Hi Linton,

Your call sign is something you obtain when you get your Ships Radio License, and will look something like "ABC 1234." Here is a link that will give you all the information you need to obtain the license: www.wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=licensing&id=ship_stations. You need to have the radio license before you get your MMSI and the radio license will contain your call sign.

When using your radio, you can use your boat name as your "handle," but your call sign comes with the Ships Station Radio License.

Best,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hello Glenn,

On your first question about the Litex product, I have never used this product, but these products are generally called "skim coatings." I did some online research (litexinc.com) and found that these finishes are designed for home applications. They cure to a very hard finish, and hard inflexible finishes on a boat are a problem. I do not recommend using this product; at the end of the day you would be covering old material that is failing (chipping) and it will continue to fail underneath the skim coating. In addition, the specific Litex finish will be inflexible and as the hull flexes, cracks will form and then you have a real problem. Although it's a lot of work, your best bet is to strip the area down using a chemical stripper and then sand smooth, prime and repaint. Then you know you have done a job that will last for years to come and look good.

Regarding your second question, wind generators are easier to install than solar, but personally I don't like them. Wind generators create extra drag, are not that attractive, and are noisy. Many people swear by them, but the constant hissing of wind generators is annoying to me. I've actually moved anchorage to get away from a boat that came in after us and had a wind generator. Wind generators however will produce more power, so if the objective is long term cruising, then perhaps wind power is the way to go.

Solar is more complex and requires a solar inverter, but creates no extra windage, makes no sound at all and doesn't detract from the lines of the yacht, although the solar cells themselves are not that attractive. So if you simply want a trickle charge to keep the batteries up during your absence, then I would go with a small set of solar cells installed in inconspicuous place.

As for a resource center for wind and solar power for yachts, I would recommend eMarine Systems at this link: www.e-marine-inc.com. This site has a lot of information about both wind generators and solar systems and is a good place to start.

Best of luck,

Captain Craig Bliss

Hi Tom,

You are quite right - - if there is no continuity between the bonded ground system of the boat and the water, then the anode is doing nothing to protect his boat. The wire needs to be connected to the anode and the bow roller (or any other part of the boat connected to a common ground).

However, a connected extra sacrificial anode is a great idea if you leave your boat for long periods of time in marinas because not only will it protect your boat from any stray current issues that may develop on your own boat, but will also protect you from stray currents from other boats around you.

To test for stray current on your boat, throw the positive terminal of a volt meter in the water and the negative lead to a ground (a stantion, if grounded, is fine) and see what the meter reads. It should read less than 1 volt, there will always be a small voltage 0.8 volts or so, but if it's much more than this, then you need to investigate where the stray current is originating.

You can also use this to test your friend's "hot" zone (positive in the water, negative on a ground on the dock). If the meter is reading significantly more than 1 volt, then the likely culprit is AC wiring under the dock where the insulation is compromised from rubbing or chafe. This can be dangerous and must be repaired. If the dock is not the source, then test the boats on either side of your friend's dock.

Best regards,

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Tom,

You are right, there has to be a connection for electrons to flow. Here is the exact quotation about a sacrificial anode:

"For this mode of corrosion protection to function there must be simultaneously present an electron pathway between the anode and the metal to be protected (e.g., a wire or direct contact) and an ion pathway between the anode and the metal to be protected (e.g., water).

Hope you win the bet.

Best,

Captain Michael Clayton

Hi Rick,

I don't believe there is a simple formula as such, but adding weight to the ends of your boat is always going to have some negative effect. That said, I fully understand the practicality of davits so here are a few things to bear in mind. Hull design involves the distribution of volume below the waterline in such a manner that the boat floats level at its designed waterline. What this means is some boats are affected less by davits than others because of their design. Modern designs tend to carry much more buoyancy aft than more classic designs and will consequently support the additional weight better. Many people make the mistake of adding an equal amount of weight to the bow of the boat (anchor and chain) to balance the load, but the result is loss of directional stability in large seas and the boat will tend to hobby horse more.

You didn't say what kind of boat you have, but my first advice is to contact the manufacturer and ask them to provide the safe weight load range for davits and tender, then stay under that number. So, try to find the lightest davits for the performance weight range, the lightest tender and the lightest outboard you can. I would also recommend investing in an outboard bracket and for long passages remove the outboard and flip the tender on the fore deck. I do this by simply attaching the painter to a halyard and then haul away (an easy job with two people). Make sure you lash it down well as the power of the water never ceases to amaze me when we take a big wave over the bow.

Lastly, when adding weight to the stern you must make sure that you don't submerge your exhaust, bearing in mind that the stern of the boat will suck down when you are underway. The easiest way to test before buying is to figure out the total weight (including fuel) that you will be adding and then assemble your friends who's combined weight is more or less equal to that weight and have them stand at the stern rail while you motor around the harbour. Submerging the exhaust outlet will increase back pressure and do some nasty things to the inside of your engine.

Good luck with your project.

Captain Ian Fagg

Hi Rick,

Can't add much to Ian's response, but "farm boy" ingenuity can answer one question which is how much the waterline angle will change. First, calculate the combined weight of the dinghy, davits, outboard and fuel. Next, find a calm day and using chalk, place three marks as far apart as is practical and three inches above the waterline. Then use your friends as Ian suggested, or filled water tanks to distribute the equivalent weight on the stern and measure the deflection of the three marks. This will give you the deflection angle for that weight. You may find no difference, in which case the davits can be safely added without altering the performance (except for windage).

One more important point though is you need to know that the appropriate reinforcement on the underside of the aft deck is in place to support not only the dead weight being added, but the actual weight in a pounding seaway where G-forces must be considered. So this means a trip to a reputable boat yard to make sure the reinforcement is in place. Usually the better yards will also have a naval architect on contract and they can calculate these loads and for peace of mind, I highly recommend you spend the few hundred dollars it will cost to have the architect make the calculation.

Best,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Robert,

SSB radio is the only way to go for the various regional cruising nets and weather forecasts and I have just the thing for you! There is a brand new manual specifically for the ICOM M-802 called "The Icom M802 Radio Manual for Idi-Yachts" by Captain Marti Brown. Note, this is different than the reference manual by the same author called Marine SSB Radio for Idi-Yachts - - that manual is expensive.

The new book for the M802 is about 200 pages and only cost $34.95 but it will teach you everything you need to know. It's easy to read and understand and gives you step-by-step instructions on sending and receiving SSB transmissions. It also gives you modem installation tips. This is where I would start and here's a link to purchase the manual online: CLICK HERE

Once you get the hang of SSB, a great way to test your transmit-and-receve capability is with weather guru Don Anderson on his marine SSB Amigo Net. He starts at 1415 UTC on 8.122.0 MHz, upper sideband, but the Icom 802 already has this stored in memory as channel 105.

Have fun.

Captain Michael Clayton

Hello Anibal,

Well, this is a double problem. Because Halon depletes the ozone layer, it was outlawed in 1993, but systems could be recharged until 2002. Since your system has discharged, the first problem is you will need to replace the Halon system with one of the newer FM-200 or FE-241 chemical systems. FE-241 is approved for unoccupied spaces like engine rooms, so that's your best bet.

The bigger problem is the engines won't start. On all the vessels I have run, the engines have automatic tripped relays to shut down the engines just before the Halon is released and I'm sure this is the case with your 2D-tronics. This prevents the orange powder from being sucked into the engine intake. I hope this was the case with your engines. So, the first thing to check is whether the relay has been reset, or re-fused. If it hasn't, that will prevent the engines from starting.

A common mistake after an accidental discharge is restarting the engines to get back to the dock before cleaning up the orange powder. Hopefully, that didn't happen in your case, because the engines will suck the powder into the intake. Remove and check the inside of the air filters and the injector ports for the presence of orange powder. If the engines turn over, but won't start, the engines are probably just fine, but you will now have to clean the area where the valve surfaces mate up atop the engine.

Even if it is simply the relay switch that needs resetting, you should have a qualified marine diesel mechanic inspect the engines before restarting. Also, change the oil and filter and the air and fuel filters as well before restart. Lastly, I would contact the manufacture of the fire suppression equipment for advice on cleanup and price quotes for a new FE-241 system. Most of what you already have can be used for the new system. Hope this helps.

Good luck,

Captain Bob Wellen

Hi Trevor,

If the looseness of "play" you are feeling is vertical, it may be normal. Most winches have an inherent "play" in the drums to allow free movement. When you pull up on the drum there should be about 1/4 inch of play and that's normal. If the movement is a side to side wobble, you are likely missing vital components like needle bearings. In any case, the winches need a complete breakdown, cleaning and inspection, because even if everything seems OK, you could still be missing pawls or springs among other things.

You can find a diagram of the Barient 27 on www.cncphotoalbum.com. It gives you an exploded view as well as part numbers (even though it's now a Dodo, having the part number may allow you to find the corresponding replacement). At the very least, you can take inventory and know that you have all of the parts for the winch.

If you're not familiar with servicing winches, I would recommend you take them to a local rigger and have them inspect them. If you plan to service them yourself, there are some guidelines to follow on the same website I mentioned above. The absolute best way is to have an expert show you how its done - - paying a service technician and asking to watch to learn may work.

As for the size on your boat, the 27 will be a bit big, but should be fine as long as you have adequate operating room and most importantly, adequate room on the combing to mount the winch and the backing plate under it. If you do have room, then the 27's are going to look mean!

Happy winching,

Captain Craig Bliss

Glenn,

Depending on the purchase price of the vessel, I would recommend securing full coverage (i.e. physical damage and liability) while you are doing the rehab. If your out-of-pocket expense for the purchase of the vessel was enough that you would like to insure the vessel itself, then go for a full coverage policy. This will protect you from damage to the boat caused by fire, tornado, theft, etc.

If the insurance company is willing to insure for Agreed Value, that will of course be the preferred option as opposed to Actual Cash Value. But due to the age of the vessel some insurance companies may only be willing to insure on an ACV basis. As an FYI, depending on where the boat is moored, Progressive Insurance will insure for Agreed Value up to $40,000 if the vessel is greater than 20 years old.

If your investment in the boat was minimal, and you are more worried about insuring the "finished product" after the rehab is complete, then you can get a liability-only policy which would protect you if the vessel caught fire and burned the boat(s) next to you, for example. Then once you're done with the upgrades, you can have the vessel surveyed and insure it for full coverage.

Liability-only will be the lower cost option, but unless it's significantly more expensive, I would still get full coverage.

Some companies (such as Progressive) allow their marine specialist agents to have broader acceptability than someone simply logging on to the website. So if you are unable to secure a full coverage quote via the web, don't lose hope!

Jake Hill

McGriff, Seibels & Williams

USPS Boat Insurance

800-763-8777

Hi Glenn,

I have a friend who owned a 1968 Cal 40 for years and so I called him for help. He said the place to start is the Cal Owners Club (www.calyachts.org) where they have a good section on maintenance. I've also had good luck on a website called TechSavvy and I looked up Cal Boats and they have a number of Owners Manuals, but unfortunately not for the Cal 2-30, but still there may be information of interest there (www.richardanderson.net/TechSavvy/CAL_BOATS.html).

Getting your hands on an original Owners Manual may be a bit difficult, so I would start with the two websites above. I would also recommend that you post your question on the SailAngle.com Forum. There are a lot of Cal's and Ranger's (both manufactured by Jensen Marine) still sailing and it is quite possible someone on SailAngle.com may have a Cal 2-30.

Good luck,

Captain Michael Clayton

Hello Bob,

Sounds like you have some pretty ambitious plans and working south from B.C. to Mexico is a good and safe way to build your offshore confidence. Now to answer your budget question; in my opinion there are three brackets basically separated by $1,200 increments. You didn't say how large your boat is, but for a cruising couple on a 35-40 foot boat here is the range you should expect:

Economy: plan on about $1,200 per month including food, fuel and supplies. This means always anchoring, no dockage fees, eating aboard, free entertainment options like hiking, fishing etc. instead of movies and paid excursions ashore, and lastly do it yourself maintenance.

Intermediate: plan on about $2,400 per month including food fuel and supplies. This means mostly anchoring, but occasional dockage, limited eating ashore, limited paid entertainment and occasional use of day workers for maintenance items.

Luxury: plan on about $3,600 per month including food, fuel and supplies. This means anchoring still, but dockage when desired and an occasional hotel room to get "off" the boat, occasional excursions with a rental car and paid entertainment, use of day workers for minor maintenance and skilled workers when necessary for maintenance.

Note: the figures above do not include medical care, travel home and the emergency kitty. I strongly recommend that you invest in an international medical insurance policy and there are several companies that specialize in this kind of coverage for sailors and the policies even include medical evacuation. Famous cruising sailors Lin and Larry Pardey published the following article on medical insurance for sailors LandLPardey Tips that recommends one carrier. The deductibles ($250-$5,000) will determine the cost and a policy with a $5,000 deductible will run about $2,700 annually depending on your age and you need to have the full deductible on board.

The figures above also do not include the cost of travel home so you should also have cash set aside for at least one trip home for each person for each year you expect to be gone.

Lastly, you need an emergency kitty for anything major that goes wrong and in my opinion this should be at least $3,000.

So, the answer is pick your monthly cruising plan above $1,200 | $2,400 | $3,600 and then add $2,700 medical insurance for each person (assuming 2 people = $5,400) and then add a cash kitty of around $10,000 to cover your medical deductible, travel home and emergency fund. So for one year of Economy Plan cruising you need $14,400 for monthly expenses + $5,400 for medical policies + $10,000 cash kitty, or $29,800. For one year of Luxury Plan cruising you need $43,200 for monthly expenses + $5,400 for medical policies + $10,000 cash kitty, or $58,600.

These are safe guidelines and of course they can be adjusted somewhat depending on your lifestyle, but I wouldn't plan on much deviation from the economy plan. Hope this helps.

Good Luck,

Captain Bob Wellen, Red Sky

Hi Bob,

I thought the answer that my good friend Bob Wellen gave is pretty much on target, but I wanted to share a personal experience with you. Cruising can be done on an extremely low budget if you are careful with your money. A year ago, my elder sister and her boy friend sailed from the UK to the Caribbean on a Rival 34, spent 4 months cruising, then returned to the UK with stops in Madera on the outbound leg and the Azores on the return. Between them they put $6,000 U.S. aside for the whole adventure (8 months in total) and they returned with $1,000 to spare. Now that's frugal! Don't recommend it for long-term cruising, but it does show what can be done.

Although I think Bob gave sensible advice, it might be interesting to put this question up on the SailAngle.com Forum and see what other members think. I know there are several full-time cruisers on the website and they can give actual examples of their expenditures.

Happy Cruising,

Captain Ian Fagg