CAPTAIN'S LOG
SEA DATE 24 DECEMBER 2008
Bonaire. Curacao. Netherland Antiles
Dear all,
My writings (as usual) seem to have been lost on the pavement of good intentions with all the work being done on the boat.
These writings were meant to start in Bonaire - several months ago, when I was doing other work on the boat. Had wee problems with our water maker. Never realized we depended on it until it stopped making non salty water. The membranes - big long tube like filters, about 1.2 meters long - were munted. The marine store in Martinique that did repair work on it too many months ago, very kindly offered to supply us three new ones at 500 Euros each. That is around $750 Canadian per unit. A grand total in excess of $2000. A little more than two BOAT units just for fresh water. (A BOAT unit stands for "Bring On Another Thousand".) After much research I found a company in the US that were not quite as hungry as the French. They could supply them at about $200 a piece. That has left us some change for a few beers at least.
Bonaire was great. The best snorkeling we have had to date. Jane just fell in love with all the fishies. It was like living on top of a huge aquarium. I was a good boy doing some excercise on the boat one day and swimming up the line of other cruising boats the other day. About half a mile there and about the same back. Interesting that I thought.
Other minor problem we had was the electrics. The moron in St. Maarten that wired up our solar panels did a dodgy job with too many cables on the switch posts located at the back of the two electrical panels near the batteries. A cable from the alternator was rubbing on one of the posts and rubbed through and shorted out nearly causing a fire. The firm (called Electec) is a big one so we are going back to give them the opportunity to repair the work and make it good. We will not hold our breath .......
Near the end of the hurricane season, we left Bonaire and took the boat to Curacao and flew back to Vancouver to have my big boy birthday. Not a big party but several gatherings of different friends at different times, as well as a game or two of golf with my buddy Jim Simpson, the one I used to be in business with.
Then back to Curacao to start doing work on the boat. Pikkies follow of my main project, throwing out the old fridge with only 25mm of insulation and making a new one with 100mm of insulation. I had a couple of weeks on my own to get going and then Adrian Chaster, a close buddy, joined me to help me keep sane, work, and keep the other chiller thingie full of beers to help keep both of us sane. He was with us for the sail from Curacao to Puerto Rico. Four days with the wind (who would have thought it) on the bloody nose. The wind averaged around 15 to 20 knots and we probably averaged 7 to 8 knots. I was most impressed with Ta-b as catamarans are not known for sailing up hill as it were.
Anyway, on to the most fun, and pikkies of the fridge construction.
Fridge is nearly running, freezer is nearly, and I am near done. Fridge: putting on the final coats of paint on the door frame and door. Yes Dad, sanded and filled dead smooth, finish as smooth as glass. For all those avid readers of this (minor) epistle, the filling and sanding is all pretty logical, the secret (ex Dad) is in the final wiping down prior to each coat of paint. Use your hand because you can feel every imperfection and each piece of dust. It is the only way that you can really be sure that all the dust has been removed.
I have taken a series of photos showing the construction and each layer of insulation as it is put in. This was a very time consuming job (the insulation, not the photos) as all the insulation has to fit snugly and all the junctions have to be filled and sealed to stop any air movement in the “insulation compartment”.
This would be one of the first photos showing the original size of the ‘ole that I was turning into a beer
cooler - where Jane can also put some food
My "workshop" under the boat
Just have to put in the epoxy finished ply liners and
add a few coats of paint plus the evaporator (cold
plate) and do the electrics and ...…
But it appears big enough for a bottle of bourbon.
STILL LIFE 1
STILL LIFE 2
Adrian, A very close friend very kindly came to help with
work on the boat. Unfortunately (for me) he wrecked his
foot prior to arrival.
So there is no confusion, he was rather still at this point
in time.
Our fridge capacity has increased by 66% from 3 to 5 cu.ft. We had the door made in Curacao by the joiner at the boat yard. Insulation “R” factor increased from about zip to 24. To give you an idea, polystyrene has an “R” factor of 6 per 25mm and fibreglass batts, 3.5 per 25mm.
The freezer is next. I have fortunately bought five insulation panels to line the inside of said freezer. They are new technology and work on the same basis as a thermos flask. About 40mm thick and very easy to put in. We are told that they have an “R” value of about 50. That is equivalent to about 200mm of polystyrene. I just stick them in with some resin, seal all the joints and its done. Sounds too easy to me. I will know soon enough. They were purchased at a cost which will not be revealed here or anywhere else as it has reduced my beer fund enormously. The good news though is they save space all around the freezer. Instead of losing 150mm off the walls we only lose 40mm. As they say, every mm counts. The inside face of the units are finished with fibreglass so they only need a coat of paint.
I am using two Danfoss compressors. One for the freezer and one for the fridge. They units are water cooled but not by bringing water into the boat. The compressed gas is passed through the hull into a heat exchanger fixed to the hull below the waterline, and back into the boat. Only one hole and the exchanger is just a lump of metal that the gas goes into and out of. Reduces electricity consumption by about half the standard Danfoss compressor system.
What a man will do for ice in his wife’s drinkie poos.
Today we sailed from Culebra Island, Puerto Rico to St. Thomas, British Virgin Islands. We came up through what is known as the Virgins Passage with (as usual) a hard on the nose wind. Actually it was a rather nice ride up the Virgins Passage, but would a man expect anything less? Steady wind at 12 to 15 knots sometimes sneaking up to 18 - 19. Wind as said on the nose, at 12 to 15 knots wind with a bit of a sloppy sea we were averaging 7 + knots at around 50 degrees off true wind. Again I was really impressed with her performance as catamarans (as previously noted) are not supposed to go to windward. We ended up have a good run up through the Virgins Passage though it was a bit wet at times. Being right beside St. Thomas, she is quite a busy route. Coming up through we were fortunate to roll very nicely past a sloop of about 40 feet. I would certainly expect it off the wind, but certainly not hard on it.
We stopped to pick up diesel and various beverages of choice, viz beer red wine white wine beer gin both white and red wine and some beer. Diesel here is $2.75 gallon so we took on another 60 gallons in our spare containers.
Culebra was delightful. Very relaxed village with only a few shops. The Buildings are all painted fun bright colours so the character is very strong. Narrow streets. We grabbed the ferry to go to Puerto Rico and at 6:00 am there was a truck slowly driving around the village blaring out Christmas Music. Truck was all decked out but had huge speakers on the cab roof. Really funny. At 6 in the bloody morning???
Tomorrow I put on the final coat of paint on the inside of the door and start making the final gas and electrical connections to get this puppy going.
Actually, it is now Christmas Eve coming up to 5 oclock and the sun is most certainly over the yard arm, just got the fridge going, filled her up with beer and the odd bit of food that is now allowed in there or I will be in trouble. I am off to email this and have some Christmas Cheer.
Tomorrow (today for you lot at home in NZ) we are having Christmas din dins with another couple who are cruising with two kids. They have a couple of friends arriving this evening so it should be quite a good lunch. We are really looking forward to it.
Looking at the clock I guess you are all feeding on turkey as I get ready to send this off.
Signing off
Her Jane
Me Russell