SITE IN CONSTRUCTION - PROGRESS:
SECTION UPDATE
Grey text links or menu items are inactive. This Site will have 50-60 topics; each page takes 1-2 days to write.
As of October 5 2023:  
ACTIVE Caribbean Links Antigua, Guadeloupe, The Saintes, Dominica, Carnaval, Martinique, St Lucia, Bequia.
INACTIVE Caribbean Links Grenadines, Grenada - Completion target Nov 01
ACTIVE systems descriptions Links:   Engine rebuild, Arch, Bow Thruster, and Electric Drives.
INACTIVE Systems Descriptions: Drivetrain, Genset, Refrigeration, Drawer Fridge, Sanitation, Ground Tackle, Keel, Davits, Bottom, Rudder, Topsides, Deck Redo
Other Sections Cmpletion level Other topics, not started, Other blogs not started except Stellwagen Bank - Whale Pictures.

BLOG TOPICS

Activities / Year / Regions

ANTIGUA
GUADELOUPE
ILES SAINTES
DOMINICA
CARNAVAL
ST LUCIA
BEQUIA

CARIBBEAN

NOV 2022
JUL 2023

A voyage to the Caribbean Islands: Down from Norfolk VA to Bermuda, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada, ending with Engine repair in haul out

  • DOLPHINS
  • ANNAPOLIS
  • CASCO BAY
  • YARMOUTH/HALIFAX
  • BRAS D'OR'
  • EAST NOVA SCOTIA
  • TANCOOK, LAHAVE, etc
  • PUBNICO
    • STELLWAGEN
  • OFFSHORE

NOVA SCOTIA

MAY 2022
SEPT 2022

Left St Augustine FL, traveled North through Hatteras and Maine mostly offshore, to the South Coast of Nova Scotia, Returning to Virginia for departure in the Offshore to the Caribbean after a quick maintenance stop in Cambridge, MD.

  • PURGATORY
  • ARCHES
  • OREGON
  • BEND, ORE
  • CRATER LAKE
  • NEVADA, UTAH
  • ZION
  • BRYCE
  • BONNEVILLE SALT
  • SKIJORING
  • YELLOWSTONE
  • UTAH REDO
  • DURANGO FINALE
  • RIO GRANDE TO HOME
  • JACKSON WY
DEC 2021
MARCH 2022 - Coming Soon

Skied the west, a four month car trip across the country with 40 ski days and a 90 mile excursion, visiting 5 national parks and discovering incredible natural settings

  • ISLES OF SHOALS
  • BUSTIN PORTLAND
  • PEN BAY
  • BURNT
  • ACADIA
  • SORENTO
  • BOOTHBAY
  • ROCKLAND and BELFAST
  • NEW BEDFORD
  • NEWPORT and BLOCK
  • NY NJ
  • ANNAPOLIS
  • CHESAPEAKE NORTH
  • CHESAPEAKE SOUTH
  • HATTERAS
  • WILMINGTON NC
MAY 2021
SEPT 2021 - Coming soon

From St Augustine, Florida, up the eastern coast of the USA and to the coast of Maine, then returned to Florida by the fall of 2021

  • LAUNCH
  • HATTERAS
  • CAPE CHARLES
  • GEORGETOWN-JACKSONVILLE
  • ST AUGUSTINE
  • ST AUGUSTINE LIFE
  • COVID 2020
APRIL 2020
MAY 2021 - Coming soon

From St Augustine, Florida, up the eastern coast of the USA and to the coast of Maine, then returned to Florida by the fall of 2021

  • HOUSE REPAIR
  • MOVING ABOARD
2020 - Coming soon

Sold the house, moved aboard, and sailed to Florida for a COVID refit and hibernation

LAND LIFE

2017
2019

Blog of preparing for nomadic life

CITY LIFE


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Blog of preparing for nomadic life

BOAT EQUIPMENT

Systems and Refits

..

DRIVETRAIN

The transmittion prop, shaft, and vibration isolation solution on the boat. Why I love synthetic material lip seals and would have a thrust bearing if possibe.

..

ENGINE

Designing the Arch, building, and installing it

..

BOW THRUSTER

Installing a Bow Thruster,and how to drill a 8 inch hole in the hull without an anxiety breakdown

..

GENSET

COMING SOON. A generator is very useful unless you are a minimalist cruiser. Diesel is the only choice. My installation and list of spares

..

REFRIGERATION

COMING SOON  Installing Electric Fridge and Freezer, Redoing the insulation, how o calculate the thermal load on the system, Vacuum panels.

..

DRAWER FRIDGE

Awlgrip is an outstanding product, but Awlcraft can be more easily repaired in areas of abrasion and scuffs. How clear coating Awlcraft white has lasted 8 years so far and looks brand new. Hey, it works for cars.

..

SANITATION

COMING SOON Why a holding tank is neeed. Why a sterilizer unit makes sense. The foly of the state NDZs politics. 

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GROUNDTACKLE

COMING SOON My choice of anchor, windlass upgrade, and how much chain makes sense in reef areas. What about spare anchors?

..

ELECTRIC DRIVES

A thesis on Electric Drives and the energy efficiency per kilogram of battery compared to Diesel Fuel or Hydrogen and why diesels may be here for a while despite the hype.

BOAT EQUIPMENT

Structures and 

..

KEEL

COMING SOON Casting a new Keel, discovering a structural defect, and rebuilding half the keel stub to better than spec

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ARCH

Designing the Arch, building, and installing it

..

DAVITS

COMING SOON Design and Welding of new davits and stern engine mount

..

BOTTOM

COMING SOON The proper method (and the wrong one) to strip a bottom and the hazards that epoxy coat outgassing creates for adhesion of paint

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RUDDER

COMING SOON Designing a Vesconite rudder bearing, why acetal is poor, and why this boat may be as solid as a skeg redder boat, and why an emergency rudder is not a luxury

..

TOPSIDES

COMING SOON Awlgrip is an outstanding product, but Awlcraft can be more easily repaired in areas of abrasion and scuffs. How clear coating Awlcraft white has lasted 8 years so far and looks brand new. Hey, it works for cars.

..

DECK REDO

COMING SOON Stripping the Teak off the cabin top, vacuum bagging new core in a few spots, and priming, fairing, sanding, priming, fairing, sanding, ... you get the idea.

..

RIG

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LIBRARY

Topics that cannot be classified easily

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Philosophy

A number of observations about ambition, suburban life, and spiraling maelstroms of work and spending patterns

..

Library

References and downloads of Maintenance information

..

SAFETY

Semper Paratus. Expect nothing, be ready for everything.

Sailing Days

20% 60% Complete

Motoring Days

15% 95% Complete

Anchor Days

30% 80% Complete

Maintenance days

30% 100% Complete

Marina or Mooring Days

30% 70% Complete

CREW LIST

Awesome people!

Edwin

Captain

Karen

Crew

Josh

Crew

Peter

Crew

John

Crew

Joyce

Crew

Lori

Crew

20221118_103347copy

Drew

Crew

Bermuda team

Crew

Chris

Crew

VESSEL OVERVIEW

Reliable, Redundant Systems, Quality, Preventatively Maintained

HULL

SIZES
...
  • Designer: Ed Dubois
  • Length: 50 ft
  • Beam 15 ft
  • Draft 7 ft
  • Waterline 43 ft
  • HULL 5
  • Air Draft 72 ft
  • Awlcraft topsides
  • Race condition bottom

Solent Sloop

SAILS
...
  • 6 sail
  • 120 pct Jib 719 ft2
  • 75 pct solent 374
  • Mainsail 597 ft2
  • Asymmetrical Chute w/ sock
  • Harken / Schaeffer roller furlers
  • Storm jib - hanks

Engine and

MACHINERY
...
  • 4JH2-HTE Yanmar 76HP
  • ZF15-MIV gear
  • Max Prop EZ 4 blade
  • Tides Marine shaft seal
  • 3.5KW Next Gen Power Genset
  • 6 HP Bow Thruster

SPARCRAFT

RIGGING
...
  • Sparcraft Mast and Boom
  • Navtec Rod Rigging
  • Dyneema Baby Stay
  • Boom Brake
  • Hydraulic Backstay- Harken (2)
  • Navtec Boom Vang

TANKAGE

H2O/FUEL
...
  • Stainless Steel Tanks
  • Water 4 x 40 Gallons
  • Fuel 1 x 82 Gallons
  • Cans: 30 Gallons Fuel
  • Water Level Gauges
  • Fuel Gauge

ELECTRICAL

12V/120V
...
  • 120/220 auto switch
  • Isolation Transformer
  • 8 Firefly Batteries 800 AH
  • Separate Engine Battery
  • Separate Genset Battery
  • Victron 3kW inverter/charger
  • Victron 50 A charger
  • Victron Battery Monitor
  • Victron Color GX panel
  • 2kW inverter/charger spare
  • 750 Watts Solar on aft Arch

ELECTRONICS 1/2

NAV
...
  • Raymarine A/P with off line full spare
  • B&G wind instruments
  • 3 Garmin Plotters
  • 4ft Garmin open array radar
  • A/P Control at Nav station
  • NMEA2000 bus-3 sections
  • N2K barometer
  • N2K Wi-Fi
  • Floscan Fuel Monitor

ELECTRONICS 2/2

COM
...
  • ICOM IC-M802 Radio
  • Fuel Flow Engine monitor
  • ICOM Radio
  • Simrad Secondary radio
  • Garmin InReach
  • Iridium GO
  • Mikrotik WiFi system
  • TimeZero PC Navidation < li>
  • GMRS Radios
  • Handheld VHFs
Miles traveled
Hours of Maintenance
days lived aboard
crew and visiting friends
FOOD CONSUMED (tons)

Suppliers

Equipment suppliers

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