We bought Take Two a new life raft and decided to pick it up at the factory rather than have them ship it to us.  We think it is a good policy for everyone who owns a life raft to see it inflated and have a basic familiarity with it in case it is ever needed in an emergency.  

We applied that logic when we took the whole family to see our previous raft serviced.  Unfortunately it was going to be more expensive to recertify than it would be to buy a new one, so we had it condemned.  That was, of course, before we started shopping and realized that while a life raft could be purchased for less, we wanted the best and that was going to cost a lot more.

We placed the order for our new one at a boat show where several brands of rafts were being displayed.  Our selection of the Winslow was influenced by several factors.  We felt it had the best features and construction, an opinion seconded by Practical Sailor during a test of several competitors.  They were the only rafts at the show that are made to order and constructed entirely in Florida.  And they are unapologetically expensive.

We also liked that the raft’s standard equipment includes a Bible.  While this may seem like a sentimental and irrational reason to like a raft, we saw it as an indication that the company really thinks about what it is like to use their product in a survival situation.  

“Picking up the raft” actually evolved into a 2-hour visit during which we toured different stations where other rafts were in various stages of assembly.  Our raft had already been completed and was waiting in a rack for almost a month while we got all our ducks in a row to make the trip.  They knew we were coming, so it was inflated and ready to be packed when we arrived.  We were given an orientation of the raft’s features, we saw the survival pack assembled, and we watched as the raft was packed.  Each step was explained.

The packing process includes many quality assurance steps.  While it is mostly done by a single person, at various points the pack is checked by another person, and at certain stages photographs are taken.  Witnessing the process gives confidence that Winslow is serious about the quality of their product, and understands that a defect could have life-or-death consequences.

They’re also really nice people.  We were told that they ship about 15 rafts a day, but only 1-2 customers a month come in to see the operation.  We were glad to see it, and also glad that they could see our family.  I think if I were making life rafts, I would appreciate the reminder of who uses them.

Hurricanes are tricky things.  In 2004, Category 4 Hurricane Charlie was headed straight for our house in Clearwater when it took an easterly turn overnight.  It decimated a surprised Punta Gorda with its strong northeast quadrant, and the weaker western side barely gave us rain.

A similar thing happened today in Marathon.  The storm went east of the forecasted track and we got the western side, which was pretty much non-existent.  It was overcast and drizzled once in the morning, then the rest of the day was sunny and calm. 

I won’t attempt to hide that it was a bit of a letdown.  It’s not that I’m an adrenaline junkie or something.  I make these plans and have these ideas about what conditions will be like and how we’ll cope with them, but at this point they remain untested.  A boxer has to work his way up the ranks gaining experience before he has a chance against the champ.  I only hope that next time I’m not pitted against a much stronger storm.

I partially console myself with the knowledge that I could tell what was happening as soon as I got up this morning and saw the breeze had backed to the North.  I’ve watched these things closely for many years now, have read some books, taken some classes, and feel like I’m getting to understand them to some degree.

If I were reliant on official sources of information, I would have been totally clueless about what was currently happening or about to happen.  The VHF chatter from other boats showed a serious lack of awareness about what the weather was doing.  Local weather radar was the only information I had access to (which was only possible because I had Internet access) which was compatible with what I was seeing with my eyes.  In fact, several of the National Hurricane Center’s position reports appeared to contradict what I saw clearly on radar.  I find it frustrating that even within hours of a storm hitting me, I can’t get good information about what kind of weather I’ll have.  Part of it is a prediction problem, but part is also an information delivery problem.

We received several calls and emails today from friends and family inquiring about how we’re faring in the storm.  All were surprised to learn that it was just another day in paradise.

Several boats came in this evening to take mooring balls in the harbor.  Additionally, the boats that were tied up along the seawall in the marina canal (for the air conditioning) had to leave and take moorings.  One of our anchored neighbors went and grabbed a ball.  I have not seen anybody leave the harbor for the mangroves, but I'm sure a few boats have come in from the ocean side to tie up in there.

This is the path we'll take if we make a run for the mangroves.

We've seen a few other boats preparing.   Sails wrapped, biminis folded, dodgers removed.  The marina offers to store the dinghies inside their building and many people were taking them up on that.  From where I am I see several dinghies still in the water, trailing behind their vessels, and looking like they'll stay there.  That will be fun to watch.

What we’ve done so far:
•    Get out the storm anchor and spare anchor rode
•    Remove the secondary anchor from its roller to make room for the storm anchor
•    Rig a heavier bridle through the mooring pendant as backup
•    Re-roll the jib tighter on the furler
•    Lift the dinghy higher than normal, and secure it like we’re going offshore
•    Take the drain plug out of the dinghy so it doesn’t fill with rainwater
•    Clear the decks of fishing poles, scooters, buckets and other loose items
•    Get out various lines, shackles, and chafe gear for easy access
•    Get out big fenders and poles for pushing off other boats
•    Take some “before” pictures of the surrounding area

What we’ll do later:
•    Take down the wind scoops we use for ventilation
•    Wrap the spinnaker and spare jib halyards around the furled jib
•    Warm the engines up so they’re ready to go if we need them in a hurry

What I won’t or can’t do:
•    I wish I had a heavier spare anchor rode, but I left it in storage.  Bummer.
•    Take the sails off the boat.  I would for a hurricane.
 

It looks like we’re about to get our first tropical storm.

I don’t have any concerns about our safety.  We’re in a well protected harbor and I’m pretty confident that the moorings are strong enough and well-maintained.  In fact, I’m a little bit excited.  Hurricane experience is hard-won and this will be a nice little introduction.  This will help us know what to expect and evaluate our exposure to future storms.

I do have a misgiving about the way we’re secured to the mooring.  The harbormaster and I have a little disagreement about the best way to moor my boat.  We’ve been doing it his way to keep things friendly and while the weather was mild, but his silly rules won’t be on my list of concerns when it starts to deteriorate tomorrow.

At this point it is just a tropical depression.  It was expected to become a tropical storm for the 5pm forecast, but the hurricane hunter didn’t find that it had strengthened enough.  It is still expected, though.  Slow development is fine with me since it reduces the chance that it could turn into a hurricane overnight.  The dockside prognosticators are predicting 50-60 knots, but I’m skeptical it will be that high.  We’ll have the instruments on to watch the wind speed.

What we have most to fear is other boats.  The boats on moorings have people aboard and are generally well looked after, but other boats are anchored, and many of these are neglected.  Either could break free, but think I we have more to fear from the anchored boats.  There aren’t very many boats around us, but most of the ones that are fall into this latter category.  I don’t think the wind speeds will be anywhere near strong enough that we’d have to worry about flying debris from the surrounding houses.

If we did have a problem in the harbor, there is a nice mangrove creek nearby that we should be able to get into without much trouble.  Tying into mangroves is a proven tactic for securing a boat for a storm.  They grow along twisting channels that don’t allow waves to build, and their root systems are very strong.

My secondary concern after the wind is about the water quality.  With all the rain that is sure to come, there will be a massive amount of runoff.  This tends to carry all kinds of trash that can clog our raw water strainers, and possibly chemicals that could damage our water maker, or otherwise compromise our ability to make water.  Most bacteria are larger than aqueous salt, so the water maker will remove them, but pesticides and other chemicals will pass through.

This morning I was very pleased with myself because the generator started all by itself.  Last night I installed a little gadget for that purpose and it worked beautifully.

Starting the generator automatically has always been on the project list, but seemed like a solution looking for a problem, so it never made it near the top.  It wasn’t until we moved aboard and spent some time away from the dock and shore power that we realized that running the generator was an essential part of our power diet.  If nobody were here to start the thing, our batteries would die and the refrigeration would shut down.  It meant we couldn’t leave, and suddenly an automatic generator start became more important.

Yes, we have a large solar array, no, it isn’t enough, and yes, our refrigeration is grossly inefficient.  If we were going to be gone for a long period, we would probably throw away all the food and turn the refrigerators off.  But if we only want to be gone for a few days, it’s better to keep everything running while we’re gone.

Another part of the problem was finding the right unit.  It is most common to find the generator start capability as an optional add-on to higher-end inverters.  Our inverters have the capability, but not the option, and they’re too old to find the necessary module.  Plus, different generators have different starting requirements, and we needed a unit that had the flexibility to start our Northern Lights.

It wasn’t until the project received priority that a search in earnest began.  It yielded a few hits, but none as clearly perfect as the GSCM from Atkinson Electronics.  A call to the company had one on the way $249 later.  Installing it was really no more difficult than looking at the back of the Northern Lights’ control panel and wiring the GSCM to the appropriate switch contacts.

Most of these units are designed to work off battery voltage to determine when the generator is needed for charging.  I could do better since I have a Victron BMV-600 battery monitor that watches the Amps flowing in and out and calculates a precise depth of discharge.  The battery monitor allows me to set thresholds at which it will energize a relay, perfect for signaling an automatic generator start if the unit supports it, which the GSCM does.  I will add a Flexcharge programmable timer to institute quiet times when the generator can’t run.  Typically I only want it to run between 9 and 11am, and when the battery is below 85%.

If air-conditioning were important, I could also use the timer to make the generator start on an interval, or use a demand device like a thermostat to start it.  But that gets back into solving a problem that I don’t really have.

For the first post with the new way of embedding pictures, I will introduce our latest purchase: the Dahon folding bicycle.

As the name would imply, the bike folds for easier storage and transportation to shore.

We’re very excited about this bike.  Aside from folding, this also happens to be a really nice bike.  From reading their marketing, it appears that most of Dahon’s market is city folk who ride to work and carry their bikes onto subways and elevators.  Secondly are really, really committed bike riders who need one they can take with them wherever they go.  People on boats appear to be an afterthought and though they make many different models, ours it the only one specifically marketed for mariners.  Hence it is called the Dahon Mariner D7 (it has 7 speeds).

Our excitement is also because this bike significantly enhances our range ashore.  This was something we never appreciated when we had two vehicles waiting at the end of the dock.  My trips to West Marine, Home Depot, and ACE Hardware were almost daily when my transportation was a truck.  When it is my feet I seem to go less often and buy less.

The cargo carrying capacity currently consists of a milk crate strapped to the back.  A folding trailer is a possibility if our needs prove greater.

The bike is ostensibly Tanya’s, since she is our Galley Officer, and the one that has to make the 1-mile provisioning trek to the store when we run low on beer.  She made a trial run to the local K-mart yesterday and I barely got the dinghy back to the boat before she was calling to be picked up at the dock.  The kids all have folding Razor scooters, so on a family trip I’ll be the only one without wheels.  We’ll have to wait and see if another bike makes sense.  We haven’t even figured out where we’ll put this one yet.

Getting pictures on the blog has always been a bit of a challenge, and therefore hasn’t happened with any regularity.  The editor tired of the situation and cracked down on the technical staff to make it better.  Hopefully the situation is now improved and following us here will be more visually interesting.

The main change is a move to Flickr for the image hosting.  I didn’t exactly make an extensive evaluation of the options, so there may be significant downsides to this, but for now it seems to be working.

You’ve probably noticed the photos in the sidebar.  This will always show our most recently uploaded photos.  Additionally, the same photos can now be easily embedded in the blog posts themselves to supplement the content.

Probably the biggest advantage to using Flickr is that we have phones and cameras that can upload pictures there directly.  So, in theory anyway, a picture could be in the sidebar gallery within seconds of being taken, with nobody having to sit down at a computer to do it.  All of the recent pictures over there now were taken from my phone and transferred wirelessly.  

The only currently known downside to Flickr is the image quality.  Regardless of the image we capture and transfer, Flickr reduces it to their standard size.  This is actually a partial benefit since part of the previous picture posting routine was to do this reduction manually.  However, we are now scaling them up slightly for display in the blog posts, so there is a bit of loss going on.  Ironically, if you click on the photo, it will actually display smaller when it reloads from the Flickr website in its native size.  We’ll have to see how this works out in practice.

There will probably be a burst of new pictures added soon as Tanya goes through her camera and uploads older photos.  Some of the previous posts that were intended to have pictures at the time, but required technical assistance, may now get them.

This is an awkward question because it delves into a number of emergency situations that I contemplate and prepare for, but never expect to happen.  I give fair warning that the discussion of the safety items we carry may conjure images of potential disasters that necessitate their use.  I assure you, dear reader, that I have considered these in detail and with a great sense of responsibility.  Your nightmares are no match for mine.  That said, we feel strongly that our life afloat is no more dangerous, in fact less, than life ashore.  Perhaps a future post will address this point directly.

Boats are required to carry certain items for the safe operation of the vessel.  The list varies by the length of the vessel and how many passengers it carries.  The most prominent items are flares, fire extinguishers, and life jackets.  My boats have been boarded by the Coast Guard twice for inspection.  Both times were pleasant, cordial experiences and no deficiencies were cited.

Take Two came to us with a very extensive set of flares, some very exotic and expensive-looking.  Unfortunately they were all expired.  Some even said they were made in “West Germany”.  We went through them and kept the ones that still looked good, just in case, and the rest we donated at the local hazardous waste dropoff.  We have newer ones to show the Coast Guard when they check, but the old stuff probably still works just as well.

Everybody has their own life jacket (Personal Flotation Device in Coast Guard lingo).  The kids spend so much time wearing theirs that they look natural in them.  Tanya and I have the auto-inflating kind, but wear them less often.  Mine has an integrated harness so Tanya has a way to haul me back aboard if I’m injured or unconscious.  Tanya has a separate harness because her PFD is designed for women, and they don’t make those with the integrated harness for some reason.  During rough weather or at night, the harness is attached to the boat with a tether to keep us from going overboard in the first place.

We have an Autotether system to alert us if someone does go over.  The system consists of little transmitters that are placed on the life jackets.  The transmitters communicate with a base station aboard the boat several times a second.  If the base station loses contact with the transmitter, it immediately sounds a very loud alarm.

The boat also came with an exposure suit, which is kind of a cross between a wetsuit and a ski jacket.  I tried it on and almost passed out from heat.  We don’t have any plans to be in water cold enough that we would need something like that, so I got rid of it.

We have these silly little tapered plugs that you’re supposed to have so you can jam them in holes or broken hoses to stop water flow.  I was sure I’d never need them, but damn if I haven’t had to use them TWICE to keep the ocean on the outside.

Of course we have a VHF radio, but it only has a range up to about 40 miles.  At some point we will probably get a single sideband (i.e. shortwave) radio that can bounce signals off the ionosphere to the other side of the planet.  In addition to voice, the SSB can be used for receiving weather faxes and even email.  When we start venturing beyond US coastal waters we’ll probably get an Iridium satellite phone, which can also be used for email and very light Internet access.  All of these can be useful for giving and receiving help during emergencies, but the satellite phone would be especially valuable if we needed to obtain medical advice.

We carry a rather extensive first aid and medical kit, including some good prescription medicines and surgical supplies (thanks Jeff!).  We have received two days’ worth of training on how to use the stuff, but we’ll still need outside advice for any major issues.  Additionally, Tanya has had CPR training and attended a Safety at Sea seminar.

If, God forbid, someone should need immediate medical attention when we’re far from civilization, we have an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).  When triggered, it communicates who and where we are to a satellite, which relays the information to global search and rescue authorities (such as the US Coast Guard, among others).  It does not, however, indicate what our problem is, and the assumption is that we require evacuation.

Depending on where we are, help will usually come in the form of a rescue boat or helicopter, but I have heard of things as diverse as military jets and commercial fishermen making initial contact.  It just depends on who can get there the fastest.  How long it takes will depend on weather and location.  Helicopters don’t fly in hurricanes.  

I have heard of two recent EPIRB rescues that probably represent the best and worst cases.  Abby Sunderland was recently rescued from the southern Indian Ocean.  She set it off on Thursday morning and was picked up by a fishing vessel on Saturday.   Then earlier this week a boat capsized 20 miles off the coast of California.  The Coast Guard was there within an hour to rescue three hypothermic crew members.

EPIRBs, personal locator beacons (PLBs), and the SPOT devices have been criticized for emboldening people who aren’t adequately prepared for their adventurous undertakings.  When they get in a little over their heads they just turn on the EPIRB for a ticket home.  We take our EPIRB very seriously.  We know that if we ever set that EPIRB off we will be leaving the boat with nothing but the clothes on our backs and will probably never see it again.  Needless to say, that isn’t something we’ll do unless absolutely necessary.

The life raft is our last resort.  The boat came with a raft, but upon evaluating its condition and the costs of recertification, we opted to buy a new one.  We’ve been without one for awhile, but we finally placed the order for an 8-man Winslow this week.  This particular brand is made here in Florida, so we’ll go see it when it’s ready and before it is packed up and sealed.  This familiarity will be important, especially for the kids, if we ever have to use it for real.

I really don’t think there is a likely scenario that would see us use the raft.  The adage says you should always step up to the life raft, meaning your boat should be sinking.   History is rife with examples of crews taking to the raft and being lost, while the boat is later found afloat.  Being a catamaran and thus not having ballast, I don’t think Take Two is likely to sink.  We have powerful pumps to remove unwanted water and materials for plugging any holes.  But any number of unexpected things could happen that we might need to abandon the boat.  Since mothers may be reading, we’ll let those horrors remain nameless.  If nothing else, the life raft is a really expensive insurance policy.

I’m hard on tools, so when somebody offers an aggressive warranty I’m there.  Actually taking advantage of the warranty is another matter, though.  Usually I’m too busy, or forget, or the tool gets lost after falling out of service, or maybe I feel guilty about the blatant abuse I gave the tool to break it. 

So I was very impressed with myself when I sent in three Leatherman tools for replacement last week (Yes, when one broke I bought two more).  I was even more impressed with Leatherman when three replacements arrived yesterday.  Say what you will about the quality of their tools (and I have), but they stand behind them.

Very carefully.

A boat cruising in US waters pretty much has to have a holding tank rather than flush the toilets directly overboard.  That’s because the US has laws preventing overboard discharge within 3 miles of the coast.  Never mind that many coastal cities pump their sewage into the ocean as a matter of course (Miami), or regularly have accidents whenever it happens to rain too much (Tampa).  Or that the real pollution problem in our oceans is caused by fertilizer runoff from residences, golf courses, and farmland.  It stinks but that’s the way things are.  

When being inspected by the Coast Guard usually the first thing they want to see is your Marine Sanitation Device, which is their official term for the commode, to make sure it is properly secured.  In typical government fashion, the laws only apply to the toilets themselves.  It is perfectly legal to go in a bucket and toss it overboard.

We can hold it comfortably for about ten days, which is pretty good for having 6 people aboard, but usually empty the tank on a weekly schedule.  The tank can be pumped out at a shore-side facility such as a marina or fuel dock, or by a special boat that comes to us.  Additionally, most boats also have their own pumps so they can dump overboard when beyond the 3-mile limit.  We do all of the above.  

When offshore, we empty the tank with a macerator pump, which has little blades like a kitchen sink disposal.  The kids particularly enjoy watching our muddy wake while the pump does its business, but it isn’t all fun and games.  The thing is notorious for breaking down and I have had to rebuild it multiple times.  Every aspect of the process related to the tank is fraught with danger.  Poo under pressure is never a good thing and I have witnessed a couple nasty accidents during dockside pumpouts, but have fortunately never experienced one myself.

Outside the US, the holding tanks are usually dispensed with and the goods go straight overboard.  The Caribbean is full of boats doing this and it doesn’t seem to be a problem.  From what I’ve heard, though, you aren’t allowed to flush paper in the Caribbean.  Go figure.

The marine toilet is a bit different from those typically found in a house.  Household toilets operate by gravity, which is not quite as reliable on something that moves the way a boat sometimes does.  You want to deposit that stuff in a safe place where it can’t get back out except on your terms.  Marine toilets operate on principles similar to those on an airplane, but rather than a simple device that empties the bowl in one big vacuum flush at the push of a button, like on a plane, our toilet has handles and levers and must be pumped manually.  It’s definitely a more complicated procedure and most guests require a briefing.  If you’ve been aboard, you’ve probably experienced it for yourself.

There are several different toilets types available for boats.  Our current one was selected because it was the cheapest and most commonly available, but certainly not the best.  It was installed as an expediency after I canned the four toilets that were on the boat when I bought her.

That was over two years ago and six of us have been enjoying it daily for almost a year.  It has proven surprisingly reliable, but when it does have a problem, it immediately goes to the top of the project list.  Usually the problem isn’t discovered until someone has to use it.  In a pinch, we get the bucket out.  Installing a second toilet is somewhere further down the project list and staying there for now.

The biggest challenge to our toilet’s regularity is the kids’ toilet paper use.  Every once in a while, one of the kids will use about half a roll of TP and clog it up.  They have all been amply warned, so when it happens the culprit becomes my special helper for the unclogging.  You can’t just use a plunger the way you would in a house (remember, poo + pressure = bad).  You have to open the hoses until you can find the clog and clear the line.  It’s a messy, messy job.  So far there haven’t been any repeat offenders.