able to motor back upstream to leave the rubber dinghy at the back of the Rinker.

I’ll go back later in the week to secure things and make it all look right.

This was the first time to have the Johnson 6hp on the back of the rubber dinghy. I thin it may be slightly too big, but it looks the part. In the strong wind it was tricky but I sat low and it was stable enough. It will be interesting to see how it goes when the conditions are lighter.

The idea is to have a get-home boat that can be used in emergencies. It gives a way to haul the Rinker or its anchor to safety. The 6hp motor doesn’t sound much, but I could try a lash up when the weather settles.

This week

It was generally quite bright in the afternoon much of the week so I went to the boat and pottered about trying to get the engines to start. There is a reluctance from the batteries to give enough power to start the engines. The new battery was charged, but it seemed to struggle, and the right engine, which has always been easier to start, got going, but there was nothing from the other except for a few weak turns.

But the alternator eventually put some charge into the two batteries and I was able to start the second engine after running a while on just one.

On Thursday I installed a second new battery and with a bit of hesitation the right engine started, and a while later they were both going. Clearly there is a lot of resistance in the cables and connections. I cleaned about half of them, but the cables are long, and the left hand engine in particular needs more attention.

On Friday, even after the starting and running on the previous day, the engines took a little while to catch and run. Its almost right, but one battery is not enough, they both need to be switched in. Its going to need a bit more contact cleaning, and perhaps even a relocation of the batteries to the centre of the boat so that the cables can be shortened. The total run is practically two metres which is a lot more than on any car, so I could easily shorten that, and in the process renew all the connections.

When that is done, I can run a jump lead, perhaps using some of the excess cable removed, to connect through to the house batteries to make sure that they get a charge when the engines are running. I will have a pretty big capacity not that I have four 125ah batteries for the house load. I need to connect them up because the other weekend we might have stayed overnight except for the lack of lighting. I should order some more battery terminal clamps so the everything can be wired up.

I disconnected the 12v supply to the interior of the boat when I connected the new battery isolator switch and it needs to be run to the house batteries.

With the evenings drawing in I need to be lit up, and it will mean a good deal of work to get the new navigation lights operating, so I need to reconnect the existing lights.

Still, despite all, the engines don’t miss a beat so its pretty straightforward when its started. I’m even mooring back on the pontoon pretty well each time, despite the extra strong winds that we have back in place. Its been easier with the wind blowing the boat the last few feet onto the pontoon, but at least I’ve been able to consistently line it up with good blasts of reverse thrust on the outside engine. I’ve also been rehearsing a technique for throwing two coils of rope to spread the line over a bollard up to a couple of metres away. Its easier to drop the line over the bollard with an extended boat hook, but either way, it means that its easy to loop a bollard, allowing the boat to be trapped, after which it can be pulled into place using the engines.

Not much problem with the boat because we can haul it in by hand, but it checks out whether we can really cope with a bigger and heavier craft.

The wind is worrying. It makes it important to have some way of obtaining rescue. The 6hp Johnson really needs to be put on the rubber dinghy so that I can use it to pull the Rinker in, or at least carry a line to a safe fixing. The electric motor is good for moving about the moorings, but its not powerful enough for towing, or struggling with a tow rope against a strong wind. I have been enjoying the Johnson on the back of the aluminium dinghy, and had a long run every time I’ve been to the boat this week.

Its a very nice combination that on the upper reached of the Ely rived was giving me 15kts flat out, as indicated on the iPad GPS. Its a cracking pairing, but I do need the motor on the rubber dinghy now too, so it will have to be moved. When I need it for the aluminium dinghy I’ll have to go and collect it.

The other rescue option is to phone for help. I really need a phone list and a phone on board. I’ve now got a TMobile sim for W25 and that should give me both 3G and a phone line which can be either on the TMobile or Vodafone service, depending on the signal. Of course I should also have O2 iPhone, and Three phones in my pocket. But having a W25 will boost the signal, I hope.

And if that isn’t enough I have the Telular with a 2G Tesco SIm. One of those should work.

I have the list of phone numbers on iPad, in Evernote, and also printed out with the start of an emergency book. It needs to be firmed up, and the Grab Bag made up too, with flares, water, radios, food, and first aid kit. Having everything in place will make it possible to relax a little.

Summer, late, but welcome

At long last the summer arrived and we got out on the boat The sun wasn’t uncomfortably hot, but certainly it was warm enough to allow the clothes to be shed. In fact we stayed until the sun set, and then drove home with the top down.

The engines were reluctant to start so I cleaned lots of earth contacts and positive battery connections. It made no apparent difference, so we had lunch and then chugged off upstream on one engine. After a while the battery voltage appeared to have got to 14v so I tried a couple of times to start the second engine.

At first the voltage dropped, but eventually, the engine caught and ran well, and continued to do so for the rest of the trip. Perhaps it is all to do with a poor battery unable to overcome the various resistive connections and long cables. It seems likely that the next time I try to start the engines, the batteries will show some sign of recovery.

But more likely the second battery has got too low, and I’ll be forced to buy a second new one. Test again on Monday

We sat and snoozed after that. I took the little inflatable with electric motor for a run, and was surprised at the speed. It causes the battery terminals to get hot, so the the current must be substantial. I should measure it. Chugging at a slower speed lets things cool.

The boat was fine, but thats limited to the day. If we had decided to stay the night, we’d have noticed that the lights wouldnt work and the water is not running. Its needed next.

Summer!

At long last the summer arrived and we got out on the boat The sun wasn’t uncomfortably hot, but certainly it was warm enough to allow the clothes to be shed. In fact we stayed until the sun set, and then drove home with the top down.

The engines were reluctant to start so I cleaned lots of earth contacts and positive battery connections. It made no apparent difference, so we had lunch and then chugged off upstream on one engine. After a while the battery voltage appeared to have got to 14v so I tried a couple of times to start the second engine.

At first the voltage dropped, but eventually, the engine caught and ran well, and continued to do so for the rest of the trip. Perhaps it is all to do with a poor battery unable to overcome the various resistive connections and long cables. It seems likely that the next time I try to start the engines, the batteries will show some sign of recovery.

But more likely the second battery has got too low, and I’ll be forced to buy a second new one. Test again on Monday

We sat and snoozed after that. I took the little inflatable with electric motor for a run, and was surprised at the speed. It causes the battery terminals to get hot, so the the current must be substantial. I should measure it. Chugging at a slower speed lets things cool.

The boat was fine, but thats limited to the day. If we had decided to stay the night, we’d have noticed that the lights wouldnt work and the water is not running. Its needed next.

Another Sunny Day

It made sense after such a poor summer to make the most of a 22degC day and get early to the marina. I stayed there most of the day, only popping back to the office for 30 minutes for a meeting. It was really quiet, warm, and with milky sunshine I was able to spin the boat to get at the other side for cleaning. I’m using a bucket of water, some cleaning cloths and kitchen cleaner. Its easily removing the green slime, although its time consuming to get at everything. Its best to clean regularly, but its not been done for months. I collected some food on the way back after the meeting and settled down for another cleaning session in the afternoon, although that was interrupted by a nap in the sunshine.

Tomorrow should be more of the same warm weather so I’ll have another go in the afternoon. I have two tasks, to clear the interior again, and to start the engines. I put the starter batteries back in place this afternoon, but didn’t fix them or try to start the engines. I need to write down the problems for Gareth. Its been months since I last tried things and I’e forgotten where I got. Perhaps I need to look back through this blog.

I also need to seal the wind screen with some bathroom silicon. Its possible that some dash-shine will be useful, but I should certainly try some polish on the glass fibre. Its going to be very chalky looking tomorrow.

The two dinghies are in the water, and it was a nice reward to take a little trip in the aluminium boat. I knew that I wanted to go to see the Azimuth again. It was still looking right, in that the form was simply a bigger version of the Rinker. The bathing platform is ideal for carrying the aluminium dinghy, and its very big and low to the water, just as I am used to. It makes it easy to get to the pontoon. Its much better than a lot of high transomed boats that I’ve seen, like Traders, for example. The high front decks are similar to the Rinker, and although I didn’t try climbing up, it looks to be a similar process, just more. It does seem a reasonable boat for us. The only problem apart from cost is that the kitchen is really tiny, it seems close to being a deal breasker.

While I was there, I spotted a new arrival from Milford Haven, a 20m power catamaran. Its a home built boat that took 7 years so far, but appears to be still a while from completion. It seems to have been built around a plywood sheet size, although its all in glassfibre with a honeycomb center. It looks pretty awful really, so it makes me certain that building my own is asking for trouble. The owner-builder-liveaboard was happy to talk, and even offered the moulds for me to build my own. Its so put me off the idea now that I feel I want to shelve that thought altogether, even with my variation on styling. He was using 125hp motors to get 13knots or so. Might befriend him and take my drawings over for him to see.

But seven years so far, with more to come, is too much.

Balmy Evening

I escaped again to the boat and scooted about in the aluminium dinghy without doing much to the Rinker. Its still quite dirty so I’ll have a longer shot at cleaning tomorrow as its so warm and still.

I took the dinghy across the bay almost to the Forte Hotel and planed most of the way on a very flat calm sea. It seemed to get close to 12knots, with 14 showing at times. It’s quite a lot from 6hp I suppose, and it felt very good. The outboard is right on song at the moment, and it seemed to have more power than normal, perhaps its having the fuel tank forward that makes the boat balance better.

I spent a long time looking over the Azimut 55 that is for sale at a seemingly unapproachable £255,000. Its just right, almost a bigger Rinker, with all the extra space needed, and the same sort of shapes, and easy access. I could probably operate it single handed. Its got a very big and low platform at the rear and it will easily take the aluminium dinghy. The cockpit is just the right size to take a table and chairs under shelter. In fact everything looks just right, I cannot fault a thing, which is unusual for me. Perhaps this is the one.

It seems an insurmountable amount of money, but why not try to get it together, perhaps by selling other things, and bartering. There are lots on the market, so its not impossible to find one at the right price and then upgrade. I expect to be able to get decent range using a single engine, and running slowly. Perhaps I can fit a canoe stern to improve the water resistance, and range.

I like it as it is. The yard mechanic, Gareth, came across and was able to confirm that its still for sale, and that the engines are sound. Big though. It means a lot that he’s able to work on them.

How to get it?

Plymouth Hoe, Sunday

Hurricane Katia is hitting us now. The AC45 Americas Cup boats look absolutely fantastic, even when capsized (three today).