Yanmar 3GM30F - 2427.7 engine hours - 01/01/2026
January
May
MAINTENANCE
2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 (and earlier)
This year we made it a point to re-visit Patos Island. This jewel has only two mooring balls, tight anchoring, and a bottom of mostly small rocks that requires a decent set. There is a strong current that flows in the passage between Little Patos and the main island that (I believe) only flows NE, often dislodging poorly anchored boats. The Parks Department say not to anchor in wind over 12 knots. That's good advice as anchoring is definitely sketchy in anthing but settled weather.
We swing in to Patos every year hoping for a spot. Usually we give it a pass due to crowds, so this was only our third time anchoring athere. The weather was perfect. The bouys were taken but we tucked in tight and stern tied to Little Patos Island in two fathoms. This put us away from steady parade of day visitors, and out of the main current in the center. I imagine the steady current is the reason for naming this Active Cove.
Patos Island is small, just a little over 200 acres, and beside it to the south is Little Patos Island. Both of these islands are administered by the Bureau of Land Management as public land. Patos is leased to the Washington State Parks and is administered by the San Juan Marine Parks. Only Patos is open to the public. Little Patos os off limits. The entrance is Active Cove, a point of water between the two islands. At the head of the Cove is a rounded cobble beach that serves as a pull-up and take-out place. The original wharf at Patos was destroyed in a storm many years ago, and today there are two tie-up buoys in the cove. The island has a couple of miles of trail, 8 campgrounds, and 3 composting toilets. There is no fresh water, no electricity, no food service and no cell phone tower. The nearest towers are in British Columbia and on Orcas Island, WA. If you have a phone there, be aware that you may incur roaming charges. Patos is a “Leave No Trace” area. There are no garbage cans.
Alden Point at the western end, named for an American cartographer, is the location of the Patos Island lighthouse. On June 24, 1974, the Patos Island Light was automated. The light in the tower is automated, and runs on a solar battery supplied and administered by the US Coast Guard. Their equipment is housed in the south western room of the lighthouse. In 2008 the Bureau of Land Management restored this National Register of Historic Places building. Today it stands as the northern-most island in the San Juan Islands National Monument. The Bureau of Land Management continues to care for this building, with members of the public who volunteer their services here and through-out the island. Exhibits on the history and use of the island are featured in the lighthouse.
San Juan Islands National Monument
In 2011, a group of leaders from San Juan County began advocating for the establishment of a protected area made up of the remaining federal public domain lands located in the San Juan Archipelago, including Patos Island. In response, US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar directed the manager of the BLM Wenatchee Field Office, Karen Kelleher, to coordinate development of a proposal to designate the lands as a National Conservation Area. On November 10, 2011, Salazar forwarded a report to Congress outlining a proposal for the protected area.
Senator Maria Cantwell introduced legislation in the US Senate to accomplish the task, and a hearing was held on the legislation on March 22, 2012. However, opposition to the proposal was voiced by Representative Doc Hastings, who stated that “the country can’t afford any more public land,” and refused to advance the proposal in the US House of Representatives. On March 25, 2013, President Barack Obama issued Presidential Proclamation 8947, designating the 1,021-acre San Juan Islands National Monument to protect the federal lands, including Patos and another BLM property leased by the WSPRC at Blind Island Marine State Park.
The history of Patos is facinating. Support for the lighthouse comes from a book on Patos Island. Copies are for sale in the lighthouse. You can even contribute by becoming a member of the Keepers of the Patos Lighthouse.
The older 75 million year old Nanaimo Group thrust fault that collided with the 50 million year old Chuckanut Formation is in full view on this beautiful island showcasing a truly amazing collection of rock formations. The Nanaimo Group is like a stack of pancakes slowly shoving the softer Chuckanut Formation upwards.
If you want to see a fantastic example of this collision, check out the Fox Cove Fault (my unofficiaL name). This is where you can view literally hundreds of fossils from the SW side of Fossil Bay west to Little Sucia Island.
The San Juan Islands are located in a complex tectonic zone where the Juan de Fuca Plate is slowly diving (subducting) under the North American Plate at the Cascadia Subduction Zone, causing uplift, faulting, and the creation of island arcs, with smaller plates like the Explorer plate also involved, leading to earthquakes and shaping the unique geology of the archipelago through the collision and accretion of crustal fragments.
I've been using my Garmin InReach2 to let the family know I'm safe, wherever I am. I took advantage of the two week $299 special and purchased the Mini at Home Depot in May. Unfortunately, they are back to offering the Mini for $499.
ROAM MODE
Now, Starlink with it's Roam plan, extends that capability, and allows for greater mobility, and multi use between van and vessel. Roam has a standard plan for $50 (which I've subscribed to) and an unlimited plan for $165 per month. In town you have no priority and the bandwidth is throttled down as more users get online. However, in the wild in remote locations when you need the bandwidth, Starlink works very well and provides plenty of speed, at least so far. The PNW is a popular place and more boaters are getting Starlink, so time will tell how this holds up.
STANDBY MODE
The new Standby plan is $5 per month. It offers unlimited low-speed data up to 500 Kbps for download and upload. It also works in motion. This is good enough for basic browsing, email, chat, wifi calling, and simple web browsing. It's not intended for high-bandwidth activities like steaming video, though standard quality 720p on an iPhone does work. Sorry, no Netflix.
As of May 2025, Starlink has 7,500 satelites in orbit and is planning to manufacture 10,000 next-generation V3 Starlink satellites per year. SpaceX is also deploying V2 Mini Optimized satellites and plans to launch Starship to deploy even larger V3 satellites. Additionally, SpaceX is launching Direct to Cell satellites to enable mobile phone service directly from space.
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In town. |
In the wild.
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POWER REQUIREMENTS
The Starlink Mini requires a power source within a 12-48VDC range, with the minimum 12V input needing 60W (5A) to operate, though average consumption is 20-40W. So far my use running it a full day draws 2Ah.
ON THE BOAT
I purchased the Starlink Mini Car Adapter. This is designed to power the Mini via USB-C via a 12vdc receptacle. It came with a 16.4ft Mini USB-C Cable. To power it, I had to run a 20ft 14AWG line to the stern lazzorette and install a 12V receptacle to plugin the Starlink car adapter. I also added another 12vdc receptacle in the starboard cubby to charge the iPad (Navionics) and iPhone (AIS, tides, currents) at the wheel on those longer trips. I wanted to protect this new wiring and added a 15amp fuse and new fuse box. This runs off the house bank system and also protects the navigation table lights (white and red), voltage meter, and holding tank, all with 3amp fuses. The fuse box is accessed in the drop down compartment above the chart table.
With the help of West Marine, I found a bombproof, 100% stainless marine grade mount in the form of a fishing rod holder. It just happened to have the 2" diameter required for the pipe adapter mount that came with the Mini.
IN THE VAN
I run a Goal Zero Yeti 4000/8000 which has a 100w USB-C port (5-20v, up to 5A). I bought a 16.4ft 16AWG power cable from Stargear with USB-C and the Starlink Mini DC input plug to poweer the Mini. It pairs nicely with the Mini's 100W (20V/5A) power requirements.
MORE INFO
As of Jan. 1, 2025, vessels in Washington waters must stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW) at all times.
These regulations are intended to reduce vessel noise and disturbance around this endangered population of orcas, giving them the space they need to hunt, rest, and communicate. Underwater vessel noise — along with toxic contamination and a lack of prey — is one of the key threats to SRKW.
If a Southern Resident killer whale approaches or surfaces between 400-1,000 yards of your vessel, safely move away and out of the path of the whale at a speed of 7 knots or less. If within 400 yards of a killer whale, disengage your transmission if it is safe to do so, and wait until the whale(s) move out of the area.
Vessel regulations for distance from Southern Resident killer whales
WDFW recommends reeling in all fishing gear to also reduce the risk of entanglement and/or damage to gear or vessels. WDFW also recommends that boaters in paddlecraft such as kayaks stop paddling, and that sailboats luff their sails if an orca approaches within 400 yards, if it is safe to do so.
In addition to the endangered SRKW population, Washington is also home to the Bigg’s, or transient, killer whales, which are subject to a 200-yard, do-not-approach buffer zone under federal law.
Because of the difficulty telling the difference between these killer whales at long distances, WDFW encourages all boaters to treat unidentified killer whales as though they’re SRKW and maintain the 1,000-yard minimum distance whenever possible.
The new law applies to all recreational vessels in Washington’s marine waters. There are some exceptions for certain types of commercial, law enforcement, or research vessels. See theFrequently Asked Questions for more information.
I've reached a point where where I've done almost everything I've wanted to do with the Peregrine. With the new deck paint, it finally looks as nice as it sails. Maybe it's time to consider selling? It's been meticulously maintained. New diesel engine installed in October 2001. Runs all day at 2800rpm burning only 0.6 gal per hr. With a 27 gallon fuel tank, that's approximately 45hrs of run time between fuel ups. Always reliable. It has definitely made cruising a pleasure.
Interested? Located in Kingston. Walk on/off the ferry or meet me in Edmonds. Appointment only. Text me at 206 nine two two , five one two six.
Exterior
Navigation
Auxillary power
Sails
Ground tackle
Interior
Negotiable
Yanmar 3GM30F - 2357.7 engine hours - 01/01/2025
January
March
June
August
September
October
2018 (and earlier) maintenance »
The sailing season is just not long enough here in the PNW. Since the boat is demanding less and less maintenence these days, I decided I needed a new project.
I picked up a new 2023 Sprinter Cargo 144 from the Seattle Mercedes dealership in May 2023. I was not interested in the 4x4 model as I'm sold on AWD for mountain adventures. There are other advantages over the discontinued 4x4 system (below). After 3 years of waiting for the NTSB to approve this new model, I was lucky enough to find one at to Seattle Mercedes dealer thru my Car Gurus feed. Mercedes had already worked the bugs out of this new model in Europe, New Zealand and Australia so I was confident there wouldn't be too many recalls. Covid caused supply chain challenges which also added to the delays.
EXTERIOR
As we were researching and designing the layout I installed running boards, and additional Kilmat sound deadening, Weathertech floor mats. Because we love to ski, Blizzack 265/70R17 winter tires were fitted to Black Rhino wheels. In 2025, changes to Washington State Department of Transportation rules now require chains to be carried on all vehicles. For us, even AWD vehicles must install chains and installed when the signs read CHAINS REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES. This is often the last step before a pass is closed; having every vehicle chain up can help avoid a closure.
WINDOWS: A CR Lawrence T-Vent window and CRL awning bunk windows were installed on both sides of the bed.
INTERIOR In the Fall I contracted with Mammoth Vans to install an Adventure Wagon kit with grey Marathon tweed fabric walls, black L-track, black hexa-ply plastic coated plywood, bamboo ceiling and a Moab bed system. AdWag uses an A-Frame system which stiffens and strengthens the van, and gives the wall system unlimited flexibility from which to bolt to. I had planned to add Flarespace Flares but at 6'3" tall I was never able to stretch out comfortably in a East/West orientation in any of the Revel or Storyteller vans I looked at. The Moab bed allows me space to stretch out and not crawl over the wife when nature calls. It also keeps with the stealth-look approach.
FAN: The metallic Tenorite Gray (paint code 7755) exterior can get pretty warm so a 10 speed reversible MaxxAir Deluxe roof vent, bunk windows and a large window on the cargo door were installed to keep the air moving.
POWER: A Goal Zero Yeti 8000 with a Escape Ecosystem provides 625 amp hours of power. This gives us 5-10 days of power without additional charging. A 30amp shore power source tops the system off. Alternator charging also helps when the engine is running.
SOLAR: Two ShadowFlux N-Type Anti-Shading 200W panels provide 400 watts of solar and produce between 33.3 amp-hours per hour (Ah/hr) at 12V. Over a full day, my system might produce around 160-200 amp-hours of total energy, depending on the number of peak sun-hours. The refrigerator draws 3.38Ah/hr or 26Ah per 8hr day. Starlink draws 2Ah. Add induction cooking, a deisel heater and LED lighting and I should gain 25-30 Ah/hr on a good day. The Yeti powerbank has a built in MPPT charge controller, but I wanted more control, and installed a 150Amp breaker to allow for on/off solar charging.
HEAT: An Espar S2/D2 diesel heater is installed under the passenger seat. 3M Thinsulate insulation helps to regulate temperature, along with Reflectix low E insulation on the back of every panel. Hushmat and Killmat sound dampening also slows down heat transfer.
WATER: A Tech Vanlife 32 gallon water tank and a sink were installed with a 10 gallon gray water collection system. I installed a Facon water heater to keep the tank from freezing and a water tank level sensor/gauge combo, all fused separately.
COOKING: An Duxtop induction single burner is our primary cooking source.
REFRIGERATION: A 2.5 gallon Victorfrigo refrigerator keeps our goodies cold and puts ice in our drinks. It draws 3.38Ah when running at 10.4vdc. I bought this at Sure Marine, Seattle. Todd is a great technical resource.
CABINETS (UPPER): 2 48" Upper cabinets are from Flatline Van. The bamboo doors compliment the ceiling panels to tie the look together and add visual warmth.
CABINETS (LOWER):I built the lower cabinet structure out of 1" 80/20 aluminum extrusion from Grainger. Building all my own brackets and carraige bolts saved a ton of money, but took a lot of time. A good chop saw with a carbide blade and grinder was also critical with all the custom fabrication. Countertops and drawer faces are made from Starboard. A knockoff 'Lagun' swivel counter adds additional food prep workspace fitted with a bamboo Tech Vanlife tabletop.
144 AWD SPRINTER SPECIFICATIONS:
TRANSMISSION:
ALL WHEEL DRIVE:
SUSPENSION
LINKS
Yanmar 3GM30F - 2273 engine hours at end of 2023, 2311 to begin 2024 - 01/01/2024
January
June
July
September
November
2018 (and earlier) maintenance »
We went at the end of July. Rainfall had been limited but Chatterbox Falls was still spectacular. One major upside was the water in the inlet was a very comfortable 72 degrees, perfect for swimming.
GETTING THERE
Boaters coming from the south will travel the Strait of Georgia past the Thormanby Islands and into Malaspina Strait, which lies between Texada Island and the rugged mainland coast. Smuggler's Cove, Secret Cove, Pender Harbour and Egmont make good stopping points along the way with supplies and fuel available at the latter three. Just past Pender Harbour, Agamemnon Channel leads you from the Strait of Georgia into the 46 mile length of Jervis Inlet with Nelson and Hardy Islands to port.
Cruising from Desolation Sound or from the north, you will enter Malaspina Strait after passing Powell River and Westview and proceed south to the mouth of Jervis Inlet at Scotch Fir Point, passing the Saltery Bay Ferry terminal, leaving Hardy and Nelson Islands to starboard.
THROUGH THE INLET
From Egmont, Prince of Wales Reach, Princess Royal Reach, and Queen's Reach take you almost to the head of Jervis Inlet. Princess Louisa Inlet, named after Queen Victoria's mother, is entered through Malibu Rapids about half way up the east side of Queen's Reach. Malibu Rapids should be entered only at or near slack water because of strong currents and overfalls.
Consult the Canadian Tide and Current Tables, vol. 5, for the times of slack. Malibu Rapids are listed in the tables as a secondary current station based on the tides at Point Atkinson. We used Ports and Passages which did not list Malibu Rapids, but the correction below is still relatively accurate. Add 35 minutes to the time of low water at Point Atkinson and add 25 minutes to the high water. Remember, these times may vary due to the amount of water passing through the rapids! Make sure that the line of overfalls have disappeared before entering the rapids. I recommend waiting for no more than a 1 knot current if you are in a deep keel sailboat. Powerboats will have no issues even at 3 knots of current.
It’s difficult when entering the rapids northbound to see the overfalls and know when it's slack and safe to enter. Southbound the rapids are easily visible. Luckily, boats transiting the rapids are very helpful and call in a securite on channel 16 with the speed of the current, and their entrance and exits .
We entered on a full moon at low tide with over 13 feet of water moving. Yikes! Following the correction tables above we still had a three knot ebb current to struggle against. With 9 boats ahead and 3 stacked behind we were hesitant to pull ourselves out of the lineup. Swirling rapids, shallow water, and a skinny 50’ wide clearance created a bit of a challenge to maintain control. In hindsight I should have waited for slack water. It would have been ugly had I lost control.
Leaving three days later, the Pt. Atkinson corrections were mostly accurate. We hit the rapids at high tide 15 minutes before slack water and barely had a one knot current with us. Largely due to 4 feet of water move in. Much less stress! More control, and a wider channel with a minimum depth of 34’. Keep the light to starboard as you exit.
According to the Sailing Directions, entry should be made "... in mid-channel between the light and Malibu Islet. The channel east of Malibu Islet is not recommended." Vessels are well advised to broadcast their intentions when entering and leaving on VHF Channel 16 as visibility is limited around the point on which the Young Life Camp sits.
Welcome to Princess Louisa Inlet! Once into the Inlet, please reduce speed to 4 knots to reduce wash and protect this beautiful area.
I was concerned that this being peak season, finding a perfect anchorage might be a challenge. Not a problem! There were lots of places to drop your anchor and stern tie. Most folks only stay a day or two so the turnaround can open up options if you just wait for the next tidal exchange.
Four Mooring Buoys are available behind MacDonald Island to port approximately halfway up the Inlet. Watch for a drying rock off the South end of the Island. We didn't stop but see an extensive network of trails for hiking/biking here. We opted to hike to the legendary trappers cabin, a brisk 2,000 ft climb and 3.36 mile (one way) from the head of the dock. It did not dissappoint!
Anchorage is also available at the head of the inlet at the foot of Chatterbox Falls and the entire west of Chatterbox. Set your anchor in close to the falls in 10 feet (3 m.) and let the river current keep you in position.
We found a small creek that provided a perfect, naturally noise cancelling feature so we never heard a sound from anyone. Powerboats outnumber sailboats 20:1 so there's a chance a generator might interupt your evening.
The Society has placed mooring eyes at various locations along the rock walls from MacDonald Island to either side of the falls for stern ties to assist in anchoring at other locations in the Inlet but does not warrant the locations as being good anchorage. The holding ground is largely rock and the water deep.
The Society and BC Parks maintain the floats at the falls. Water is available on the floats but boiling it is recommended to make it potable. There is no electricity. Please use the "privies" ashore. There are campsites at the falls and on the mainland behind MacDonald Island - and a very helpful and knowledgeable Park Ranger (she's been there 32 years!) from May to September.
POTENTIAL ANCHORAGES: APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH
Hotham Sound: Pass Friel Falls to the head of the Sound near Baker Bay. Anchor close to shore and in the nook to the southeast.
Harmony Islands: Lovely quiet coves but bottom is rock and anchoring is deep and very difficult. There are supposedly six stern ties. We found only 3.
Deserted Bay: In Princess Royal Reach. This is the only recommended anchorage beyond Hotham Sound. Anchor in the Southeast corner. Parts of the shelf are shallow at low tide. The foreshore is Indian Reservation, respect the rights of ownership.
POTENTIAL ANCHORAGES: APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH
Nelson Island - Ballet Bay: Enter from Malaspina Strait through Blind Bay to the southwest of Clio Island. Watch for uncharted rocks. There is good anchorage in 30-40 feet (10-12 m.) On a mud bottom in the outer portion of the bay. The inner bay has some mud and, nearer shore, rock bottom.
Hardy Island - Fox Island: Enter from Malaspina Strait through Blind Bay and into the bay opposite this island. Stern ties ashore are recommended as the bottom is largely rock and swinging room is limited.
Quarry Bay: Enter from Malaspina Strait. The cove south of the old granite quarry in the eastern end of the bay and in the western arm. Stern ties ashore are recommended. Watch for drying rocks and reefs.
Thunder Bay, Maude Bay: On the north side of Jervis Inlet adjacent to each other. Anchor near the sand beach in behind the point. There is an unmarked rock on the western shore when entering.
Saltery Bay: Public Floats adjacent to the ferry terminal.
OUR ROUTE
For more information on making the journey to Princess Louisa, read the excellent blog posts by Steve Mitchell at SeaBits.com: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
I like to look at this 20 mile crossing in three legs. Port Townsend to Point Partridge, Point Partridge to Smith Island, and Smith Island to Lopez Island.
I use the Smith Island and Point Partridge current tables. Catch the outgoing tide, and time your arrival with the slack tide at Point Partridge bouy located 37 miles west of Whidbey Island. You can then catch the incoming flood tide to carry you north to the East side of lopez and up Rosario Strait. If you hit this right it's like riding a conveyor belt. But do be ready for anything; strong winds, fog, commercial traffic and currents will all conspire to make your crossing interesting. There's also a good chance of spotting Minke or Killer whales and Dahl porpoises.
NORTHBOUND
Pull out Port Townsend and make your way around Point Hudson. Keep your distance from Point Wilson and the dreaded Point Wilson rip! Then point NW to the Point Partridge Bank and hopefully slack currents. If you are early or late, this area developes a confused chop that can be nose on. This area can also be congested with barges, freighter traffic and pleasure boats.
Summer afternoon winds often see strong westerlies, mostly in the small craft advisory range (25-38 mph). Gale warnings are also common(39-54 mph). Best to head out early on a 5-15 mph forecast if you’d like to keep your passengers happy. It's typically a 4hr adventure.
Be aware that rough water can occur at any time in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Make sure your hatches, anchor, dinghy, paddleboard and everything else is strapped down tight on deck.
SOUTHBOUND
Leaving Lopez Island, I like to get well past Smith Island on the ebb. if you can hit the Point Partridge bouy at slack, you’ll have excellent timing. The first thing you look out for when leaving Lopez is a wall of water about a mile south. This is Lawson's Reef, barely 30ft deep at ther bouy. I've seen a 3 mile long standing wave here on a minus 2ft tide. The current pours over a shelf, which can cause a wave 6 feet tall. You would need to run all the way east to Whidbey to avoid it. Trying to avoid it is no better as it can also extend west to Davidson Rock.
Once you make it past Lawson's Reef, point your bow to the east end of Smith Island. The Smith Island sand bar almost completely disappears at high tide. The current will try to take you into the shallows so you could be crabbing sideways without even knowing it. There is a 2 mile sand spit running east of Smith Island. Don’t mistake the tower for the east end. The tower simply marks the middle of the sandbar. Look for the the concrete bunker wreckage and stay at least a mile off the point.
Once you pass Smith island, set your sights on the Partridge Bank bouys. There can be quite a bit of kelp here in 60ft of water. This is also a convergence of shipping lanes so watch ahead and behind yo. Once between these green can bouys, head south to Pt Wilson being careful to avoid the Point Wilson rip. and Port Townsend.
NORTHBOUND
Basically the opposite of southbound. Leaving Port Townsend, I like to try to hit slack water around Point Partridge, then north to the east end of Smith Island, and finally up thru Rosario Strait.
OTHER OPTIONS
If the weather and currents are not to your liking, you have a number of considerations:
If you are looking for a yard in Puget Sound where you can literally get ANY boat project done, this is the place. I've hauled out in Port Townsend in 2006 (mast), 2019, 2021, and again here in 2023.
This year I'm finally taking on the decks which have just about worn thru to bare fiberglass. 51 years of use have also added a fair share of spider cracks to the gelcoat. This is a ton of work (dremel, sand, prime, paint) so I was looking for help. I found the Smalz Paint shop on the east end of the yard, so I booked then back last Fall for the first two weeks of June. Looking to save money where I can, I offered to dremel and fill the spider cracks before arriving. The gelcoat non-skid is in great shape since I redid most surfaces that in September 2019.
In addition to the deck paint, I needed to:
1) The remains of my 4 year old gelcoat cans have been kept in my dockbox and worked great. I expected degradation of the chemicals but using the 14 drops of MEKP to 1oz of waxed gelcoat in 70deg temps kicked off like new. The cans were almost full and kept at a fairly cool temeratures. I did a few tests before applying to confirm it would still kick without adding extra MEKP which might make it brittle. To apply,I used single use paint brushes with half of the bristles trimmed off. This give the brush a stiffer feel and helps to work the gelcoat deep into the non-skid.
2) I rented a vacuum sander from Admiral Supply for a day for $64. Dusted it off and applied one coat of West Marines CPP ablative paint. It's made by Pettit and Practical Sailor gave it good reviews so I have been using CPP for a few years now and been very happy. This year, I had a bit of growth. I'm not sure if the guys ran the high pressure sprayer more than usual, or the chemical composition changed, but the paint did not last on the rudder. I plan on applying three coats in the high wear zones.
3) Despite my best effort to seal the keel join with multiple layers of epoxy i still get a slight weeping when on the hard.
4) Same goes for the rudder in multiple places.
5) This year I've applies Prop Coat Barnacle Barrier, another Pettit product. I'm not real optimistic but it should last a summer (maybe).
6) I've hired Joe Garcia to buff and wax the topsides.
DAY TO DAY TASKS
Day 1 Thursday
Haulout
Removal dinghy/dodger/lines
Day 2 Friday
Sanding deck
Removal dorads/cleats
Clean up stantions/teak/prop
Day 3 Saturday
Dremel/fair
Prop clean
Cleanup port lights
Rent sander
Day 4 Sunday
Clean teak eyebrows/stern
Sand hull
Bottom paint
Day 5 Monday
Return sander 8:00
Gelcoat test
Paint prop
Day 6 Tuesday
Sand deck/cabin
Marinetex deck/hull
Day 7 Wednesday
Sand deck/cabin
Buff/wax hull
Day 8 Thursday
Prime deck/cabin
Buff/wax hull
Day 9 Friday
Prime deck/cabin
Buff/wax hull
Day 10 Saturday
Day 11 Sunday
Day 12 Monday
Gelcoat deck
Epoxy keel
Bottom paint
Deck paint
Spot paint next to supports
Day 13 Tuesday
Deck paint
Gelcoat deck
Epoxy keel
Paint bilge
Move supports
Day 14 Wednesday
Deck/transom paint
Sand rudder
Gelcoat deck
Bottom paint touchup
Day 15 Thursday
Full bottom paint 3rd coat
Bootstripe
Stern paint
Day 16 Friday
Rudder paint
Bootstripe
Launch
MORE INFO
I have a 20 gallon black water holding tank that has always required a very manual inspection process. I would have to use a flashlight to inspect under the v-berth to see if I could spot the tank level. Never a plesant job.
I installed a Scad TM1 monitoring system that lets me check the level from inside the head with the push of a button. The system uses SCAD's external stick-on tank level sensors that cannot get fouled. The monitor automatically checks and alerts when liquid levels are critical. This has required a lot of calibration so we are watching levels closely until we're completely confident.
There is a visual alarm that can be used to check the tank level. I've NOT installed the audible alarm option. There is a power wire that provides 1 Amp of battery voltage which can be set to trigger the alarm.
I recently purchased a Alpicool C22 Refrigerator from Amazon. It plugs into 120VAC shore power at the dock and runs off 12VDC underway. It mostly gets 5 star ratings and I understand that customer service is excellent.
It plugs into 120VAC shore power (with it's own inverter) at the dock and runs off 12VDC underway. My hope is the solar cells will continue to keep the secondary battery bank charged with enough juice to keep the unit cold in the summer.
SPECIFICATIONS:
TEMPERATURE RECOMENDATIONS (degF):
It has a Bluetooth indicator (and an app) but this is not been implemented on the smaller models.
Every Spring presents a new opportunity to inspect your boat, marvel at how much growth accumulates both above and below the waterline during the Winter months. It never ceases to amaze me how hard Mother Nature works to take full ownership.
HULL
This year is no different. We have a creek that brings fresh water into our cove and with it nutrients that feed the various living organisms just waiting to make their home on your vessel. I prefer to have one of the local divers scrape the barnacles and do a light scrub on the hull, being careful not to take off the ablative paint. But every year it gets harder to schedule a diver so I have dive gear and in a pinch, can take the plunge.
Local divers from Kingston/Kitsap
Local divers from Seattle/Edmonds
I'll be hauling out in Port Townsend in June so don't need to go too crazy when I'll soon have the high pressure sprayer doing the real work.What I really need is just 20 minutes with a scraper to knock the barnacles off the prop and shaft.
TOPSIDES
This year I discovered hydrogen peroxide in a squirt bottle works great to kill the growth that accumulates anywhere rain water makes it's path. The Northside is always worse than the Southside, but both need a full scrubbing with a good boat soap and then hit the trouble spots with peroxide. No more bleach!
MORE INFO
My Garmin ECHOmap UHD 74cv is a wifi router but does not actually connect to the internet. You will still need your iPhone for the internet/download connection.
Active Captain (mobile app) and Garmin Express (desktop app) will work but require more steps. AT this point I prefer to be old school and use my laptop and MicroSD cards for updates to my chartplotter software and charts to my chartplotter.
This allows you to back up charts to your hard drive by downloading directly from the Garman website, then write to a SD card in your laptop, then install the card into your chartplotter.
OS UPDATES: Updating the operating system only requires 2-3MB of space. Use a smaller 16 MB disk instead of your chart disk if you want to save space on ypoor chart cards.
First download the latest operating system to your hard drive.
Then, update the the chartplotter software using a micro SD card:
NOTE: If the memory card is removed before the chartplotter restarts fully, the software update is not complete.
CHART UPDATES: Charts are far more memory/disk space intensive that simple software updates. They are more costly too.
I only have one extra chart beyond the pre-installed US+Great Lakes Detail Map (version: 2020.0) and Quickdraw Contours Starter Map (version: 2021.0). I use VCA501L-Puget Sound-Dixon Entrance (version: 2021.0) for all Western Canadian waters. Vancouver-Island-Dixon-Entrance-Canada-Bluechart-G3-Vision, Part # 010-D0394-00. It currently costs $380 on clearance! These one time purchse charts seem to be on the way out, soon to be replaced by a subscription model.
Garmin is moving to a subscription-based model but I prefer to buy the crarts outright. You will need to use a 32GB card or larger. Be aware that also it may already have Canadian maps, in a folder simply named “garmin” and consume 11.45GB.
My 32GB micro disc also has a copy of the latest 2023.02.080 software (2.09 GB)
Active Captain gives you incremental over the air updates (if you have cell data service) but requires a dedicated SIM card, downloading the update to your phone or iPad, reconnecting to your chartplotter, and installing over the air wirelessly.
Garmin Express is a downloadable desktop app for downloading software and full charts.
Garmin Support
Yanmar 3GM30F - 2156.6 hours - 01/01/2023
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To do list:
2018 (and earlier) maintenance »
Area 10 regulations only allow for a 4 hour window (8am - noon) one day per year. We rarely limit at 80 spot shrimp but this year we did well. We 'soaked' 4 pots around 300 feet between 2.5 and 3.5 hours, only pulling them once. We must have been in the right place as we set our traps all in a line, roughly 50 yards apart. It was blowing 15 knots, switching from ebb to flood, with a max current of 3/4 knots. It was a pleasure to be able to handle the wheel (avoiding the dreaded line in the prop debacle) while the 3 man crew handled lines and traps.
Over the years we've refined our technique to use a block at the end of the boom and rig a preventer to hold the boom 3-4 feet out from the boat. Since we pull these traps by hand, we can use our stonger triceps (vs biceps), and keeps the traps away from the boat and the line away from the propeller.
Bait: This changes every year depending what I can find cheap. You are trying to create a soft mash that sends out a scent stream to attract your quarry. You want it thick, like mashed potatoes. Here's my basic recipe:
Cleaning your shrimp: Lots of videos out there but this way works best to remove the 'vein'.
