Micah's belayed greeting and sundry uninteresting info

[micah719]

Ahoy there mateys!

Would have posted here first if I'd found it sooner. Thank you all for RF, and for tolerating this hairy scoundrel in your midst.

Born early seventies in German to Belgian father, German mother. Emigrated with them at age three years to lovely Australia. My opinion not sought at the time, in hindsight, Good Move!

Grew up in Oz, short stint back in Germany and then joined the Army downunder. Various escapades and sundry dastardly accomplishments in places one enjoys leaving.

After that, a life of variety and mostly quiet desperation trying to figure out the world and myself. Learned some things, lost some things, but the grace of God most evident when looking back and wondering why I'm still above ground. Some lovely ships passed in the night, still seeking the one to raft up to permanently. No more ad-hoc bareboat charter cruises in the meantime, it's either sailing in company or singlehanding.

At the moment, high and dry about 900ft above sea level in backwoods Germany, yearning to cast off the uneaqual yoke of what is facetiously called civilisation, or at least reduce the dosage. Dad passed on some years ago, Mum is still soldiering on and I'll be in her neighbourhood while she's still with us.

Using the time now to prepare the Great Escape to Sea. Previous experience with the sea mostly stinkpotting (see bottom of page for photographic evidence of this heinous crime) in dinghies, power boats to 14m, landing craft, tugs and LARCS (ultimate dinghies!). Limited sailing experience, but this is the bug that has bitten me and I'm permanently addicted. You're never too old to learn, or drown, or something.

After much research and mental contortions and learning from other's successes or almost ran's, my dream boat and gear is firming up in my mind:

Steel hull and masts, wood/alloy/bamboo spars (still firming up various aspects). Internal frames, longitudinal stringers, lapstrake (yes, in steel....this is an unusual and strong boat).
Colin Archer/James Caird principles of heavy weather ability and self-righting
Center Cockpit.
Junk Schooner rig with options of two large junk sails or one storm trysail directly above CC (stayed between foremast bitts and mainmast head, loose foot). I'm not in a hurry, but from a beam reach forward I'll surprise you.
Prefer no engine at all, still nutting out possible electric drive option for singlehanded close quarters maneuvring. This would mean panels, windmill, drogue dynamo, genset for emergency power/welding and inadvertently frying customs agents and/or self with bodgied up electric lifelines (that last was a joke)
Interior layout still mutating, probably the most laborious braingrinding of the whole design. Prefer combination timber varnished/painted, tiles in places, this is a boat to make a real sailor's giblets tingle, not a floating lounge or gin palace. Final fitout probably in region where nice timber is cheap.
Large hard hull dinghy of the Wherry/Whaler type, mainly oars and sail, possible electric outboard, worst case a small reliable outboard.
Anchor.....one of every kind available, to satisfy every cruiser's foibles and prevent endless argument threads....coupled together in a double chain/rode type King Arthur's circle to prevent accusations of favouritism.
JSD off the stern for really heavy seas, sensible liferaft to tow behind dinghy or for the kids to paddle in on shore.
Parasail, perhaps with backpack motor, just because I think they're cool.
Navigation by anything I can lay my mitts on, starting with the simplest and most reliable. Sun, stars and watch have already done me better than good fancy gear in the hands of rubes.
No television. Haven't had one in 10 years, stupid enough as it is without external assistance.
No guns, unless the laws change and I can have my CIWS on the mastead, Mk19/BMG.50 in the cockpit and an RPG in my ankle pocket as a holdout. In the meantime, I have my intercontinental ballistic beard roller-furled and ready to unleash on the foolish at all times. Be afraid. Or be friendly, I'm quite cuddly and charming, really.

A few more personal details if you're still here...lots of books pass before me, my music tastes are leaning ever more strongly toward "the older the better", as long as it is tasteful and wholesome (ask again if this is puzzling/intriguing). Alcohol and all good things in moderation, and grace and patience toward all (this is hard, and not just for me).

That's it for now, looking forward to slogging the hard mile of preparation and meeting a CF'er out there somewhere sometime.

Btw, my first name is the same as a famous lebanese australian hairdresser, and my surname is the same as the bloke below...not sure if we're related, but permit me my fantasies.



And here is Exhibit A, your honour. The gentleman on the left is Dad, the idiot holding the painter is the defendant, and the blurry bit bottom right foreground is Mum's finger. Location is Raby Bay boatramp of Redlands Boat Club Cleveland Qld about 1987.



Fair winds and a snug harbour, and splice the mainbrace please.

[Khagan1227]

Welcome again Micah.

Looks like you have chart for your future already laid out!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you posting here and that was a great introduction. I got to spend 4 years in Stuttgart compliments of the U. S. Navy and found Germany and the surrounding countries great to visit. That was 40 years ago.
kind regards,

[micah719]

Thanks Captains Khagan and John!

Captain Khagan: Looks like you have chart for your future already laid out!

I hope it's a more accurate chart than some I've tried navigating by. It will be some years before I even get the opportunity to live near saltwater again, so in the meantime a lot of learning and planning. CF is great for that, good to hear from real sailors.

Captain John: I got to spend 4 years in Stuttgart compliments of the U. S. Navy and found Germany and the surrounding countries great to visit.

Up until 4 years ago all I did was visit, too.....visiting is better. Btw, isn't Stuttgart a bit far from the USN's usual stomping grounds? Nice links too, very informative....you're on my list of brains to pick.

[deckofficer]

A few links, write-ups, and pictures for your hybrid diesel-electric considerations. That is what I'm planning next time out.

Integration of systems

[micah719]

Oooo, very nice link; thank you sir!

I've played with the idea of getting a nice diesel genset and using that as the powersource for all the welding/grinding, which would greatly simplify the choice of a place to build, and result in me becoming very familiar with that engine/alternator...and when it's all done, winch it aboard as the primary fuel-powered energy source. Long time to go until that is possible, so it's just a little chalk scribble on the giant mental blackboard. Already a few scrubouts courtesy of CF'ers, and much new material. Boats are never really finished and complete, are they....

[SkiprJohn]

Yes, Stuttgart is a bit far from the sea but sometimes the U. S. Navy has strange things for sailors to do in out of the way places.

38' Steel Pilot House Motor Sailor Offshore Cruiser

Here's something I saw on craigslist advertised on one of our islands. I don't know the boat but the price is right depending on condition of course.

kind regards,

[micah719]

Wow, I could just about afford that now....but Hawaii? It would have to stay somewhere out there; the EU and some marina would skin my wallet alive, continually, if I brought her here. If I knew someone in Hawaii that would be able to look after her it might have worked.

But, it would be a serious contender if and when I get myself un-landlocked again. That depends on family considerations, and I'm not looking forward to crossing that bridge when it comes...but cross it I must, sometime, and life goes on. Hmmm, I could even live on it while I build my dream mistress, and keep it as a floating base. Two boats are better than one!

Thanks for the link!

[Nemo55]

Welcome Micah, although i haven't the sailing experience of these other fellahs, although i have spent time commercial fishing when i was younger, And i was a pretty damn good mechanic and inventor, so your plans are exciting me to say the least.
I crossed the bridges a while ago,but as to your own...may your journey be calmer than mine.
Maybe we'll cross paths in the future and hoist a few, Hail Fellow,gentle winds for now.

[micah719]

Thanks Nemo....and thanks for your blog; hang in there, you'll find a way to get Tamara free.

Have you tried a different entry point? No idea what it's like over there, but in this little town I had no end of trouble with provincial small-mindedness, cost me 10 years of bureaucrat-tennis and a fortune in time and money. Finally tried a different approach and got through the paperwork maze in record time. Blasted oxygen thieves....

Maybe we'll cross paths in the future and hoist a few, Hail Fellow,gentle winds for now.

I'll be sure to keep a good lookout; we're likely to be in the same patch of water....and by then, you can teach me something about sailing. Never give up! Churchill said that....

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by micah719

Oooo, very nice link; thank you sir!

I've played with the idea of getting a nice diesel genset and using that as the powersource for all the welding/grinding, which would greatly simplify the choice of a place to build, and result in me becoming very familiar with that engine/alternator...and when it's all done, winch it aboard as the primary fuel-powered energy source. Long time to go until that is possible, so it's just a little chalk scribble on the giant mental blackboard. Already a few scrubouts courtesy of CF'ers, and much new material. Boats are never really finished and complete, are they....

You will find some weight savings by having a diesel genset produce DC for welding and charging ship's batteries over a conventional AC output genset. For one, I always thought in the days of inverters, it was redundant for an AC output genset that has to run at an rpm that is divisible by the output frequency, i.e., 1800 or 3600 for 60 hz and 1500 or 3000 for 50 hz. Much better to run at close to full load than lightly loaded, and charging batteries while at the same time providing DC for propulsion will assure a well loaded diesel.

[micah719]

Wait....you mean run the genset with an alternator (a/c), to charge dc batteries? Not sure if I understand..I was hoping to have a pure DC boat (with an inverter for things that need a/c, of which I hope to have few, or better none). Edison is welcome aboard, Westinghouse not so much, for all the complications.

Also, I'm tending against the idea of having the diesel connected to a propshaft. From what I've pieced together already, it would be more efficient to run the dc genset at its best rpm to power the main electric motor, like D/E locomotives and subs do...with the benefit of being able to freewheel the prop when desired, for charging.

What I am considering, is having a PTO to run a large pump...that way the diesel genny doubles as a high-capacity pump for emergency bilge pumping, or just filling the dinghy when I want to have a jacuzzi on deck, or things like that. The idea of a non-electric water expelling device appeals to me.

[deckofficer]

That is what I mean, DC only except for what your inverter feeds. Look at some of the systems on that link. My desire is to have a fully electric galley and electric powered dinghy. No propane or gasoline on board. Enough solar to handle daily domestic needs, and enough storage in a 48 volt bank to allow 40 nm without running the DC output generator. The inverter would run off the 48 volt propulsion bank, that way when a galley appliance requires 1500 watts, instead of pulling 125 amps from a 12 volt battery, it is pulling 31 amps from the 48 volt bank.

[micah719]

Ok, gotcha now.

40nm....6 hours or so of useful power? Good quality deep-cycles, or expensive lithiums. That would be high on the scrounging list....

[deckofficer]

For me lithium, as they have down enough in cost and with their cycle life, are now cheaper than AGMs, plus the boat is a weight sensitive cat.