Outfitting vs. Cruise Ready Dilemma

[Cuttyhunk]

Originally Posted by DDabs

...I will probably purchase a handheld GPS for the trip down...

David

Hi, David,

I bought a boat in MD last spring and brought it north to RI in early May. Because I did not have confidence in the installed, elderly chartplotter (and later discovered it didn't even have charts north of the Chesapeake), I purchased a Lowrance Elite 5 chartplotter with Navionics Gold chart chip covering the entire US coast.

That model was being discontinued, and it was a special deal at the Defender Warehouse sale plus had a rebate, so it cost me $300 net of a $100 rebate. The current equivalent is

Lowrance Elite 5m HD Gold Chartplotter -- currently on sale at Defender for $445.55

or to have sounder capability built in, the

Lowrance Elite 5 HDI Gold Fishfinder/chartplotter at Defender for $469.99. This one has the capability to add a depth transducer, but it's not included.

Both of these come with Navionics Gold charts for the entire US coastal regions.

I mounted mine temporarily and attached a cigarette lighter plug to the power leads. I have a cig socket at my helm. This thing was a godsend for the trip. At 5", it's small but much better charts and easier to read than the Garmin 478 portable that was my other option. I did have full Chartkits as well for the trip. I like looking at the big paper chart to see what's ahead.

I second the Active Captain recommendation. It was extremely useful for my trip, and building the routes kept me amused in the interim between buying the boat and getting underway (about a month in our case).

[Horror Hotel]

Don't you notice the vast economic differences in your fellow cruisers? I'm a fabricator and builder of all things but sometimes the proper tool for the job is already manufactured. I'm a poor self employed guy, but I realize the benefits to having a quality unit to last me 20 years. If I drop anchor and find myself a tad to close to someone I can pull all 400lbs of ground tackle up in a jiffy and move. I've met more than one skipper who was bummed about moving because it would mean a 20 minute ordeal against the wind.

[lifeofreilly57]

Chartplotters are nice but good up to date charts are essential. You form a better picture in your mind when looking at a real chart, you can also draw in your routes with a trusty old number 2 pencil. Should the chartplotter quit unexpectadly you can always refer to the paper chart because of course you kept a log book with position updates while underway.
Always have a backup for your backup.

[TacomaSailor]

Waterman said : "This is no different. You can't swear to what works in our harsh marine environment if its only been tested at the dock. I can't take any one seriously who dropped a half mil on a cruising boat and after *5.5k NM docks the boat."

What you say above may be true about some pieces of sailing equipment.

I am sorry my experience with a Maxwell windlass on the SISTERSHIP to that being outfitted by the OP does not meet your standards for a reviewer to offer a qualified comment about the windlass. Here is my reasoning for why I felt qualified to offer a suggestion about the windlass.

I was only trying to tell the OP how our windlass had performed over the last 19 years in a Salt Water marine environment that ranges from Cape Scott at the North end of Vancouver Island to Zihuatenejo, 3000 miles to the Southeast. That marine environment included at least 400 nights of anchoring in the very hot and very salty Sea of Cortez and over 600 nights in the Salish Sea from Allen, WA to Nanaimo, BC.

The windlass has pulled the anchor from calm water depths of over 90 feet on the west coast of Vancouver Island to 35 knots of head winds in 35 feet of water with four foot seas in 106 degree sunshine. The windlass performed perfectly in 29 (F) degree sleet to 105 degree blowing spray.

The windlass has pulled 200 feet of 3/8" chain and 150' of 5/8" rode attached to a Burce 44 anchor and 300 feet of 5/16" chain attached to a Spade 66 pound anchor.

My experience with the windlass covered usage in:
- sheltered Salish Sea inland waters
- exposed Salish Sea waters
- very cold far N Pacific waters
- Coastal California waters
- inland SoCal waters
- exposed Western Baja California waters
- protected Sea of Cortez harbors
- very exposed Sea of Cortez anchorages
- very exposed Southern Mexico coastal anchorages
- sheltered Southern Mexico anchorages


The windlass has also hauled my fat body and several other not-so-fat guys up our mast.

I've rebuilt the windlass twice and did annual maintenance on it for 19 years.

I also used the Maxwell VWC 1200 windlass on a Tartan 42 that I sailed from Seattle thru the Salish Sea, down to San Diego, on to Puerto Vallarta, and back to San Diego - maybe 4,000 miles and several hundred nights of usage.

Waterman - I do hope the above list of experiences might reassure you that I do have the minimal experience with the Maxwell windlass to comment on it's utility and durability. If my experience is not sufficient to form a qualified opinion - please describe what experience is sufficient to offer an informed opinion about the utility and durability of a windlass.

[DDabs]

So far I've purchased and have been reading over Skipper Bob's guides to the ICW, which seem to have a ton of mile-by-mile info, as well as marinas and anchorages. Great stuff.

Beth, thanks for the info I was considering a handheld GPS but may think about a temporary unit instead, that I could keep as a backup once the main gear gets installed.

Paper charts will be on the boat at all times. I have a full set of FL charts from our old boat, and I think I'll purchase a set for the East coast as well.

Survey/Sea trial is set for Feb. 17th... getting excited!! Or am I not supposed to feel excited? Maybe I should go get a PHD in boatbuilding so I won't have to post stupid questions here and bother Oregon

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by DDabs

Well I have the survey scheduled for either the 17th or 18th, weather permitting. I will be in Miami the weekend of the 14th for the Strictly Sail show and hopefully to scout out some potential equipment.

So far my list to check out at the boat show is:
-Electronics (Raytheon, B&G, etc.)
-Refrigeration
-Storm sails
-Solar panels
Anything else in specific that I should check out? Obviously I will look at everything that is there, just making a short list at the moment.

Also, regarding the survey, I plan on being up in Maryland, but will I be able to be on the boat during the survey? Or will I need to give the surveyor his space and get out of his hair? I would prefer to follow him around and see all of the things he is inspecting. I have never performed a boat survey before. If anyone has any ideas on what I should look out for, that would be awesome. Thanks again to everyone for their replies on this thread, the support has been fantastic!

David

David, check around the ports carefully. Inspect by feeling/pressing on the area between the ports and the teak strip below and the area below that, the underside of the deck, that's covered with headliner material. When the ports leak, moisture comes down between the exterior fiberglass of the cabin and the white paneling of the interior. If a leak has gone unnoticed the wood under them will be soft. Also look for evidence of water dripping on the top edge of the saloon cushions below the ports, that will also be an indication of a leak. That was the only problem found, one leaking port, on my 2002 LRC.

When having a survey done, if the surveyor doesn't want you looking over his/her shoulder, get another surveyor. They should be willing to explain anything that you don't understand about the boat. On that topic, I seem to remember you mentioning that your broker recommended the surveyor. Just my $ .02, but I wouldn't use someone the either broker, buying or selling, recommends, too much conflict of interest.

[Oregon Waterman]

"Who the hell are you to assume how much time and research I've spent in the past 5 years regarding this boat?"

Sorry to rustle your jimmies there pal...but if what you say is true-5 years of research into this boat and yet you come here to ask which windlass to buy...I don't know, seems sketchy to me. I had a good analogy but my 30 seconds per post time is almost up.

Up thread, yes, different economics at work here. Those with money buy, those with skills build. I am lucky in that I have both. I have one because of the other. Or both because I once only had one. Uh, yeah.

And Jerry, really? Really? Mirador hasn't moved in years and yet...ok, no low hanging fruit for me, I get it.

I will try to bug out again but when my user name pops up I get these notifications...I don't mind, ya'll is funny and I am learning so much!

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by Oregon Waterman

I will tip my hat to Mr. Tacoma, he spoke of hauling a rode/anchor as being way too hard for any mortal to do so a powered windlass is a must.... so I spent a few days setting the bow (35 lb.)and the stern anchor (35 lb.) and then hauling them up by hand, in our silty sand bottomed bay no less. Sometimes, I didn't even use gloves! Just wasn't the difficult chore he made it out to be and I benefited greatly from the practice, learned a lot about my boat, cleaned my gear and can now drop both, set them and get them up and safely stored (200' feet/50 chain/150 rope) in thirty minutes if I don't hurry (who hurries on a boat?).

I leave the hauling of the little lunch anchor (the 35 pounder with chain) to my 110 lb. wife, she doesn't use gloves either. We use the windlass for the real one, the 33kg.

[Oregon Waterman]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

I leave the hauling of the little lunch anchor (the 35 pounder with chain) to my 110 lb. wife, she doesn't use gloves either. We use the windlass for the real one, the 33kg.

Do you use a powered windlass for the "real one"?

[Red Sky]

Of course, I'm not a Luddite. I also have a real marine head and, gasp, refrigeration.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by DDabs

Also, regarding the survey, I plan on being up in Maryland, but will I be able to be on the boat during the survey? Or will I need to give the surveyor his space and get out of his hair? I would prefer to follow him around and see all of the things he is inspecting. I have never performed a boat survey before. If anyone has any ideas on what I should look out for, that would be awesome. Thanks again to everyone for their replies on this thread, the support has been fantastic!

David

The surveyor I've used twice in this area insisted on me being there, and educated me quite a lot about boat stuff -- and surveying -- during the process. And that meant following him around...

-Chris

[DDabs]

Awesome, good to know

[TacomaSailor]

"And Jerry, really? Really? Mirador hasn't moved in years and yet...ok, no low hanging fruit for me, I get it."

And I am proud of it!

We've turned into lazy live aboard people. Bicycling, hiking, walking, socializing in the beautiful San Diego sunshine are a painful and terrible lifestyle, but someone has 'gotta do it!

My blog is only written for cruising adventures so none of my SoCal local sailing gets written up. Is that not the way I should do it?

[Oregon Waterman]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

"And Jerry, really? Really? Mirador hasn't moved in years and yet...ok, no low hanging fruit for me, I get it."

And I am proud of it!

We've turned into lazy live aboard people. Bicycling, hiking, walking, socializing in the beautiful San Diego sunshine are a painful and terrible lifestyle, but someone has 'gotta do it!

My blog is only written for cruising adventures so none of my SoCal local sailing gets written up. Is that not the way I should do it?

Yeah, you write what ever ya want there Jerry, its yours ya know.


I have a boat because I surf. My boat will get to me the surf, get to places I would not otherwise get to without planes, bimo's, water taxi's and panga's and a bit of money.
Ownership of a sailing vessel means different things to people...For me... It is nothing more than a conveyance to surf spots. After its trip to Manzanillo, I may take it to all of my favorite spots, Fiji, Bali, Padang, the Phillipines, places I have surfed over the years. When I am done with her there, I will hand her over to the first traveler I meet that I feel worthy, gratis. If she requires more work and money to get her to the South Pacific, she will stay in Manzanillo and function as an apartment and short passage sailer. I have a home there and four moorage balls available to me. (There were 8 but Marty...as you well know...)
That's my boat and me. Nothing fancy, very slow, mostly used gear but very, very safe at Sea.

I didn't mean any disrespect to you nor Mr. OP, know this that in my heart, I think you two are good kids. I cannot see why you two do the things you do with time and money but it is not a judgement I make, just observations.
Putting my thoughts out there in this thread means nothing really, just a waterman who has been long retired, has his "screw you" money and has life pretty much locked up. My circumstances make me cynical but generous, semi-polite but brutally honest.

I was just in San Diego (buying sailboat gear but don't tell any one) and yes, you too have it made. Enjoy what you and your wife have built and do not let any one detract from that, especially me.
You know what you know.


Now, what cure do you have for these three 30 inch turnbuckles I am staring at in my shop?
Slightly rusty but solid...I have used heat, graphite, penetrating spray, a rather large vice, cheater pipes, three heavy set friends yet not a mm of movement in the locknuts....I am in them two hours now.
Let me think as you..."buy new ones because you are spending way too much time fixing these"

That's right, buy new ones!

See? You do have some thing, even for cheap bastards like me!
(sounded funny and olive branch-y in my head)
Take care, Waterman

[DDabs]

It's all good