You guys have such a reasonable approach to live aboard. I love getting to see "the real deal" everyone else just shows the "exciting" parts. You give more of the realistic lifestyle! Thanks!!
keep it real. my number one used to be sailing la vagabond, but they moved up to a million dollar yacht, fulltime videographer, and such. years ago theybwere regular Joes like me dealing with old boats and broken equipment. still like their videos, but not real any longer.
Y'all are so great to watch! I love seeing that you are real people with real people problems. You aren't making 10k a video. You are just trying to get buy like the rest of us, but at the same time, you are making your dream happen. Y'all are truly an inspiration.
Thank you again guys; Its not just about the sailing, I come here to watch all the prepping/maintenance you do - its all very interesting, I love the mixed content :)
You guys always keeping it real. Just what we need with most of the rest fluffing up. Cleaning is not much fun, but when your done the boat will look like new !
NO! I was just thinking how fun this video was- love that you put all of the cleaning clips into one longer vlog. The struggle is part of the excitement in watching cruising vlogs :) I hope you're both safe and healthy. Looking forward to an update :)
Nice to have an update, even a "reality boat cleaning" series of days. As to your salon table, I have a recommendation. But a 4x4 slab of marine plywood or veneered plywood. From that, cut a smaller, circular "cocktail" table. It would be about 18" in diameter and would be attached to the same post that supports your existing, full size table. This way, your cocktail table will be more proportional to your salon and give you a greater sense of space. One note, after you cut out your cocktail table, you need to edge it with wood edging tape. You can get that at any woodworking store. Cheers!
A smaller DIY replacement can be a good idea. However, don't get rid of the original table until you try alternatives. As mostly it will be the two of you, without the piles of stuff in the way, you may not find it so confining.
Exciting times. I'm a powerboat owner and buying stuff for boat is always very expensive. Like your boat. Make sure you carry extra pulley belts, alternator, starter etc. Spare filters, gas, oil. You never know. Good Luck, Vinny 🇺🇸
Yes rather than ditching the table. You will want to have a nice big horizontal surface for sure at some point. Solar: sounds like you have a plan, but I would say say place them on an arch over the stern. Arch can double as dinghy davit and it keeps them out of the way. Suggest aluminium for your boat to reduce weight.
I can understand why you would think a video like this would boring but, to a middle aged old fart like me, dreaming of being able to do the same thing someday, it is exciting stuff. Keep up the good work. I love your videos.
Great Video! I like that it's real and relevant. I had to go through the same process of cleaning all the bilge compartments. It makes a big difference eliminating the boat smell. A small Shop Vac comes in real handy.
Replace the plumbing the rubber hoses sweat and bleed a bit. They smell and will keep smelling. We switched to an airhead no holding tank!! So much nicer.
Sometimes just going over the outside of the hoses with various cleaners can make a difference. Give them a close up sniff check to see if they are the main source of odor and check the vent hose from the tank for possible cracks or loose connections.
Sail Meander you are correct!! I had the smell but a few days later our holding tank cracked so I always leaned toward the airhead... Your answer is the first step before my recommendation.. thanks for putting the breaks on my idea and doing it by the numbers!!
You guys are living the dream!! Hope once all the Covid-19 travel restrictions are over we can head out to look at a few sailboats I have my eye on (Leopard 40!). Hope to see you guys out there on the water someday soon! Fair winds and following seas Wicked Salty!!
Absolutely! A good example of that in the northeast is Hamilton Marine, with several stores in Maine and a well organized website. They serve recreational boaters as well, but comm. fishing is a big part of their focus. West marine, for example, has always had much higher pricing. I use West's catalog and website to find what I need then shop for it elsewhere; usually saving $$.
Love what you are doing. I would move the base pedestal in as far as you can until the round part of the table touches the the back of the cushion. Then add a hinged drop down leaf to the opposite end. with the leaf down that area will open while the table is still in place.
Right on and I totally agree. Even though you can do all of your projects on your own, what's your time worth? Hire someone to help you with the bigger projects and save your time to fix things that will break on the boat afrer you cast off your lines.
In our boat, we got rid of the saloon table and converted it to a (almost) full sized bed. It is better than kicking each other all night in the vberth and, just as you have found, the table and seating were unusable. We waited a full season before pulling the trigger on the conversion but we are happy we did. It was a simple as laying plywood down and buying a thick, comfortable mattress from Amazon, nothing more was needed. For eating, I built a small fold down table that is on the starboard side of the saloon so we have eating space as well as lounge space on the bed during the day. This makes for a much more comfortable saloon as well as practical. For plumbing, we had a smelly holding tank so we pulled that out and replaced it with a cassette toilet as we mostly are weekenders. If/when we are longer term, we will install a composting toilet. Not sure why anyone would want to warehouse pee anymore in a holding tank. We also replaced all plumbing lines. It wasn't expensive nor did it take more than a weekend of work.
For solar panels, I think freedoms are ideal for a combo of panel arch and davits. Great to make you dingy desirable for picking up at night and since you have a fiberglass bottom dingy, you can set sail without worrying if your dingy is lost in some way.
Hey a Wicked Salty. Nice video. I'm glad you went with solar, you'll really appreciate it down the road. I run a fridge freezer Xbox and tv off mine. I've been traveling south for 53 days now. Hope to see you in the Keys!
Good luck on the upcoming adventure. Getting the solar work done will certainly save you a lot of time and frustration ... make sure you use high efficiency lighting and other low power requirement items to reduce your load.
I would add soft roll up solar panels to the bimini top. That way you can remove them when needed. I used twist snaps that I had sewed onto the top... works great.
Call Hamilton Ferris, right there in Massachusetts. Great stuff, great advice. Flexible panels snapped to the bimini top, regulators, all manner of electrical generation, storage and management goodies.
One solar panel option might be to add dinghy davits and mount a large panel crossways on top. This would mean you don't have to tow your dinghy everywhere, which you certainly won't want to do offshore or in rough weather. If you look into davits, you will find a lot of variation in pricing between the big names and some more local makers, such as Martek.
Glad that you DIDN'T leave! I scrubbed my long-planned trip from Providence to Ft. Myers because of the 3 frickin' hurricanes (Irma Jose and Maria). I'll try again next year. I suggest that you add Hamilton Marine (Maine) to your list of viable chandlers.
For the table. Telescope the leg so that the table goes down to floor level. Get a cover for the table that you can stand on and will protect the top for when you raise it for eating.
Tip : Since shadows kill output of your panels (just while it's shadowing) Done mount them across the Bimini . Better to mount them length wise so the boom shadow shades one side of the array at each tack instead of shading all of them. Just a wire shadow degrades the panel a lot. Try it out with different kinds of shadows in different places on the panel with your volt meter.
I have two 135w 22v flexi solar panels strapped across the bimini top (aft of the boom) on my Oceanis 351. Wired to an MPPT EP Solar tracer with remote batt/solar monitor. Works a treat! I use bungies to hold them down to the cross bars between the 3 post bimini support. It's all down now thanks to multiple hurricanes but probably the easiest to setup, deploy, and undeploy. You want to use some gorrila tape on the edges so there not so sharp but even in 30-40kt winds it doesn't flutter at all. lays flat. Bird poo is the biggest problem with power but these are 22v not the usual 18v panels so a little poo doesn't effect it as much with the MPPT controller. Rigid panels would be nice but they can't be removed easily and down in the Carib that worries me. Up here in the chesapeake it's not a big issue. Windage was my other concern. With it flat to the bimini, there's no diff. But up above... Diff. NOW if I was to do something wicked salty about it... Rigid panels, sikaflexed and bolted together to BE the BIMINI! Like a hard top! Then some of that SUV cargo stretchy net under it to hold little things like gloves, wet suit, towels, emergency rum.
If you get a water maker, look up Rainman water maker. Its portable and makes 40 gals a hour. Its the size of a small Honda generator. Hope that helps you guys on your trip.
We're in SoCal and we've ordered from Defender more than once, even though the West Marine was right down the road from our marina. They do have great prices.
I know this is a long shot, but have you thought about just getting Dingy Davits and putting a nice solar array up on top of it? sure would make the boat a lot nicer as far as the dingy up and down stuff? I know it is expensive, but man that would really make it nice!
Option# 2.add a second pedestal base back as far as you can and hinge the other end. when the table is not in use just place it in the back pedestal with the leaf down.
I just did solar and after going back between hard and flexible I finally settled on flexible 4 100 wt panels joined in two each per mppt controller. Mounted to Bimini. Also we got a complete enclosure
Also get your solar panels and have 3-4batteries to connect them to. Than you have a battery bank that cycles and you never run out of power. We were suppose to leave on our trip before December 15th but we were stalled also due to the huge hurricanes.
Wes & Kate is was great running into you at Defender Marine. Will you be at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md? Let us know and please stop by our booth and say hello.
My tip of the day. Buy the toilet treatment at Walmart,, very cheap there. Also when pouring keep the opening almost at the top. It won't chase down the side of the container or chug that way.
Maybe you could get a finish/marine carpenter to cut the table on either end (the straight and the curved end) and make two leaves that can be raised and lowered with hinges . I would keep one or both of them lowered or "down" most of the time.
Another good place for marine stuff is Hamilton Marine in Maine. The closest one to you guys would be in Portland. I know it's a drive (about 2 hours from Boston) but it might be closer than Defender. Check them out online. No I don"t work for them but that's where I'm from and we always go there. Love the new boat by the way. Looking forward to more of your adventures!
I bought my Achilles knowing one day I will be putting it on a sailboat. I love my achilles. ITs the 11.5 foot model with a 20 horse Yamaha. Your stoked cause the boats are awesome...
OMG I know what you mean regarding taking on a project and having problems arising that makes it all take so so long . . . and then you start a new project and the last one hasn't finished and it just gets worse . . . Great video as always . . . support you till the end! :)
So the SOS bugbuster screens are excellent. I use them on Independence every night we stay on the boat, and they work. The netting is tight enough to not let the little one's in. Just don't rip it....... Let us know your approx dates to arrive in the Chesapeake...
My understanding with solar panels...if you're hooking up a single panel, or multiple in parallel, if you mount it to the dodger/Bimini top, it will also have at least a small portion in shadow, and that can drop the entire system's efficiency a fair bit. That said, I still haven't installed my own, so I can't speak for how efficient alternative locations will be (I plan to put mine on the sides of the pushpit, with swivel mounts)
I maxed out 5 credit cards fitting up my boat , Im in Tenants Harbor Maine. I use Hamilton Marine up there they are pretty good but got alot from Amazon, Good luck and Fairwinds !
Thanks for the update. Whenever someone asks me about all the work and money I spend on the boat, the answer is simple ... it's a boat. Either it's worth it to you, or it's not. Either someone understands it, or they don't. The ones that don't won't get invited on the boat. :-)
Mount solar panels on sides under the mast works great for us. We are planning a world sailing tour from SD down through the Panama Canal around through the Bahamas. Looking for fellow sailing buddies. ⛵️👌🏼🙋🏻♂️ Will have videos up soon.
Our next video will be up next Wednesday, sorry about the lack of an update... it's been crazy lately.. Much more on that to come.
Wicked Salty can't wait!!
You guys are inspirational can't wait to see your next video, good luck be safe.
with all the storms, I'm shocked one could find the time. stay safe! we aren't going anywhere. best wishes for you guys.
Great to have you
Wicked Salty Looking forward to it,...great vid you legends 👍.
Cleaning every inch is a fantastic way to learn your boat and to make a project list.
You guys have such a reasonable approach to live aboard. I love getting to see "the real deal" everyone else just shows the "exciting" parts. You give more of the realistic lifestyle! Thanks!!
Thank you! It's about to get real, REAL.
keep it real. my number one used to be sailing la vagabond, but they moved up to a million dollar yacht, fulltime videographer, and such. years ago theybwere regular Joes like me dealing with old boats and broken equipment. still like their videos, but not real any longer.
Y'all are so great to watch! I love seeing that you are real people with real people problems. You aren't making 10k a video. You are just trying to get buy like the rest of us, but at the same time, you are making your dream happen. Y'all are truly an inspiration.
Thank you again guys; Its not just about the sailing, I come here to watch all the prepping/maintenance you do - its all very interesting, I love the mixed content :)
Great idea for cleaning the cushions, and glad you will have a dinghy that works better this time. Thanks for giving Lola so much airtime! 😍
You guys always keeping it real. Just what we need with most of the rest fluffing up. Cleaning is not much fun, but when your done the boat will look like new !
Way to go. Love how you show the more mundane stuff. - Loved your first season, happy to screen-sail another one with you guys. - Thanks.
Great production! Glad to see you back having fun. Continued success in all you do together!
Loved the video. Liked seeing ya clean all the nooks and crannies. She's gonna be sweet when your all done and she is made all Wicked Salty!
NO! I was just thinking how fun this video was- love that you put all of the cleaning clips into one longer vlog. The struggle is part of the excitement in watching cruising vlogs :) I hope you're both safe and healthy. Looking forward to an update :)
Looks like lots of work but you are making it fun... Lola is so cute the boat looks great . Keep at is guys you are almost ready to go
Very happy to see you guys getting ready to get out there again. Can't wait!
Glad to see you guys at it again. Good luck with all your prep and planning!
Glad to see you both are back and with a new boat. Be safe.
Cheers from the land locked state of Arizona. We live vicariously through you.
Keep up the good work my friends.
Good to see you guys back on the water. Congrats on the new boat!
Love seeing you guys back!!! Looking forward to more, on or off the water!!
Nice to see you guys back on the water again,
Nice to have an update, even a "reality boat cleaning" series of days. As to your salon table, I have a recommendation. But a 4x4 slab of marine plywood or veneered plywood. From that, cut a smaller, circular "cocktail" table. It would be about 18" in diameter and would be attached to the same post that supports your existing, full size table. This way, your cocktail table will be more proportional to your salon and give you a greater sense of space. One note, after you cut out your cocktail table, you need to edge it with wood edging tape. You can get that at any woodworking store. Cheers!
A smaller DIY replacement can be a good idea. However, don't get rid of the original table until you try alternatives. As mostly it will be the two of you, without the piles of stuff in the way, you may not find it so confining.
wicked salty going for round two! Cool, I have always enjoyed your vids.
Exciting times. I'm a powerboat owner and buying stuff for boat is always very expensive. Like your boat. Make sure you carry extra pulley belts, alternator, starter etc. Spare filters, gas, oil. You never know. Good Luck, Vinny 🇺🇸
Cut about ten inches off the table top and reattach it with a hinge, so it folds down. there when you need it down when you don't.
That's a great idea.
Yes rather than ditching the table. You will want to have a nice big horizontal surface for sure at some point.
Solar: sounds like you have a plan, but I would say say place them on an arch over the stern. Arch can double as dinghy davit and it keeps them out of the way. Suggest aluminium for your boat to reduce weight.
Mount a vertical pole from cabin sole to coach roof and slide table up to coach roof when not needed?
I can understand why you would think a video like this would boring but, to a middle aged old fart like me, dreaming of being able to do the same thing someday, it is exciting stuff. Keep up the good work. I love your videos.
Great Video! I like that it's real and relevant. I had to go through the same process of cleaning all the bilge compartments. It makes a big difference eliminating the boat smell. A small Shop Vac comes in real handy.
So glad yall are back. Look forward to the updates.
Super happy to see you guys back on a boat and ready to vlog... what a cliffhanger end to a video... I'll not sleep now until the next instalment
I love these "technical" videos....gives a unique viewpoint. Good job on video and editing also.
Love seeing you guys back in action!
Replace the plumbing the rubber hoses sweat and bleed a bit. They smell and will keep smelling.
We switched to an airhead no holding tank!! So much nicer.
Sometimes just going over the outside of the hoses with various cleaners can make a difference. Give them a close up sniff check to see if they are the main source of odor and check the vent hose from the tank for possible cracks or loose connections.
Sail Meander you are correct!! I had the smell but a few days later our holding tank cracked so I always leaned toward the airhead... Your answer is the first step before my recommendation.. thanks for putting the breaks on my idea and doing it by the numbers!!
yes something i didnt realise right away, hoses permeate and have to be replaced every few years depending on type/grade
You guys are living the dream!! Hope once all the Covid-19 travel restrictions are over we can head out to look at a few sailboats I have my eye on (Leopard 40!). Hope to see you guys out there on the water someday soon! Fair winds and following seas Wicked Salty!!
Wes, good to see you back! If are in Baltimore and need a slip, I got you covered.
Glad to see you guys at it again, looking forward to your videos
Looking forward to the next journey
Chains, lines and all gear is often much more expensive in Yacht-stores. Buy where fishermen buy! It's much cheaper and really heavy duty!
Absolutely! A good example of that in the northeast is Hamilton Marine, with several stores in Maine and a well organized website. They serve recreational boaters as well, but comm. fishing is a big part of their focus. West marine, for example, has always had much higher pricing. I use West's catalog and website to find what I need then shop for it elsewhere; usually saving $$.
Love what you are doing. I would move the base pedestal in as far as you can until the round part of the table touches the the back of the cushion. Then add a hinged drop down leaf to the opposite end. with the leaf down that area will open while the table is still in place.
Right on and I totally agree. Even though you can do all of your projects on your own, what's your time worth? Hire someone to help you with the bigger projects and save your time to fix things that will break on the boat afrer you cast off your lines.
I was happy see a new video uploaded. Keep them coming.
Glad to see y,all back
Glad you waited Marie is coming your way.
In our boat, we got rid of the saloon table and converted it to a (almost) full sized bed. It is better than kicking each other all night in the vberth and, just as you have found, the table and seating were unusable. We waited a full season before pulling the trigger on the conversion but we are happy we did. It was a simple as laying plywood down and buying a thick, comfortable mattress from Amazon, nothing more was needed.
For eating, I built a small fold down table that is on the starboard side of the saloon so we have eating space as well as lounge space on the bed during the day. This makes for a much more comfortable saloon as well as practical.
For plumbing, we had a smelly holding tank so we pulled that out and replaced it with a cassette toilet as we mostly are weekenders. If/when we are longer term, we will install a composting toilet. Not sure why anyone would want to warehouse pee anymore in a holding tank.
We also replaced all plumbing lines. It wasn't expensive nor did it take more than a weekend of work.
For solar panels, I think freedoms are ideal for a combo of panel arch and davits. Great to make you dingy desirable for picking up at night and since you have a fiberglass bottom dingy, you can set sail without worrying if your dingy is lost in some way.
Hey a Wicked Salty. Nice video. I'm glad you went with solar, you'll really appreciate it down the road. I run a fridge freezer Xbox and tv off mine. I've been traveling south for 53 days now. Hope to see you in the Keys!
Another Bostonian here.... but living near the Chesapeake Bay. Looking forward to watching your future and previous video!
Good luck on the upcoming adventure. Getting the solar work done will certainly save you a lot of time and frustration ... make sure you use high efficiency lighting and other low power requirement items to reduce your load.
Nice to see how you made due with the old dingy for as long as you did. I use a kayak to get out to my mooring. Good luck with the new one!
I would add soft roll up solar panels to the bimini top. That way you can remove them when needed. I used twist snaps that I had sewed onto the top... works great.
Looking good guys. Love the boat.
Call Hamilton Ferris, right there in Massachusetts. Great stuff, great advice. Flexible panels snapped to the bimini top, regulators, all manner of electrical generation, storage and management goodies.
I am so looking forward to more videos! Even if they are cleaning videos as they are getting you one step closer to cruising full-time. 😀
Yup, having moved from to boat to boat to apartment to boat to boat to boat, this all sounds about right.
Happy to see you on trip! and I love glam gloves 😁!
Great video, wow All that work and prep, I bet you guys sleep well.
Hugs!! ☺
One solar panel option might be to add dinghy davits and mount a large panel crossways on top. This would mean you don't have to tow your dinghy everywhere, which you certainly won't want to do offshore or in rough weather. If you look into davits, you will find a lot of variation in pricing between the big names and some more local makers, such as Martek.
Yeah...... Wicked Salty........ the adventure is on baby ! EPIC......
Glad that you DIDN'T leave! I scrubbed my long-planned trip from Providence to Ft. Myers because of the 3 frickin' hurricanes (Irma Jose and Maria). I'll try again next year.
I suggest that you add Hamilton Marine (Maine) to your list of viable chandlers.
For the table. Telescope the leg so that the table goes down to floor level. Get a cover for the table that you can stand on and will protect the top for when you raise it for eating.
I would leave the table until you have sailed with it for a while. I have the same u shaped dinette in mine and love it!
Tip : Since shadows kill output of your panels (just while it's shadowing) Done mount them across the Bimini . Better to mount them length wise so the boom shadow shades one side of the array at each tack instead of shading all of them. Just a wire shadow degrades the panel a lot. Try it out with different kinds of shadows in different places on the panel with your volt meter.
I have two 135w 22v flexi solar panels strapped across the bimini top (aft of the boom) on my Oceanis 351. Wired to an MPPT EP Solar tracer with remote batt/solar monitor. Works a treat! I use bungies to hold them down to the cross bars between the 3 post bimini support.
It's all down now thanks to multiple hurricanes but probably the easiest to setup, deploy, and undeploy. You want to use some gorrila tape on the edges so there not so sharp but even in 30-40kt winds it doesn't flutter at all. lays flat. Bird poo is the biggest problem with power but these are 22v not the usual 18v panels so a little poo doesn't effect it as much with the MPPT controller.
Rigid panels would be nice but they can't be removed easily and down in the Carib that worries me. Up here in the chesapeake it's not a big issue. Windage was my other concern. With it flat to the bimini, there's no diff. But up above... Diff.
NOW if I was to do something wicked salty about it... Rigid panels, sikaflexed and bolted together to BE the BIMINI! Like a hard top! Then some of that SUV cargo stretchy net under it to hold little things like gloves, wet suit, towels, emergency rum.
!!!!cliff-hanger much? lol glad to see the update, looks like a TON of work. CHeers guys, hope you're not too delayed getting south :) -Bryan
Awesome video, getting ready for your adventure. :)
good to see you back
If you get a water maker, look up Rainman water maker. Its portable and makes 40 gals a hour. Its the size of a small Honda generator. Hope that helps you guys on your trip.
We're in SoCal and we've ordered from Defender more than once, even though the West Marine was right down the road from our marina. They do have great prices.
Rooting for you guys! Love the videos!
I know this is a long shot, but have you thought about just getting Dingy Davits and putting a nice solar array up on top of it? sure would make the boat a lot nicer as far as the dingy up and down stuff? I know it is expensive, but man that would really make it nice!
im so happy that you guys found a boat!!
Yay Saltys are back!
Lola is a star !
Holy boat cleaning Wesman!
LMBO @ Kate's face when you said, "Well we wanted to wash them down"
Option# 2.add a second pedestal base back as far as you can and hinge the other end. when the table is not in use just place it in the back pedestal with the leaf down.
Awesome guys! Looks like a lot of work. I got my first sailing practice today (made the Wando sailing team)
Glad to see progress! Now show us the clean boat, what it looks like now. :-)
I really love going to Defender also. I travel 2.5 to 3.0 hours there each spring for their warehouse sale.
Love your videos ! Keep up the great work !
I just did solar and after going back between hard and flexible I finally settled on flexible 4 100 wt panels joined in two each per mppt controller. Mounted to Bimini. Also we got a complete enclosure
Also get your solar panels and have 3-4batteries to connect them to. Than you have a battery bank that cycles and you never run out of power. We were suppose to leave on our trip before December 15th but we were stalled also due to the huge hurricanes.
Wes & Kate is was great running into you at Defender Marine. Will you be at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Md? Let us know and please stop by our booth and say hello.
I'm a fan of Defender also, I make the trip down there a couple of times a year.
Good luck keep on trucken
My tip of the day. Buy the toilet treatment at Walmart,, very cheap there. Also when pouring keep the opening almost at the top. It won't chase down the side of the container or chug that way.
Maybe you could get a finish/marine carpenter to cut the table on either end (the straight and the curved end) and make two leaves that can be raised and lowered with hinges . I would keep one or both of them lowered or "down" most of the time.
Hi Great to see your post.
Don't venture into any hurricane ! Thanks for sharing 😎
Another good place for marine stuff is Hamilton Marine in Maine. The closest one to you guys would be in Portland. I know it's a drive (about 2 hours from Boston) but it might be closer than Defender. Check them out online. No I don"t work for them but that's where I'm from and we always go there. Love the new boat by the way. Looking forward to more of your adventures!
hello wes glad to see you back
I bought my Achilles knowing one day I will be putting it on a sailboat. I love my achilles. ITs the 11.5 foot model with a 20 horse Yamaha. Your stoked cause the boats are awesome...
OMG I know what you mean regarding taking on a project and having problems arising that makes it all take so so long . . . and then you start a new project and the last one hasn't finished and it just gets worse . . . Great video as always . . . support you till the end! :)
Thank you so much!
looking forward to seeing what your solar panel system will look like....we are in the planning stages of that project ourselves.
So the SOS bugbuster screens are excellent. I use them on Independence every night we stay on the boat, and they work. The netting is tight enough to not let the little one's in. Just don't rip it....... Let us know your approx dates to arrive in the Chesapeake...
Little worries about the ending, hoping everything/ everyone is okay
My understanding with solar panels...if you're hooking up a single panel, or multiple in parallel, if you mount it to the dodger/Bimini top, it will also have at least a small portion in shadow, and that can drop the entire system's efficiency a fair bit. That said, I still haven't installed my own, so I can't speak for how efficient alternative locations will be (I plan to put mine on the sides of the pushpit, with swivel mounts)
I love this channel. I comment only to promote it through UA-cam. I never have anything important to say.
I maxed out 5 credit cards fitting up my boat , Im in Tenants Harbor Maine. I use Hamilton Marine up there they are pretty good but got alot from Amazon, Good luck and Fairwinds !
Glad to see a vid!
Regarding Solar Panels, they work best when they are in the least shadows, etc. And don't forget that wind turbines work at night!
Thanks for the update. Whenever someone asks me about all the work and money I spend on the boat, the answer is simple ... it's a boat. Either it's worth it to you, or it's not. Either someone understands it, or they don't.
The ones that don't won't get invited on the boat. :-)
Mount solar panels on sides under the mast works great for us. We are planning a world sailing tour from SD down through the Panama Canal around through the Bahamas. Looking for fellow sailing buddies. ⛵️👌🏼🙋🏻♂️
Will have videos up soon.