We're not going to be on the boat this weekend and it's sad. The boat is out of the water getting the bottom painted and it isn't going to be back in the water until Monday so there is no reason for us to go to Kemah. It feels strange to not be heading to the boat this afternoon.
This week besides contacting the guy to paint the bottom and getting that all set up we did some online shopping. The first thing we bought was a new remote control mic for the VHF radio. I think I mentioned this in my previous post about the mic not working. The new one arrived this week. I ordered a bosun's chair for Susan. The bosun's chair is how someone will be hoisted to the top of the mast. There is a reason I said I ordered this for Susan. Anyone that knows me knows you won't find me at the top of a mast 63 feet above the water.
Also on order and soon to be delivered are Explorer Charts for the Bahamas. Everyone we have talked to has told us these are the best charts for the Bahamas. There are many things sailing related where you can start a conversation and then step back and watch the fur fly, "what's the best anchor?" is one of those. When it comes to charts for the Bahamas, everyone agrees on the Explorer Charts.
In the "ouch" department. There is a brand new 50 foot Beneteau across the pier from us. It's a real pretty boat but one of the things you notice right away is there is no mast. We were talking to a guy that is in the slip next to it and he said they were just delivering it and the mast wouldn't fit under the 73 foot bridge (SH-146 across the Clear Lake Channel). They had to remove the mast and are having it cut down so it will fit. I don't even want to think about how much that cost.
One thing we've noticed right away is how friendly other boaters are at the marina. We've already met several people. It's like how you fondly remember the "old days" when everyone in the neighborhood knew everyone else. Meeting and talking to new people is part of the adventure and one we're looking forward to experiencing.
Here we sit, landlocked, for the weekend.
Brian
Friday, January 23, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Our First Visitors
We just spent our second weekend on the boat. The second weekend had some firsts. We had our first visitors, Allen and Karen came over and spent the afternoon and early evening with us. We took our first trip with me at the helm and we got stuck in the mud for the first time. Oops. It was also the first time we've been on the boat and the weather was nice. It was fantastic actually.
When we left last weekend we set off some bug foggers below deck because we had seen signs of some roaches here and there. Those with germophobia may want to skip this part. It is relatively well known amongst sailors that you should never bring cardboard on to a boat. The reason for this is that roaches like cardboard as a food source, a place to hide and a place to lay eggs. When you bring cardboard on to a boat you risk bringing these pests aboard as well. Obviously the previous owner didn't get that memo. Last weekend we rid the boat of all the cardboard below deck and then set off the foggers as we left. Saturday morning started off with loading all the dishes, glasses, silverware and cooking utensils into a plastic container so I could bring them home and wash them. Same with a few of the many My Liberty embroidered towels.
Before Allen and Karen got there Susan and I ran some errands and stopped at Jackie's Brickhouse for lunch. We can't speak to anything else but after two trips we highly recommend their catfish, hamburgers, onion strings (rings) and sweet potato fries.
After showing Allen and Karen around the boat and chatting for a while Allen suggested we take her out. We thought that was a marvelous idea! We cast off the lines and made it out of our slip and on our way out to Galveston Bay without hitting a thing, not even the dock. The channel winds around quite a bit and then passes right by the Kemah Boardwalk before getting to the bay. Galveston Bay is actually pretty shallow, not much more than 9 or 10 feet in the small part we've been to so far. It was already a bit late in the afternoon so we basically motored out to the bay and then turned around and headed back in, never raising the sails. It was our first time taking her out by ourselves so I was good with just an easy practice run like this.
From beginning to end we were out around two hours. On the way back, more than half way back to the marina, we were motoring along in the channel and we started losing speed and then came to a stop. Stuck in the mud. I was in the channel but close to one side rather than in the middle. Won't make that mistake again. Late afternoon on Saturday there is quite a bit of boat traffic, helped by the first nice weather in several weeks. The sailboat that was following us in must have recognized our problem so he sped up so that when he passed us he put up a bit of a wake that theoretically would raise our boat and allow us to get unstuck. It didn't work but I was able to back up enough to get unstuck and then make it into the middle of the channel and carry on. My Liberty / Good Morning Vietnam draws 5' 6" of water. I was in a dredged channel and got stuck. In all likelihood I could have gotten out and walked to the marina but that seems like such bad form.
We made it back with no other incidents, even docked that huge thing without a bump or a scrape. All that without using the bow thruster. It was a good confidence booster to get in and out without any significant problems. Now I just must remain humble, not get cocky and remember part of the reason it went so well was because we took it slow and easy. Get back to the dock when you still have plenty of daylight and don't try to show off by flying in to your slip. Words to live by. We finished up the day with dinner with Allen and Karen and then wished them good night and many thanks for being our first visitors.
After breakfast on Sunday we went to West Marine to shop for a few things. Susan ended up at the rigging counter with the guy there showing her how to make a "soft shackle" out of plastic rope. It was educational and the guy gave us some ideas on anchors and chain as well,. The remote mic at the helm for the VHF radio stopped working during our sea trial. It worked when we started out but stopped working by the time we we're heading back to the dock. This morning I did a little trouble shooting and determined it was indeed the mic rather than the wiring. West Marine didn't have the mic I needed so in looking online tonight I found it on Amazon for $20 less than ordering it online from West Marine. Most things are less expensive other places but sometimes I'm going to be willing to pay a bit more to get their expertise and experience that comes along with their products.
The morning was over too soon and we had to get on the road back to Dallas to get Susan to her flight. This weekend was so much more enjoyable. The nice weather helped a lot but it was also fun to share our boat with friends. On the drive back to Dallas we worked up our To Do list. This thing only gets longer. No matter how much we get done, there are always more things to do.
That's it for now.
Brian
When we left last weekend we set off some bug foggers below deck because we had seen signs of some roaches here and there. Those with germophobia may want to skip this part. It is relatively well known amongst sailors that you should never bring cardboard on to a boat. The reason for this is that roaches like cardboard as a food source, a place to hide and a place to lay eggs. When you bring cardboard on to a boat you risk bringing these pests aboard as well. Obviously the previous owner didn't get that memo. Last weekend we rid the boat of all the cardboard below deck and then set off the foggers as we left. Saturday morning started off with loading all the dishes, glasses, silverware and cooking utensils into a plastic container so I could bring them home and wash them. Same with a few of the many My Liberty embroidered towels.
Before Allen and Karen got there Susan and I ran some errands and stopped at Jackie's Brickhouse for lunch. We can't speak to anything else but after two trips we highly recommend their catfish, hamburgers, onion strings (rings) and sweet potato fries.
After showing Allen and Karen around the boat and chatting for a while Allen suggested we take her out. We thought that was a marvelous idea! We cast off the lines and made it out of our slip and on our way out to Galveston Bay without hitting a thing, not even the dock. The channel winds around quite a bit and then passes right by the Kemah Boardwalk before getting to the bay. Galveston Bay is actually pretty shallow, not much more than 9 or 10 feet in the small part we've been to so far. It was already a bit late in the afternoon so we basically motored out to the bay and then turned around and headed back in, never raising the sails. It was our first time taking her out by ourselves so I was good with just an easy practice run like this.
From beginning to end we were out around two hours. On the way back, more than half way back to the marina, we were motoring along in the channel and we started losing speed and then came to a stop. Stuck in the mud. I was in the channel but close to one side rather than in the middle. Won't make that mistake again. Late afternoon on Saturday there is quite a bit of boat traffic, helped by the first nice weather in several weeks. The sailboat that was following us in must have recognized our problem so he sped up so that when he passed us he put up a bit of a wake that theoretically would raise our boat and allow us to get unstuck. It didn't work but I was able to back up enough to get unstuck and then make it into the middle of the channel and carry on. My Liberty / Good Morning Vietnam draws 5' 6" of water. I was in a dredged channel and got stuck. In all likelihood I could have gotten out and walked to the marina but that seems like such bad form.
We made it back with no other incidents, even docked that huge thing without a bump or a scrape. All that without using the bow thruster. It was a good confidence booster to get in and out without any significant problems. Now I just must remain humble, not get cocky and remember part of the reason it went so well was because we took it slow and easy. Get back to the dock when you still have plenty of daylight and don't try to show off by flying in to your slip. Words to live by. We finished up the day with dinner with Allen and Karen and then wished them good night and many thanks for being our first visitors.
After breakfast on Sunday we went to West Marine to shop for a few things. Susan ended up at the rigging counter with the guy there showing her how to make a "soft shackle" out of plastic rope. It was educational and the guy gave us some ideas on anchors and chain as well,. The remote mic at the helm for the VHF radio stopped working during our sea trial. It worked when we started out but stopped working by the time we we're heading back to the dock. This morning I did a little trouble shooting and determined it was indeed the mic rather than the wiring. West Marine didn't have the mic I needed so in looking online tonight I found it on Amazon for $20 less than ordering it online from West Marine. Most things are less expensive other places but sometimes I'm going to be willing to pay a bit more to get their expertise and experience that comes along with their products.
The morning was over too soon and we had to get on the road back to Dallas to get Susan to her flight. This weekend was so much more enjoyable. The nice weather helped a lot but it was also fun to share our boat with friends. On the drive back to Dallas we worked up our To Do list. This thing only gets longer. No matter how much we get done, there are always more things to do.
That's it for now.
Brian
Sunday, January 11, 2015
We did it!
We signed our life away and are the proud owners of a sailboat. It was / is very exciting! I must admit it is a bit surreal as well. Word is the two happiest days of a boat owner's life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it. I think there is going to be a lot of fantastic days in-between.
We closed on Friday afternoon, which was really just a formality as we had already wired the money. It didn't take much longer than 30 minutes but as every other time we were with Paul, our broker, we had a ton of questions for him. Paul and his wife used to live in Frisco. They sold everything, bought a sailboat and went cruising for a couple of years. They're back in Texas now, still living on their boat and Paul is brokering boats. He is a wealth of knowledge and we feel very lucky to have accidentally stumbled on him.
After closing we spent a few minutes at the marina office signing paperwork and spending more money to keep the boat in the same slip it has been in for the last couple of years.
The weather in Houston / Kemah was awful this weekend so it's a good thing our plans were mostly to spend time below deck doing an inventory of what all was on the boat. We made it about half way through the nooks and crannies when we broke for a nice dinner and a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Saturday was "Battery Day". It's the first time I can remember buying three batteries in one day. That was on three different trips to two different stores. Blame me for trying to squeeze the biggest battery we could get into the space. Third time was a charm and we finally got the right size. You may recall we got all new batteries as part of the deal since all were dead when we did the survey. The owner was required to replace like for like and the starter battery was a different type (flooded, like most car batteries) than the house batteries (AGM). It's "OK" to mix those two types but it is recommended to have them all the same so we bought a new AGM starter battery. Whoever buys my Four Winns will get the new flooded battery and I'll be taking the old back to West Marine for the core on the AGM.
Saturday evening Susan and I drove over to have dinner with some people I had been emailing with over the last month or so. Ralph and Beverly are in Texas for the winter and will be heading to the Bahamas in the spring. Seems backwards and I think they've decided it is, they won't be wintering in Texas again. We had a nice dinner but I suspect they felt like they had been interrogated under a bare light bulb by the secret police by the time we left them. Every time we get a few answers, we think of more questions.
Sunday we spent some time strolling around West Marine while it rained cats and dogs outside. Eventually we went back to the boat and finished our inventory. Anyone interested in a LSU flag? Or some life jackets? Every time we turn around we find more life jackets. We are easily over 20 at this point. Just after noon we packed up and left so I could get Susan back to DFW in time to catch her flight to Atlanta. It pretty much rained all weekend, the entire drive back and Susan just landed and texted that it is raining there too. Somehow I have a feeling none of this is falling anywhere near Cedar Creek though.
Sorry I didn't get this out earlier but the wifi at the marina is so slow I could never get past giving this post a title. That's an issue we're going to have to resolve if I'm ever going to be able to work from the boat. Anyone have an experience with doing a fair amount of data over a 4G LTE connection? How is the speed?
That's it for now. At the moment we're planning on going back down to the boat next weekend to do some serious cleaning and working on a few of the small things that need to be fixed.
Brian
We closed on Friday afternoon, which was really just a formality as we had already wired the money. It didn't take much longer than 30 minutes but as every other time we were with Paul, our broker, we had a ton of questions for him. Paul and his wife used to live in Frisco. They sold everything, bought a sailboat and went cruising for a couple of years. They're back in Texas now, still living on their boat and Paul is brokering boats. He is a wealth of knowledge and we feel very lucky to have accidentally stumbled on him.
After closing we spent a few minutes at the marina office signing paperwork and spending more money to keep the boat in the same slip it has been in for the last couple of years.
The weather in Houston / Kemah was awful this weekend so it's a good thing our plans were mostly to spend time below deck doing an inventory of what all was on the boat. We made it about half way through the nooks and crannies when we broke for a nice dinner and a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Saturday was "Battery Day". It's the first time I can remember buying three batteries in one day. That was on three different trips to two different stores. Blame me for trying to squeeze the biggest battery we could get into the space. Third time was a charm and we finally got the right size. You may recall we got all new batteries as part of the deal since all were dead when we did the survey. The owner was required to replace like for like and the starter battery was a different type (flooded, like most car batteries) than the house batteries (AGM). It's "OK" to mix those two types but it is recommended to have them all the same so we bought a new AGM starter battery. Whoever buys my Four Winns will get the new flooded battery and I'll be taking the old back to West Marine for the core on the AGM.
Saturday evening Susan and I drove over to have dinner with some people I had been emailing with over the last month or so. Ralph and Beverly are in Texas for the winter and will be heading to the Bahamas in the spring. Seems backwards and I think they've decided it is, they won't be wintering in Texas again. We had a nice dinner but I suspect they felt like they had been interrogated under a bare light bulb by the secret police by the time we left them. Every time we get a few answers, we think of more questions.
Sunday we spent some time strolling around West Marine while it rained cats and dogs outside. Eventually we went back to the boat and finished our inventory. Anyone interested in a LSU flag? Or some life jackets? Every time we turn around we find more life jackets. We are easily over 20 at this point. Just after noon we packed up and left so I could get Susan back to DFW in time to catch her flight to Atlanta. It pretty much rained all weekend, the entire drive back and Susan just landed and texted that it is raining there too. Somehow I have a feeling none of this is falling anywhere near Cedar Creek though.
Sorry I didn't get this out earlier but the wifi at the marina is so slow I could never get past giving this post a title. That's an issue we're going to have to resolve if I'm ever going to be able to work from the boat. Anyone have an experience with doing a fair amount of data over a 4G LTE connection? How is the speed?
That's it for now. At the moment we're planning on going back down to the boat next weekend to do some serious cleaning and working on a few of the small things that need to be fixed.
Brian
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Closing Date Set
Things are moving along and the date for closing on the boat formerly known as My Liberty is set for this Friday, January 9. If all goes well we will be spending our first night on the boat that night.
Our plan is to stay in Kemah for the weekend so we can go over every inch of her to learn where things are and what all has been left on the boat. The owner is only required to leave the things detailed in the listing but we expect a lot of other stuff (dishes, glasses, silverware, towels - LOTS of monogrammed towels, tools, spare parts) will be left on board.
If anyone is interested in a towel with My Liberty monogrammed on it, I think we'll have enough to share.
Brian
Our plan is to stay in Kemah for the weekend so we can go over every inch of her to learn where things are and what all has been left on the boat. The owner is only required to leave the things detailed in the listing but we expect a lot of other stuff (dishes, glasses, silverware, towels - LOTS of monogrammed towels, tools, spare parts) will be left on board.
If anyone is interested in a towel with My Liberty monogrammed on it, I think we'll have enough to share.
Brian
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Survey and Sea Trial Success!
Hi y'all!
We're back from Kemah and our SECOND survey and sea trial. This one went much better than the last, though the weather was not nearly as nice. The majority of the survey was on Sunday. We got there about 8:30 and Lou, the surveyor, had been on the boat for more than an hour. It was not a pretty day. It was cold, rainy and windy. The high was 43 on Sunday. Fortunately we spent most of the day below deck checking out all the stuff there.
There were a few small things here and there that needed to be fixed but there were also a couple of major things that it was good we found before we own the boat. Issue #1 was the batteries wouldn't hold a charge so we weren't able to start either the engine or diesel generator until the starter battery was replaced. The owner had a representative / manager on the boat so he replaced the starter battery that day. The house batteries were to be replaced by 12/31 but a spare set was on board Monday morning so we could do the sea trial and test out all the electronics. Once we were able to get the engine and generator started we quickly discovered the raw (sea) water pump for the generator was leaking.
This boat has the "stateroom" forward. Aft there is a cabin with a bed and where another cabin would usually be is an office with desk and chair (and an apple computer!) In the office is also a clothes washer and dryer (one unit). From the looks of it, the washer / dryer has never been used. We weren't able to get it to work but it may have been user error.
The owner is paying to replace the batteries. We asked for a price concession in order to cover the cost of having the water pump replaced, though we'll probably do that work ourselves. We will cover the cost of the washer / dryer and a few small repairs like replacing one hose, a couple of hose clamps and a couple of lights.
Monday morning we left the marina at 8:30 to take the boat to the boat yard and have it hauled out so everything normally under water could be inspected. Same thing as last time, the boat looks BIG sitting in the water but it is ginormus when it is hanging up in the air. Not the same as last time, we didn't find much wrong. At this point it was pretty obvious we were going to buy this boat so while it was out of the water we had the zincs replaced. Time for a lesson.
I don't really understand this completely myself but here's my layman term explanation (with lots of help from Susan). To protect the propeller (expensive and important), pieces of zinc are attached to the propeller shaft. Here is a description I found online that may help.
A natural phenomenon is that two different metals immersed in sea water, or any electrolyte, develop voltage and current. The metal that is most active electrically (more positive) will deteriorate while protecting the metal that is less positive. If both of these metals are important to us, we can attach another metal, more positive than the other two, which will deteriorate first and protect the more important metals. This sacrificial metal (in this case zinc) will erode first, protecting the boat metal. The propeller on this boat is bronze and it is attached to a stainless steel shaft. Left "unprotected" the propeller will change from a pretty golden color to pink and then eventually red due to a loss of metal. At the stage where the propeller has turned red, it is brittle and very easily broken. The zinc will deteriorate over time. That time will be between one and several months, depending on other conditions. In the case of this boat there are "zincs" attached to the main propeller shaft as well as to the propeller shafts of the bow thruster. All that to say, we had the zincs replaced while the boat was out of the water. The recommendations I've seen say you should replace the zincs once they have deteriorated to 50% of their original size. In most cases it will be less expensive to pay a diver (Susan) to go underwater and replace your zincs for you but if the boat is already out of the water it makes sense to get it done then.
Once we were finished at the boat yard the boat was put back in the water and we took it out into Galveston Bay to sail it for a bit and make sure all the sails, running rigging, auto pilot, electronics and winches worked properly. Running rigging are the ropes that are used to move various things related to the sails. Those ropes, or lines, go by different names. Halyards are the lines that pull the sail up (mainsails up the mast, staysails up to the top of the forward stay), sheets are the lines that are used to trim the sails so they have the best position in relation to the wind in order to get the most speed.
Everything worked! And no sails fell down! Monday was a whopping 3 degrees warmer than Sunday with no rain and very little wind. We did not make great speed on our sea trial but it all worked well. I took the helm for a while but it doesn't take much effort to sail a boat in as light a wind as we had Monday. When we were satisfied that we had tested everything we headed back to the marina.
That pretty much covers the survey and sea trial. Once we finished up at the boat Susan and I went back to the bar and grill at the marina for a late lunch for the second day in a row. Though the food was good, that wasn't what brought us back. They have a fireplace and both days we sat as close as we could so we could put our feet in the fire and thaw them. Brrrr it was cold!
We've signed an offer with the few contingencies that need to be addressed for us to buy the boat, all of which we fully expect to be accepted by the owner. So in the next week or so we expect to close on this boat and start the next chapter of this adventure. I'm smiling at the thought of it. We're buying a sailboat!
Brian
We're back from Kemah and our SECOND survey and sea trial. This one went much better than the last, though the weather was not nearly as nice. The majority of the survey was on Sunday. We got there about 8:30 and Lou, the surveyor, had been on the boat for more than an hour. It was not a pretty day. It was cold, rainy and windy. The high was 43 on Sunday. Fortunately we spent most of the day below deck checking out all the stuff there.
There were a few small things here and there that needed to be fixed but there were also a couple of major things that it was good we found before we own the boat. Issue #1 was the batteries wouldn't hold a charge so we weren't able to start either the engine or diesel generator until the starter battery was replaced. The owner had a representative / manager on the boat so he replaced the starter battery that day. The house batteries were to be replaced by 12/31 but a spare set was on board Monday morning so we could do the sea trial and test out all the electronics. Once we were able to get the engine and generator started we quickly discovered the raw (sea) water pump for the generator was leaking.
This boat has the "stateroom" forward. Aft there is a cabin with a bed and where another cabin would usually be is an office with desk and chair (and an apple computer!) In the office is also a clothes washer and dryer (one unit). From the looks of it, the washer / dryer has never been used. We weren't able to get it to work but it may have been user error.
The owner is paying to replace the batteries. We asked for a price concession in order to cover the cost of having the water pump replaced, though we'll probably do that work ourselves. We will cover the cost of the washer / dryer and a few small repairs like replacing one hose, a couple of hose clamps and a couple of lights.
Monday morning we left the marina at 8:30 to take the boat to the boat yard and have it hauled out so everything normally under water could be inspected. Same thing as last time, the boat looks BIG sitting in the water but it is ginormus when it is hanging up in the air. Not the same as last time, we didn't find much wrong. At this point it was pretty obvious we were going to buy this boat so while it was out of the water we had the zincs replaced. Time for a lesson.
I don't really understand this completely myself but here's my layman term explanation (with lots of help from Susan). To protect the propeller (expensive and important), pieces of zinc are attached to the propeller shaft. Here is a description I found online that may help.
A natural phenomenon is that two different metals immersed in sea water, or any electrolyte, develop voltage and current. The metal that is most active electrically (more positive) will deteriorate while protecting the metal that is less positive. If both of these metals are important to us, we can attach another metal, more positive than the other two, which will deteriorate first and protect the more important metals. This sacrificial metal (in this case zinc) will erode first, protecting the boat metal. The propeller on this boat is bronze and it is attached to a stainless steel shaft. Left "unprotected" the propeller will change from a pretty golden color to pink and then eventually red due to a loss of metal. At the stage where the propeller has turned red, it is brittle and very easily broken. The zinc will deteriorate over time. That time will be between one and several months, depending on other conditions. In the case of this boat there are "zincs" attached to the main propeller shaft as well as to the propeller shafts of the bow thruster. All that to say, we had the zincs replaced while the boat was out of the water. The recommendations I've seen say you should replace the zincs once they have deteriorated to 50% of their original size. In most cases it will be less expensive to pay a diver (Susan) to go underwater and replace your zincs for you but if the boat is already out of the water it makes sense to get it done then.
Once we were finished at the boat yard the boat was put back in the water and we took it out into Galveston Bay to sail it for a bit and make sure all the sails, running rigging, auto pilot, electronics and winches worked properly. Running rigging are the ropes that are used to move various things related to the sails. Those ropes, or lines, go by different names. Halyards are the lines that pull the sail up (mainsails up the mast, staysails up to the top of the forward stay), sheets are the lines that are used to trim the sails so they have the best position in relation to the wind in order to get the most speed.
Everything worked! And no sails fell down! Monday was a whopping 3 degrees warmer than Sunday with no rain and very little wind. We did not make great speed on our sea trial but it all worked well. I took the helm for a while but it doesn't take much effort to sail a boat in as light a wind as we had Monday. When we were satisfied that we had tested everything we headed back to the marina.
That pretty much covers the survey and sea trial. Once we finished up at the boat Susan and I went back to the bar and grill at the marina for a late lunch for the second day in a row. Though the food was good, that wasn't what brought us back. They have a fireplace and both days we sat as close as we could so we could put our feet in the fire and thaw them. Brrrr it was cold!
We've signed an offer with the few contingencies that need to be addressed for us to buy the boat, all of which we fully expect to be accepted by the owner. So in the next week or so we expect to close on this boat and start the next chapter of this adventure. I'm smiling at the thought of it. We're buying a sailboat!
Brian
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Let's try this again
Hi All,
It's been a bit since I updated the blog so I thought I'd take a few minutes to let you know the latest. The owner of My Liberty did accept our offer so we have the survey scheduled for Sunday the 28th with the haul out and last part of the survey to be done on Monday the 29th.
Over the last week all the stuff we bought at the St Petersburg Boat Show showed up in the mail. We've bought a satellite phone and a data device to hook up to it, it'll act like a modem so we can connect a computer or a router to it if we need emergency internet or email access. We went with GlobalStar which does not have coverage everywhere in the world but does cover all around the US and Caribbean. We haven't signed up for the service yet as you buy a number of minutes per month or year, no need to start that yet.
We also bought two self inflating life jackets and PLB's. The life jackets are very light and comfortable to wear so you WILL wear them and if you end up in the water, they will automatically inflate. They also have a stainless steel D ring built into them in order to connect a jackline. Jackline: think of a tether that you hook from you to a line that runs from one end of the boat to the other. You can now move from the front of the boat to the back of the boat and can't fall overboard. At least when you're up on deck by yourself at night or in bad weather the life jacket and jackline will always be used. There may be other times as well. Then there is the PLB or Personal Locator Beacon. PLB's, when activated, send a distress signal through a satellite, to NOAA and then the Coast Guard. The ones we bought also have GPS so they will transmit the location of the personal that has activated it. Turn it on and help is on the way. Not to be overly dramatic but if someone falls overboard while everyone else is below deck, finding that person may be very difficult. Knowing that the coast guard is coming and they know exactly where that PLB is will keep the level of panic down. Some, anyway.
We're a week away from the survey and sea trial and I'm very anxious for the week to pass. I think we're going to end up with this boat and I'm excited to get it done.
Nothing more to add for now and I probably won't post again until we're in Kemah. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. As someone famous once said, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."
Brian
It's been a bit since I updated the blog so I thought I'd take a few minutes to let you know the latest. The owner of My Liberty did accept our offer so we have the survey scheduled for Sunday the 28th with the haul out and last part of the survey to be done on Monday the 29th.
Over the last week all the stuff we bought at the St Petersburg Boat Show showed up in the mail. We've bought a satellite phone and a data device to hook up to it, it'll act like a modem so we can connect a computer or a router to it if we need emergency internet or email access. We went with GlobalStar which does not have coverage everywhere in the world but does cover all around the US and Caribbean. We haven't signed up for the service yet as you buy a number of minutes per month or year, no need to start that yet.
We also bought two self inflating life jackets and PLB's. The life jackets are very light and comfortable to wear so you WILL wear them and if you end up in the water, they will automatically inflate. They also have a stainless steel D ring built into them in order to connect a jackline. Jackline: think of a tether that you hook from you to a line that runs from one end of the boat to the other. You can now move from the front of the boat to the back of the boat and can't fall overboard. At least when you're up on deck by yourself at night or in bad weather the life jacket and jackline will always be used. There may be other times as well. Then there is the PLB or Personal Locator Beacon. PLB's, when activated, send a distress signal through a satellite, to NOAA and then the Coast Guard. The ones we bought also have GPS so they will transmit the location of the personal that has activated it. Turn it on and help is on the way. Not to be overly dramatic but if someone falls overboard while everyone else is below deck, finding that person may be very difficult. Knowing that the coast guard is coming and they know exactly where that PLB is will keep the level of panic down. Some, anyway.
We're a week away from the survey and sea trial and I'm very anxious for the week to pass. I think we're going to end up with this boat and I'm excited to get it done.
Nothing more to add for now and I probably won't post again until we're in Kemah. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. As someone famous once said, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night."
Brian
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