Comments on: On Location

By: paul@brotherpaulmagic.com

paul@brotherpaulmagic.com — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:36:21 +0000

So... Happy Belated Birthday's to you both... I just spent the last hour catching up on all your adventures. It looks like you are in a beautiful place, physically and mentally. I was alwo wandering, since you brought it up... What do you use to collect water.

Panacea is set up with an interesting design. The deck plug is right next to the deck drain, so I open up the plug and put a plug in the drain and all the port side deck water goes into the tank.

On the starboard side, I have a valve under the nav station that diverts the deck water going down the port drain to the tank. I can pick up 200 gallons, which is the capacity of the tank, in about a 15 minute squall.

Not bad. It then goes from the tank to a general filter, then a charcol filter and from there t the galley sink.

Love it.

It was nice catching up. See you soon...

Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea

By: cirwin@rfmd.com

cirwin@rfmd.com — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:36:10 +0000

Yoda mouse is right. What you really need to do is build a faraday cage to store your electronics in. My idea is to fit out a locker a bit like you’d build an ice box. The key parts of it are 1. an outer skin that’s conductive and continuous (mesh or foil) 2. The lid or door has to be conductive around the whole seal 3. bond a heavy wire to the conductive skin and connect it to your main bonding system (keel/prop shaft/through hulls) 4. a good insulation layer so no secondary arc or contact can reach the equipment inside. Should be thick, impervious.
If you build it into a locker that’ll hold all your electronics in a lightening storm, start by lining it with foil. Copper would be best as you cna solder seams. Aluminum works too, but you’ll have to be creating to ensure any joints remain conductive. Then you need to work out how to make the door seal – remember it’s an electrical (conductive) seal. Spring fingers that are self wiping, maybe brass, you’ll have to keep them clean…Then insulation over the concutive screen could be plastic sheets and fiber glass and resign. Make it overlap the door seal area so there’s no straight air gap between the conductive door seal and the stuff inside. Don’t forget to fit the bonding wire before you glass it all up.
There’ll be no electromagnetic field inside in a lightening strike, limited by how conductive and continuous the skin is, how well it’s bonded and how well the insulation holds up.
The other aspect of lightening protection is to understand that your mast, rig, keel, prop shaft etc. all form a kind of faraday cage too. Make that most effective by ensuring it’s well bonded and keep away from any part of it in a lightening storm. Hanging chains over the side from the shrouds and stays gives the best path to the water (ground!) plus the mast (assuming it’s aluminum) needs to be bonded down to the keel very well (thick wire straight down). Then there’s a good cone of protection with the point at the top of the mast and sides 45 degrees sloping out…so long as you’re not touching the metalwork. This helps minimize the field that the electronics locker needs to deal with, as well as allowing you to wake up frightened instead of being found charred and electrocuted.
Even if you don’t build this, I figured I’d write it up in case other readers were interested.
Cheers!
Chris

By: charles.lanhamjr@us.army.mil

charles.lanhamjr@us.army.mil — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:11:49 +0000

@Yoda mouse….What about the theory of putting your electronics in the oven? Couldn’t change my name…so yall get my email addy this post.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 03:36:00 +0000

Yoda mouse,
Thanks for the info.

My editing computer is not a laptop and won't fit in a pelican case. My d: however is 2, mirrored 2TB drives, and I do back that up every week or so to another drive which I store safe.

I'll shoot you an email. Lightning can be a real pain in the ass :(

Cheers M8

By: YodaMouse

YodaMouse — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 03:27:15 +0000

I used to work as an IT/IS tech in a nuclear bunker during the 1990s and as such have some experience with EMP & EMR shielding. Without writing a dissertation on the subject, the best advice I can give is to store your computer in a Pelican Case and within a Faraday bag when not in use. The Pelican Case will insulate against metal to metal electric arcing. The Faraday bag will help with ionizing radiation that create inverse currents that ruin logic circuitry.

Ideally a precision made Faraday cage would be used, however it seems impractical for you to spend the time and money on such a device – especially since it would be heavy, bulky and take up a lot of room.

As far as data is concerned, I would use an external hard drive. Ideally you would set up 3 mirrored hard drives in an external enclosure, utilizing a Raid 1 setup. Hard drives are cheap, this should not be a problem. However if this is still too expensive, you can use any cheap external drive (sub $80) and simply back it up daily, then place it in the aforementioned case/bag setup.

Anyway, I can forward you some government manuals on the subject if you’re interested. My e-mail is andy@ocalagraphics.com

Good luck man

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:58:03 +0000

M_glover

A time lapse shot of an anchorage from above (mountain top) before, during, and after a squall is a shot I've wanted for years, I think it will be pretty cool and informative.

When I enter an anchorage I spend a bit of time choosing my spot to anchor. I look to be with similar hull & keel designs as all boats act differently in current & wind conditions. Splendid with her nearly full keel with favor current in light wind conditions where as a fin keel would lean more to the wind. I think the shot will be really cool.

So I'm bumm'n. A few nights ago Carla and I woke up clutching each other after a really REALLY, loud thunder clap. Splendid was vibrating. It was the next day I noticed the red line in my editing computers monitor. Yesterday I opened up my MacBook and the top of the screen looks like it's melting. 2 LCD screens in as many days, not to mention my SSB? I'm going aloft to check for signs of a strike, want to make sure all the rigging is in order.

Both my MacBook and THOR (editing computer) were unplugged. I've heard the EMP of a near or direct strike can be just as damaging to electronics as the strike itself. Arrrrgggggg!

Man this place is beautiful :)

Peace

By: M_Glover

M_Glover — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 05:55:08 +0000

Happy Birthday Alex and Carla!

Yes, would love to see how different hulls act with changing wind!!

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 01:52:22 +0000

Okay, I know it's not much but I have the first, just under 10 minutes of the film cut together, and I must say I'm excited!!!

A few days ago I woke up to do some work, turned on the computer and notice a vertical red line down the center of my monitor, I nearly pulled my hair out

So I've been researching monitors for a few days and think I found the one I want. It's the LG M2452D. It's the lowest cost 1080, 16:9, IPS, LED monitor I could find. If there are any techie geeks that want to add some advice I'm all about it :)

I think it's a really good monitor for the money. I need to calibrate and have good contrast so I can tweak my video before mastering it.

Arch, man I'm really happy for you, exciting !!!

Peace

By: arch

arch — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 01:41:04 +0000

GMSAILORS - thks !!! it was a ride, the little boat did well though, had a few scary moments as the transom isnt that far out of the water and more than once with a tailwind I was worried about waves overtaking and the cockpit turning into a bathtub !! my new vega is a dream come true, she"s amazing....

Arch

S/V "True North"

By: arch

arch — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 22:11:38 +0000

Thnks for the advice Alex, The vega will need a bottom job before any blue water happens, I lived in northern Japan for 3 years, northern honshu and hokkaido, I would moor the boat and stray ashore with friends, absolutely love japan, gonna start work on her this week, might be tp ;ate for a Pac crossing but I do have time to head due north via the inside passage... just playing it by ear, you have been an inspiration, Ive never felt more free than at my own helm..

Always check the tide,

Arch

S/V "True North"