We are sailing again!

Johanna

N 27° 48.999', W 15° 45.949'

When we first arrived in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, we thought we'll stay for a month or so... We had had some boat work in mind since back in Finland. The plan was to change our hatches on deck and some other minor things (what seemed like big jobs back then). 

Our planned one month stay became one year and two months. When we left Finland behind, we thought that was it for any stress in life. We were so wrong. Our life in Las Palmas was an stress after an other. Sometimes it was the work load, sometimes the schedules and well, sometimes there was just too much hard work to do.

Here I am, happy to be sailing again. I had the longest break in my whole life from sailing while in Las Palmas. 

Our first sail to Tenerife was quite a struggle, we had no boat speed what so ever.

In Las Galletas I took my wetsuit and snorkel and took a look at our bottom.

OMG, I knew it was dirty, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. I tried to clean some of it with a strong spatula, but it didn't help much. I only had energy and skills to clean very small area near the water line.

Now we are back to Gran Canaria and the sail back was not horrible but nearly that. I have never yet had a sail that I would say I'd have rather stayed on dry land. This leg was nearing the feeling.

We had planned to sail on to La Gomera. El Hierro and La palma from Tenerife, but we changed our plans to meet up with some friends of ours next week in Las Palmas. And then before sailing again we have to find someone to clean our bottom. We love to sail, but this floating home of ours is not a sail boat at the moment. It's not only the missing boat speed, we could almost live with that, but it's the way a sail boat works. It just doesn't work when the hull is in this shape.

Anyway, we are now happily in Puerto de Mogan and we are very glad that we are at least able to move again. Our life is once more becoming the dream we want to live in the real life!

Navico Broadband Radar and OpenCPN

timo

N 28° 0.437', W 16° 39.626'

Our former radar was old but very reliable Furuno. The only problem with it was that the CRT screen was taking too much space and power. We didn't want any new screen either. We want to use a regular laptop or a tablet as a display for all navigational data. We are currently using OpenCPN as chartplotter, so it was interesting to find out that there is a radar plugin for OpenCPN. Navico Broadband radar has some interesting features like low power consumption and good visibility at close range. It seems like the perfect choice for us.

First view of the new radar. Our heading sersor still needs a bit of calibration.

We got the system working but there were some difficulties with installation.

My first mistake was that I didn't read carefully OpenCPN plugin documents before buying the radar. Navico 3G and 4G radars are sold under the brands Simrad, B&G and Lowrance. Our heading sensor uses NMEA 0183. By reading Navico documents I thought that Simrad 3G with RI11 interface was suitable for us and I ordered it. When I got the radar I read the plugin manuals through and found out, we didn't need any interface box at all. Lowrance 3G would have been cheaper, because it doesn't include an interface box. We chose 3G and not 4G because we don't need the longer range. Besides it costs more and uses more power.

Navico Broadband radar without interface box has radome and cable. Cable is an ethernet cable with additional power wires. It doesn't use PoE! When used with chartplotter like OpenCPN, it also needs heading and position data. OpenCPN plugin must provide this data to radar. Without position and heading there is no radar view! If you are using OpenCPN, you probably already have position data. We have an Airmar H2183 heading sensor with NMEA 0183 cable connected directly to our auto pilot. OpenCPN receives NMEA from serial port or ethernet. Our goal is to put all our NMEA data to ethernet, but now we made a temporary wiring for NMEA 0183.

Routing heading sensor data to OpenCPN was easy, but it didn't work. Plugin document states that used heading sentences are HDT, HDM or HDG. Airmar was sending HDG as default. I programmed Airmar to send HDT which it did, but without data. HDT means true heading. Sensor probably has variation database, but it needs position. Ok! I routed nmea position sentence (RMC or VTG) to Airmar and it started to send heading data.

We got a two second glimpse of radar picture in OpenCPN. OpenCPN was receiving gps and heading data through two different serial ports in our windows laptop. After a few seconds the other port died away.

Next step was to route heading sensor data through NAIS-400 AIS box. Now all NMEA input was in one serial port and it works.

We tested the new system by sailing at night from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Las Galletas, Tenerife. Radar targets and AIS targets were equal and we were very satisfied.

Installation would have been very easy by using a heading sensor with built-in GPS.

Our home is starting to look like home again

Johanna

N 28° 7.632', W 15° 25.510'

We have been back in the marina for an other four weeks already. We are in the same pontoon where we were before. We think it's the best one in this marina. The whole pontoon is very small, hidden behind the gas station. On the other side we have the marina office and on the other side a couple of Guardia Civil vessels. Here is a big problem with bicycle thefts, but ours have been ok since January, parked right next to the office (knock on wood that our good luck continues). Toilets and showers are also very near and they are the best ones here, not too many users, so we mostly get a hot shower. They are also the kind that you can control the temperature, not just one push button. We are quite far from everything, but walking is good exercise, so we don't mind a bit.

After our vacation in the anchorage we have been kind of slow to start the boat work. But you know, schedules make all the difference. New Years Eve is getting closer and two days ago half of the boat was still under construction. 

We thought, it's best to start solving the puzzle with the biggest part. After that Timo put all the parts together very easily. It was much easier than what I had expected. There were only a few small details that he had to build from the scratch. Mostly all the screws just went into the old holes. 

Next was my turn. I put all the plywood where it belongs. Once more we have too bunks in the aft cabin. It was time for my test rest.

Until today our home has been full of things that we have been moving around all the time. Now I have put lots of stuff under the new built bunks. Tonight is the first time in more than six months that my home actually looks like home again!

Our vacation is almost over

 We have now been on vacation for almost four weeks. On Sunday we go back to the marina. Yesterday I already talked to a marinero and we have a place reserved in the exact place where we want to be. I think it takes you a long way here when you smile to everyone, be polite and try to speak as much Spanish as you can.

But back to the present and past, Sunday is still in the future.

First we were a bit irritated about the ARC fleet taking over the marina. It felt really stupid to do some temporary installations, just to be able to move to the anchorage. There was also the brighter side. We really had a dead-line when we had to be able to move back on board. You know how you just somehow finish things a bit faster when under pressure. It was only a couple of weeks difference anyway, because we were staying in an ARC-boat and they were coming back soon. 

This four weeks have also been very good "practice" for our future life, where we plan to be on the hook most of the time. We left Finland 15 months ago, but we have only been in the marinas, not counting some odd nights in the anchorage on the way.

Now it was time to test how our solar panels and wind generator work in real life. For the first 2 and half weeks everything was fine, but then we had some calm and cloudy days. Finally we had to start the engine and let the alternator do it's job. We use our computer a lot, especially Timo, since he has been working on his own anchor watch application. And you know how laptop wants a lot of juice from the batteries.

I have seen a lot of big boats from outside, but this week has been very special for me. Leopard by Finland is trying to (I mean it is going to) break the ARC record. I've known the Finnish project leader since I was a kid. We were invited to their welcome party on Wednesday. What a yacht! 100 feet of the latest technology.

This is Leopards command center. For a nerd like me, it looked really fascinating. 

There is also an other interesting Finnish project here. These guys are on board Volvo 70. 

I happened to be there at the right time to help these guys out a bit. They had stickers to put on the side and it's a bit difficult if you can't walk on the water or you don't have a tender. So I let them borrow our dinghy for the job.

Meanwhile they were doing their job, I got a really good and long tour on the boat :) The boat participated in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, it has been kept as it was in the race. They have only made one modification, you don't have to do your business in the public... In the race they really don't have any walls or even a curtain to give you privacy.

For the first two weeks we were in a real vacation mode. I guess we were just so tired after all those months of hard work that we needed to sleep late and take everything very easy. After a while I started to get some of my normal energy back.

We are still missing half of our storage space, but I have made my best to have our things in order. I sometimes get surprised myself when Timo asks me for something and I actually know where things are.

We also had to do some engine maintenance that was long overdue.

Living on board while doing any work means endless job moving things around. Here is our bedroom in the living room.

I don't like to live too much to the dead-lines, but some are really good for us. Next we have to build our aft cabin back to a livable two bunk cabin for my brother-in-law and his daughter for New Year.

Last winter we were planning to sail to the Caribbean this winter. Now we know it's not going to happen. We are going to spend an other winter here in the Canaries. I hope it's not going to be as cold and rainy as the last one was. Anyway, it's much better than back in Finland. Southern Finland got their first snow today, and I definitely don't miss that.

It's anchoring time

Johanna

N 28° 7.870', W 15° 25.498'

So much time has passed again after the last blog entry. All the ugly work is now done. Inside bottom is painted and also most of the interior has been sanded and varnished. We moved back on board last week. All our storage places are not yet rebuilt, but somehow we could fit all our stuff back in. Well, the longest and strongest mooring lines are still on the deck.

Las Palmas is the start place for the ARC. There are more than 200 boats in the rally and most of them are big. All those must fit in the marina, so the rest of us have to go. We didn't go far, just to the nearest anchorage.

It's quite a change after being in the same calm harbor since the beginning of this year.

This anchorage is a bit rolly, so we won't be doing much work here. Now it's just time to enjoy life and relax.

There is still some work left when we return to the marina after the ARC leaves. We didn't have time to finish all, but the boat is livable. All the important stuff is done. Our toilet is working, our stove is working and our own bunk is perfect to sleep in. We don't have our water tanks installed yet, but that's no problem. The nearest place to fill our water cans is just 5 minutes dinghy ride away.

It's going to be interesting 4 weeks to see all the ARC boats.

This one is for sure the most interesting one, Leopard by Finland. They are going to break the ARC record, hopefully! 

Things I thought I would never do!

Johanna

N 28° 7.643', W 15° 25.510'

I think I've always been kind of scared of all the tools that make a bad noise. But I know that I have always been TERRIFIED with the tools that make a lot of sparks.

And then here I am. Behind our diesel tank and under our sofa. The reason why I'm there instead of my husband is that he's a bit taller than I am. I could barely get down there.

There was a steel bar that was on the way to clean the bottom and the t-bars from the rust. This steel bar was also useless. It was just sitting there, nothing on top of it, taking storage space from the things we put there. So we decided it has to go.  So, for the first time in my life I took the angle grinder into my hands and turned it on...

This is the first part that came out.

And this it the second part.

We don't have a picture of the third part, because now I was already a pro and there was no need for pictures anymore.

After the previous blog we have been working like crazy. We have also been moving a lot.

We lived in s/y Manta for two and half months and then Auli and Hanski were back. Next we moved to an other Finnish boat, s/y Villa Mare. We thought we'd stay there until the end of September. But then all of a sudden there was yet an other Finnish boat and right in the same pontoon than our Iiris. This was too good to be true. We had met the skipper's partner a few times back in Finland. And now here we are, living in s/y Defyr. There was nothing wrong with the last place, but this is a very big marina. The distance between Villa Mare and Iiris is about 2 kilometers. We do need the exercise and we do go for walks every day. But this is just so much more convenient. Walking back and forth took a long time and now we don't even have to wear our flip-flops...

We have made a lot of progress since the last blog, but there is still a lot to do.

Now all the rust we can see is gone. We have already painted a lot of areas.

Here I'm painting this impossible place...

We believe that next week we'll be starting to paint all the rest. There is a very big area left so it's going to take four days to paint, one layer a day.

Then we start rebuilding. That is also going to be a huge work.

And by the way. I figured out an other way to remove urethane foam. It was a bit more physical work, but not as nasty as Timo's method.

Working almost full time

Johanna

N 28° 7.643', W 15° 25.510'

Four weeks ago we moved temporarily out of our home. We didn't move far, just to the opposite side of the marina to an other Finnish boat. Our good friends Auli and Hannu from s/y Manta flew back to Finland for a couple of months and they were glad that someone is looking after their boat when they are gone.

Moving was done by dinghy. It was very easy. We loaded as much as we could in it. I drove the dinghy and Timo came to the other side by bike. It's incredible how much stuff you can carry on a little dinghy. We still had to make quite many trips, so I guess the cycling was a good exercise for Timo.

Manta is just a little bit bigger than Iiris and now it's quite full of stuff. First their own and now ours as well. But it's more than enough for us that we have a nice and clean bunk to sleep in. And we haven't filled all of the boat, we still have couches (well, maybe half of them) around the table so we can have breakfast there. Usually we are too tired to cook dinner and we just go to a nearby Sailor's Bar. We have also watched some movies from DVDs. We don't have a tv on board, so this has been quite a change for us. Last time we watched tv or DVDs was back in Finland more than a year ago. We don't count the occasional football we see in a bar.

Now we can really work on the boat when we don't have our things filling every place and we also don't have to worry about inhaling the dust at night. Now we can do the whole bottom at one time. But what a long time it takes. It's not an easy job. Under the bunks there was first glass fiber, then urethane foam and then well... there should be just the paint and the steel, but in some places there is also some rust. We have now maybe revealed half of the bottom. We sure hope there is not going to be any big surprises. 

Our biggest problem is that we have to disassemble quite much and we are running out of space on the deck. Lucky for us, an other Finnish couple just flew home for the summer so now we are moving things there. They are also glad that someone is looking after their boat. 

Doors and floorboards on their way to s/y Stormy. 

We have everything that we believe that can handle the outside weather (some covered, some not) stored on the deck. That includes batteries. 

First there is the GRP to remove. Timo first cuts it to pieces and then forces it out, pretty physical job. No need for any other exercise. And if you have any idea of the positions you have to work on the boat...

The urethane foam is quite easy to remove with a wire brush attached to a grinder. 

But this is how my husband looks like after 5 minutes.

I bet all this sounds like really hard and ugly work to you. I can assure you that it is. But everything has it's good sides, I hope. We are going to make some pretty big changes when we put everything back together. One of the biggest changes will be that our batteries go to a new location. When the boat was built it was a normal maintenance routine to check the acid levels of the batteries. So they were in a very easy place to get to. Now that's ancient history and all the batteries need no service. So we put the batteries where they are out of reach and we get a very good and large storage place with a very easy access.

In the end we believe that we'll have things a bit better than we used to have. That is of course that we don't find any big surprised in the hull. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.