# The most important piece of equipment



## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

Before we left Hawaii our friends in the Ala Wai had lots of advice about what we needed. One was even interviewed later, after we had been reported overdue at our destination, and told how he had advised us not to leave without a SSB set. Advice we chose not to follow for our own reasons. Most of our friends were concerned that we would not be able to call for help or check in with family and friends during our Northward crossing of the Pacific to Puget Sound. They thought we should carry a satelite phone, SSB or even a ham set or have some sort of email capability. But we considered an EPIRB and VHF adequate. 

Our crossing should have taken 28 to 36 days. There has been at least one crossing by a sistership to our Lealea in just 26 days. We made our landfall at Tatoosh island on day 55. We had been reported overdue and some of our friends and relatives were concerned, especially when the Coast Guard called them for information about our plans and our vessel, but those who know us and our experience and our boat were not worried.

The most important piece of equipment? I had balked at the expense knowing that nearly all of the accounts I had read of past voyages by others in similar boats had been made without it. My wife and First Mate pursuaded me, however, and so I installed the Powersurvivor 40E watermaker a few days before we left. We carried 45 gallons of fresh water in the main tank and in five gallon jugs; a heavy load for our Vega 27. It would have been enough for a normal passage and possibly even for our longer-than-planned 55 day voyage. But the water maker made the difference between peace of mind and high anxiety or worse. 

We arrived at Neah Bay with six gallons left in the main tank, never having had to conserve even a little bit on water use. In fact, once we realized that the watermaker would easily provide our needs, we made a point of using up the water in the jugs to lighten the load. We ran the watermaker for two to two and a half hours every other day to fill our day use tank without seriously draining our house batteries which were kept charged by solar panels and occasionally running the engine.

We do not regret not having nor do we plan to install any more sophisticated long range communication equipment. That does not mean that others should not do so. We do however consider the ability to survive on our own more important than the ability to call for help or talk to friends and relatives while at sea. Though my mother in law disagrees 

I posted nother thread about our trip in the General Discussion forum but didn't mention the water maker there.

Malie ke kai


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Vega1860-

Just as a warning, I would highly recommend that even with the watermaker, that you use the water properly, leaving at least as much in the tanks as you'd need to make whatever remaining distance to your next landfall plus about a 40-50% safety margin. Use the RO water for every thing else....but leave the water in the tanks, just in case the RO watermaker fails. If you want to splurge, use the RO water to splurge with, not the tank water. 

I had a friend who nearly lost his life from not doing this... and their water maker failed unexpectedly about a week from port. They were pretty thirsty by the time they made port and a bit dehydrated, since their tanks were basically bone dry.


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## Plumper (Nov 21, 2007)

It is notable that without the ability to call for help or the ability to inform your family and friends that you were fine, you cause unnecessary grief, work and expense.
I was at a pre-race brief for the Van-Isle 360 a couple years ago and the organizers wanted everyone to carry EPIRBs and to check in on a comms schedule. Many argued with that saying they preferred to be independent. The Coast Guard pointed out that if they were overdue, the effort would be made to find them anyway. Having the proper comms/EPIRB just made the job easier or saved them from even looking at all.
While proper comms equipment may not trump the watermaker, it would be nice if people didn't start looking for you when you don't need help.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Plumper-

An EPIRB does nothing to help you check in on a comms schedule. 

An EPIRB is a specific, emergency use only device. 

An SSB radio or satellite phone would be far more effective in letting your friends and family communicate with you and keeping them from calling the authorities prematurely. Even one of those new Spot Messenger devices would be better than an EPIRB in terms of notifying people to your whereabouts in routine situations.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

SD,
I was thinking the same thing, sounds like an ideal use for the Spot Messenger.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*Vega*

Are you the young Canadian couple that was overdue?

I never heard the final say on them.


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## Plumper (Nov 21, 2007)

Saildog, I am aware of EPIRBs and SSBs. I have both and a Ham licence. I guess my grammar was a little off if you thought I meant you could indicate you are safe with an EPIRB.

My real point was, if you are overdue but safe, it would be nice to let someone know.

Simple courtesy.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

That was my thought... but the Spot Messenger does have some serious holes in its coverage areas... but not too bad for most cruising sailors. While you couldn't really vary the message specifically, it would at least be a way to say, Hi, I'm safe, and I'm at xxxxxx location. For the $150 and $99 a year, it's not a bad deal. Combine it with a satellite phone or Skype, you could make the "help me" feature very useful, since you could use that to get your family to call you when you'll be available... and still leave the "911" feature free for emergencies.



teshannon said:


> SD,
> I was thinking the same thing, sounds like an ideal use for the Spot Messenger.


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

All good comments, particularly the one from sailingdog about water discipline. My only comment on that is to mention that, by the time we had tapped our main tank we were only 200 miles from Vancouver Island. That still left us with thirty days water supply on short rations (1/2 gallon per day per person) I realize that I may have given the impression that we were lavish with our water use but that was not the case. We were always conscious of the need to have adequate water to complete the voyage in the unlikely event that the watermaker should fail in such a manner that we could not repair it with the spares we had on board.

I know there are many who disagree with me on the necessity of long range communication equipment and the ability to call home regularly. We Have also been advised to get a bigger boat before attempting a major crossing. I have even known a few would be cruisers, and I am not making this up, who will never leave the dock unless they can talk with Mom twice a day. I lived aboard my boat in Hawaii for nearly twenty years and many times heard would be cruisers say "I would never go out there without..." X or Y, or on a boat less than X feet long. Typically, those people never go at all. On the other hand, I spoke with a lot of real cruisers; people who stopped in Honolulu on their way South or North, to rest or work temporarily. Those people usually said, when asked the same questions, "If your boat is well found and seaworthy just go. No piece of gear will make you any safer." As for boat size: The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.



Stillraining said:


> Are you the young Canadian couple that was overdue?
> 
> I never heard the final say on them.


We are neither young nor Canadian but there were broadcasts concerning us by both the US and Canadian Coast Guards in July of 2007. Once we had landed it seemed that everyone had heard about us.

Malie ke kai


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

vega1860 said:


> All good comments, particularly the one from sailingdog about water discipline. My only comment on that is to mention that, by the time we had tapped our main tank we were only 200 miles from Vancouver Island. That still left us with thirty days water supply on short rations (1/2 gallon per day per person) I realize that I may have given the impression that we were lavish with our water use but that was not the case. We were always conscious of the need to have adequate water to complete the voyage in the unlikely event that the watermaker should fail in such a manner that we could not repair it with the spares we had on board.
> 
> I know there are many who disagree with me on the necessity of long range communication equipment and the ability to call home regularly. We Have also been advised to get a bigger boat before attempting a major crossing. I have even known a few would be cruisers, and I am not making this up, who will never leave the dock unless they can talk with Mom twice a day. I lived aboard my boat in Hawaii for nearly twenty years and many times heard would be cruisers say "I would never go out there without..." X or Y, or on a boat less than X feet long. Typically, those people never go at all. On the other hand, I spoke with a lot of real cruisers; people who stopped in Honolulu on their way South or North, to rest or work temporarily. Those people usually said, when asked the same questions, "If your boat is well found and seaworthy just go. No piece of gear will make you any safer." As for boat size: The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.
> 
> ...


That was a nice writeup and I enjoyed reading it. Just curiously, how did you prep the boat for food? How much did you plan on catching? Any weather issues or mechanical issues to share or to make others aware of? Half way through the trip, was there anything you wished you had brought (or not brought... and don't mention the wife (smile)).

I always find the first hand stories very interesting and great learning tools - whether about your first time on a boat or third circumnavigation. I belive your account of your trip from HI would have interest for many readers here, including me.

Thanks for sharing.

- CD

PS Though for possibly another thread (or this one) I am not opposed to many of the "modern neccessities"... for lack of a better word. I think many of todays tools have made the sea a safer place and probably made it more 'do-able' for many that otherwise might not have chosen to. However, my big 'beef' with today's technological gadgets is the obvious dependence people have put on them over just plain, good seamanship. Electronics being a good example, they should enhance your seamanship... not replace it. That is a recipe for disaster.

Just my feelings.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*Nope your not the ones*

I am thinking about, They were due in October and I pretty sure they were pretty young and Canadian.

However I have to shake my finger at you and scold you.. Your choice did and will continue to put people you care about in undue stress and heartache in the future for the mere saving of 2K or less in expense. I dont know your story at all as I did not here of it. But was there any search for you? That costs all taxpayers. And it does affects the lives of people you dont even know, I'm still praying for that young couple when I think about them.

Anyway I'm glad you made it safe and someday I hope to convince my wife to make the same trip. I guarantee you she will require me to buy a SSB and a sat phone, just in case...

I to would be very interested in you starting another thread where we could ask you questions and learn from your experience. And I for one think 27' is plenty big to cross ocean.


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

We had a recent discussion about comm schedules:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39352&highlight=communications+schedule

As far as effort being expended in searching for you, I share the opinion that a very wide latitude should be anticipated for transit and arrival times. Specific advice can be given to a trusted shoreside acquaintance in the event there is no news after a set period (probably double the anticipated transit time). Tell friends and family that you'll activate the EPIRB if you need help, otherwise you're fine and delays are likely due to weather or mechanical challenges.

Glad the watermaker worked well for you. It does sound like a worthwhile piece of equipment.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

I see you have already started that post in general discussion... so you can disregard some of my questions.

- CD


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

Cruisingdad said:


> That was a nice writeup and I enjoyed reading it. Just curiously, how did you prep the boat for food? How much did you plan on catching? Any weather issues or mechanical issues to share or to make others aware of? Half way through the trip, was there anything you wished you had brought (or not brought... and don't mention the wife (smile)).
> 
> I always find the first hand stories very interesting and great learning tools - whether about your first time on a boat or third circumnavigation. I belive your account of your trip from HI would have interest for many readers here, including me.
> 
> ...


We provisioned, or more accurately, My wife provisioned, for 90 days with fresh, canned, dried and freeze dried (Backpacking type) foods. We did not plan on catching anything and for various reasons did not try during this trip although we have caught lots of fish on previous crossings (We sailed in HMB Endeavour from Vancouver to Kailua-Kona in '99 and Laura sailed as delivery crew in Spike Africa from San Diego to Nawiliwili in 2004) and on short trips around the islands. Laura also stocked up with our favorite treats
but, alas, we ran out of chocolate three weeks before reaching Neah Bay 

The trip took a month longer than it should have because our standing rigging started to unravel 1300 miles from Cape Flattery after we weathered a series of small gales at about lat. 38, long 158 IIRC. Being unwilling to risk setting a headsail slowed us down to 30 to 40 miles a day. When we finally reached Port Townsend and had Dan from PT Rigging look at it he pronounced it defective wire and,when I asked him about it, he told us there was no way, short of examining it inch by inch under a microscope, we could have known. I also had the wire examined by Brion Toss riggers who said the same thing. Yes, I did check the wire before we left Honolulu by running a handfull of gauze along the shrouds and stays and examining the fittings for obvious signs of corrosion. The rigging was nine years old.

There were oter minor gear failures but nothing serious and although we were sometimes uncomfortable because of long periods of wet, cold weather we never felt we were in any danger.

The only thing we wished we had brought more of (Besides chocolate) halfway through the trip was warm clothing. We had no idea it would be so cold in July in the latitudes above 40N.

All in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely and are looking forward to continuing our cruise.

There is a lot more detail and information on the American Vega Association web site and in our cruising pages

There is also an account of Laura's trip in Spike Africa. You can see how good the fishing was on that trip!

Malie ke kai


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

Good writeup.
My most important piece of equipment so far is my refridge (makes ice, keeps Rum and coke cold).
Someday I hope my sails will get used


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## Lion35 (Sep 28, 2007)

Thanks for both of the excellent postings Vega, great reading. Glad you're home safely and no longer in a dry port (although Neah Bay is beautiful, cold beer is much prettier.)


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

Yep Lion. I know what you mean.

Gotta run. The wife just called. Taking off work a little early and wants me to meet her at the brewery. 

Malie ke kai


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Think the old Wombat must be in a crotchetty mood today but it does get up my nose all this blather about causing unneccessary worry amongst one's family and friends blah de blah de blah.

Wrong. They ( as in the friends and family) caused themselves the worry. Sod 'em.

If the boat had gone down or a true emergency developed , the Epirb could be activated and the relevent authorities would be informed. Having an SSB or Satellite Phone would not, in my opinion, improve your situation.

While I appreciate many of the advantages that modern communications have to offer being in constant contact with people on shore is not one of them.

Then again I am an antisocial SOB at the best of times who always thought that Friends was a steaming pile of excrement and if anyone ever walked into my apartment (a la Seinfeld) without knocking I'd shoot the bugger.

Hey, I know, the next womboat is going to be called the "Greta Garbo".

Dennis Leary kind of said it all.






cos I yam what I yam.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*Wombat*

You are a bit crotchety today.. I'm not even your friend ,Id hate to know what you consider me..


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

chucklesR said:


> Good writeup.
> My most important piece of equipment so far is my refridge (makes ice, keeps Rum and coke cold).
> Someday I hope my sails will get used


I'm with you there Doctor Chil. you got sails? are those the white rectangular thangs shoved in those nice colorful bags?

Vega, Thx for the read and all the informative info!


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Vega- nice post and good information. We listened to the CG calls for weeks last year wondering if you were going to make it, glad you did. I would have to agree that a watermaker would take higher priority than an SSB, however both would be high on the list for me. Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts.

John


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## denby (Feb 21, 2007)

Wombat,

Still raining down under? You're kind of cheerful today.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

denby said:


> Wombat,
> 
> Still raining down under? You're kind of cheerful today.


Bucketing down last time I looked.

Sad reality is that your old Wombat suffers from time to time from the dreaded Gout and today's one of those days. Bloody green vegetables.

Still Raining - Only person I was referring to as an ******* was me. while I don't agree with the thing about keeping the friends and family informed, it doesn't mean I'd call you or anyone else the same. I may well disagree with you and/or others but its not like me to abuse other SailNetters. Except Sailaway of course but then he deserves it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Vega - I was crossing the Strait from Port Townsend to Friday Harbor on July 7, and must have heard the CG broadcasting your situation multiple times an hour. I'm very glad to know you made it safe and sound!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Oh, and I'll echo the appreciation for Dog's water conservation idea. Very smart!


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## denby (Feb 21, 2007)

tdw, 

Your post was understood and I'm sure no one thought you were referring to any one as an a$$hole. Was concern with your mental wellbeing because the post was not your normal self. Sorry to hear about your gout, understand it can be nasty. Hope you are over it soon.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Did someone mention Uriah Heep, er, sailaway?

Without too much kerfuffle, let it be said that I agree with the varmint on this one. Valiente and I had a conversation on the matter over in the thread about Giu's kid from hell or whatever he called it.

In short, bad news travels plenty fast enough. I'm a believer in telling family that I'll see them when I see them. It's cruel and inhumane in my book to set them up for worry about events they can have no impact upon. My dear departed mother never knew about that C-4 i was on running the North Atlantic that was always in the process of sinking. She didn't know about the time we almost got blown up off Little Creek, Virginia. And she sure didn't know about all that time hove-to in typhoons, full gales, and the odd hurricane. And she died not knowing. Why should she have? So I'd know that she worried about me? People, especially family, think they want to know all that stuff. Don't tell them. It's far better that they might think, you might be over due, than to have it be a matter of actual fact. This is called being selfless. And it what you do when you put to sea in a small boat to cross an ocean for no plausible reason other than you want to.

My thoughts on modern communications and their pitfalls can be found here:http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40162&page=5


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

vega1860 said:


> Yep Lion. I know what you mean.
> 
> Gotta run. The wife just called. Taking off work a little early and wants me to meet her at the brewery.
> 
> Malie ke kai


Well, you seem to have your sailorly priorities in order.

I think this brings up a fairly interesting debating point. Vega is evidently an experienced sailor, as is his wife, as not to be so doing a Hawa'ii to Vancouver trip in a 27-footer would be the height of folly.

But it does bring to the fore the need to "stay in touch" via satphones, SSBs and other wonders of the 21st century. A well-found small boat can make all sorts of trips with a handheld VHF, a sextant, an almanac and a compass.

Our distant ancestors were doing this sort of thing in the misty past of 1985 or thereabouts. Legend has it that virgins set out so equipped in vessels of possibly stone construction called Kon-Tes-sas or some no doubt native moniker, and said virgins, relying only on ancient scrolls called "almanacs" and the mysterious force called "WWV" and their innate, incorruptible virtue crossed seas and broad oceans, possibly ramming dragons in the process.

But because you can reach out and touch someone from the middle of an ocean passage (assuming, naturally, that your wallet is thicker than your hull lay-up), does this mean you should, or more to the point, that you must?

I am surprised to hear that a 27 footer could carry enough solar panels to run a watermaker off the house batteries, because I'm pretty sure that the fuel carried would be well under 100 hours of engine run time (plus a likely maximum alt output of 55 amps). Throw in a 150 watt SSB so you can say "still here!" to lubbers? You might be able to report dying of thirst!

There are many reasons to go to sea, and one of them is to "get away". The hazards are known, and the consequences of poor decision-making, indifferent attention to maintenance or sheer dumb luck (a bow ornament on a container ship, or the dinner of a rogue wave) are largely final and not fixable by any amount of SAR heroics, worthy though they might be.

The wife had it right: She provisioned for 90 days in anticipation of 30 days, and insisted on throwing in a little watermaker. 55 days was a longer passage, not a *bad* passage nor one that would elicit much comment before our modern world insisted on shrinking the globe to a set of time zones and due dates. The sea, magnificent in its indifference, has the last word.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

tdw said:


> Bucketing down last time I looked.
> 
> Sad reality is that your old Wombat suffers from time to time from the dreaded Gout and today's one of those days. Bloody green vegetables.


I thought they prevented gout. Well, solidarity, brother: I just shovelled 30 cm. of snow off the estate and I decided to add your brandy to mine. Succour is required.

(By way of saying "bucketing down" would've saved me a stiff back in the morning, which is why I'm having a stiff drink tonight.)


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

sailaway21 said:


> This is called being selfless. And it what you do when you put to sea in a small boat to cross an ocean for no plausible reason other than you want to.


Well said, G. If you get killed following your dream, your survivors feel bad once, but have the consolation of knowing you went into it with eyes wide open and singing a sailor song. If they look at some distant satellite map, or think Tahiti's near Fiji, where a typhoon is sinking Beneteaus, they will worry and fret over things not only that they can't effect, but over things they can have a potentially detrimental outcome. Imagine calling out SAR because you were 10 days late...but you were only late, not dead, not in a raft, not lying comatose on the cabin sole because you ate three pounds of the wrong reef fish. The SAR or other resources diverted to save you (not necessarily in need of saving, just dooting along at 2 knots under a full hoist) could be saving someone truly in peril.

My sense of things is that emergency services are doled out on a first come/first served basis. If you just say "I expect to be here in July, and I'll contact you if I can, but I may not" and file a sail plan with the roughest of parameters, there won't be enough information to set certain official wheels in motion.

I recall Moiteissier coming alongside passing frieghters and using a slingshot to launch film canisters onto their decks. That's how people learned how *his* circ was going.


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## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

The forgotten point is the obligation to others. If you are more than 6 miles or so from another yacht in distress then you will not hear a call even assuming your vhf was switched on. Quid pro quo and all that. One can be staunch and self-sufficient - so leave out the epirb. It doesn't matter if a satellite picks it up, and you are out of helicopter range but there is another boat in the vicinity without a radio.
It seems to me that the attitude is while other people may be concerned about me I am alright jack.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Valiente said:


> I thought they prevented gout. Well, solidarity, brother: I just shovelled 30 cm. of snow off the estate and I decided to add your brandy to mine. Succour is required.
> 
> (By way of saying "bucketing down" would've saved me a stiff back in the morning, which is why I'm having a stiff drink tonight.)


Val,
There are "cures" but the pills are really nasty andI'm one of those poor souls who suffers some nasty side effects from heavy duty pain killers. I do have a pill that reduces the severity of an attack but they take a day to have full effect. The best way of controlling gout is to make sure you drink lots of water which I usually do. Gout is caused by a build up of Uric acid in the joints, particularly knees and toes, which the water helps flush away but there are a few foodstuffs that aggravate it, in particular the bright green leafy vegetables such as Spinach, Broccoli and the Chinese vegetables such as bok choy, choy sum, and gai lan. An excess of protein is also to be avoided particularly if an attack can be felt coming on.

In my case I'd had a couple of heavy nights on the booze and followed it up yesterday with a lunch that included a great big serving of Gai Lan.

The theory about Red Wine causing gout is piffle. In fact white wine is worse than red but even that is a minor contributor. However alcohol dehydrates and that's where the problem is exacerbated. Other than lots of water the best natural preventative is celery of all things so I'm upping my intake of Bloody Marys.  Seriously I take a celery supplement every day but had run out. You know the story, hadn't had an attack in over six months and complacency got the better of me.

Anyway, thanks for your concern but I'll be fine on the morrow.

Chris - I'd like to think that if I was sinking someone would come to my assistance as I would to theirs. What concerns me is this need to keep in touch with shore at all times. My belief is that it's overkill and in fact causes more worry and stress than simply being very conservative in estimating passage times. I mentioned this in my little cruise report from the other week where my mother worked herself up into quite an agitated state because I failed to phone her for a few days. Years back I'd take off for weeks on end without radio (couldn't afford one) or telephone (they didn't exist back then) and she would be fine, but now she freaks out if I don't call despite the fact that I had warned her we would be in an area with no mobile or indeed radio, reception.


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

Valiente said:


> Well, you seem to have your sailorly priorities in order.
> 
> I think this brings up a fairly interesting debating point. Vega is evidently an experienced sailor, as is his wife, as not to be so doing a Hawa'ii to Vancouver trip in a 27-footer would be the height of folly.
> 
> ...


I could't have said it better myself Valiente. I wouldn't say that we are Master Mariners but we have made Pacific crossings before, together and independently.

The solar panels worked fine until we reached lat 35 or so. After that we had to run the engine a few hours every four or five days. bear in mind that we do not have a lot of electronics on board. Our three GPS units are all handheld. We did not run any electric lights while more than 200 miles from land or unless we sighted a ship (We didn't see another vessel for over a month). The radio was kept off unless a ship was in view until we checked in with Tofino Traffic at the entrance to the strait of Juan de Fuca. In short, just about the only thing electrical that we did use was the watermaker.

As for our families; We told them that the trip would probably be about thirty days but that it might take forty five or more. It wasn't the family that reported us overdue - It was the American Vega Association Rendezvous organizers when we didn't show up for the party. No doubt, knowing us, they figured it had to be serious if we missed a party.

(By the way, click here for information about the 2008 Pacific Northwest Vega Rendezvous)

We were just overdue, not missing. There was no search although we were warmly welcomed by the US Coast Guard at Neah Bay. Two Coasties took our lines as we docked and one of them handed Laura his cell phone and said "Call your mother" 

At the risk of provoking the handwringers: When did it become such a necessity to be able to call someone from anywhere on the planet? Where did this idea come from that you must have the ability to call and tell everyone you're alright, or if not call for the helicopter to come zooming in over the horizon to rescue you if the weather gets too bad or the ice maker goes on the fritz. More to the point, why undertake a sea voyage if you can't bear to be off the leash?

If you have the money and don't mind spending a lot of time fixing or worrying about electronic gadgets, by all means, knock youself out. Pore over catalogs and debate the relative merits of this or that satelite phone or personal gps locator beacon but you would do well to bear in mind that you cannot buy safety at any price. If you want to be safe, remain securely tied to the dock at all times. Because a thousand miles from land, chances are if you really need it, help will not get there in time even if you can call. Furthermore, if you think you have a right to expect a taxpayer funded government agency to come bail you out of a situation you are not prepared to deal with you shouldn't be out there in the first place.

That's my opinion. I'm sure you have yours. Everyone does.

I shall speak of this no more.

Malie ke kai


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Well said, Vega.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

vega1860 said:


> At the risk of provoking the handwringers: When did it become such a necessity to be able to call someone from anywhere on the planet? Where did this idea come from that you must have the ability to call and tell everyone you're alright, or if not call for the helicopter to come zooming in over the horizon to rescue you if the weather gets too bad or the ice maker goes on the fritz. More to the point, why undertake a sea voyage if you can't bear to be off the leash?
> 
> If you have the money and don't mind spending a lot of time fixing or worrying about electronic gadgets, by all means, knock youself out. Pore over catalogs and debate the relative merits of this or that satelite phone or personal gps locator beacon but you would do well to bear in mind that you cannot buy safety at any price. If you want to be safe, remain securely tied to the dock at all times. Because a thousand miles from land, chances are if you really need it, help will not get there in time even if you can call. Furthermore, if you think you have a right to expect a taxpayer funded government agency to come bail you out of a situation you are not prepared to deal with you shouldn't be out there in the first place. i


Well said. I didn't mean to single you out, nor your families, who are probably used to this sort of thing. I get it a lot in terms of wanting to take our son out of school between Grades Three and Nine..."aren't you concerned he'll miss something?" Yes, the chance to be a useless, Nintendo-addicted mall rat. "Isn't it dangerous to take a child to sea?" Well, _you're_ the ones driving on the highway...I don't own a car!" "Aren't you worried he'll get lonely?" Well, not really. I think between cruiser nets, hooking up with other cruising families, and spending time hanging out with kids from a zillion other countries, he'll probably be better socialized than travelling in a local cohort of TV addicted, Ritalin-bound white kids of privilege. (Note: the biggest privilege is foregoing the chance to buy a bigger house/SUV/bank account and to go sailing with your parents for five years, who will be broke when you get back!).

Anyway, the "call home" thing comes from the same source: the idea that the normative mode of developed Western societies (even when relatively new) is not only the _best _way to live, but the _only _way to live, all others being somehow deficient. I hope that my wife and I, in the purely selfish pursuit of wanting to chuck careers and prosperity in mid-life in order to mess about in boats, are able to give our son the life skills that will serve him well in what I suspect will be a messy, less secure and more challenging future than our own youth: the qualities of self-reliance, stoicism, the derivation of pleasure from small things, a greater than average ability to fend for oneself, and a cosmopolitan outlook based on going to where wildly different people live, and hanging out with them.

Some would call this a hippy ethos, 30 years too late, but I can assure any readers that it comes from a pretty conservative place. There is much to admire about today's society...I'm no Luddite...but much that cannot pass uncriticized...and in some ways the driving force for us wanting the cruising life is to get our kid the hell out of North America during his formative years.


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## fcsob (Apr 28, 2007)

Wombat,
I also have gout & have found a treatment with no side affects. Uricinex is what I take.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*At the risk of*

getting jumped all over again..

I was not suggesting a means or a desire of checking in every day with mommy...or averting disaster with there use.

Sans the SSB... A sat phone ( which can be rented ) requires zero on board current draw and zero extra cost if not used. But if you are overdue by an extended time, as in this case, One simple call...ONE.. to aleart The coasties as to whats up as in this situation the need to sail slow ( I would carry extra wire before a sat phone ) there would have been no multiple PAn PAN day in and day out.

I dont like that much publicity but whatever blows your skirt up.


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

I don't mind being singled out. After all, "Everyone has value even if only to serve as a bad example"

We don't have any kids, and aren't likely to given our age, but I think you're onto something there Valiente. During the time I lived in Hawaii, 30 years, I got to know a few adults who had been raised by cruising parents and several children who were in the process of growing into fine adults. Without exception they were far better adjusted and had a better handle on reality than their contemporaries who had been raised according to the conventional wisdom.

Maybe it's a generational thing. During my formative years North America was a very different place. The Dodgers were still in Brooklyn 

But small town, rural America is still a pretty good place to raise a family in my opinion.

My philosophy can be boiled down to this:

_Quality of life is inversly proportional to population density._

Cruising in a small boat is one way of managing that truth and the more self sufficient, self reliant we can be, the better. In my opinion.

Perhaps it is time for a new thread on self reliance and minimalist cruising.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*Wombat*

I just finished chemo. They had me taking "Allopurinol" so I would not get gout.

Is this something that would help you? It is dirt cheap compared to most prescription drugs. I think I had to pay like 5.00 for 30 day supply and my ins. is not that great so I pay 80% of prescriptions.

Hope this helps.

I never got it but was told it's painful...so I can't say I feel your pain...


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

fcsob said:


> Wombat,
> I also have gout & have found a treatment with no side affects. Uricinex is what I take.


Thanks I'll check it out.

You too SR, thanks, I'll look into that as well.

I'm sure that whatever you had that required Chemo is going to make gout look like a minor irritation but yes it does hurt. The first time I got it I of course had no meds available and that was sheer misery. Shoes and socks most definitely out, indeed I couldn't even sleep with a sheet over my foot.

BTW , some drugs have different names down here and also some are not available in Oz. I'll speak with my GP.

If I keep to a regime of celery supplement twice a day and a tablet called Mobic if I feel a twinge it is quite contained.

Again thanks for suggestions and SR whatever it was that required Chemo I do hope it all worked out.


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