We developed the habit long ago to hit the like button at the start of "SAIL LIFE" episodes as we have come to know they are all great! CHEERS from HERE!
You are successfully making the transition to a cruising channel as we, your viewers, all predicted you would; excellent job on this video. Last week’s honest reporting on your seasickness and this week’s nerves about anchoring were perfect glimpses of what sailing is really like and much appreciated. Your reporting on the energy requirements onboard Athena were most timely for us and our boat. We just made the decision to ditch the propane and go electric and watching you today reminded me that I need to go back to study the Sail Life archives for your solar panel set up. It would be interesting to see a report on how your setup affects Athena’s sailing performance.
I have no idea why you were so worried about transitioning to a new type of content. You are totally killing it as you always have. I always enjoy how you and Ava tell your stories. Well done and thank you for the massive effort it takes to create these weekly!
Hahaha ....... the wind generator! For anyone interested, I have accurately logged, real world figures for a whole year 2014/215. The Rutland 913 generated a total of 6.7kw over the year (enough for 22 blow-dry's for Ava) whilst the little 50w solar panel generated 46.9Kw. By interpolation, fitting 300w of solar will generate around 280kw in the same period .......... it's a no-brainer for solar.
A tip (once you replace your boat hook): the RYA now teaches to lasso mooring balls not to hook them; I only heard about it recently but can confirm it's a total game changer!
Ipad cover: I have been using "LifeProof nüüd Case" for several years - The case have an o-ring pressed agains the glass, enabling you to touch the ipad glass for best ipad response. But I am unsure if they still produce the cases for newer ipad models, but the idea and design is pretty dang spiffy :)
Very enjoyable video Mads and Ava. Not every boat has both an attractive figurehead and formidable stalker of good buys rolled into one. Take care and thank you for the tour of the gardens. For your dinghy, get 30 meters of 8mm rope and a 24" aluminum rod about 10mm to use for staking the dinghy on the beach at low tide. It will save you having to drag the dinghy completely above the high tide line. Take care and have a great week.
So fun to see you reaping the rewards of all that hard work. For extra peace of mind, you might consider an underwater drone to check how the anchor is set.
I can tell you that your concerns of not showing continuous diy projects is unfounded. We enjoyed you taking us on tour of the beautiful gardens and sharing your first anchorage. Loved it all.
Maybe on some of your episodes, you can show us how to use the navigational system and plot charter… Of course you’re doing a phenomenal job as is. Thank you.!
One thing to add to the pro/butane swap to electric is availability - I know of several liveaboards in the UK who have really struggled getting refills over the past few months and that's just the UK. There are also compatibility issues worldwide and just the hassle of finding the stuff abroad
There are. Many UA-cam's that show adaptors for GS bottles and how to transfer gas from one bottle to another often hanging a gas bottle. From a tree to transfer gas to a ground based gas bottle often done on beach . Not so scary as it sounds but another pain in the neck to set up every few weeks as you use gas a lot when cruising .
Thanks for the videos. One suggestion in soldering wires, make them staggered so the connections are not parallel on the same spot, mitigates the risk as the connections are the weakest link. Trivial and overkill but better safe than ... shorted.
I'm interested in nerding out on that dedicated energy video you mentioned. Personally I'm here for all the nerdy and diy stuff. Not so much for travel content, but stoked to see you're enjoying yourself and the fruits of your labor!
Mads I don't think you need to worry about keeping people interested with your sailing videos. They are some of the best on utube and they will just continue to get better. I hope you get a chance to stop in Galway bay once you guys reach Ireland. That's where our family originated before immigrating to the USA. In the 1800s. We still have some distant relatives that live around the Galway area. Try the seafood if you do get to Galway ,they have every kind of seafood you'd ever want. Stay safe and have a wonderful time in Ireland 🇮🇪.
Mads & Ava - GREAT job on the latest video! Some of the shots (with the guitar background musical accompaniment) reminded me of "Life is Sailling" - but with MUCH better scenery.
Wow! Been following you for years and years, enjoying every event and adventure … but this vlog just went up a gear. Huge congrats 🎉 what a happy blend of sailing, touring, domestics … valuable info … and great good humour … 😄
You're absolutely right about wind turbines. In combination with solar the battery voltage is always to high for bulk loading via windturbine. It will mostly charge in trickle charging. After 20 years of searching, trying, changing, forcing factories to check them up and get some more than 1 to 2 amps I'm done with it. Trickle the PV will do as well. Doubled up up the PV (changed the 20 year old still working 2x50Wh) to 250Wh which is somuch more effective. Also: No more sun/blade stroboscoop effect No more (vibration &) noise No more shadow on PV. no irritation of neighbours Short: Don't even try a windturbine whatever they say, it's just a trickle charger (as you explained in video)
I'm sorry I missed your videos till now I live in st Austell in Cornwall I'd have love to seen you sailing past hope you have a great time in Isles of Scilly iv live in Cornwall 15 years and still never been over there sail safe and keep up the top videos sailing or DIY I'm gonna keep on watching
Mads and Ava: great job with this week's vid. I know that you were anxious about moving on from DIY projects to story telling, but this week demonstrated that you can do both! Photography was beautiful and your several story lines were well done. Relax, be yourselves and have fun - we'll gladly follow along.
I have recently replaced the Mantus snubber connector to my chain with some Dyneema soft shackles. The beauty of this setup is that the soft shackles pass over the power roller both in deploying and in retrieving the anchor. I too used to have to remove the snubber in front of the bow roller on my Gozzard 41 and it was a huge pita.
Anchoring: Just remember chain length = min 4x depth of water + height of bow (3 meter water, 2 meter height) = 20 meter chain. Then back the engine to dig the anchor down. First dead slow revs, ending at min. 1500 revs. If you do not move then, you are secure for the night. Sleep well. If weather is expected to be severe, you might consider chain lengths up to 10x in stead of 4x.
Well, it seems you got that pesky “can I narrate without a hammer in hand” thought answered, this is a great episode! Peaceful music, beautiful geography, lovely 1st mate, and of course the yacht, man o man is she ship-shape! 9kw on a cloudy day, the rollout panels are magic. Well done, Mads! Ireland it is…
Don’t know why you worried,your videos are getting better every time,really enjoy watching so can’t wait for next instalment cheers from Perth Australia
We’re Off-Grid and have exactly the same Victron Controller. I look at it every day, at least 3-4 times a day. We have 18 Panels with a 5KvH system and Lithium Ion Battery system, with back up petrol generator. We hardly ever use the Generator. It’s been raining in NZ for well over a week and yet we still make electricity although we are slowly reducing the battery storage, so I think today the Generator may come on. I love looking at the screen and working out what we are making and using, we are so much more aware of what appliances use more or less power.
I use an iPad as my primary navigation device, and a simple ZipLok bag is a great waterproof device! All but the largest iPads will fit inside the Large Freezer Bag model, and the touch screen still seems to work pretty well!!!
Beautiful scenery! Great story telling as well - I think you are making the transition to the cruising channel very well! I'm definitely looking forward to a more in depth look at the electricity generation/consumption. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us!
All the photos and reviews I’ve seen of the Isles of Sicily have been outstanding, also good idea on that energy video, esp in these times of expensive dinosaur juice.
You should get an outdoor boat grill that clamps onto the railing. We actually wound up using it more often than the inside cooking units when we weren’t moving. You can buy a boat mount grill, or fabricate your own mount to a small grill you like. We used a camping grill with custom fabricated mounts for our boat. It used tiny prefilled gas cans that were easy to find in the US, but a pain down in the islands.
Had a though while you where talking about the energy budget: Do you use a pressure cooker? I use to use one decades ago, but it was not the most convenient. But I've been told they've come a long way since then and are much more convenient. Given your off grid life style maybe a little inconvenience would be worth it. Just a thought. Anywho, please keep making such enjoyable videos. I started watching this channel not that longer after the purchase of Athena and, like others have said, I think you've found a nice balance now that this channel isn't 100% DIY.
We use an Instant Pot at home which is a modern pressure cooker. I think this would save a lot of energy on a boat, perhaps even more than a traditional pressure cooker on an induction hob? We hope to go sailing later this year and plan to use an Instant Pot and microwave to minimize energy use.
I remember when reading the C.S. Forester Hornblower books that Hotatio would often mention " weathering the Lizard " after leaving Spithead on a new voyage.
For the closing sequence, maybe try alternating between yourseleves in delivering the final words of the episode? Its a well received video production technique, and it holds the viewers interest better as a dialogue rather than a simple series of statements by one person
13:33 The 'HMS Beagle' didn't have a figurehead, thank 'god' she never ran aground there. Thank you for posting all your adventures/tech-tips. Love from Amsterdam!
Congratulations on your first night at anchor guys! I feel bad as admittedly I've not watched the last 3 episodes... I think it might be time you make a Mads OCD over-engineered boat hook... I reckon your design skills could get you into a niche line of merch that's more practical than t-shirts 👍 Fantastic content/reviews as ever, £18 seems a bit much, granted you had some amazing photographic content but I can't help but think that would have been better spent "🍷ing and dining" Ava as she does so much domestically... also, I always thought honesty boxes are an amazing thing! Granted some people abuse them but I'll always pay a good chunk extra if the produce looks natural and fresh.
Thanks for all the great content. I Miss the mainline of DIY but still enjoy the content. The nerdy dissection of the systems you've installed sounds great and I look forward to continuing our relationship 🤣
That's some seriously impressive yield on your PV array. I've got about 1kW installed around the boat and my record is 4.2kWh over 24 hours in Lake Ontario (July). I average around 80kWh/month. I went induction cooking about 5 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Electric outboard, too! Athena's "furling" solar array is pure brilliance! Fair winds, you two! :)
Mads, about your anchoring fears/worries. Let out 7:1 rode, then back down on the anchor when set, for 2 minutes, taking position bearings. If you move reset anchor and try again. Sometimes it just does not have enough to bury in, but that was not often for me. Coastal racing and cruising in my younger years.
I wish I'd known you were going to visit the IOS, especially Tresco, I'd have made a few begging phone calls! I covered the Islands for Years as a Service Engineer, staying on Tresco as a guest of the Estate for almost a week for at least 18 of them! Got to know a few people over that time, I would have recommended lunch at The New Inn, New Grimsby, Tresco after anchoring in Tresco sound between Bryher and Tresco, and shopping at The Cooperative Store in Hugh Town St. Marys after mooring in or anchoring just outside St Marys Harbour and landing at the Dinghy Dock.
I was always wondering about your energy setup in particular the cooking. It is nice to see that your concept (almost) works out at sunny conditions. But still, using the GenSet to be able to cook would not be an option for me. I like the principle “if you can use primary energy, do so, don’t convert!” On UMA an alcohol burner is taking the load. I think, that is an good alternative, because the fuel can be produced without “dinosaur …whatever”. Using such a thing as a backup in the cockpit could be an option. So if the solar is not enough, cooking that day with such a thing. On my Maxi 95 I installed 4x 50WP (2 in seriell and these groups in parallel to the MPPT charger). 60Ah (800Wh) is what I can get on a regular basis in the Baltic area. Except cooking, no shore power is needed. Last trip I had a Chef on board and he needed cooking tools while at anchor. My two LPG burners were not enough. My old Coleman Stove came on board. Knowing the Maxi 95 setup, by placing that stove in the cockpit you get a galley with 2 more burners….and a ton of power! My old Coleman stays on board now. Normal petrol fuel works, but clocks it after some using time (100h, but can be cleaned easily, no damage to the unit) “Rense-Benzin from Brugsen” is in my stove now and works just as fine. But I will never use that thing inside the boat. Hilsen
I really enjoy watching you guys. It look like a beautiful Island in the water was crystal. Can't wait for next week. Thanks for sharing your life with us!!! Fair winds and following seas ✌🏼💗😊❣️
It is nice to see you sailing your dream. With that in mind, and I'm sure I am not alone, I have been waiting for pictures from your masthead video camera. Especially a view when passing under a bridge. I sure hope you don't disappoint us. Happy sailing and enjoy your adventures.
If you like ferns you absolutely have to visit the gardens in Killmackillogue, Kerry, Ireland. And I can point you to the best anchoring the whole world.
You should do what Sailing Sophisticated Lady does and have flip up solor panels that store vertically on the life line stantions. It will look a little ungainly but you will double solar charge. He has them removable so when transiting he can store them below.
Really enjoyable video. Love the Scilly Isles. Your are so much better equipped than the average boat anchoring should be a breeze, and very enjoyable. Phone app. or plotter you have plenty of devices to keep an eye on things. Liked the dyneema soft shackle, we have loads of them. I use a two small DC-DC chargers to power switchable usb ports 24-12v - all switchable to save power and the phones live in one of two rail mounted cradles. Make sure you flush the secondary cooling circuit on the engine and genset when you can. Stagnant salt water is a killer for corrosion. And yes Eva, you make a much better pin-up!
Glad to see that you made Scillies. Be interesting to hear an update on the ROKK holder/chargers as I might buy one for the Ipad myself. Enjoy the sail to Ireland.
As a fellow full time live-aboard sailor, I've been watching with interest how your electrical setup will work out, I've always thought your battery capacity will be the weakest link, I have 600 AH at 12 volts, but I'm increasing it to 1200 AH, as it only takes several rainy days to deplete, and I don't have any where near your electrical draw, I'm also in QLD Australia where we have plenty of sun.
i have found that wind gens are not useful when you have sun, but they do help the energy budget when no sun is aval as they reduce the amt you use (during nite). also during low sun output they could bump the amt your getting as if you had full sun. often when it's cloudy you have really good winds to use......maybe a single unit that's put up when you "unfurl" your full solar and are planning to be several days. just food for thought :)
Our wind generator makes 200-250w if the winds are 18+ knots. But that is only when the sun is not shining because usually the solar panels are doing most of the heavy lifting and that causes the wind generator to bow out of the charging equation early once the flooded lead acid batteries reach 80% or more of charge and charge current drops. We only need 250w of solar panels so when it isn't sunny the wind turbine takes up the slack nicely. On a typical day we use about 1.5kw/h in total but we only have a small eutectic holding plate icebox fridge and no watermaker. We are a low-energy boat with few electronic toys. LP galley and footpump sinks save a lot and modest current-generation LED lighting draws nearly nothing. We don't have a gas or diesel generator and only a 50a alternator on the diesel auxiliary. We don't need to run the diesel to charge batteries even during the shortest winter days
I use a tech gear Poseidon waterproof and shock proof iPad cove, I left Southampton in November, and am now in the Caribbean, it has seen some testing times, but has performed brilliantly, inexpensive, and does what it says on the tin 👍
Hello you two, nice to hear from you again. I've been following your channel for a long time. Your videos are always interesting and also very entertaining. I also did the sailing trip from England via Falmouth, Scillys to Kinsale 3 years ago. In Saint Marys I have to wait about 5 days until the weather is right for the crossing. The crossing took 36 hours - 30 hours with motor and 6 hours under sail. By the way: A nice location in Ireland is Kinsale or Cork/Crosshaven. Since I'm in Kinsale right now to set up my boat, I would be happy if we could meet up sometime. Greetings Werner from the Nautilus
Very good video ! The gardens are beautiful ! The technical details are very interesting Your becoming experts, soon you'll be doing freelance work for others. Thanks for sharing Sail on Cheers
Thank you for the discussion on your power grid and PVs. I love your idea to have the PV panels furled, much better than putting the extra panels on the life line rails.
I hope you installed Lightning Rod “Protection” with all the electronics on board. When you get to the Caribbean, chances of lightning strikes increases dramatically.
We developed the habit long ago to hit the like button at the start of "SAIL LIFE" episodes as we have come to know they are all great! CHEERS from HERE!
Indeed.
I do exactly the same, I know it's going to be a thumbs up.👍👍
I do too. Apparently, hiting the like in the first thirty seconds makes the alogithim happy. I don't know how it does, or to measure it.
True
Same 🌞
You are successfully making the transition to a cruising channel as we, your viewers, all predicted you would; excellent job on this video. Last week’s honest reporting on your seasickness and this week’s nerves about anchoring were perfect glimpses of what sailing is really like and much appreciated.
Your reporting on the energy requirements onboard Athena were most timely for us and our boat. We just made the decision to ditch the propane and go electric and watching you today reminded me that I need to go back to study the Sail Life archives for your solar panel set up. It would be interesting to see a report on how your setup affects Athena’s sailing performance.
I agree - Mads will never stop talking tech - and they go to interesting places, so it will continue to be a great channel.
You’ve found a great balance in your videos of interesting DYI projects and compelling travel highlights!
I have no idea why you were so worried about transitioning to a new type of content. You are totally killing it as you always have. I always enjoy how you and Ava tell your stories. Well done and thank you for the massive effort it takes to create these weekly!
Hahaha ....... the wind generator! For anyone interested, I have accurately logged, real world figures for a whole year 2014/215. The Rutland 913 generated a total of 6.7kw over the year (enough for 22 blow-dry's for Ava) whilst the little 50w solar panel generated 46.9Kw. By interpolation, fitting 300w of solar will generate around 280kw in the same period .......... it's a no-brainer for solar.
A tip (once you replace your boat hook): the RYA now teaches to lasso mooring balls not to hook them; I only heard about it recently but can confirm it's a total game changer!
Always have done. Mooring buoys, not balls. It's the royal yachting association, not the federal yachting association.
@@Lightw81 Feel better soon.
Ipad cover: I have been using "LifeProof nüüd Case" for several years - The case have an o-ring pressed agains the glass, enabling you to touch the ipad glass for best ipad response. But I am unsure if they still produce the cases for newer ipad models, but the idea and design is pretty dang spiffy :)
I agree!
Very enjoyable video Mads and Ava. Not every boat has both an attractive figurehead and formidable stalker of good buys rolled into one. Take care and thank you for the tour of the gardens. For your dinghy, get 30 meters of 8mm rope and a 24" aluminum rod about 10mm to use for staking the dinghy on the beach at low tide. It will save you having to drag the dinghy completely above the high tide line. Take care and have a great week.
So fun to see you reaping the rewards of all that hard work. For extra peace of mind, you might consider an underwater drone to check how the anchor is set.
I can tell you that your concerns of not showing continuous diy projects is unfounded. We enjoyed you taking us on tour of the beautiful gardens and sharing your first anchorage. Loved it all.
You should invite someone aboard one of your short trips so they can film you while you are sailing. It would be great to see you in action.
Maybe on some of your episodes, you can show us how to use the navigational system and plot charter… Of course you’re doing a phenomenal job as is. Thank you.!
One thing to add to the pro/butane swap to electric is availability - I know of several liveaboards in the UK who have really struggled getting refills over the past few months and that's just the UK. There are also compatibility issues worldwide and just the hassle of finding the stuff abroad
There are. Many UA-cam's that show adaptors for GS bottles and how to transfer gas from one bottle to another often hanging a gas bottle. From a tree to transfer gas to a ground based gas bottle often done on beach . Not so scary as it sounds but another pain in the neck to set up every few weeks as you use gas a lot when cruising .
The gardens were beautiful! I am also a fern fan. They are so pre-historic looking.
I hope you realize that the Scilly Isles counts as a new country and needs associated rituals? loving the vlogs, have fun guys x
Thanks for the videos. One suggestion in soldering wires, make them staggered so the connections are not parallel on the same spot, mitigates the risk as the connections are the weakest link. Trivial and overkill but better safe than ... shorted.
It also makes fitting the bundle into a conduit or narrow space easier.
@@joshuarosen6242 True but you should avoid pulling soldered wires like the plague. Ask me how i know :)
@@jfkalim you can twist and solder
@@smokindauberdoo4208 Yup. You can solder a lineman's splice and that point of the wire will be STRONGER than the rest of the run.
I'm interested in nerding out on that dedicated energy video you mentioned. Personally I'm here for all the nerdy and diy stuff. Not so much for travel content, but stoked to see you're enjoying yourself and the fruits of your labor!
Glad you made it to the Isles of Scilly. I go there regular. Britain's answer to the Bahamas. Pure white sand and Turquoise seas.
Enjoyed the Vedic and particularly the background music choices.
Mads I don't think you need to worry about keeping people interested with your sailing videos. They are some of the best on utube and they will just continue to get better. I hope you get a chance to stop in Galway bay once you guys reach Ireland. That's where our family originated before immigrating to the USA. In the 1800s. We still have some distant relatives that live around the Galway area. Try the seafood if you do get to Galway ,they have every kind of seafood you'd ever want. Stay safe and have a wonderful time in Ireland 🇮🇪.
Mads & Ava - GREAT job on the latest video! Some of the shots (with the guitar background musical accompaniment) reminded me of "Life is Sailling" - but with MUCH better scenery.
Wow! Been following you for years and years, enjoying every event and adventure … but this vlog just went up a gear. Huge congrats 🎉 what a happy blend of sailing, touring, domestics … valuable info … and great good humour … 😄
I think I'll get one of those Rokk charger holder thingys for my Catalina 30.
Beautiful scenes of the gardens.
You're absolutely right about wind turbines.
In combination with solar the battery voltage is always to high for bulk loading via windturbine. It will mostly charge in trickle charging.
After 20 years of searching, trying, changing, forcing factories to check them up and get some more than 1 to 2 amps I'm done with it. Trickle the PV will do as well.
Doubled up up the PV (changed the 20 year old still working 2x50Wh) to 250Wh which is somuch more effective.
Also:
No more sun/blade stroboscoop effect
No more (vibration &) noise
No more shadow on PV.
no irritation of neighbours
Short:
Don't even try a windturbine whatever they say, it's just a trickle charger (as you explained in video)
Athena's Figurehead is quite inspirational.
Great to see you enjoy the boat. Brilliant episode!
You were worried about doing the videos now that you are not doing the DIYs anymore. You are doing just fine.😀
Enjoying your off-boat experiences, just as much as the boat work. It's a great mix.
I'm sorry I missed your videos till now I live in st Austell in Cornwall I'd have love to seen you sailing past hope you have a great time in Isles of Scilly iv live in Cornwall 15 years and still never been over there sail safe and keep up the top videos sailing or DIY I'm gonna keep on watching
Great video. You guys are doing a great job transitioning from DIY to cruising.
What anchor alarm were you using? How did you like it?
Mads and Ava: great job with this week's vid. I know that you were anxious about moving on from DIY projects to story telling, but this week demonstrated that you can do both! Photography was beautiful and your several story lines were well done. Relax, be yourselves and have fun - we'll gladly follow along.
I have recently replaced the Mantus snubber connector to my chain with some Dyneema soft shackles. The beauty of this setup is that the soft shackles pass over the power roller both in deploying and in retrieving the anchor. I too used to have to remove the snubber in front of the bow roller on my Gozzard 41 and it was a huge pita.
Anchoring: Just remember chain length = min 4x depth of water + height of bow (3 meter water, 2 meter height) = 20 meter chain. Then back the engine to dig the anchor down. First dead slow revs, ending at min. 1500 revs. If you do not move then, you are secure for the night. Sleep well.
If weather is expected to be severe, you might consider chain lengths up to 10x in stead of 4x.
Mads/Ava...excellent blend of sailing, DIY and travelogue (with humour). I'm liking this a lot. Bravo👏
The gardens were beautiful, and the bird, insanely so! You guys also looked absolutely amazing! Very dapper Mads, very dapper.😎💕💕💕👍
Well, it seems you got that pesky “can I narrate without a hammer in hand” thought answered, this is a great episode! Peaceful music, beautiful geography, lovely 1st mate, and of course the yacht, man o man is she ship-shape! 9kw on a cloudy day, the rollout panels are magic. Well done, Mads! Ireland it is…
Don’t know why you worried,your videos are getting better every time,really enjoy watching so can’t wait for next instalment cheers from Perth Australia
Hi, an amazing video all round . Fair winds and have fun .😉
Ahhhh. Cursed wind turbines. Thanks for the energy info, it was very helpful and your explanations are fantastic!
highlight of my week.. I haven't been this involved with a story since "The Wire"..
We’re Off-Grid and have exactly the same Victron Controller. I look at it every day, at least 3-4 times a day. We have 18 Panels with a 5KvH system and Lithium Ion Battery system, with back up petrol generator. We hardly ever use the Generator. It’s been raining in NZ for well over a week and yet we still make electricity although we are slowly reducing the battery storage, so I think today the Generator may come on. I love looking at the screen and working out what we are making and using, we are so much more aware of what appliances use more or less power.
Nice transition video from DIY videos to live onboard!. I am curious about laundry on the boat maybe a small section for a video!. Enjoy life!
I would love to see how you do your weather planning. What apps you use, what you look for in the weather data etc…
I use an iPad as my primary navigation device, and a simple ZipLok bag is a great waterproof device! All but the largest iPads will fit inside the Large Freezer Bag model, and the touch screen still seems to work pretty well!!!
Love the hats! Excellent video as always (and I also click the like button before the video starts as they are always excellent)
Beautiful scenery! Great story telling as well - I think you are making the transition to the cruising channel very well! I'm definitely looking forward to a more in depth look at the electricity generation/consumption. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us!
Another great video Ava and Mads .
All the photos and reviews I’ve seen of the Isles of Sicily have been outstanding, also good idea on that energy video, esp in these times of expensive dinosaur juice.
You should get an outdoor boat grill that clamps onto the railing. We actually wound up using it more often than the inside cooking units when we weren’t moving. You can buy a boat mount grill, or fabricate your own mount to a small grill you like. We used a camping grill with custom fabricated mounts for our boat. It used tiny prefilled gas cans that were easy to find in the US, but a pain down in the islands.
Amazing how all those tropical looking plants are growing on an island right off England. Maybe they are benefiting from the warm gulf stream.
Your voice mixing is great
Great vid even without Oh glorious sanding. The T shirt made up for that
Had a though while you where talking about the energy budget: Do you use a pressure cooker? I use to use one decades ago, but it was not the most convenient. But I've been told they've come a long way since then and are much more convenient. Given your off grid life style maybe a little inconvenience would be worth it. Just a thought.
Anywho, please keep making such enjoyable videos. I started watching this channel not that longer after the purchase of Athena and, like others have said, I think you've found a nice balance now that this channel isn't 100% DIY.
We use an Instant Pot at home which is a modern pressure cooker. I think this would save a lot of energy on a boat, perhaps even more than a traditional pressure cooker on an induction hob? We hope to go sailing later this year and plan to use an Instant Pot and microwave to minimize energy use.
Really enjoying the mix of diy and every day life in your videos lately. 👍
I remember when reading the C.S. Forester Hornblower books that Hotatio would often
mention " weathering the Lizard " after leaving Spithead on a new voyage.
Looking forward to the energy video!
For the closing sequence, maybe try alternating between yourseleves in delivering the final words of the episode? Its a well received video production technique, and it holds the viewers interest better as a dialogue rather than a simple series of statements by one person
Use your anchor for the tender even when she’s above the high tide line. That way you’ll always have a tender waiting for you when you get back!.
Very spiffy hat. No worries about non DYI content. I love seeing Athena on the move and the places you visit.
I would think Mads holding a sanding pad in his hand would be a better figurehead for Athena.
Enjoy the sailing and if you see a couple of boats heading in the wrong direction don't be alarmed it's just the round brittan for mc million
Congratulations on your first night at anchor! You did it!
13:33 The 'HMS Beagle' didn't have a figurehead, thank 'god' she never ran aground there.
Thank you for posting all your adventures/tech-tips.
Love from Amsterdam!
Congratulations on your first night at anchor guys! I feel bad as admittedly I've not watched the last 3 episodes... I think it might be time you make a Mads OCD over-engineered boat hook... I reckon your design skills could get you into a niche line of merch that's more practical than t-shirts 👍 Fantastic content/reviews as ever, £18 seems a bit much, granted you had some amazing photographic content but I can't help but think that would have been better spent "🍷ing and dining" Ava as she does so much domestically... also, I always thought honesty boxes are an amazing thing! Granted some people abuse them but I'll always pay a good chunk extra if the produce looks natural and fresh.
Thanks for all the great content. I Miss the mainline of DIY but still enjoy the content. The nerdy dissection of the systems you've installed sounds great and I look forward to continuing our relationship 🤣
Glad to see you enjoyed Cornwall and the Scillies. The more you anchor the more your confidence will increase. Enjoy Cork.
That's some seriously impressive yield on your PV array. I've got about 1kW installed around the boat and my record is 4.2kWh over 24 hours in Lake Ontario (July). I average around 80kWh/month. I went induction cooking about 5 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Electric outboard, too!
Athena's "furling" solar array is pure brilliance! Fair winds, you two! :)
Loved the comments on Ava's hunting...
:-D
Happy sailing!
:-D
Very nice episode.
Great episode!
Mads, about your anchoring fears/worries. Let out 7:1 rode, then back down on the anchor when set, for 2 minutes, taking position bearings. If you move reset anchor and try again.
Sometimes it just does not have enough to bury in, but that was not often for me.
Coastal racing and cruising in my younger years.
So cool to see all your hard work paying off! Also, neat to see you in the nav station. Looks so nice and spacious.
I wish I'd known you were going to visit the IOS, especially Tresco, I'd have made a few begging phone calls! I covered the Islands for Years as a Service Engineer, staying on Tresco as a guest of the Estate for almost a week for at least 18 of them! Got to know a few people over that time, I would have recommended lunch at The New Inn, New Grimsby, Tresco after anchoring in Tresco sound between Bryher and Tresco, and shopping at The Cooperative Store in Hugh Town St. Marys after mooring in or anchoring just outside St Marys Harbour and landing at the Dinghy Dock.
I was always wondering about your energy setup in particular the cooking. It is nice to see that your concept (almost) works out at sunny conditions. But still, using the GenSet to be able to cook would not be an option for me. I like the principle “if you can use primary energy, do so, don’t convert!”
On UMA an alcohol burner is taking the load. I think, that is an good alternative, because the fuel can be produced without “dinosaur …whatever”. Using such a thing as a backup in the cockpit could be an option. So if the solar is not enough, cooking that day with such a thing.
On my Maxi 95 I installed 4x 50WP (2 in seriell and these groups in parallel to the MPPT charger). 60Ah (800Wh) is what I can get on a regular basis in the Baltic area. Except cooking, no shore power is needed. Last trip I had a Chef on board and he needed cooking tools while at anchor. My two LPG burners were not enough. My old Coleman Stove came on board. Knowing the Maxi 95 setup, by placing that stove in the cockpit you get a galley with 2 more burners….and a ton of power!
My old Coleman stays on board now. Normal petrol fuel works, but clocks it after some using time (100h, but can be cleaned easily, no damage to the unit)
“Rense-Benzin from Brugsen” is in my stove now and works just as fine. But I will never use that thing inside the boat.
Hilsen
I really enjoy watching you guys. It look like a beautiful Island in the water was crystal. Can't wait for next week. Thanks for sharing your life with us!!! Fair winds and following seas ✌🏼💗😊❣️
It is nice to see you sailing your dream. With that in mind, and I'm sure I am not alone, I have been waiting for pictures from your masthead video camera. Especially a view when passing under a bridge. I sure hope you don't disappoint us. Happy sailing and enjoy your adventures.
The Lifeproof case works well for me.
If you like ferns you absolutely have to visit the gardens in Killmackillogue, Kerry, Ireland. And I can point you to the best anchoring the whole world.
You should do what Sailing Sophisticated Lady does and have flip up solor panels that store vertically on the life line stantions. It will look a little ungainly but you will double solar charge. He has them removable so when transiting he can store them below.
Loved the red squirrel shots, sadly they have been wiped out in most of the UK by introduction of the grey squirrel.
Really enjoyable video. Love the Scilly Isles. Your are so much better equipped than the average boat anchoring should be a breeze, and very enjoyable. Phone app. or plotter you have plenty of devices to keep an eye on things. Liked the dyneema soft shackle, we have loads of them. I use a two small DC-DC chargers to power switchable usb ports 24-12v - all switchable to save power and the phones live in one of two rail mounted cradles. Make sure you flush the secondary cooling circuit on the engine and genset when you can. Stagnant salt water is a killer for corrosion. And yes Eva, you make a much better pin-up!
Glad to see that you made Scillies. Be interesting to hear an update on the ROKK holder/chargers as I might buy one for the Ipad myself. Enjoy the sail to Ireland.
Great video. Ava doing well with the shoreline tasks . Time for role reversal, Ava getting experience with docking.
Another spiffy video. Please keep the great work. Love the tech talk too. It brings joy to my nerves engineer.
As a fellow full time live-aboard sailor, I've been watching with interest how your electrical setup will work out, I've always thought your battery capacity will be the weakest link, I have 600 AH at 12 volts, but I'm increasing it to 1200 AH, as it only takes several rainy days to deplete, and I don't have any where near your electrical draw, I'm also in QLD Australia where we have plenty of sun.
i have found that wind gens are not useful when you have sun, but they do help the energy budget when no sun is aval as they reduce the amt you use (during nite). also during low sun output they could bump the amt your getting as if you had full sun. often when it's cloudy you have really good winds to use......maybe a single unit that's put up when you "unfurl" your full solar and are planning to be several days. just food for thought :)
Our wind generator makes 200-250w if the winds are 18+ knots. But that is only when the sun is not shining because usually the solar panels are doing most of the heavy lifting and that causes the wind generator to bow out of the charging equation early once the flooded lead acid batteries reach 80% or more of charge and charge current drops. We only need 250w of solar panels so when it isn't sunny the wind turbine takes up the slack nicely.
On a typical day we use about 1.5kw/h in total but we only have a small eutectic holding plate icebox fridge and no watermaker. We are a low-energy boat with few electronic toys. LP galley and footpump sinks save a lot and modest current-generation LED lighting draws nearly nothing.
We don't have a gas or diesel generator and only a 50a alternator on the diesel auxiliary. We don't need to run the diesel to charge batteries even during the shortest winter days
Great video! Can't get too much Scilliness.
Great video of your trip to the Gardens and the trails on the island. Happy sailing to Ireland with fair winds and following seas.
I use a tech gear Poseidon waterproof and shock proof iPad cove, I left Southampton in November, and am now in the Caribbean, it has seen some testing times, but has performed brilliantly, inexpensive, and does what it says on the tin 👍
Waterproof case: Lifeproof = Fire & forget. Solid stuff that works offshore.
Hello you two,
nice to hear from you again.
I've been following your channel for a long time.
Your videos are always interesting and also very entertaining.
I also did the sailing trip from England via Falmouth, Scillys to Kinsale 3 years ago. In Saint Marys I have to wait about 5 days until the weather is right for the crossing.
The crossing took 36 hours - 30 hours with motor and 6 hours under sail.
By the way: A nice location in Ireland is Kinsale or Cork/Crosshaven.
Since I'm in Kinsale right now to set up my boat, I would be happy if we could meet up sometime.
Greetings Werner from the Nautilus
Lovely new toys are always fun.
Very good video !
The gardens are beautiful !
The technical details are very interesting
Your becoming experts, soon you'll be doing freelance work for others.
Thanks for sharing
Sail on
Cheers
Always tickles me " ... a somewhat extensive refit... " LOL
Your sailing videos are also great content to follow along :)
Thank you for the discussion on your power grid and PVs. I love your idea to have the PV panels furled, much better than putting the extra panels on the life line rails.
I hope you installed Lightning Rod “Protection” with all the electronics on board. When you get to the Caribbean, chances of lightning strikes increases dramatically.
Great videography. Well done. Super good enjoyable video!
As always its wonderful viewing your footage. i would love to visit those islands