Zeno's Arrow

[Tahoe Jack]

Yeah, yeah, I recall some early discourse with Gordon re Mike's authenticity....seems like its the least he could do to offer amends. And, he'd have the Arrow right close for study and inspection! As MMike suggested.

Tahoe Jack

[maddmike]

OK, as might be expected I have about 2400 charts for Mexico, Canada, Alaska, the Arctic Ocean, Bahamas, Turks & Cacos, and all points south up to and including the Chilean Inside Passage. However, except for the world chart in my GPS and a few paper and electronic charts, I'm a bit shy on the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii. Anybody interested in trading charts, CD's, or selling anything (or knows someone who might) between California and out to Thailand please PM me. Thanks, MM

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Outdated charts make great wallpaper.

[maddmike]

Bill,

While true for Alaska, Canada, and parts of the Bahamas and Mexico, you might want to check out the last time the Turks & Cacos, Orinoco River Delta, Ragged Is., Northwest Passage & most of the Caribbean out Islands were last surveyed (might suprise you, some were not even updated in the LAST century); besides with the draft on the M26X I found the Bahama Chart Books & Van Sants book to often be less than useful as I was able to save days on routes by 'eyeballing' my way over reefs with 3+ ft. of water, where the charts gave no info. at all. For the Pacific, I really don't mind some 'less than new' charts or cruise books as I can get advisories & updates as needed, set redundant exclusion zone alarms on both my GPS's (and forward scanning depth finder/radar) to allow for current drift around atolls (something that has unnecessarly taken out boats that simply 'pointed' around such objects at night). Also, the MAC has the wonderful ability to follow local fishing boats (with similar draft) into protected local harbors that would make any keelboat pilot sweat bullets trying to do. Don't get me wrong, I am a strong advocate of maintaining updated charts in those areas where updates are done on a regular basis, it just nhappens that is not where I usually sail. MM

[James V]

I was just looking at the chart for Marathon Fl and the depth was last updated before 1939!! West of there some miles - was before 1900!!

[maddmike]

James,

This is not a joke; the last Turks & Cacos survey was 1838 (or there abouts), and I actually have 'most recent' charts for a couple of places that were done by the initial explorers who discovered the places! While the islands don't move (much, except in Hurricanes), they do often end up being off in relation to GPS positioning. I have pulled more than one keel boat off a reef or sand bar that was following a GPS route in relation to an island reef enterance charted in the 1700's with errors of up to 1/4 mile. My rule of thumb is that your discomfort in entering a new remote island harbor is inversly proportional to the draft of your boat. MM

[Erik Hardtle]

Greetings Mike....
I just got done reading this entire thread and peeking at your pictures... I noticed that your boat lettering looks similar to mine...

I was facinated by your centerboard mod... I had been tinkering with the idea of adding wings to the centerboard but couldn't figure out something that would retract well.... so I just filled the thing with lead.

Click on the WWW button below to view my boat pics...

Erik
"KnotShore"

[James V]

I agree with you. There has been more than one cruser who went around the world only to run aground in the carib and loose his boat by using GPS.

Heck, there has been case where commercial fishing boats have hit bridges running ONLY on there GPS in Florida. Clear Skies, Daytime, little traffic!!


Yea, the shallow draft is fun, Swing up, pull up has saved me a tow more than once.

It is something that some of the power boaters do not understand.

[maddmike]

James,
Here's my 'dumb ass' GPS screwup story. I had gone out of Samana Bay in the D.R. (North/East side of Hispanola) with a daysail 'Dispatcho' to whale watch (took over a week to get one) and had waypointed the channel buoys on the way out because I knew I would be coming back in after dark (new moon). At that time my radar was below deck, which is not the best place for radar when entering a harbor at night single handing (it's now in the cockpit). No problem after all I had GPS, a night scope, forward scanning depth sounder and would be returning into the wind and an outgoing tide; thus any problems could be solved by taking the boat out of gear and 'drifting' back the way I came (ya, right). Because of the city background light the night scope was useless, so I followed the receprical (sp?)GPS waypoints back. Problem was in the pitch dark I managed to run directly into a channel marker; no big deal I just took the boat out of gear and drifted back. Only problem was, because it was so dark I didn't see that I had managed to tangle my plow anchor (which is on a roller) with the solar panel supports on the buoy (no actual panel just the old supports & the light was not working and they never are in the D.R.). As I drifted back the anchor pulled off the bow (for a day sail it was not tied down) and somehow I managed to wrap about 12 ft. of stainless steel chain around the buoy teather line. I tried to dive on the mess with a waterproof flashlight and clear the tangle without sucess in the dark, so I ended up spending the night moored to the channel marker until daylight and when I finally got back into the established anchorage was promptly visited by the local authorities who wanted to know why I had violated my day cruise 'dispatcho' and stayed out all night. A few beers later everything was OK, but I really learned a lesson from that one. MM

[Frank C]

. . . No problem after all I had GPS, a night scope, forward scanning depth sounder and would be returning into the wind and an outgoing tide;

Mike,
I've only ever seen one mfg of a fwd-scanning sonar, and radar would be a much cheaper upgrade. Especially considering the Mac offers very shallow draft when necessary ... I'd think it is definitely a nice-to-have, not mandatory.

Having made that investment in times past, has it provided enough ROI for you, or would you rather have spent those boat bucks otherwise?

[maddmike]

Frank,
My sonar is the old 'Scout' model which I purchased when they first came out for (I think) about $500.00 (there are now better, more expensive units from the same manufacturer); the Radar is a JRC 1.5W unit (about $900.00). I don't believe anyone using a MAC under normal conditions really would have much use for the Sonar (I no longer do). However, during the 'Waterways of the Americas' trip it came in quite handy for spotting sandbars, underwater logs, and rivermouth trash, especially when going downstream with 5 kts. or more of current. The MAC is 'thin skinned' and you really don't want to hit anything if you can aviod doing so in the middle of no-place up-river Brazil. Radar is a must in my opinion for ANY single handed sailor doing overnight runs (the intruder warning mode is especially useful and I set it for 12 miles when at sea). MM

[waternwaves]

Having crawled through the inside passage, nights, and way too many foggy transits.....

radar on the pedestal day or night.......is absolutely worth it...... Cant believe I went so many years without it on the boats.

JMHO, after using both the JRC and the FURUNO........ I'm still with the FURUNO!!!

[Frank C]

Thanks guys.

My question was poorly worded .... what I meant to ask was, having now had both forward-sonar and radar, which would you judge the greater priority. I see you both feel the radar is mandatory.

WnW - could you pls contrast the JRC vs. Furuno?

[maddmike]

Frank,

I have the JRC because it was on sale, in stock and met my needs (alarms & 16 miles). The Furuno seems to be a better quality unit (except maybe at the very bottom end). I've used Furuno's on boats we delivered to various places around the world and also on a number of the small expedition ships we operated over the years down in the Antarctic (upscale units). They worked very well; my only real thought on this is the one that is best for you is the one you are comfortable learning how to use well. Find someone who has the model you are interested in and see if they will let you play with it before buying.MM

[maddmike]

Went sailing on a Sri Lanka Proa last weelend. Posted a few pix at
www.photobucket.com/albums/f302/mikderffd. Not a Harryproa, but?
Nice potential trailer-sailer idea, gonna build um a carbon main out of an old trashed sail I've got, that should get some strange looks from the other Proa drivers. Off to Thailand this next week for some sailing, will try to find one of the 26X's that are supposed to be in country just for fun . MM