One week to go

[waynemonastra]

HI There, everybody

I have now just one week to go before i move on to my boat. I have given notice at my flat a few weeks ago, and now have started the pack everything up and put it into storage.

I hope to sort out the boat this week, and slowly move on to it towards the weekend.
It will be kept at the local yard on a stand for a few weeks while i do some work to it ( when im not working ) I have alot of things to do this week,
and want to get a canvas waterproof cover made as soon as possible to put over the boom and to cover the cockpit and make the cabin feel larger.

I also want to spend the next few weeks while is out of the water and make it as self surficiant as i can I have seen solar panels that i may look at getting to keep the battery topped up.
I have decided on the following for entertainment while Im on board.

I will get a mp3 player or ipod, and download all my cds and dvds on to that and get a bracket mounted in the nav area for the player, and get in wired up to the 4 speakers already in the boat.
I will go to an electronics store and buy on of those portable dvd screens ( say no more than 6 inches in length) and mount that on the bulkhead between the dinette and forward cabin.
plug that in to the player and i can watch dvds ar listen to music when ever i like.
so with the above and the lights and gps (that came with the boat) those are the only electronics I will have. I want to keep it as simple as possible, and have the solar panels to keep the batts topped up.

Now if i can do this and do it right over the next few weeks before winter really sets in i can get the boat into the water by the end of may.
and it would be great not to have to rely on shore power..

Now in really open to advice about what brand of mp3 player or ipod i should get, I will get a proper marine sparky to install it so it will look hopefully really professional when it is done.

Im looking forward to moving on the boat as it has been along time coming.
Im not shore what i will end up doing with all the stuff i will have in storage only time will tell weater or not i have a use for it again.

I only have a week or so with regular use of a computer after that i hope to be able to use the one at work to stay in touch so if anyone has and ideas or thoughts I would love to hear from you and can read them this week.

If i cant get back on this week the next time i do i will be on the boat, (on land ) but still on the boat.

I wish all you other people out there the best of luck to make your dream happen as fast as mine.
it is very exciting and nerve racking at the same time but i think that in this very hectic world we live in it is one of the best things we can do.
just remember if you really want it to happen it will happen.

if i can figure out how to work the didgy camera i will post a photo of the boat on the site.

by for now.

[CaptainK]

Well wayne.

From the good ole' CaptianK himself. I wish you the best of luck. And now that you're a boat owner. Welcome to the club!!

Now all your money will be thrown into the hole in the water. You wallet will empty now more faster than ever!!

But it's a fact of life for a boat owner!!

[waynemonastra]

Hi there

Thanks for the thought, I agree with the throwing money away, but its all part of the fun isnt it??

My boat is small enough that i hope to be sailing it while others are spending there free time working on theres, so at this stage im not to worried, in fact i dont have anything else to spend my hard earned money on so i dont mind splashing out on my new home.But i have done the sums and i can actually save more money doing it this way than i could if i owned a house.

[Charlie]

Hello Wayne:

Congrats are in order. Good luck with the move. What did you decide on the heater. Never been to Christchurch in winter but being so far South it looks bloody cold.

Don't know too much about Ipod's etc. but I read on onw post (and I don't remember where) that these people had an Ipod loaded with all their music and it gave up the ghost in less than a year. I would think that the best thing you could do is pay the extra money for the extended warranty and just count on losing the electronics after awhile. my other thought would be to get a laptop with a dedicated hard drive for your music.

Charlie

[ssullivan]

Hi Wayne,

Great news! Glad to hear you are ready to go! As for the iPod, I've had one for maybe 4 or 5 years now? It's never had any problems, except a software crash that was easily reset. We use it on the boat now, and I used it on my last boat. We used it when living ashore at the gym and it has been bounced around quite a bit.

It still runs just fine.

[waynemonastra]

Hi Charlie

Thanks for your reply ( and Sean as well) The heater I will use is a small oil filled radiator type as I will have unlimited use of shore power until the boat is ready to cut its ties for good (and rely on my own skills) and the heater is in no danger of doing any damage if knocked over. I have got a price today on a boom tent ($270 NZ) is that good or not?? and it will work out the same price even if I bought the fabric and made it myself.
as i cant afford $1000+ for a dodger yet I will get the boom tent abit longer to cover the entrance to the cabin so it should work out fine.

I will be ringing round the stores today for a price and advice on the mp3 players and ipods, so i will let you know what i end up with.

Sean I had alook at your website and was wondering what type of tv screen you use for your dvds and how did you install it, and what brand you recommend.

Thanks for your help eveyone.

Wayne

Wayne, Sean and I both have the Sharp Aquos 22" TV I recommend against the 6" screen. It will drive you buggy unless you just want to occasionaly use it to watch a game or the news. Even on a small boat, you should be able to find a place for a 15" screen. I would also recommend making a space for your CD's and DVD's. An Ipod is a computer, and as such will eventually crash, and you will lose everything. Remember, although you will need to be thrifty about your space, living aboard a boat should not feel like camping. If it does, it will grow tedious very fast. Prioritize and adapt. Make room for the comforts that are important, and compromise on the less important things.

[waynemonastra]

Hi there

Thanks for that I was/have been approching some parts of the liveaboard life as an extenstion to my alpine and camping trips, the only difference is that I will use real sheets on the beds instead of a sleeping bag.
I do know that as i get used to living on a boat and in a smaller space i will adapt the boat to the way a home on a boat is to be, and it will be awesome.Im really looking forward to it alot. It just make take abit of time to get used to it.

Thanks

Wayne

The transition is not too bad. You will get no better night's sleep than that aboard a boat. IMO the smaller space is a benefit. I like the organization of the smaller space.

[S/V Elusive]

re: smaller spaces - Of course it does help if you are not a larger person.

re: computers and communication - I believe there is a tread to that on this board (http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...splay.php?f=13) & (http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...splay.php?f=50) perhaps?

I use my cell phone to access the internet with my computer. While I use (and abuse?) the "free" time - after 9pm and on weekends - it IS available to me other times if I want to spend my minutes that way. Being a frugal person I bought the special cable and software from Verizon, and use their free ISP. The downside to that is that it is at 14.4 kbps If I wanted to pay an additional $20 / mth, I could get faster access .. but it would still use my minutes if used in prime time.

Do not know if that is an option in OZ.

Good luck and enjoy!