Absolutely right Martin. Too many years ago we were delivering a Landfall 48 from the Lyford Key to New York. A new boat that had been south one winter with all the latest toys. Loran, course computer, radar etc. The guys were giving me the gears about not needing my sextant.
The first waves out of port washed the decks and ran through the deck Prism into the electronics bay, by the 4th wave everything was out. I pulled out the sextant and said "This still works". Even today, with everyone having two spare GPSs in their pockets and another on their watch, I wouldn't go offshore without it. A close lightning strike and all electronics on the boat could be taken out. I can't believe that some people don't even keep a DR log up to date updated with regular GPS fixes. How else could you tell if you are getting strange values from the magic box? On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 2:02 PM, Martin DeYoung <mdeyo...@deyoungmfg.com>wrote: > >>… found none of the boats electronics working.<< > > > > I still carry a lead line, paper charts, battery operated GPS and VHF, and > a sextant if going offshore. I rarely carry my very old school Walker > Taffrail Log but I have been looking for a 70’s Heathkit RDF to add to my > old boat stuff museum. > > > > Back in ’93 I was skipper on a delivery (Hawaii to Seattle) on a custom > 46’ sloop. A day or so out of Honolulu the engine ceased to function. > When trouble shooting we found the owner had incorrectly wired a new > battery into the bank in such a way that only 1 small starting battery was > charged. > > > > The winds were un-characteristically light for early September making the > choice to carry on vs. a downwind trip back to Hawaii the lessor of two > weevils. To conserve the very limited 12 volt supply on board I shut > everything off. Lights, nav gear, water pumps etc. The crew grumbled but > all became much better “by feel” sailors, especially at night. I did have > a AA battery powered GPS that I turned on once a day for a fix. > > > > After a few days of very creative engine repairs including making our own > replacement valve springs. We used the sheet winches to turn the engine > over (think a lawnmower pull starter) to save 12 volt power for one engine > start attempt. We did get the engine to run on 3 cylinders to charge 12 V > batteries and chill the refrig and freezer. We could motor at slow speed > in flat water. > > > > Experiences like that one reinforce the habit of keeping old school > navigation equipment and charts/books on board whenever going any place > interesting or where the charts state “here there be monsters”. > > > > Martin > > Calypso > > 1971 C&C 43 > > Seattle > > > > *From:* CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] *On Behalf Of * > Curtis > *Sent:* Tuesday, January 14, 2014 10:10 AM > *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Subject:* Re: Stus-List Redundent instrumentation / tools > > > > I love the fact that I will have some back up;s to back ups. Plus paper > charts and hand held Garmin 76 It gives me comfort to know that when done > with this process I will now all of my equipment. Before i sail. > > > > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > CnC-List@cnc-list.com > > -- Don Newman C&C 44
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