Port Credit Boat Show, Learning from Others

Quick update on the electric motor conversion...we have the electric wiring and new panels in place. We are getting close now. We plan to finish up the electric motor installation this week so we can enjoy sailing this coming long weekend. Lorned has done a beautiful job here. The AC and DC systems are now easy to manage and meters show what is going on. On the right side is a Xantrex charge control monitor system for the two house batteries. Looking gooood!

Now on to the Port Credit Boat Show we attended earlier today. We've been talking a planning quite a bit lately and we've got a few things that are coming together as we plan our circumnavigation on the future catamaran.

We've all agreed now that we will sell the house next spring. This will provide the base financing we need to get our Sun Challenge solar sailing expedition off to a start as well as provide some funding for the kids next phase in life in post secondary education and adventure. So, we've started attending boat shows to learn as much as we can to plan our own voyage.

First up was a tour of a new 2010 Lagoon 38 catamaran. It was beautiful. The deck had a wonderful seating area under a canopy when you get on the stern. Inside the cabin is a spacious dining table and kitchen. The starboard hull had the owners quarters with a large double bed in the stern and spacious bathroom with full standup shower. The port side hull had two wonderful spacious berths. Walking around the deck was easy and safe. This is the type of sailboat for me.

After looking at some monohulls we listened in on a families experience building a 65 foot power catamaran that they lived on and voyaged across the Atlantic, through the Med and finally down through he Suez canal.

What did we learn...

- need a team for fundraising with the right people, sponsor special things.
- $300 for 12 months of sailing in US. Don't forget check in with homeland security at each port or you could get a $5,000 fine.
- When planning stays in port stay for a month for lower rate and then anchor for the next month to cut costs in half. Cost is about $10 per foot per month in the US.
- Have lots of backup systems, two or three GPS systems...etc
- Build up experience by increasing challenges and implementing changes to improve.
- By being patient and waiting for good weather you can avoid bad storms.
- Ditch kit is mounted on deck. Satellite phone, medical kit, several communication systems.
- Virgin has a $40 per month 3G wireless Internet option for communicating, using Skype, Facebook and email.
- It took eight months to outfit the boat from bare hull full time.
- Free charts are available from OAA. Can use your computer and printer with these.
- 1% of hull cost for insurance including hurricane.

That's about all we can remember for now. Time to working the plans for making this happen.