Equipment for Round-the-World Cruising (33', 1975 Boat)

[witzgall]

Might I suggest you read Beth Leonard's "The Voyager's Handbook". It poses and attempts to answer alot of the questions you have raised.

We have a Volvo 2003 as well, and have owned the two cyl version as well. In your engine spare parts kit, I would add a complete set of sealing rings for the cooling system, and if yours is fresh water cooled, several sets of the seals for the pipes going into and out of the heat exchanger. Also get a set of round profile o-rings, as sometimes, adding one of those in addition to the flat volvo ones (o-ring on first, then volvo flat) has been the only thing we have done to get them to seal.

Also include:
Spare starter and alternator - look to ebay for reasonable replacements
Spare water pump">raw water pump, or a rebuild kit.
impellers, etc.

Chris

[Adelie]

Evans has covered most of the things I would have.

I would up the water tankage to 300l. There a lot places where water is scarce or expensive. Especially thru parts of the South Pacific.

Given that your boats is 3600kg, and fully loaded it is unlikely to top 5500kg, a manual windlass would save you a significant amount of money. The windlass itself will be cheaper and you won't have to add the heavy wiring for an electric windlass.

In either case make sure you have chainstoppers for the anchors and oversized cleats all around the boat.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

It honestly sounds like you are in pretty good shape and on the right track.

World cruising is defined as "fixing your boat in a series of exotic harbours', so take all your tools, and remember the less 'stuff' you installed the less you will have to fix (and more time to actually cruise).

Have you looked at your likely electrical balance? On a boat your size you will not be able to fit a massive battery pack, so will need to be careful. Find some electrically thrifty laptops - regular ones are real power hogs, and consider led lights (Especially the masthead nav and anchor lights) and double check that your fridge is well insulated.

Any suggestions?

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Good Luck!

Evans, I would suggest that the climbing harness is best supplemented by two pairs of steps: one at the first spreader for looking for coral heads, and another near the mast top to stand while fixing nav lights, antennas or other annoyances. There's also an advantage in certain situations to being able to look out from 40 feet up. If I had a total electrical failure and couldn't get a good sextant fix, but I thought I was near land, looking out from the mast top is quite liable to give you a view of clouds or hilltops (and thereby a bearing to them) that you would never get from the deck.

Steps at the mast top also means you can safely clip on and the other crew doesn't have to stand by the winch until you are done your tasks.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Any suggestions?

I am using ASUS eeePC netbooks with 10.2 and 12 inch screens running OpenCPN. They take USB GPS "pucks" or can take serial inputs, Ethernet or can work wirelessly aboard.

Used for nav, PDF of diagrams and manuals, and as an interface with SSB e-mail and GRIB files, they are certainly powerful enough to cope with any shipboard computing needs...but they weigh about a kilo, last eight hours on battery and the chargers are tiny.

At 300-400 dollars each, I can bring three or four and duplicate all charts. My caveat is that I have a pilothouse, and therefore a dry place to keep them. They won't stand the wet like a "rugged" laptop, but they are cheap and could fit inside a pretty compact "dry box", like the Pelican types.

[Boracay]

As a backup what about a basic Garmin GPS (treat it like your Mum's best crystal...)?

I'd also think about a radar. For those times when you're near the coast and not quite sure where you are (never happened to me...) or when you really want to know where those other boats are (esp. at night).

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Evans, I would suggest that the climbing harness is best supplemented by two pairs of steps: one at the first spreader for looking for coral heads, and another near the mast top to stand while fixing nav lights, antennas or other annoyances.

Yes, lots of cruisers do that. I just sit on the spreaders, and when going to the masthead I take up a pair of étriers (short climbing webbing ladders)

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I am using ASUS eeePC netbooks with 10.2 and 12 inch screens running OpenCPN.

Agreed the netbooks or Ipad are good. For a full fledged pc I have an ASUS UL30v that is reasonably battery thrifty (but still a lot of juice when on a tight watt budget).

[roverhi]

I'd look into getting a windvane as my prioirty purchase. The vane will steer day in, day out without complaint and doesn't need to be fed a constant supply of electrons or suffer from the incompatibility of electronics and saltwater. On your boat, a vane should steer in all but DDW sailing with a spinnaker. Rig up your tiller pilot to the vane and you have a very low draw autopilot sailing under spinnaker. You should be able to run wing and wing with the vane DDW without any issues. In the States used vanes come up fairly regularly for quite a discount over new. Monitors seem to be going for around $2,000. There are a bunch of manufacturers out there and assume that most pendulum servo vanes will do you just fine. Ebay and Craig's List are the best sources for used equipment in the States. Assume there is something like Craig's List in Europe.

A chart plotter is a nice to have item but chart chips can get quite pricey especially for around the world. Would explore the used market for used navigation chips. It would seem that you could buy chips on the used market if there was a way to list them for sale. Does Garmin sell their 4208 with a complete Euro map set?? The US 4208 comes with a complete US chart set built in. A computer will work though it shouldn't be brought into the cockpit unless you are prepared to throw it away. Accidents do happen and they do not tolerate saltwater.

Your best and cheaper battery set up would be two 6v golf cart batteries in series. That would give approximately 225 amps. We found that more than adequate for our needs but we did not/do not have refrigeration. About 200 watts of solar generating capacity will make your life at anchor way more enjoyable. The less you have to run the engine the longer it will last, the lower the fuel costs and the happier you will be. Forget a gas generator, get solar panels. Switch all your lighting to LEDs and you'll cut your electrical cosumption for lighting to almost nothing.

We survived without refrigeration. It's a big BIG energy hog in warm water and not all that much of a convenience. Then there is the maintenance issue. Refrigeration seems to be right up there with electronics for crapping out. We ate very well off the local economy and found things like fresh greens needed replenishment several times a week, refrigeration or not. Of course it helped that my wife is a very creative cook but Lobster Newburg is kind of hard to screw up. Surprizing how much better things like cheese taste at room temp.

There are situations where a life raft could be a life saver. Unfortunately, it seems to be an excuse for poor seamanship by too many boaters. People are just too anxious to jump down into a life raft rather than stay with a viable boat. Too many boats are found drifting with their life raft and crew missing. If you do get a life raft, make it an unwritten law that you will only step UP into it if you decide to use it.

Get an Epirb with GPS. It will greatly increase your chances of being found. No reason not to get a GPS Epirb.

Might explore getting a Ham radio license and going with Ham HF SSB gear. Ham maritime mobile nets around the world and free email with a Pactor modem. I would put this down the list but a nice to have item for keeping in touch with home, other boats, and weather.

Get a good inflatable dinghy. We rowed an Avon Red Crest around and found it to be great for diving as well as transportation. Because it has two air chambers fore and aft, stowed it half inflated under the boom. Made a nice lounge area and could be quickly deployed when we needed it. Not very fond of outboards. Getting fuel can be a problem, storing it always is and their unreliable nature convinced us to turn ours into a fish aggregating device. Might think about a hard dink. A sailing dinghy can open up a large area to explore without muscle power, they row easier, two dinghies are a convenience with two of you onboard. Think of it as two dink/car convenience.

Disable pressure water system and use foot pumps for salt and freshwater. That will cut your water usage down tremendously. Rigging up an awning as a water catch device and possibly setting up your main sail to catch water will keep you in water except in arid regions. We cruised for more than a year without ever needing to Schlep water to the boat. Passing showers kept our tanks full. If you anticipate spending a lot of time in arid regions, a watermaker has some merit. Still, if you are at all frugal with your water, you'll get by without it. If you have to take multiple showers every day, then you'll need a huge water maker and the power to run it constantly.

Steps to the spreaders should be adequate. You'll be doing a lot of navigating from the spreaders in SoPac. Nice to have a quick and easy way to get up there. If you have to go higher up the mast, a climbing harness and gear will get your there.

Good luck on your adventure. Your living aboard experience will put you in good stead for deciding what you really need.

[xxuxx]

And always the need for back up when things go wrong. A Lunistar is a must for any bluewater afventure.

[atoll]

i reccomend getting an engineer,or your self if confident to remove and inspect the" oil cooler heat exchanger" on the 2003 volvo as there is a design fault that causes a catastruphic failure with the oil coolers on these engines.

the body is alumilium,the insert is copper nickel the end plates are bronze with a stainless bolt through the middle and two orings keeping the oil from mixing with the cooling water.

in engines older than 5 years corrosion sets in and water mixes with the oil destroying the engine.

worth checking as ive seen this happen many times on the 2003 t volvo.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Steinsvik

What have we missed, and what do you think about this budget?

At the lower end of the budget a standalone ais reciever doesn't cost much and gives you very useful info for very little power.


And something like a degen 1103 ssb reciever is great for recieving weatherfaxes if you don't go the ssb/ham radio route.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Steinsvik

Hello fellow cruisers!

Carter 33

JRC 1000 Radar
Sailor RT2048 VHF
an ancient GPS
an AirBreeze wind generator
a diesel heater
Volvo Penta 2003

fresh water supply is about 150 liters (+25 liters hot water).

What have we missed, and what do you think about this budget?

-Kjell Arne & Kristine (Norway)

Hej!

The budget is enough. Provided you buy smart and buy the essentials first, optional extras last.

The essentials are a strong and sound boat, hull, mast, rigging, rudder and sails adequate for extended offshore work. Sufficient water tankage. Wind-vane very high on the list even if not a must-have. I would carry an autopilot as a back-up to the vane too. I would carry some form of a kite too (or a very light genoa).

An engine and sea toilet are both very desired. Alternative power options and energy-efficient electric/-onics very desirable. You will need some charts and some navigation equipment. It is good to have a sextant and know how to use it (or at least have a good book on how to use it and the almanacs onboard). I would use some form of collision avoidance aid.

>> Our question then is if we should buy a watermaker.
Nice-have, but one can go without.

>> fresh water supply is about 150 liters (+25 liters hot water).
Add extra tanks, count 1.5 liter/person/day an absolute viking bare minimum. Jerry cans tied to the deck work OK.

>> new sails (main & genoa): $6,400
can buy them probably chepaer, e.g.:
Kinnevikens Segelmakeri, segelmakare, segel, segelmakeri, segling, seglare
get new sails and take the old ones as spares,
get a kite,

>> Emergency life raft: $1,200
Check out UK prices, you will be sailing by UK,

>> EPIRB w/GPS: $1,100
see above, PLB an option, check out things like Spot, Yellowbrick, DeLorme inReach, etc.

>> wind wane:$5,500
check out WindPilot, they trade at EUR 2500,

>> mast steps: $1,000
you can save 30-50% by making ratlines up to the first spreader,

>> anchor winch: $1,500
nice, make sure you carry plenty of anchor and rode choice, I would recommend at least three hooks of varied design, big and heavy main anchor too,

>> navigation plotter: $1,000
a netbook (EUR200) at the table and a gps at the help (EUR100) will do 99% of the same tricks, take a spare GPS, a spare netbook too,

>> We are also considering buying an Iridium 9555 satellite phone,
see comments on comms above, options: Inmarsat sat phone
all nice to have but not must-haves

Replace the vital standing rigging - forestay and top shrouds and backstay. Take the old ones along. Check turnbuckles and chainplates.

Then you will need some sort of a dink and some people like to have a small outboard. I like dinks that row well and if they sail to then you are all set.

I would consider a decent autopilot as a backup (about EUR1500 for G model Ray e.g. 4000GT).

I would also buy an AIS, receiver as a minimum (EUR200) but a transceiver is a nice thing if you can afford one (upwards of EUR500).

I would get some solar power too. I would build sun awning while at home, make sure the boat has dodger and bimini and lee canvas round the cockpit.

I would go with new batteries unless yours have been well cared for and are less than 1 year old (or older - if you use quality stuff)..

I would make sure the galley is good for another 3 years, as is the toilet. Take spares for the toilet.

Take some spares for the engine - the things you can fix yourself. Make sure the engine has two diesel filters.

Convert your nav lights to LED. Convert your cabin lights to new fluo (220Volt, inverter) or LED (12 Volt).

Take quality foul wx clothing.

Depend on robustness, reliability, quality. Then back-up the bare essentials too.

Cheers,
b.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by xxuxx

And always the need for back up when things go wrong. A Lunistar is a must for any bluewater afventure.

What is a Lunistar?

[Adelie]

If you were feeling very adventurous about your sails, you could replace your boom with a longer model, add a bowsprit about 3/4-2/3 what you lengthened the boom and add a staysail. Your boat is kind of marginal for sail area for a cruising boat given how much it will increase in displacement when loaded for cruising. You are replacing sails anyway so the cost difference would be almost entirely for the rigging.

The rigging for the staysail would provide a lot of redundant support for the mast, always a good thing.

On the other hand being in the EU there might be regulatory hurdles to doing this to your boat.

[NorthPacific]

In same mode due to head out 2013, but 20years behind you.

Same sort of list.
Yes to life raft

I just bought a capehorn steering system. Guaranteed for 28000 miles and guaranteed to sail down wind in light air. Also you can steer the boat with a cheap tiller pilot.

Might want to think about sea anchor?