Westward: What Do I Need To Bring?

[rebel heart]

We're planning on doing the puddle jump in the spring, leaving from Mexico. I've heard about power transformers and LPG adapters. Just curious if there are any other fittings, doo-dads, or adapters that it would be handy to pick up here before we split.

We're planning on following the normal south pacific route, dropping down to New Zealand, and spending a year or so down there.

I feel pretty comfy with our boat, spares, and stuff to trade. I'm more concerned about electricity in New Zealand (shore power), LPG, and just any other weirdness like that.

[estarzinger]

I have carried a couple lpg adapters for 16 years, and never used/needed them.

Our battery charger takes all freqs (50 & 60hz) and voltages (90 to 240), and we run all AC off the inverter ( rather than direct from shore power). So we just need to go to the local hardware shore to buy a local plug, to get electricity in any destination.

[rebel heart]

Evan;

That's how I've got mine set up right now. Everything is off the inverter. If I need more juice for running tools I just plug into the little Honda generator. My friends in New Zealand said that the winters get pretty cool and an electric heater dockside has been a good addition. I'd sort of like to run that directly from the shore power rather than charger-batteries-inverter.

I want to get a new battery charger so I'll look for one with a wife range of input frequencies and voltages regardless.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Eric,

Sounds like you have it pretty well dialed in. The multi-voltage charger that we ended up with is from Pro-Mariner, and it has worked without flaw for several years, used in much the same way that you propose. Don't know about NZ, but in Oz they still use the sort of LPG connectors that we used before the switch to the current "safe" ones. That sort has been common in the SP, except for the French places where they use something different. Imagine that! the French doing something different...

Once in NZ you will be able to pick up 240 volt heaters at any hardware or big supermarket type store, and they are not dear, so no sweat there. If your boat is wired for US type mains electricity, be sure to take a few spare plugs and sockets, for they are not available, and the Kiwi/Oz jobs are big, clunky, and incompatible.

And as to the winters... that's when any reasonable yottie heads back up to the tropics, 'cause it does get cold, even in the so called "sub tropical north". We had ice on the docks in Whangaparoa in early June one time when we failed to leave on time!

Sounds like you guys are doing just fine, so keep on keeping on.

Cheers,

Jim

[rebel heart]

Jim;

Thanks, I'll check out that charger and grab some plugs.

Part of why we want to hang out in New Zealand for a full year (or more) is because we want to enjoy Micronesia and with our youngest so ... young.. there's just only so much you can do with a one year old. A three year old or a four year old is a different ball of wax.

I really don't like cold and rain. I'm from Philadelphia and lived in New England for a while so I'm pretty much over any environment where you can die if left outside too long. My wife, however, is looking forward to wearing a sweater again. I think it's a fair idea though, primarily to let the kids get a bit more durable.

[Jim Cate]

Eric, be careful, mate! If you stay that long in NZ you may never leave at all! A surprising number of the guys that we arrived with in '90 ended up as Kiwi's. We might well have joined them, but at that time they were simply not having immigrants who were as old as we were (mid 50's at the time). So, on we went... It is a very nice place indeed.

But then, so is Oz, in a very different way, and the wx is better! Oh, BTW, your wife may find she needs that sweater when the temperature drops below 75 degrees! We had been in the tropics for 3 years when we arrived, and we nearly froze to death in the spring and so called summer!

Cheers,

Jim

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I really don't like cold and rain.... I

Just to make you feel better about being in Mexico; it has been snowing here in Utah the last two days. We are almost out of our house (camping on the floor at this point) and will be heading to San Diego by the weekend. Time for a change of climate for us.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

Just to make you feel better about being in Mexico; it has been snowing here in Utah the last two days. We are almost out of our house (camping on the floor at this point) and will be heading to San Diego by the weekend. Time for a change of climate for us.

dennis...You heading for Mx?

[Boatguy30]

Having crossed the pacific as a couple, we had a difficult time doing 2-3 days passages in the Caribbean with the addition of a child. good luck and maybe consider a bailout option like the Galapagos and return to Equador. There were a FEW boats with very young children crossing the pacific, but we're waiting till our youngest is 4-5 before long term cruising again.

Good luck!

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Having crossed the pacific as a couple, we had a difficult time doing 2-3 days passages in the Caribbean with the addition of a child. good luck and maybe consider a bailout option like the Galapagos and return to Equador. There were a FEW boats with very young children crossing the pacific, but we're waiting till our youngest is 4-5 before long term cruising again.

Good luck!

That's sort of why we're going to New Zealand. We're in Mexico right now so our choices are basically go back to San Diego, stay here, or go somewhere else and hang tight there for a while.

San Diego is off because we want to travel and that's where we came from. Mexico is off because we've been here for over a year and are sort of done with it, so then we want to head west and stop at the first place we can to let some years tick by. Even better we can let them tick by in a place we can work and enjoy life a bit.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

That's sort of why we're going to New Zealand. We're in Mexico right now so our choices are basically go back to San Diego, stay here, or go somewhere else and hang tight there for a while.

San Diego is off because we want to travel and that's where we came from. Mexico is off because we've been here for over a year and are sort of done with it, so then we want to head west and stop at the first place we can to let some years tick by. Even better we can let them tick by in a place we can work and enjoy life a bit.

Try Guam,good money ,no paper hassels,No passport needed for US folks and you can sail micronesia and the fedarated states with no hassles..You will experiance what no other place can offer and i am sure you wouldnt regret it...You will enjoy life in Micronesia and PI,Japan Tiawan,Korea are all less than 1500 miles or so away..Indonesia is also not far ...good luck

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

dennis...You heading for Mx?

Yes, will be heading down with the HaHa end of October. Will likely head North into Sea of Cortez until January, then mainland.

[Celestialsailor]

We'll see you down there.

[svmariane]

I know what you said in the opening post, but to add:

Get invited to a Polynesian home for dinner and presents are polite. You'll probably GET something as appreciation / respect for coming to their home. Best not to arrive empty handed. Little gift-wrap paper around a bottle doesn't hurt. Bottle booze (and cigarettes) are very, very expensive on Pacific isles. Even if the hosts don't consume, you'll have handed them something to trade locally.

Stock up on beer if you imbibe - really... stuff the boat. Your wallet will thank you. And in that vein, "baby" foods & items are imported to the Islands and priced accordingly. Take note.

Only LPG adapter prob we had was in Bora Bora. Solved it by chatting with other boaters. We shared costs for the bits and bobs, bought a few tanks of Butane (no Propane on isle) and sat around the beach gravity feeding our boat tanks. Hard work - man's work - requiring time and plenty of cold beer.

I agree with other posts above re having aboard an any cycle / all voltage battery charger. That being said, we ran the boat with solar/wind even while docked in NZ. (Different boats are set up differently. But you've got that 'sussed.)

And yes, we also wore jumpers and wind breakers whilst the "locals" in NZ ran around in shorts and Tee shirts during their so-called "summer".

You're gonna love it out there!

Fair winds & following seas...

James

[atoll]

beer making kits! will make you popular in every anchorage!

a large bucket for bathing kids in will provide hours of entertainment for the small ones.

a good supply of rubber squids,weights and hooks,120 kg line for fishing.

shade cloth as used in horticultural centers,is great for covering the cockpit sides,allows air flow,but cuts down the direct sunlight,and you can still see through it.

crayons ,pens and paper make great gifts for other kids on the atolls.

lots of sunscreen lotion,rash suits and big hats keep the sun off small children swimming and on the beach.

stock up on formula milk if you need it,baby wipes,lanolin for heat rash/nappy rash.

if you are really going off the beaten track,consider carrying an IV kit with saline and dextrose solution,oral malarial syrup,like fansidar for kids.and artemesin for yourselves.

a few courses of broad spectrum antibiotics,tee tree oil,betadine,for coral cuts/mosquito bites that get infected,and need treatment fast.

a nanny! so you can get off the boat without children in tow occasionly!great for long passages as well,makes childminding and watchkeeping a lot easier!