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| New radar on the mast |
The radar scanner is finally installed and working. It only took me two days to complete the wiring – including updating wiring diagrams. As luck would have it the 10 metre cable that came with the Sitex radar scanner was half a meter too short. This meant finding suitable wires (9 wires) and joining them etc. The system is overly complicated as it is all interfaced with the Standard Horizon CP500 chart plotter, the GME VHF radio, the Comar AIS receiver, Tacktick wind/depth/boat speed and Raymarine Autopilot. Some of you are probably thinking; what if said marvellous, complicated, important, technology stops working, as is prone to happen - Murphy can defiantly swim. Well, we have a backup – actually several of them. Assuming that all the electronics don’t get completely fried by a direct hit by lightening, which has been known to happen, then the important stuff can be plugged into a computer. Failing that there is the sextant – Hmmm. This assumes, of course, that I’m able to tell the time accurately to determine longitude, which comes from an electronic clock. I do have a wrist watch.
As you may well imagine I have an anxiety attack when I see lightening and hear thunder around, of which abound in these parts. Several weeks ago one yacht called “Mr Curley” out of Guernsey was apparently hit by lightening in the Telaga anchorage. Not to far from Sadiqi. The large yacht is made from aluminium and sustained damaged to most of it’s electronic equipment. Several other yachts nearby were said to have had some electronic equipment failure. One yacht, apparently, lost its masthead light. This brought a thought about the mast head light as it is the new LED technology with fragile electronics at the top of the mast. This may be a good plug for the old power hungry incandescent light bulbs. Then again it is rather a moot point that anything will survive a lightening strike when you are talking about tens of thousands of volts. As paranoid as I have become with this phenomena I have done a fair bit of reading on the subject. There is much contention as to fluffy or pointed lightening conductors at the very top of the mast, with thick copper cable running to the keel and the water (ground). The consensus appears to opt for having good insurance so that all fried electronics can be replaced. Difficult to ague with that having spoken to a few yachties who have been hit by lightening. Maybe I should take up golf.
Work continues on the boat keeping me happily occupied - most of the time. Most of the manual bilge pump hoses have been replaced and one of the pumps relocated. There are still deck leaks, however the torrential leaks that used to prevail are now mere drips. The leaks have caused the headlining to part company in some places necessitate reglueing – not my favourite job. Cleaning the prolific and tenacious barnacles off the propeller, parts of the hull and the inflatable dingy is an ongoing task.
As you may well imagine I have an anxiety attack when I see lightening and hear thunder around, of which abound in these parts. Several weeks ago one yacht called “Mr Curley” out of Guernsey was apparently hit by lightening in the Telaga anchorage. Not to far from Sadiqi. The large yacht is made from aluminium and sustained damaged to most of it’s electronic equipment. Several other yachts nearby were said to have had some electronic equipment failure. One yacht, apparently, lost its masthead light. This brought a thought about the mast head light as it is the new LED technology with fragile electronics at the top of the mast. This may be a good plug for the old power hungry incandescent light bulbs. Then again it is rather a moot point that anything will survive a lightening strike when you are talking about tens of thousands of volts. As paranoid as I have become with this phenomena I have done a fair bit of reading on the subject. There is much contention as to fluffy or pointed lightening conductors at the very top of the mast, with thick copper cable running to the keel and the water (ground). The consensus appears to opt for having good insurance so that all fried electronics can be replaced. Difficult to ague with that having spoken to a few yachties who have been hit by lightening. Maybe I should take up golf.
Work continues on the boat keeping me happily occupied - most of the time. Most of the manual bilge pump hoses have been replaced and one of the pumps relocated. There are still deck leaks, however the torrential leaks that used to prevail are now mere drips. The leaks have caused the headlining to part company in some places necessitate reglueing – not my favourite job. Cleaning the prolific and tenacious barnacles off the propeller, parts of the hull and the inflatable dingy is an ongoing task.
