Funny picture. Carla and I are talking to each other but having a hard time connecting. Perhaps it’s the fact I’m on my shell phone?
Computers on boats are always an issue. Most people only need a cheap mini computer for charts, pictures, & internet. However feature-length video processing, editing, and viewing full HD video is another story.
I always seem to be a bit ahead of my time with technology. Back in the day editing a feature-length film (SD) on a laptop was a big deal, today its all about HD for me. A laptop is covenant but lacks the power & functionality I’m looking for. The decked out macbook pro I’d want is just over five thousand dollars so it’s not really an option.
I decided to build a SH67H3 shuttle box ( http://global.shuttle.com/products/productsDetail?productId=1477 )
with an i7 processor, 8 gigs of ram, and a 1gb video card with the help of my friend David who runs the website. I think it’s a pretty sexy setup for my application. It’s small for the boat and only has a 300 watt power supply so it won’t hit my 
batteries too hard. I’m going to need a lot of storage space but the SH67H3 also has USB 3.0 for fast data transfer to external drives.
I’m getting pretty dialed in to start production of my next film. My intention with “The Minimalist Sailor” is to produce a film for a larger audience that will convey some minimalist philosophies and hopefully inspire some to live simply either on the land or sea. I firmly believe that a minimalistic lifestyle is the key to happiness, caring for our environment, freedom, and peace.
My new computer is in the states now and I just need to figure out how to get it to Panama, shipping is an expensive nightmare here. I’m asking my cruising friends if they know of anyone traveling to Panama from the states soon. The “coconut telegraph” is a very real and useful service in the international cruising community as we all help each other with shipping.
Soon Carla and I will disappear into the San Blas and I will focus as hard on the film as I have on the decks. I’ll need to stir up a charter or two so I can buy supplies but I will leave this anchorage shortly.
Chuck, Carla, and I had a really nice time together. Chuck helped with non-skid, and all that is left is the foredeck, a days work. Chuck is hoping to unplug in about a year after another 6 months in the middle east, paying off some debt, and finding a cruising boat. Chuck is going home knowing how to make bread. I searched yacht world in his area and found an awesome deal on one of my dream boats, a Cape George:
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1974/Cape-George-36-2392909/Seattle/WA/United-States
Carla is a strange creature. I often call her Tyler Durden (Fight Club) as I sometimes think she’s my imaginary friend. It’s not unlikely that I’m the single-hander that has gone off the deep end and I just made her up? Am I sitting around talking to myself? Imaginary or not…, life is good. I won her an evil Paul Frank monkey at the airport waiting for Chuck 
I am so grateful for 
my life. I really believe that wanting little and good karma is why so many wonderful things find their way to my doorstep, this is the path of minimalism. If you can find the time to turn off the television and listen to the universe speak to you, you just might see a path leading you where you need to go. I often fight this path as it’s not always convenient, but I try my best to live simply and truly.
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.
– G. K. Chesterton
Peace, Love, & Coconuts
– alex
I’ve always been concerned about having a quality computer on a boat because of the salt air and corosion damage. As soon as I saw the Shuttle’s heat sync cooling system I started thinking. Could you extend the heat tubes outside the box and then completely seal the Shuttle’s case without it over heating? Encase the box in a large ziplock bag and have extension USB, headset, power and HDMI cables run through hole in ziplock. Seal up gaps between hole and wires with silicone and zero salt air reaches computer parts. Just a thought.
it’s an issue for sure, 3 years seems to be the life span of my computers onboard. I really like the idea of the shuttle box because I can replace the board if I need to, laptops are a bitch to work on and find parts for. A broken keyboard or screen can be a real pain in the ass on a laptop where as now i can easily change it with parts I can find locally. I also get a lot more power for the money.
My acer just bit the big one and I will want to get a cheapy mini soon for email and blogs. I’m not going to want my editing computer online for security reasons.
a trintella delivered anywhere in the pacific
honolulu.craigslist.org/big/boa/2872714673.html
Hey Alex… and Howdie Carla!
Keep up the good work having such a wonderful time (which shouldn’t be too difficult)!
I totally agree on not working on a laptop. Not upgradable, drop-able, overheating etc etc. I too love the quality of high def, but its a rat race trying to keep up with it. Yes, I like quality over quantity, but in this case, we wanna buy/see lots and lots of your stuff!
Mark Pinske, Zappa’s engineer, once quoted me that “a well polished turd is always a turd”. So don’t get too caught up. However/whatever you put out for us, is sure to be a gem!
Even if your machine is offline, you gotta put some protection on it. At some point some stick or hd will bring some kaka into it (or from some driver upgrade)
Power question… 300watt, Ouch! How many editing hours can you get on Splendid?
Cheers
P
Peter,
Power is the issue for sure.
I have 500 watts of solar panels and a healthy battery bank but I’m sure I’ll be getting upside-down on power consumption. The 110 power supply on my dell laptop is only 65 watts, the new computer consumes more than 4 1/2 times the power, arrrggg!
I can run my main engine to charge my battery bank but it is quite expensive (1GPH) to run my Perkins 4108 diesel engine to run/charge a computer. I’m on the lookout for a Honda 2000 eu generator. I’m not a fan of generators, expensive computers, or oodles of camera gear but these are the tools I need to produce my work. I’d be a lot better off as a painter just needing a brush, paint, and a canvas to paint upon but that’s not the case. However coming from a Hollywood background I’m grateful not to need a film camera, to splice film together, a telecini (film to video transfer), and spend another $100,000 at the lab. From my perspective, all things considered, modern video production and the quality of HD is more than impressive and cost effective.
I’m going to run a kickstarter.com campaign and try to raise a few bucks for my film. Kickstarter raises funds for creative projects and they approved “The minimalist sailor” about 6 weeks ago, I’m going to run the campaign in a few weeks. I’d like to get a small Honda generator, some extra camera gear (mostly lenses), and to have a few bucks to share with the Kuna Indians ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuna_people ). They don’t like having their picture taken but a few dollars with them goes a long way. I’ve scraped by on my previous two Project BlueSphere films and I’m hoping to produce something a bit more mainstream this time.
The Kuna culture is deteriorating at the speed of light and I hope to capture some of it on video. The Kuna are (were) the ultimate minimalists. Their culture is being bombarded by cell phones, outboard engines, and there is even a television or two around now. The Kuna Indians are moving directly from an indigenous culture to an impoverished one, it really breaks my heart!
I find it ironic that I need these expensive things to make a film about minimalism, but luckily I have friends like Chuck and David that are helping me along, thanks guys.
cheers
Really enjoying the blog at the moment, followed the ups and downs over the past three years. And the blog inspired me to get back to Australia and start me own adventure two years ago godivingwa.com I am on the hard, in the first stages of a refit of a 12m steel ketch.
It’s interesting to read about the issues of keeping computers aboard and will be keen to read if you work out a way to isolate your mew one Alex from the elements.
Looking forward to a new HD flick.
All the positive energy and Carla are going to rocket your blog in blazing letters across the Internet galaxy!!! and open a new window to many good people who have become unwittingly trapped in a web of advertising-induced trash.
Hope you put out some pay-for-view short films, specially for us sailors and dreamers living outside the US (makes it easier).
Stuck in Portugal (could be worse).
I’m trying to figure out how to put a youtube player on my blog page, but if you want to see some recent videos from my iphone check out my youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/projectbluesphere?feature=mhee
Hey Alex check this out. http://www.flickr.com/photos/77508380@N08/?saved=1 I figured out how to share some photos of my boat. I plan to post some more as soon as I can. She is my first boat. I paid 600 for the boat and 600 for the outboard.
Isaac,
I have friends that have sailed the world on home built boats and boats they have been given for free or paid little money for. I met a couple that found their boat (24’) half sunk in mud on the side of a river in Italy, it had been there for many years. They asked the police if they could have it, “Please, take it away” was the response. They spent 2 months digging it out of the mud and another few years fixing it up. I met them after they crossed the Atlantic on it; they were on their way across the Pacific.
It’s not about the boat M8, it’s about your determination & courage. You could spend the rest of your life exploring the world on a $600 boat and you’d be my hero, however the most important thing is to be your own hero.
She looks AWSOME. It’s all fixable, make her sound, get a good set of sails, ground tackle, a windvane, and have a ball. Don’t listen to all of the west marine junkies that think you need a lot of garbage to go anywhere. If you have any questions feel free to email me anytime.
Congratulations!!!!!
BTW, if I have any tech/code people that can help advise me on how to build a custom youtube player for the blog page please let me know. Youtube used to have an easy application to build an embedded player but they have discontinued it for API?
code.google.com/apis/youtube/overview.html
I cant figure it out and don’t have the bandwidth to watch the videos so if any one has any info please let me know. If I can get this player built I can easily shoot vids with the iphone and send them to the blog page
Hey Alex,
Man I wish I could help you with coding your youtube I have all the software on my mac book pro.. I was going to school for webdesign & development and I have the Photoshop CS5 Master collection.. I had to walk away from school due to some family issues, and not being able to dedicate myself to it.,.. so not im slowly trying to teach myself what I can when I can… but u seem to be a friend in need so im going to see what I can find in the books to help you out…
On another note I dont know if you remember me talking about the seafarer 26, well I found a seafarer 22 lol yeah I know I can just hear u giggling at me but I got to do something the vessel is very solid needs a new bottom but from where im at, i think it would do me fine for now to get me to Greenland to explore.. it has the room of a bigger boat.. with a port a potty and a sink I figured I could get away with a colman grill for cooking.
im gonna pick it up sunday so ill send you pics. here is the link with the specs http://www.seafarer-research-center.com/seafarer22.htm “Thanks for the link Capt Tom” but anyways let me know what u think, I look forward to your critiques. in the mean time im gonna look up what I can for ya on the you tube thing between that evil think called work…. and home lmao
Take care
Steve
Alex,
BTW Carla seems to be great… I know you said she left but is she coming back? I think between the 2 of you and your vast worldly knowledges you 2 could make it without any money.. your so resourceful at sea, as she is on land.. I just think its great.. and wish the very best for you.
Steve
Well I have a new editing computer sitting at my friends place in TX, at the end of the day It’s about $300.00 to ship here. If anyone wants to come hang out for a few days and bring my package I’ll take you spear fishing and show you around Panama.
Steve, in my opinion, the seafarer 22 may be a little inadequate for hi-latitude sailing (Greenland), you’d have fun with it down here but you may want a bit more than a shoel draft for Greenland & ice. I thought of you yesterday, Carla and I met a couple on a little Tahiti ketch (full keel) heading for Iceland, BURRRRRR! Carla is back, and yes we are pretty resourceful together, I’m sure we could do it on no money if we had to but I do love coffee, rice, and some staple goodies. Minimalism doesn’t mean extreme, just comfortable with little : )
Carla broke a tooth and unfortunately we are off to Colon in the morning. We did find a nice dentist for her and I need a few more supplies
It’s great that some people are making gravatars so I can see what you guys look like :)
Cheers
_/)
Go for it brother. Anyway you can make things happen is the way to go. This life is so hard. There are days when I just dont think I can make it much longer. Im just going to take what little I have left and head south before the hurricanes trap me here in florida. Your a rockstar man. Keep the faith
You could look into liquid cooling for your new machine. Basically drop it in a tub of mineral spirits (?I think?) or something and run a USB cable out to connect to your cameras and external HDDs. I’ve seen set-ups that used fish tanks (complete with gravel, fake plants, and even fake fish) done this way.
im in houston/////my vagabond 42 is in galveston……give me some more info with regards to bringing that computer to u…..where would i fly into ……what airlines are best ……cost?…..how long of a stay 3-4 days ?
let me know im sure i can make time to come down there within the next 3-4 weeks maybe sooner depending on cost of flights
Bruce,
3/4 days is fine. You would fly into Panama City, Panama. I know delta, spirit, and copa fly here. Feel free to send me an email to alexdorsey at gmail and give me your number for a chat.
Cheers
Hi Alex,
We have an account with Airbox Express here in David and already used it to send computer related stuff ordered online. It doesn’t cost anything to open an account and there is an office in Colon and Panama City. Our package was small and we paid 10 dollars for delivery and no duty. Yours will be more expensive – heavier and you can expect some duty as well. They handle the duty for you. We found them reliable and quite fast – took less than a couple of weeks to get our package. Perhaps check if this is an option for you. Your friend will have to send the computer to Airbox Express address in Miami and it will be forwarded to Panama from there. Perhaps worth looking into if you are going to order more things online in the future.
Anyway, hi to both of you! Enjoyed Carla’s blog! Made me think…
airboxexpress.com/
Grazyna,
I have an account with Airbox express also my quote is $270.00 for my package not including a 2 day trip to the city.Airbox is okay for things valued under $50.00, uber expensive otherwise :(
Ouch! Didn’t realize it was that much!
BTW, never tried this, but found a page explaining how to plug in youtube player api to your web page:
http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/youtube_tutorial_lesson_1_the_player_api/
not quite plug and play…
I missed your call, I tried calling but only got your message…. i tried calling the other # but that didnt work for me either ……send me another text from that other # and ill try calling again….or just try calling my cell
thanks
bruce
Well howdy everybody, wanted to fill you in on the hunt!! I looked at a 37 Gulfstar,wanted 42000,offered 20 & a no go.. Looked at a 37 Endeavour that had the head relocated for 22000 & made no offer because I didn`t like what they did,they put up a wall in there & made it tight,, bummer,,, all on sailingmachines.com ,, some good stuff there as far as I can see,, wanted to make sure I didn`t buy one before I told you about them, ya know how it is ,somebody would beat me to it.. Still looking,will keep informed.. I have not made it down to that yard you told me about,that is planed for wednesday, I go to west palm to pick up a van & will stop in to look then. Fair winds & smiles. Hey Carla, keep Alex out of trouble on that bike!!! HA HA!!