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Old 02-01-2012, 16:17   #1
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Printer On Board

Would this be considered a mandatory item and if so, what kind do you guys recommend?

Obviously space on board is a premium and getting ink is probably not easy through the Pacific, so if I can get by without one I will.

Thanks.
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Old 02-01-2012, 16:23   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil
Would this be considered a mandatory item and if so, what kind do you guys recommend?

Obviously space on board is a premium and getting ink is probably not easy through the Pacific, so if I can get by without one I will.

Thanks.
This falls in the category of what do you have at home that you cannot live without. I rarely print stuff any more but I scan a lot of stuff. A ~$130 scan/print is an important item for me. Finding something compact is tough. Also in this century wireless printing is pretty much a must especially with multi users.

Stick with HP, Epson & Canon and you shouldn't have trouble finding supplies.
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Old 02-01-2012, 17:30   #3
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Re: Printer On Board

I think I have posted on this before - it is a very relevant post as I scan and print insurance docs for marinas, passports, airline boarding passes etc as well as photos and personal stuff. Running a yacht is not much less onerous than running a small commercial vessel in terms of paper work.

The bane of small printers are replacement cartridges - you can but a cheap printer/scanner in a supermarket - but the replacement cartridges are expensive - and the original ones only come with a small quantity of ink - just to get you going. Wonder why they run out so quickly?

I visited the cartridge replacement people that supplied my previous business (brfore full time cruising) and got the inside knowledge on the printer cartridge replacement issues. Most printers now use unrefillable cartridges with a protection device to prevent non genuine replacements and refilling. Clever - from the view point of marketing and sales!!! Some don't and the printer I bought for Charon is a Brother with ink tanks (liquid ink rather tan an ink sponge). I also bought my printer from the cartridge store and was supplied with enough cartridges (and non-genuine photo paper) to last me two years (about three sets). I am now only beginning to take the empties back to the cartridge to refill them. I can also buy originals if I am desperate - but having two sets of full spares goes a long way.

Good luck and see your local cartridge supplier first.
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Old 02-01-2012, 17:40   #4
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Re: Printer On Board

It would be nice if we could just photograph the docs instead of scanning them and email them. Printing out docs to sign and such is a different story. I searched and waded through a lot of irrelevant stuff, but my gut told me I would need one. I was going to ship mine down but I think it will be cheaper to just buy a cheap all-in-one down in the states to put on the boat.

3 days and counting to fly to LA. The pressure's on to consolidate and what's left into one suitcase and a carry on, and put the rest in my storage locker. Once I know what's on the boat I end up with, I'll have a better idea what I'll need. I'm flying back to Vancouver to tie up some business in early February, so I'll have a chance to ship more stuff down. I'll buy some things down there, but other $$$ stuff I don't really want to buy again. For instance, I have a lot of good ocean fishing gear, so other than the rods, I'll ship that stuff down. Good reels and lures are big dough and I already have plenty.
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Old 02-01-2012, 17:50   #5
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Re: Printer On Board

Kodak actually has a new line of printers out that print and scan, of course.

But the focus was on cartridge costs, and replacements are more reasonable than in the past.

Great photo quality printing on mine, and about $26 to replace ink.

My last Epson was closer to $75 for ink.
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Old 02-01-2012, 17:58   #6
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Re: Printer On Board

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Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil View Post
Would this be considered a mandatory item and if so, what kind do you guys recommend?
I do not think a printer is mandatory. A printer is nice for countries that want multiple copies of the crew list, and etc, but for your route through the South Pacific I think Mexico and Galapagos are the only countries you'll hit who are like that. And in those cases I think it's also fine to just hand write it multiple times.

A scanner also seems like something that'll just take up space. There are a few iPhone/Android apps that will make a PDF from photographs you take with your phone -- they detect the paper and straighten it and etc. I think that's probably good enough. The only times I needed to do something like that were when I needed a "Cruising Permit" and needed to email copies of the boat documentation and passports ahead of our arrival.
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Old 02-01-2012, 18:08   #7
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Re: Printer On Board

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Originally Posted by msponer View Post
I do not think a printer is mandatory. A printer is nice for countries that want multiple copies of the crew list, and etc, but for your route through the South Pacific I think Mexico and Galapagos are the only countries you'll hit who are like that. And in those cases I think it's also fine to just hand write it multiple times.
Actually instead of writing multiple times. Use carbon paper. You all remember carbon paper right!? It still available, just finding can be a bother.
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Old 02-01-2012, 18:30   #8
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Re: Printer On Board

I bought the cheapest HP printer for $29. I only use one of the cartridges to save on ink, print in black and white so I have weather fax to refer to after the laptop is off. I don't print photos so it's fine.Ink for the old printer was over $75. It's small for the money. There are "portable" or re-chargeable ones that are smaller but around $225. I used to have a cut sheet scanner that was the size of a 3 hole punch but it used a parallel port so obsolete now. I don't need to scan while cruising.
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