March 2009 Archives

I went down to the boat for the past three days to do some basic maintenance, make some measurements for future purchases, go sailing, and get a couple of projects initiated on the boat. Karen decided to stay home and work on home projects. On the maintenance front, Tahina needed a bit more fuel in her tanks and we needed to have some other tanks pumped out (the "black" tanks - the ones the heads use). She also needed some cleaning.

Monday turned out to be a good weather day. So, I moved the boat to the fuel dock and took care of the tank business. Then, my daughter arrived to help me take the boat out for a sail. We headed out the Carolina Beach inlet with the tide near mid-tide. We ended up seeing only 6.0 feet on the depth sounder (Tahina has a draft of 4.5 feet). So, we don't want to use the inlet at low tide right now (at least until it is dredged again).

As soon as we got a bit offshore, the winds picked up to 15-20 knots. Perfect for sailing. We were soon making 9 knots on a broad reach heading northeast. Our plan was to go a few miles offshore and end up on a tack for the Masonboro Inlet near Wrightsville Beach (since it would be low-tide by then). We had a delightful sail since the seas were pretty smooth, yet the winds were brisk. After a couple of hours, we pulled into the Masonboro Inlet and started down the intracoastal waterway (ICW) for about 7 miles back to Carolina Beach.

Here is a Google Earth file showing the GPS track and photos from the trip. I've added some overlays which show more current imagery for Joyner Marina and the Carolina Beach Inlet (which has changed a lot since 2002). Another good thing about this trip was that I was able to test the Raymarine navigation software running on the MacBook Pro using VMWare (I'm the first to report getting this to work). It worked really well, and much faster than the desktop built into the nav station (which I will be replacing).

Today, after the outside temperatures warmed up, I spent a couple of hours washing down the boat. It's always nice to have the boat looking sparkling clean, and it's easier to keep it clean if you keep up with it. Also, any time we go sailing in a brisk wind at sea, salt water gets on the boat. It's really important to rinse this off before the corrosive salt water starts things rusting. But, Tahina is a lot of boat, and its a hard job for one person cleaning it. I won't need to work out at a gym after the workout I got on the boat!

We have someone doing a fiberglass repair on a ding we got on one side during a docking maneuver back in January. And, we have an estimate on getting a windscreen made for the cockpit area so we reduce the airflow and ocean spray while on a sail and sitting at the helm. It will use a clear plastic material that's almost like glass so it won't impair our visibility.

This was a good visit with Tahina. The more time I spend on the boat, the more ready I am to get going on the trip!

This week has been a hodgepodge of different projects. Here's the first of what will probably be a regular set of status updates in the coming months as we prepare for our final departure. This update will be organized based on projects:

• Tahina Web Site - spent some time this week: adding categories to posts, worked on ways to incorporate maps of our tracks onto the site (help from Virgil on this), organized all GPS tracks of Tahina trips to date, trying to get the site ready for a public announcement. Finally wrote the Miami to St. Augustine leg from the big Miami trip in February.
• Tahina Purchase Planning - spent time organizing and reviewing our short and long-term lists for things we need to buy for Tahina. Will be buying some soon due to some sales at various boat catalog companies.
• Sponsor - worked on a sponsorship deal this week for the Tahina Expedition which I hope to announce soon.
• Captain's License - made substantial progress on studies for the Captain's license. I completed the first of four modules and passed the final online practice exam for that module. This required about 2 to 3 hours of work every day during the last week. The module was all about the navigation Rules of the Road.
• Studies - Another task always going on is the continuing education of nautical skills, attempting to improve travel knowledge for the places we're going, and following other sailors who are on similar paths.
• Tahina projects - spent time reviewing lists of tasks and organizing the ones needing attention when I next go out to the boat, got some quotes for boat work, etc. The biggest project coming up is the plan to have Tahina hauled to install new equipment, wax the boat, etc. We need to decide whether we'll wait to do this until closer to the fall departure.
• Tahina calendar - updated the online calendar for the Tahina Expedition.

Of course, in addition to the direct Tahina projects, there were many other projects worked on. Such as: continuing work to redesign Google Earth Blog, ongoing work on GEB, worked on several projects for the house, exercise (we're working hard to be as fit as possible before we depart), planning on a backpacking trip just to get away for a while, and (last, but not least) family time.

I just realized that I haven't updated the blog to reflect our current departure plans. The original departure plan for a long time had been to leave after hurricane season in 2009 (October/November). However, when we bought Tahina in August - about 6 months ahead of the original plan for having a new boat - we made the decision to attempt to accelerate our departure plan to this spring before the hurricane season to get an early start. We knew this was going to be a challenging goal, but having two mortgages (the house in North Carolina, and the boat), was a strong incentive.

However, a lot has happened in the past six months. Despite a lot of effort, we still have too many tasks left to be able to depart by May. Although we have completed about 75% of the tasks to prepare the house, we are probably at least 2-3 weeks from having it ready (original plan was to have it ready by February). To make matters worse, the downturn in the economy, and the state of the real estate market, are really causing us to be more cautious about putting the house on the market right now. Also, we have run into some personal family issues, during the past few months, which needed a lot of attention and time to handle. So, despite the good intentions, we have run out of time to be able to leave on the early - pre-hurricane season - date.

So, we're back to our original plan of formal departure in October/November 2009. The good news is that we will be able to prepare at a less frantic pace enabling us to do a better job. Also, we will most likely take some time this summer to do some cruising along the US east coast (staying away from hurricanes) to enjoy the boat, and test our various boat systems while we're still in US waters. We'll also begin blogging in earnest at that point and documenting our travels.

In a sense, we'll be starting our trip anyway this summer, but without the full "bon voyage" party. The official bon voyage will happen when we leave for the Caribbean at the end of the hurricane season. More on those details and our route in a later post.

Believe it or not, in the US, you are not required to have a captain's license to drive a boat. And, if you are traveling to foreign ports as a US citizen you are still not required to have one. However, many people have completed sailing circumnavigations without one. Every experienced mariner does their best to learn what they need to know to move their vessel safely. There are plenty of books available to teach the basics. But, ultimately, you must learn the basics to be a mariner - the ocean environment is unforgiving to the uninitiated.

In the US, you are required to understand basic rules of navigation and are required to have items of safety including the written rules of navigation on board vessels of certain sizes. The rules are based on similar international rules. All mariners traveling abroad are expected to adhere to international rules of navigation (known as the "rules of the road"), and have required onboard safety equipment (including lighting, fire extinguishers, foghorn, etc.).

As a private pilot, I found the training to get a pilot's license was very valuable because it requires you to understand critical systems, understand traffic rules and regulations, and steps to take for safety and emergencies. Not only that, but pilots are required to periodically review all such material and have a certified instructor re-test their knowledge.

So, I'm now in the process of getting a US captain's license. Although not required, it will give me more confidence in my basic boating knowledge, and help validate my level of skills when visiting other countries or when encountering coast guard vessels. The basic US captain's license also provides the option for a captain to carry passengers for hire (the first level only allows up to six passengers and is known as a "six pack"). We have no plans to carry passengers for hire, and such rights don't apply when you're in another country. But, who knows what the future holds? There are other levels to the licenses available and endorsements for special boating such as sailing, and towing. Once I complete the captain's license, I may get the sailing endorsement as well.

The US Coast Guard now allows you to get your captain's license through approved online courses. I'm taking my course through MarinersSchool.com who I found at the Miami Boat Show (but, also saw in online searches). The online course includes practice tests and final exams which must be passed before you can take the final test. The final test is taken at a USCG approved testing center. You have to pass a drug test, sign an affidavit that you have the required nautical experience, and provide required identification.

By the way, if you don't have the time, or want to spend the money to take a formal online course, I highly recommend you take advantage of the free online training course for boating safety by BoatingBasicsOnline.com. They even provide courses based on your state (which may have slightly different rules and regulations). They actually cover the vast majority of the course material required for a captain's license.

This weekend I discovered an amazing coincidence in our planned route for next year for Tahina! It all started with a post by Stefan Geens at Ogle Earth about his plan to move to Shanghai this year - in part because there's a total solar eclipse passing right over that city this summer. After sending him a congratulation, it occurred to me to check for other upcoming solar eclipses to see if any would happen during our five year circumnavigation.

So, I went to a site I'm familiar with by Xavier Jubier which provides maps and data on upcoming eclipses (even with Google Earth). Imagine my complete surprise to find out there is a total eclipse occurring in the South Pacific next summer! On July 11, 2010 the path of totality will pass just a short distance away from Tahiti (see detailed path in Google Earth , or Google Maps). A little further investigation on typical arrival times for passages to Tahiti showed it very likely we would be there next summer by late-June early-July!

The path of totality will pass about 30 miles south of the island of Tahiti. But, we could sail a couple of days east to some atolls for a view from solid ground (a stable platform for photographs of the eclipse). Not only that, but July is typically the dry season in the area which increases the chance for good weather for the event. OMG! This is great! A total eclipse of the sun is truly an amazing event to watch. Watching one from an atoll in the south pacific will be really awesome!

For the past 8 days we've been "homeless". Or, maybe the more accurate term is "displaced people". Back in February we initiated a number of projects to fix up our house in preparation for putting it on the market. Since we'll be gone for five years on the circumnavigation, there's no need for us to keep such a large house unoccupied back in the States. So, shortly after we got back from our big trip to Miami on Tahina, we began prepping the house for several major projects. First, we had several rooms painted. We also had the outside of the house prepped for painting (including several wood repair jobs).

The big project for us was to clear the entire first floor (except the living room) so that all the hardwood floors could be refinished. This involved taking all the furniture and either moving it upstairs, or into the living room (which is carpeted). My daughter was a big help with moving. We even managed to move the piano with just the two of us (Karen's back isn't up to heavy lifting). Anyway, on Monday - March 2nd - the hardwood floor guys showed up. We spent a couple of hours finishing taping off areas to protect from dust, and made sure the flooring guys had their instructions and colors right. Then we packed up to leave.

We came back to check on the house on Thursday. The work on the outside paint job was starting then. We checked the flooring which had its first coat completed. It looked really good. We noticed a few minor cosmetic things, which they promised would be fixed before completion. The painting started quickly and by the time we left they had already completed the trim and started painting the siding (with a team of about 5 guys).

Originally we thought the work would be finished on Monday (March 9). But, what they meant was the final coat for the flooring would be in place on Monday. We won't officially be moved back in until tonight or tomorrow. I went to the house yesterday and watched them finish putting the final coat on. The floors look really great now. Here are some pictures:

Just before we headed down to Miami, I completed the goal of upgrading the Raymarine RayTech Navigation Software (RNS) to the latest version 6.1 - released in December. The new software had many enhancements and stability improvements. The upgrade also required upgrading the Raymarine E-120 chartplotter firmware. Not only that, but I wanted to correct the inadequate memory on the onboard PC which had only 128 MBytes of memory - so, I upgraded it to 2 Gbytes.

Here's a screenshot of what RNS looks like on a PC:

As mentioned before, the upgrade appeared to go smoothly. However, I soon discovered that the communication between the boat network and the PC seemed very slow. Numerous tests and attempts to analyze the problem did not help. I ultimately decided I would need to call the tech support folks at Raymarine. But, before I did that, I thought I would try running the software on my laptop.

Last night, I spent an hour or two setting things up to get the software to run on my laptop - a MacBook Pro (the RNS software is supported on Windows only). I thought it would be most convenient if it would work under VMWare. So, I attempted to get that working. After numerous attempts to get the network settings to match the onboard PC, I was unable to get it to work with VMWware. So, I re-booted into Bootcamp running Windows "natively" on the laptop. After a few more network setting adjustments, I actually got it working. And, RNS ran quite well under Bootcamp on my network! This was good news because it meant I would have the ablity to run onboard nav software from my laptop (which is more energy efficient, and portable). And, it also meant that the problem on the PC was more unique.

So, today I called Raymarine's tech support. Their main techie for RNS worked with me for over an hour to analyze the PC's problem. We completely uninstalled and re-installed the RNS software and ran several tests. In the end, he concluded (pretty decisively IMO) that it must be the network card on the PC has gone bad. Later this week, I'll go buy a card and see if he's right.

One interesting development - the Raymarine guy said they had not heard that RNS would work on a MacBook Pro with Bootcamp. I told them how I configured the network to make it work. Not only that, but later in the day, I decided to try again with VMWare. I discovered a setting in VMWare that lets you bridge the VMWare directly to the physical layer for the ethernet port. After making that setting, I was able to run RNS in VMWare! There was some anomalous behavior at times, but it mostly ran just fine. Raymarine was really glad to hear this as well - even though they don't officially support the Mac platform.