Accolades
Rhapsode
Wed 1 Dec 2010 15:01
|
11 00 S 35 36 W
Since yesterday was all about the failed Furlex I
thought I should address the balance today by saying what worked.
Top marks goes to the following without which our
voyage would have been a lot more of an endurance test and far less of
pleasure:
The Hydrovane - we did have difficulty with it on a
downwind run. Despite our best efforts we couldn't balance the boat with only
the Genoa flying. Possible reasons, apart from our own incompetence, are that it
is set off slightly to one side and when it was fitted (by a professional
rigger) it wasn't fitted exactly vertically. There was also the issue of the
mizzen sail which overhangs the stern on this boat and, I think, interfered
with the wind flow across the vane. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have been without
it.
The towing generator (Aquagen) perfomed faultlessly
as did the Air Breeze wind generator. Between them we never had to resort to the
engine to charge up our batteries.
Finally, top marks also goes to our small water
maker - Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E. We made about 50/60 litres of water a day -
enough for a 'boat' shower, cooking, drinking and a quick rinse of pots, plates
and crockery after they had first been washed in sea water. Having said that, if
I was fitting a water maker now I would have gone for the 80
model. A lot more than twice the output for twice the power
consumption.
In the 'Taken For Granted' category are the sails
(Hood) and the engine (Volvo Penta D2 55F). The Autohelm (ST7000), apart
from one complaint from it in the CVIs worked as it should when the engine was
running.
The chart plotter (Raymarine C80) did everything it
said it would but with one slight niggle - the ship icon indicating the position
of the boat on the screen didn't know which way the boat was going. For example,
if we were heading on a course of 209 degrees it would indicate that we were
heading west. If we were heading around 240 degrees it would point up to the
northwest. This error didn't affect the tracking or anything else. Just a
niggle.
We also fitted an Echomax active radar reflector.
We have no way of telling whether it boosted our own echo but it did give us
early warning of when other traffic fitted with radar was in our vicinity. Once
we were aware of it we could put the radar on (Raymarine with a 2Kw scanner) and
monitor it's progress. Despite only a 2Kw scanner we could get ship and
cloud echoes returned from more than 24 miles. More than adequate for our
needs.
In case anyone is interested - we have three 110Ah
service batteries (AGM) and one engine start battery. Lights are all LEDs. The
only other high consumption piece of kit (apart from the watermaker) is the
fridge which takes about 6 amps when running (better than 50 / 50 on / off
cycle).
And that's about it.
Pity about the Furlex whose failure marred an
otherwise almost perfect score.
Still on course for a 3rd December ETA. Morning
probably. Not sure we're going to like smelly polluted land!
Happy sailing!
P, M & A
|