I am acutely aware that just as this blog is gaining more followers, there is less to report, and less is happening. Never having written a blog before, I am feeling that I have some sort of duty to be entertaining, a concept that, for me, is caught just about midway between the benevolent and the egotistical. I can only hope, that writing about the technical things that are going on will not prove to be excruciatingly dull, but the fact is there is little else to write about at the moment, and I don't want to stray too far from my subject and start on say, politics or religion...
I know some of my friends who look at this, want to hear about such things the blue skies over Tahiti, and the company of affectionate dolphins, but that's just not the way it is right now, and I can only take comfort in knowing that this blog is not compulsory reading.
I am happy to report that I do not need to fit a Floscan meter because the Murphy Powerview display will give an accurate real-time read out of the fuel burn of the main engine, so that's quite a bit of money saved, and one advantage of the new(ish) breed of electronic engines.
La Conner Maritime have fitted the Wing PSS shaft seal, so I'm happy about that too. They found the wing shaft was pitted (the main one was so bad it had to be replaced) but I decided to keep it. The steel is AQ17, and while strong, it rusts if the boat is not used a lot. AQ22HS is a far superior grade of metal, but it also is far more expensive. At least I now have that on the main shaft.
I have the SSB radio now, and I look forward to talking to complete strangers in the middle of nowhere. I'm sure they will be full of useful info. It can also be used for email.
If a cellphone has more computing power than it took the Saturn V rocket to reach the moon, then I have enough computing power on board to get to the next galaxy... A powerful computer just for the Sonar, of which I will write more in the future, another for the Nobletec navigation system, and a laptop for the internet and communications from the Fleet 55 satellite system from KVH. This is not the very latest equipment, but it will do. The laptop can get a virus, the other ones won't get the chance- I consider them too important.
The sanitation system is sorted now, and I have refuelled the boat, which takes 2500 gallons of diesel. That is so expensive it got me thinking I should have had a sail. Storm follows storm out in the ocean, and I have no oportunity to move. This is the worst month, say the locals, so as painful as it is to be stuck, it is far less painful than sinking. Best Fishes to you all.
