03/06/08

A home from home…

Slowly, very slowly, things are starting to take shape. In the past couple of days, with all the floorboards and several ceiling panels removed, I’ve finally cabled up the two solar panels and the cockpit handset for the VHF radio. Sounds simple – right? Well, in many respects, it is simple but finding a route through the boat to get the cables back to the battery bank at the chart table was a bit of a challenge. Eventually, I settled on running everything straight down the middle of the boat underneath the bunk in the aft cabin, through the engine compartment, under the floorboards in the galley and up through the chart table. I had wondered why the previous owner had left a coat-hanger in the maintenance locker but it soon became obvious… and my most treasured tool! So, most of the electronics upgrade is complete and now includes…

Mini PC c/w external DVD / CDRW drive and 15” touchscreen on an adjustable arm.

This is now fully operational with PC Plotter software and set up to use my new Vodafone 3G modem to send and receive emails. The monitor is visible from the cockpit and can be swung around to face the dining table in the saloon. This has already been tested thoroughly in the Round the Island Race when it was used to clearly show the start line and the submerged obstacles at the Needles.

Two 68W Solara Semi-Flexible Solar Panels

One is mounted on the companionway hatch garage just in front of the sprayhood. They’re designed to be walked on so this doesn’t affect access to the boom. The other is mounted on a bespoke adjustable bracket fixed to the davits and can be angled to face the sun.

Comar AIS-2-USB

It is compulsory for all vessels over 300tons to carry an AIS transmitter. With this little receiver, I can see at a glance exactly where all the large ships are.

Nikkai 600W Inverter

This converts the standard 12Vdc supply from the batteries into a 230Vac supply. I’ve been careful to set up most of the electronics to power directly from the DC supply but with the inverter, I can plug in a standard mains-powered device.

Navman 7110 DSC VHF Radio

The 7110 is pretty basic but includes a second cockpit handset with all the functions of the main unit. This means that I will be able to communicate with marinas or other vessels without having to leave the helm. I’ve also finally managed to get the Magnavox MX100 GPS controller to send the appropriate NMEA information to the Navman VHF. This means that in an emergency situation, with just one button I can send my current position and identity to the rescue services.

McMurdo Smartfind G5 EPIRB

Unlike the distress signal from the DSC VHF which works only within the range of the radio, the EPIRB can be activated to alert the rescue services anywhere in the world using the satellite network.

NASA PC Navtex Pro

This is little device that can be set up to receive coastal weather and navigational information from anywhere in the world.