I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it again. I’m such a lucky man!
Instead of making money we are making music, films, and I’m writing. A number of people have suggested that I compile the blogs and put them in a book format, which I am. I’m also telling the story of how I came to cruising which has always been a difficult subject for me. I’m also telling the story between the blogs.
It’s been a real trip going back and reading my blogs, I never really have before. What amazes me most is how far I’ve come spiritually, as a writer, and sailor. I have such a coherent philosophy as to how my future unfolds. The plan of not having plans, and sailing my life’s wind is really bringing me where I need to be.
My buddy David managed to output all the blogs into word format (about 1000 pages) and I’ve been editing and writing on the grey days I can’t film. I’m thinking it will be available in a few months as a kindle download from Amazon.
For whatever reason someone in Splendid’s history
decided to tile the aft head/shower. I’ve hated it since the moment I bought Splendid and have been procrastinating on ripping it out. Well, I did just that a few days ago and found a fair amount of dry rot along the base of the shower and mizzen compression post. I hate it because if water is rotting the bulkhead behind tile you can’t see it. Paint or veneer/varnish is the only option in my book. Anyway, it’s not as bad as it looks. All in all I’m looking at a week’s worth of work. I’m just still so happy to be finished with the 
decks, cabin house, and everything else outside of Splendid this just doesn’t phase me. Plus I like breaking out the sawzall, moo-who-hahaha! After a week this bulkhead will look as good as new.
As far as my experiment to retire the Yamaha 9.9 and inflatable to see if I can really make a go with a sailing & rowing dinghy, all I can say is “YEEEEHHHHAAAAA”! Man I’m getting buff and feeling great! 380 rows to shore and a bit more than 400 if Carla is with me or we are hauling water/headwinds. For a change I feel like I’m getting younger and not older. When it’s windy I still row as I just want the workout!
The Yamaha 9.9 is for sale and I’ll take the proceeds and buy a Yamaha 2hp, or if I can find the Honda 2 which is air cooled. It’s a noisy little bugger but no cooling system (impellors) to deal with. It’s ultra reliable, my buddy has one. The truth is I really don’t even want a little outboard as I don’t want to become dependent on one again and know I’ll end up using it :(
Aside from that we are watching our pennies with an eagle’s eye. I’m relying on “The Minimalist Sailor” and the book to generate enough to carry us through the Pacific.
I’m also looking for a water-maker guru to give me some advice. As some of you may remember My buddy Roger gave me an old 110 Village Marine water maker (18GPH) a while back. I would have needed over a 4kw generator to run it. I’ve stripped it for parts and I’m putting a 12v clutch on the High pressure pump and driving it with my Perkins. All I need to get this thing going is a feed pump and a new membrane. My questions are basically about the feed pump. I’m thinking a centrifugal pump is probably my best option? They are just so damn expensive and I’m looking for something more economical? I don’t know so much about that so if anyone can comment please do. Dry season is coming in three months and I want to have a reliable water source. We won’t bleach our drinking water so I’m pretty motivated to get this project going. Bleach in water is a funning thing, from what I can tell only American cruisers do it because our tap water is bleached and has fluoride added. No other country I know of does it. European countries uses H202 (Hydrogen Peroxide) or UV sterilizing. Water is such a basic necessity I’m really looking forward to having a watermaker again. Once I do I will shock (with bleach) and sterilize the water tanks. After that I’ll only put watermaker or rain water in the tanks and not contaminate them with anything else.
Sail far and live slowly my friends. If I can help in any way with advice, support, or motivation please let me know. I’ve talked a lot of people through the process of unplugging if that’s what your looking for.
Peace, Love, and Coconuts.
– alex
Glad to hear everything is going great Alex ! I had recently looked back over your writings ,trying to find the time way back, when your your abilities to receive GRIBS was disabled while crossing the Pacific. I was sending my interpretation of the GRIBS based on an your estimated position, many times a day. It was really cool on my end to be landlocked, yet still able to be “out there” .LOL . It really helped us both when you stated the the wind was exactly 180 deg from what I was sending you and that I was reading the “arrows” ass-backwards. oopps. LOL.
So, glad to hear you are changing the format on the blogs as I never did find that time period. :) lol
Oh, one thing, my understanding on using bleach is that the bleach will dissipate very quickly (24hrs or so unless it is capped) , leaving the water clean and safe for drinking. This was from a Environmental Eng. several years back.
David C.
David,
Man I remember those days, it was really nice to talk to someone on that crossing, not to mention very helpful.
As car as the bleach thing I’ll just never do it. I’ve spoke to many doctors and such and it’s just not for me. I have a very strong immune system from traveling and don’t mind getting a little sick every now and then. I drink the same water as the locals as I travel and don’t often get sick anymore. When I first started traveling full time I seemed to get a bug from every foreign ice cube. As I get older I just want clean, unpolluted water. I’m installing a UV filter that came with the watermaker and have a special tap at the sink for drinking water.
Thank you so much again for your help in the Pacific.
Cheers.
Hydrogen Peroxide sounds interesting . After treatment ,the compound left would be just H2O. lol
The only thing with UV is making sure the sleeve stays clean and the flow is slow enough as it passes by the light. Easy enough.
Keep us updated on the filter progress. I would love to see the conversion when you get it done. Like you, I have never liked the high amps needed to run a watermaker and feel like engine driven is the way to go.
Peace and Clean Water,
David C.
David,
I’m running the UV filter through a small drinking water tap, the flo is minimal. It’s also my understanding that household chlorine bleach is a base and does not evaporate? I could be wrong, I sure have been in the past :)
I haven’t used bleach in my water for over 10 years. I have a German doctor friend here in the anchorage that won’t use it anywhere in the boat including in cleaning products. I dont buy cleaning products and use vinegar or ammonia. It’s healthier, and a lot cheaper than buying tons of products with variations of the same ingredients only adding unique scents & packaging to their products.
Simple, green, and healthy is the way I like to live, no drinking bleach :(
I must say I am looking forward to a watermaker.
Thanks for the help in the Pacific again, maybe we will chat on this next crossing again :)
Peace.
Also I agree with you on the watermakers. 12v is the worst option. There just isn’t enough power for a water maker. In a 12v system the membranes don’t last as long as in engine driven or 110/220, nor do they produce enough water. I had a small PUR on my last boat which was just for producing drinking water. Not water for showers, laundry, or cleaning. I’m all about engine driven :)
Alex… I just ripped out an old water maker out of my boat. The guy said it needed parts and they would run a couple of thousand. Arrghhh. So out it goes. It has pitched the old membranes and have the motor sitting in my garage. It’ weighs around 50 or 60 pounds. Might make a good anchor. If I knew if it was good, I’d try to get it to you, but shipping would break the bank.
Man, you love cutting up boats and slappin’ ’em back together. Glad you found the rot though.
All’s well up here in SW Florida. Laying a lot of varnish right now and going through the project list.
Best of everything to you two. Sailing season is upon us and I’m sure ready. The kitty needs filling up again.
Stay in touch.
Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea
Alex… I just ripped out an old water maker out of my boat. The guy said it needed parts and they would run a couple of thousand. Arrghhh. So out it goes. It has pitched the old membranes and have the motor sitting in my garage. It’ weighs around 50 or 60 pounds. Might make a good anchor. If I knew if it was good, I’d try to get it to you, but shipping would break the bank.
Man, you love cutting up boats and slappin’ ’em back together. Glad you found the rot though.
All’s well up here in SW Florida. Laying a lot of varnish right now and going through the project list.
Best of everything to you two. Sailing season is upon us and I’m sure ready. The kitty needs filling up again.
Stay in touch.
Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea
i always thought it would be good to drive a 140+ amp alternator….refrig. and water maker from a small diesel………$750
mhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Yanmar-diesel-air-cooled-L70-/271069943611?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1d07173b
Is there a way to deal with the French bond without actually coughing up the money?
Morning Alex,
Well, It was a rainy day hear yesterday so I kept a pot of coffee on and started reading your posts from the beginning. In my previous search for your time crossing the Pacific without GRIBS capabilities, I realized might have been hampered by a “few” Red Stripes, the new Light ones of course.
Anyway, what a hoot to go back on the beginning of your journey.
Of the many wonderful writings some things that stood out where Port Antonio,the market in Cartagena and on to “Contemplating my navel” and “Henry’s Dead” , “No pin # for you” to “Verbally constipated ” ( I showered the monitor with coffee on that one)(no damage)
“Capt. Lucy” and on to Double Shellback the”Double story solar cabin,Laura Ingles and an F150″ “Chocolate Martinis,King Grandakakabigmantitty, Gilligan’s head and Cipro.
I’ve only read to around day 1434 so far.
I want to thank you for your documenting your journey and sharing with us all to follow along.
Well I’ll end for now, with another few lines I picked up on my adventure yesterday,
“There are good ships and there are wood ships, and ships that sail upon the sea.
But the best ship is friend ship, for this shall ever be.”
“Cheers”
David C.
David,
Reading them all is an undertaking for sure. I’m editing, correcting the horrible spelling and grammar, and dumping the unimportant stuff. I’m also writing a 2-3 chapter opening and assessing every year after the fact. I’m surprised how little effort I put into the early blogs. Looking back my focus was on the online video episodes and I disnt give much to the blogs. That changed over the years. I’m also telling some untold stories which I were afrade to tell bet the statute of limitations has now passed ;)
Anyway, hope all is well, it’s a really grey day.
Peace.
One thing I have to fix with the new website is my mobile comments. When I write with the iPhone I can’t proof my text, really annoying, sorry for the typos :(
Alex,
I thought they were written just fine. I am really enjoying it.
Oh,and just be sure there is not any confusion, the Red Stripe statement was meant on my end. lol.
Cheers and “to blue skies”
I have a typo on my last msg, should read ” just To be sure” lol
Anyway, hope your projects are going just the way you want and Have a Blessed Day. :)
Alex I am alive! Hey can you fire me off a email to michael@paulholdings.ca and I would love to fill you in on my adventure!
Hi Alex, I´m enjoying your blogs very much and have been for a long while already. So now i finally take the time to let you know. I must have read about all over various periods.What a great way to participate in your project.Sharing all this so directly is fantastic and takes in my eyes maybe even more courage than the adventure itself. So thanks,man. I liked it when you crossed the pacific not alone but with your gecko as a blind passenger…. makes me smile everytime. You are indeed a lucky man. Best wishes and lots of fun to you and Carla from Huelva, Spain. (where columbus sailed off from to where you guys are) Gunnar
Hi Alex, I´m enjoying your blogs very much and have been for a long while already. So now i finally take the time to let you know. I must have read about all over various periods.What a great way to participate in your project.Sharing all this so directly is fantastic and takes in my eyes maybe even more courage than the adventure itself. So thanks,man. I liked it when you crossed the pacific not alone but with your gecko as a blind passenger…. makes me smile everytime. You are indeed a lucky man. Best wishes and lots of fun to you and Carla from Huelva, Spain. (where columbus sailed off from to where you guys are) Gunnar