Equipment list for Pacific crossing

[Tidjian]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Something not on your list, but should be, imho, is a dodger, but perhaps it is so obvious that mentally, it was already included.

Ann

Yeah I was definitely going to see about having one installed if the boat doesn't come with one. I've never used one but my friends had one when we went down to Florida. How sturdy are they in harsh wind or heavy waves?

[JPA Cate]

^^^^^Most of them don't have a problem standing up to strong winds and big seas, and they sure keep you more comfortable.

Our tiller pilot on the Yankee failed about 3 days out of Kauai on the way back to SF. Our autopilot on our next boat failed between the Tuamotus and Tahiti. Once we worked out the teething problems with the windvane, it never failed us, and the big plus is that it is wind powered, so never an electrical drain; and it is silent in operation. Of course, you've not selected a boat yet, but if you are still thinking in terms of a pocket cruiser, a windvane will be a good deal for you. Jim made ours, it was an auxiliary rudder type, and the lateral plane aft from the windvane rudder improved the boat's performance.

If the boat that you get for the journey has an inboard engine, you might enjoy having the tiller pilot for those light air times. But if you just use the posited o/b for getting in and out of harbor, you will just wait through the calms. Fish, read, or sleep. If you're planning on a Kindle, you'll have to budget power for it.





Ann

[Don C L]

Give it some thought, but the AIS transceiver ensures that you will light up on their screen, and it is a screen they will probably be paying attention to.
The self-steering vane will be the workhorse and the other member of the crew.

If I were getting my boat ready, I'd also be mounting the boom gallows I've always wanted. It's something to hold the boom when the main is down for reefing or just down, in rough weather, and it's good for humans to hang onto also.

[Jim Cate]

If you really intend to cross oceans,or even do longer coastal or inter island passages, a tiller pilot is no substitute for a wind vane steering system. You seem to be getting hung up on electronic gadgetry, and for a budget cruiser, this is not good outlook.

Time to put down the catalogs and go do some sailing before your reach further outstrips your fiscal grasp.

Jim

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Time to put down the catalogs and go do some sailing before your reach further outstrips your fiscal grasp.

Jim

Whew! A healthy dose of reality always helps. Thanks, Jim.

I'll add: PLEASE, PLEASE, Please........do some of the reading we've suggested to you. It'll cut down a LOT on the questions. That singlehanded online text answers 99% of your questions that you've asked since we suggested those to you.

Good luck. Happy hunting.

[El Pinguino]

My view...

Originally Posted by Tidjian

If I had to re-prioritize my list based on what I've learnt.

From top priority to lowest.

Ground Tackle
Windvane System
Auto Inflating Jacket with Jackline Harness
PLB Buy an Epirb....
Bilge Pump (Manual)
Fire Extinguisher
Marine Batteries
VHF + Antenna see below
Fishing Gear
Desalinator (Manual)
Bilge Pump (Electric)
Solar Panels
Drogue/Sea Anchor Not needed if trade wind sailing
Depth Sensor/Sonar The one and only electronic thing you really need
SSB
Pactor ModemThese would end up costing more than your boat.... buy an ssb capable portable such as a Tecsun 680 or 880... search for threads on CF on that subject.
Laptop with Open CPN + Weatherfax
GPS (likely come with sonar system) see below
Radar System
Outboard/Inboard Motor with Alternator
10G Fuel Tank (bigger if inboard and tank is built in)
Dinghy
Life Raft
Handheld VHF (waterproof)
Handheld GPS (waterproof) see below
Propane Stove/Hibachi
Portable Electric Cooler (low power usage, can keep fish for 1-2 days) Buy an Engel or similar
Ice Maker (likely only if the boat comes with one as they seem very expensive to buy and install)


Extras (not prioritized in order)

Netting Surrounding Life Lines
Backup Rudder (even if I just bring boards and pvc with hinges to manually attach to the back of the boat)
Handtools (including handsaw)
Nautical Paper Charts Ocean planning and landfall
Binoculars
Spare Parts
Extra Nylon Rope (100')
Epoxy Mix
Fibreglass Stranding (plastic stranding like what they make bags of rice from)
Cardboard
Small Pieces of Wood/Plywood


Food/Water

20-30G Water Storage (based on boat capacity) Longest sea passage x 5 litres a day....for total water aboard... plus as much more as you can fit
Additional 10-20G Container (separated from main)
Additional 5-10G of Water (in 1 litre or 1G containers spread around ship)
Primarily Dry Food (Nuts, Fruit, Beef Jerky) spuds and onions go a long way. Muesli, long life milk. Vacuum packed meat suitable for stewing
Canned Food (very small amount) Make canned goods your friend
Survival Rations x3 Packages (3600 calories 72 hours each - kept with ditch gear)
Random Condiments (spices)
Pressure cooker
Long life fruit juice
Vit C tabs
HBC
Bucket
Spare bucket
Spare spare bucket.




If I'm missing anything essential please add to it. I didn't bother listing sails or a boat or the things normally attached to a boat because that's a given. Also if anyone has any first hand suggestions for particular items I'd appreciate that. Ie. What Sonar or Radar you use (be considerate of budget, I can't afford a $6000 system).

Thanks for all the help along the way!

Buy a GPS that plugs into your lap top like a Globalsat Cable GPS with USB interface (SiRF Star IV), BU-353S4

Cover portable VHF, GPS, and DSC with one of these Welcome to StandardHorizon.com

And get a Standard Horizon fixed mount VHF with an inbuilt AIS receiver... in the ocean you don't need anything more...


Ping

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

For $100 more I found a SIMRAD RS35

VHF with GPS and built in AIS receiver.[...]

That's a good AIS receive-only solution. Standard Horizon makes a similar unit, the GX2200, for about the same price. Be aware that while very useful, the display and user interface on these combo units is quite limited, and some find it hard to negotiate in crowded situations. Still it's *way* better than nothing.

Originally Posted by Tidjian

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/simra...44?recordNum=8

This is a lot cheaper than a windvane system. It also ties into the same nav display.

Tillerpilots like these have a reputation for failing, as they are exposed to the elements and the shaft seal can let salt water into the innards. Also, the plastic gears in these are reported to fail. I think a lot of this is due to people using undersized tillerpilots and they see too much of a load, but the ocean racers who use these often carry two or three spares. People also put plastic bags over them, and that may help. All my knowledge of this is second or third-hand...

One of the beauties of a mechanical windvane is that they use zero power (which is a big deal on a small boat, as in some conditions a heavy-duty autopilot may be your biggest power consumer), and if the mechanical vane has a breakdown you can often repair it at sea with the materials you have on hand. No oscilloscopes or tiny gears needed! There are lots of tricks for using various autopilots / vanes/ etc. As we have said, you do *not* want to be personally hand-steering for days on end.

Originally Posted by toddster8

OK, I also said that wrong. weatherfax is actually digitally encoded, but it is raster data, not vector. Low speed transmission.

Actually, you were right the first time. WFAX is not digital, but an analog FM modulation of a raster-scanned image. In any case, it can indeed be received on a $100 radio and demodulated/displayed on a laptop or smartphone using free software. We have several threads here on Cruisers Forum about this.

[newhaul]

Learn sheet to tiller steering there are many good ways to do it for under $25
Sheet-to-Tiller Self Steering
Self-steering for Sailing Craft

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

Yeah I was definitely going to see about having one installed if the boat doesn't come with one. I've never used one but my friends had one when we went down to Florida. How sturdy are they in harsh wind or heavy waves?

We have dodgers on the side of the cockpit and a spray hood over the hatch. Both now 8 years old and just been re-stitched this year, should be good for another 2 or 3 years.

Given they have been outside in all weather for 8 years through storms, heatwaves and snow they have stood up well. The bottom of the dodgers are not tied on so that green water can escape underneath. The spray hood may not survive such an event, but it would be very rare.

Ping has given you a good list which I agree with except the netting. We had netting for 4 years due to a small dog on board. However, you would be surprised at the number of other things it has stopped in that time from going over board. For the £20 price and a day to fit I would use it again if sailing solo offshore.

[CatNewBee]

Is this SSB radio / HAM / Pactor modem still common used nowadays, I heard many cruisers have not turned their SSB on for years.

My impression is, people use more and more satellite communications to get the GRIB files of interest. A propper SSB set up can add alone up to 5000$ to the budget and you need a LRC for the SSB or a HAM license to use it.

Is a forward sonar worth the investment for navigation through in narrow cuts or is it too inaccurate?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

Also additional side note and I need to research this more but..

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/simra...44?recordNum=8

This is a lot cheaper than a windvane system. It also ties into the same nav display.

I have a Simrad TP10 and my boat displaces 6600lbs. (that size may be all you will need also) The cost was around $430.00. $250.00 less than the one in your link. I bought it in 2014 after I lost my other autopilot overboard when taking over driving in strong winds (long story)

I've had to repair it once though. ( I was an Elect Tech for many years which is helpful) There was a tiny membrane cable in there connecting the electronics to what looked to be the gyro. It wasn't the problem but it did come out while I was repairing it. Those cables are tiny. The problem was that I had pushed the buttons too hard after I tacked, and with a button stuck down
nothing else would work. When I reassembled it I couldn't tighten the covers too tight or the problem would reoccur

It's too long for my boat and after I tack I have to move it to the other side of the boat and recalibrate it and I pushed the buttons too hard because I was still sailing and in a hurry (you also have to disconnect power to recalibrate while holding the buttons down)

Point is inside it's very touchy. (it's electronics!)

If I were planning to sail across an ocean, I'd probably add a Wind Pilot or Monitor Windvane but that would destroy your budget which is why I recommended and posted that Bristol 24 with wind vane already mounted earlier. Again, try and find a boat that already has a autopilot of some sort, dodger, ground tackle, most of the instruments etc

My old boat came with a dodger 6 years ago but I just priced a new replacement and it will cost right at what I paid for my boat and everything on it $2,000! That price also includes a new stainless steel frame

I had to take the helm (see above) because my autopilot wouldn't handle the conditions with the 26 knots winds and steep closely spaced waves. I was told however here on CF, that a windvane pilot would have handled it. (it was a downwind run and I had too much mainsail up. one reef plus maybe 100% jib still deployed on the roller)

[Tidjian]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

^^^^^Most of them don't have a problem standing up to strong winds and big seas, and they sure keep you more comfortable.

Our tiller pilot on the Yankee failed about 3 days out of Kauai on the way back to SF. Our autopilot on our next boat failed between the Tuamotus and Tahiti. Once we worked out the teething problems with the windvane, it never failed us, and the big plus is that it is wind powered, so never an electrical drain; and it is silent in operation. Of course, you've not selected a boat yet, but if you are still thinking in terms of a pocket cruiser, a windvane will be a good deal for you. Jim made ours, it was an auxiliary rudder type, and the lateral plane aft from the windvane rudder improved the boat's performance.

If the boat that you get for the journey has an inboard engine, you might enjoy having the tiller pilot for those light air times. But if you just use the posited o/b for getting in and out of harbor, you will just wait through the calms. Fish, read, or sleep. If you're planning on a Kindle, you'll have to budget power for it.





Ann

Thanks Ann, as always your help is invaluable.

[Tidjian]

And thank you to the other suggestions (not sure why my phone doesn't seem to update forum posts that quickly).

If I have to shuffle things around to get a windvane system I guess I'll have to. Or maybe try to make one and get the auto pilot and save the vane as a backup. If the boat, like that Bristol comes with one great. I'm just having a very hard time finding them used for sale and new ones range from $3000-6000. The couple used I've found have been over $2k.

Dodger costs a lot more than I expected but I guess it makes sense. Again something I'll value in a boat for sale.

I priced a new SSB/Pactor setup at about $2500. Expensive for me unless I find a used setup for sale. I priced the sat phone around $1300 For the device and a $500 prepaid card. I could go subscription at $125 a month. I'll look at all options including the cheap radio solution. I'm sure I could learn to read the weather reports. Would the VHF be able to do that if connected to a laptop and using the proper applications?

Would be nice if there was just a GPS navigation system like the SIMRAD that displayed weather reports. Not like it would cost them a whole lot to forward that data via satellite to the interface display.

I was trying to cut down on canned goods because of the weight. But if it's the better method.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

So here is my list of what I want to outfit her with. Looking for suggestions. Keep in mind I'm on a budget, she's not a large boat and again I'm on a budget.

Nav/Sonar & electronics:

Hummingbird Helix 5 vs Garmin Echomap CHIRP vs Simrad Go7 XSE
Lsatphone2 vs Iridium 9575 Extreme

ICOM M324G vhf with GPS
Shakespeare 5400-XT antenna
On my own boat I carry 2 laptops (15" & 10") preloaded with Nimble Navigator ($125 with USB puck) and GPS pucks.. standard ships VHF plus handheld.
Also use a Spot Tracker which doubles as an EPIRB.. new models I believe have texting facilities.. or there's Yellowbrick which is favoured by ARC rallies.
Did a delivery across the S Pacific where I had a Sat phone and it was very spotty most of the time till Samoa.. and expensive.

3x ALL POWER 100w solar panels (flexible)
2x marine batteries
Katadyn survival 35 desalinator (manual)
12v 2000 gph bilge pump
Nice..

Emergency:

First aid fully loaded
Echomax solar still desalinator
Revere offshore life raft 6 person
Paratech sea anchor 8000lbs 25'
Personally I'd carry a small slat bottom inflatable partially inflated folded and strapped across in front of the mast... have your grab bag with Katydin and flares, protein bars, water bottle etc inside and secured ready when voyaging.. forget the sea anchor.. a couple of fenders and a small Danforth trailed astern will serve as well and multi purpose which is what you need to be looking at when so small..

Not sure if I'm leaving anything out. But that's what is on my list right now. What I'm looking for is advice on a better navigation system with route planning. Also not sure if anyone has any tips on sat phone or companies to go with.

I was considering iPad with Navionics+ but I was looking at internet prices but I have yet to find an affordable one.

Forget Ipad and go for cheap laptop and an Android tablet. OpenCPN by all accounts is more reliable these days as does not crash like it used to.
Re anchoring.. the deepest I had to anchor was 12metres so don't fret to much on quantity rather more on quality.. your little and shallow so can go in close where the big boys cannot.
Re-enforce the clamps for the poptop.. if your still going for the Grampian 23.
Oh.. and spare pintels and hand drill/stick epoxy for the rudder.
Forget windvane and carry a spare tiller pilot..

[Tidjian]

On the note of refrigeration. We spoke of insulating a dorm fridge so it could operate in ambient temperatures 85°~. Also on power consumption of how hard or long it would be running.

I was kind of thinking an ice maker would run less often, no? I mean your typical countertop ice maker runs what, an hour or three to make a bucket of ice? Given those are designed for ambient temperatures of 72~80°. Comparing them to their marine designed brothers and sisters the biggest factor and price jump I'm seeing is the insulation value. A 15" countertop is about $150 at costco. A 15" marine is $1500. Now I know part of the markup is the fact it's designed for a specific use and there's money in boat users to be had. The rest is that it's just better built with proper insulation to run in any weather.

But I'm sure like insulating the exterior of a dorm fridge you could insulate an ice maker. Alternatively to an ugly foam insulation job. Couldn't you take said components from that Danby ice maker and retrofit them into say a heavy duty Coleman cooler designed to keep ice frozen for 3~5 days in ambient temperatures of 95°~? It might take some fiddling but I couldn't see why you wouldn't be able to. Just trying to brainstorm affordable ways to add some level of refrigeration even if it's only used casually when you get a nice catch and want to save it for a couple days. Or when you're at port.

I'll likely be living on this boat a large portion of my time away to save on travel expenses. I won't always be on battery power. But adding big chunks of investment into $1500~2k fridges and ice makers isn't an option.