Planning and Preparation

[Orvil Newton]

February 25th, Shilshole Bay

We have begun to take our trip planning and preparation seriously now. I rode my bike to The Armchair Sailor on Westlake in Seattle and picked up the NOAA Catalog of Charts and Publications #3 – Alaska and the Canadian Nautical Charts and Publications Catalog #2 – West Coast. We need charts of SE Alaska of course, and all the other periodically updated publications relating to navigation. It was disappointing to learn that Reed’s Almanac will not be published this year. I will have to find a substitute. Current sight reduction tables will be required just in case I decide to try my hand with the sextant or all four of our GPS units fail. I am not sure which is more likely.

We have some new electronics to install: A new VHF radio transceiver with an integrated AIS receiver, and a new stereo. The stereo is a big improvement. Unfortunately, it is much smaller than the hole left by the old one. We will deal with it. The new radio is also a big improvement and much less of a mounting challenge. Our old unit, which works perfectly, is a simple VHF marine radio. The new one has a lot of features that will, in theory, enhance safety. The main thing though is that it is a really cool electrical gadget that has a moving display that shows icons for all the ships within range. The AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver picks up transponder signals from ships and allows you to identify and contact, by name, any vessel on the display. It is not a replacement for radar, but at least it will tell you where the big boys are and how fast and in what direction they are moving It will also allow you to contact them easily and with positive ID. A ship is less likely to ignore a call directed at them by name or transponder code than a general hail.

I need to take the mast down and replace the combination light. The top half broke off and fell away somewhere between Friday Harbor and Port Townsend. We bought a replacement LED unit; much smaller than the old one and reputedly much brighter. We will let you know. That leaves only the stern light as the last original incandescent navigation light on the boat. We will be replacing it with an LED unit before we depart…probably.

That leaves only selling the dingy, stowing the bicycles and one last trip to the grocery store.

Meanwhile, I am finishing up our "Across the Pacific" video series, putting up a new web site and editing the video of our interview with Seattle Vessel Assist Captain Wendell Brunk. When that is done, I have a bunch of video we shot cruising the Pacific Northwest. We hope to have that all wrapped up before we cast off in May.