7 minute read
Latitude 38 - January 2017-2018
LETTERS
Advertisement
and saw 'normal food' once again, and that there would only be minimal food available along the way. There was plenty of food along the way.
Power is always an issue. Oversize your solar array if possible so you can get through cloudy days.
Cyclone season in Tonga was a delight.
Courage Winter, Shannon Grant and the kids Lil' Explorers, Kurt Hughes 58 cat Channel Islands
⇑⇓ WITHOUT A DINGHY YOU ARE…
One thing that potential Puddle Jumpers might overlook is the importance of their inflatable and its being able to hold air. Your inflatable is your water taxi, your shore boat, your upriver excursion boat in remote areas, and so forth. Without a dinghy you are stranded either on your boat or on shore.
So, is the adhesive in your patch kit still good? It may feel pliable if you squeeze the tube, but it might just be a tube of solidified rubber. In my case my dinghy-patch adhesive had gone bad — as had the adhesive on the boats of four cruising friends.
So make sure that you have two-part adhesive so that it can't 'go off' by itself while stored in a locker. And check the shelf life as well. And, I'd recommend having a tube of 5200 aboard… just in case.
Joel Stern
Paradise Bound, Vagabond 47 San Diego
Joel — Good tip. 5200 is also good, in combination with sail cloth, for emergency repairs of mainsails. As most sailors know, 5200 is notorious for going off in the tube. Limiting the amount of air it gets and storing it in the refrigerator helps. Just don't confuse it with the Cool Whip.
⇑⇓ YOU DON'T WANT FLUFFY TOWELS
I did a 21-day Puddle Jump with my Tartan 3800 OC Compañera last spring starting from Cabo, and loved how my boat did. She's still in Tahiti, and I'm planning to bring her home this summer so I can do another Baja Ha-Ha in 2017. Gear I liked:
1) The cruising gennaker on the Selden CX25 furler, as it provided great performance in a variety of conditions. 2) My DeLorme InReach satellite communicator, which interfaced well with my iPad. It fact, it worked so well that I never activated my Iridium satphone. 3) My Hydrovane self-steering system worked flawlessly. I mounted a tiller-pilot to it for windless days. It worked well so I seldom used my Raymarine ST-6000 autopilot. 4) My Spectra watermaker worked great — but you have to change the filters. Now for things that either didn't work or weren't adequate: 1) The Yanmar 38-hp diesel wasn't powerful enough in demanding conditions. 2) While the engine had been
critical. 3) My 300-watt
were insufficient. 4) My Pri-
LETTERS
sailing downwind. I replaced it with a Primus Air Breeze and had better results. I regret that I didn't have a Honda 2000 portable generator. 5) My Adler-Barbour refrigerator was a power hog. Performance improved after I re-insulated the interior, reducing the volume. 6) The most frustrating was a short in the microphone for my SSB, which meant I could listen to the other boats in the Puddle Jump, but I couldn't communicate with them! 7) Several bilge-pump float switches failed during the crossing. 8) You don't want fluffy towels in the tropics. Replace them with easy-to-dry backpacker towels. 9) I brought way too many blankets, comforters and clothes. 10) I didn't use my paper charts a single time.
A carefully planned-out medical kit, including several types of antibiotics, is essential. I developed a seriously infected finger that required a trip back to the States from the Marquesas. Upon arrival in the States, I had to undergo emergency surgery and was hospitalized for several days.
Remember, there are no West Marine or similar stores in French Polynesia; it's all 220-volt, so there are no 30- or 50-amp outlets; the currency is different; and they use the metric system. The navigation system is different, too. 'Red, right, returning' in French Polynesia will put your boat on the reef. The French also use butane rather than propane, and the fittings are different.
Joel Sorum Compañera, Tartan 3800 OC Vallejo
Readers — We can't recall a respondent who didn't love their windvane, and many reported great success using a tiller-pilot to drive when motoring.
⇑⇓ IT'S NOT THE GEAR, IT'S THE CREW
We found that the biggest problem on a long passage such as the Puddle Jump is crew. We're sure that many others would agree with us.
We picked up our four crew in Guatemala. They were all volunteers with some sailing experience. They all got seasick, which really wasn't a problem because they still stood their watches.
One of the four left the boat in Panama, having thought we were going to be busy sailing by doing lots of tacking and stuff. He was replaced by a spoiled brat who left us in the Galapagos when his granny paid for his trip home.
That left us with three crew on an 80-ft ketch for the long trip to the Marquesas. As big was our boat is, she got very small very quickly, with seemingly nowhere to hide.
If possible, always vet the crew, hopefully with a three- or four-day trip before you leave. If might make your trip a lot more enjoyable.
Rhonda Crossley Alabama, 80-ft Ketch Vuda Marina, Fiji
In a typical month, we receive a tremendous volume of letters. So if yours hasn't appeared, don't give up hope.
We welcome all letters that are of interest to sailors. Please include your name, your boat's name, hailing port and, if possible, a way to contact you for clarifications.
By far the best way to send letters is to email them to richard@latitude38.com. You can also mail them to 15 Locust Ave., 2nd Floor, Mill Valley, CA, 94941, or fax them to (415) 383-5816.
