LIFE: Part 2

It is now about three years since we installed our LiFePO4 batteries, and we couldn’t be happier. Lithiums charge so much faster than lead that we don’t waste any of the solar and wind power that we are producing. This has resulted in us now being fully self-sufficient for power, whereas when we first bought (click to read more...)

The first part of this post was written in 2016 (see below that for the 2022 update): A year ago we put CopperCoat on the bottom of our boat as we were tired with having to haul out every two years to repaint. Plus the anti-fouling paints are not exactly very eco-friendly and, with increasing (click to read more...)

We have not actually used the life raft, so cannot comment on how well it works as a life raft. But we do have some experience with their customer service and service centers – and those have been far from satisfactory… We bought Life Part 2 in 2009. It came with a Viking RescYou 8 (click to read more...)

When Joshua Slocum sailed around the world in 1897 he had an oil lamp for light and navigation lights, a wood stove for heat and cooking, and a sextant and wind-up tin clock for navigation. That was it. No GPS. No chartplotter. No autopilot. No fridge. No laptops. No CD player. No LED lights. No (click to read more...)

Here are the facts: 1) Boats often get struck by lightning and catamarans in particular seem to be more vulnerable that most. 2) Getting struck by lightning is no fun. Most likely it will kill all your electronics. It may put holes in your boat. And if you are really unlucky it may hurt or (click to read more...)

Life everyone else, we used to have stainless steel rigging. But when it came time for the 10-yearly scheduled replacement, we decided to go with synthetic rather than stainless again. Why did we do this? There are several problems with stainless that are overcome by using synthetics: 1) Stainless steel is subject to crevice corrosion. (click to read more...)

What can I say? It does what it says on the package – very bright, waterproof, reliable, low current consumption and with a nice automatic light-sensitive switch so we can switch on the light when we go ashore in the morning, and it is there shining brightly to guide us home in the evening. It (click to read more...)

Boats are (click to read more...)

For a while we have been puzzled. We would start the port engine and put it into gear. And all would be well. Then we would stop for whatever reason. And then we would put it into gear again – and nothing happened. It seemed like the prop wasn’t turning. Indeed occasionally that was the (click to read more...)

Our D400 Wind Generator In a nutshell: We love it! We did quite a bit of research before selecting the D-400. Our requirements were that it kick in at low windspeed, have high output, and be quiet. It fulfills all of those requirements excellently. As I write this I am sitting at anchor in Portimao, (click to read more...)

Let’s face it: Boats sometimes sink. Yes, it can even happen to YOUR boat – despite your vast experience, excellent skills, chart plotter, backup GPS, radar, AIS, fire extinguishers and all the other systems, procedures and equipment you have put into place to avoid that ultimate disaster. The fact is that you might run into (click to read more...)

DESCRIPTION MAKE/MODEL: Robertson & Caine/ Leopard 42′ WHERE BUILT: South Africa YEAR BUILT: 2001 MODEL YEAR: 2002 FLAG: Canada LOA 12.62m / 41′ 5 ” LWL 10.50m / 37′ 9 ” BEAM 6.93m / 22′ 9 ” DRAFT 1.30m / 4′ 3″ Mast Height: Mast head to winch: 55′,    Top of aerial to waterline (click to read more...)