Help! I’ve locked myself in my boat!
Yesterday was one of “those” days. Not a particularly bad day, where anything catastrophic occurred, but it stilled included enough annoying things to make me happy to move on.
It started with Rebecca and I completing (what we thought was) the last of our Seamanship take-home exam. The final was last night and not only did this need to be submitted but we both needed to get some study time in for the final.
Conspiring against that was a whole list of chores that Rebecca had at work and I had to do while… not-working. Needless to say, our time to cram was in short supply.
Late in the afternoon, after tucking myself away in the boat for an hour or so to study, I felt the wind pick up so I decided to pop up on deck and check the lines and fenders. Do you think I could get out of the boat? Um, no! Seriously guys, it isn’t even funny!
Where we are docked we have the afternoon sun hitting the cockpit. In the mornings the main salon door opens just fine. The last two days, after having the sun on the door all day, I have had to unscrew the door latch just to get out!!! I have heard that if the rigging is too tight it can cause the boat to “flex,” making the doors fit improperly. It doesn’t seem too tight to me although I haven’t checked it with a gauge (I don’t even know what a gauge should read if it is tuned properly).
Yes, I made it out and yes, Rebecca and I made it on time to write our final Seamanship exam. How did it go? Well, let’s all just be thankful that we have a nice new GPS chartplotter! There was a fair amount of guessing going on. To add insult to injury, we found out while at the exam that we weren’t even done with the above mentioned take-home portion. At our last session the instructors felt there was an error in the exam so we were told not to do that last part unless they contacted us. We received no such contact and thus as far as we were concerned, we were done. Nope. Last night we were told to ignore the obviously incorrect data and plot it as told. I wasn’t about to rush through that last night so I told the instructor that we would get it done on Friday. More fun.
On the bright side our new VHF radio with integrated AIS showed up yesterday. How to install it will get added to my list of boat chores. The challenge initially is how to even access the back of our currently-installed VHF. I have looked and it is definitely not obvious.
Here is a question for our more-experienced readers: Is it possible (desirable?) to split the antenna feed line so that if the mast were down an alternate VHF antenna could be easily mounted on the stern rail? I am thinking of this for when we transit the canals, not in case we get dismasted!
I read a story a few years ago about a woman who was going to sail around the world in Flicka. Her first solo night out she managed to lock herself out of the cabin, on deck, in foul weather. It was also her first night out in bumpy conditions (20-30 knots). That was the end of her trip, as she got a glimps of what was coming.
http://groups.google.com/group/osyc/browse_thread/thread/7aaf267639b82de8
I had trouble with the fit of the door when we first bought ours. It could take 15 minutes to fight your way in with the key. After removing the strike plate and re-setting it a bit deeper, it has been fine. I did the re-fitting during our sail home – I wasn’t about to be locked out!
As for whether rig tunning is the issue – no idea, haven’t crossed that bridge.
That had to suck! The link you posted didn’t really take me anywhere but I can imagine nonetheless.
I may have to do something with that door latch as you did. I seriously was about to crawl out through the window to get out.
By the way, mystery one for today is solved… to access my VHF I had to remove the cabin liner just inside the starboard berth door.
She did have a web page, but ditched it within days of giving up. She embarased herself pointlessly by starting a trip she had done very little to prepare for.
* She had never sailed alone, anwhere.
* She had only sailed on the boat ~ 4 times.
* She had never sailed in winds over 20 knots.
* She had only been sailing a handful of times in her life.
A mid-life crisis, of sorts, displayed in public. I keep my embarassments – mostly – private.
LOL.
A back-up VHF antenna is always a good idea, although for your canal transit a backup handheld VHF would likely suffice and not require the re-rig. I do not know anything about your new AIS/VHF radio; our AIS unit is separate from the VHF radio and I installed a separate AIS antenna (essentially a 2nd VHF antenna) on the stern arch. We did this because we heard that when transmitting on the radio the AIS signal is lost. Likely a problem we could cope with but the separate antenna also gave us a backup radio antenna in the event the mast top antenna malfunctioned or disappeared. We mounted our AIS receiver reasonably close to the VHF radio and left enough slack in the antenna coax to plug either antenna into either the radio or the AIS. Don’t know if your radio combination has the tx cutout issue or not. Hope you can work it out.
I have read that a handheld is OK but having a full power unit is much better. If it’s not a big deal to just run a separate, back up line I’ll do it.
I have, up to this point, removed our current radio and without mounting the new one, powered it up. The radio works. Woo hoo.
Two problems…
1. The radio did not come with a flush mount adapter! I looked it up on line and found that the place I just bought the radio put it on sale 10% off, 1 day after I ordered it. They are going to come good and order in the flush mount kit and send it to me free of charge.
2. The new radio is larger than the current one so I have to enlarge the hole today.
Seeing how the radio is designed to receive AIS and VHF on the same antenna, I would hope it does not have the problem you are referring to. I certainly haven’t read of any such problems.
Good to hear the supplier is making good. Any chance of mounting the new radio nearby and keeping the original as a backup?
I hadn’t considered that.
The coax run up the mast goes in a very different direction than one to the stern rail. Why not go ahead and install the antenna on the stern rail and run the coax to the radio. When the time comes to use the backup antenna, just trade coax plugs on the radio. No fancy electronics, no signal loss from inserting a device in the line, no corrosion problems.
bob
Maybe I should be more clear. Your answer is ALMOST what I was thinking but I am just trying to make it a tad easier. In order for me to swap the coax as you suggest I would need to remove the cabin liner (which I just did). I was thinking that if I could split the line, by using something similar to a TV coax splitter and just have an unconnected length of coax run to the stern, it would save tearing the roof down to make the switch. If you think that would add signal loss than I would just do as you suggest.
Was there a disconnect junction near the base of the mast when you dropped it? Could you run the rail coax to that point and move the radio leg from the mast leg to the rail leg when necessary?
Or how about this? Leave the old radio in place. Install the new radio nearby. Connect mast antenna cable to new radio. Run rail antenna to old radio. Good to go and back-up radio (without AIS) and no headliner removal. Of course it sounds easy from here but I can’t see that far.
You’re a tad too late. I cut the hole larger to accommodate the new radio.
Although that idea wasn’t too bad. The helm may have been crowded with them both there. We have a small boat, remember? 🙂
Running to the mast is WAY more difficult than my idea. I would take down the liner before I would tackle that one.
I now have the radio manual and the garmin manuals open, trying to match up coloured wires.
OK. Now you are free to re-install the old radio in a new location (nearer the rail) (next to the composting head?) and connect it to the rail antenna. 🙂
There ya go, another home run. hehe
So, just to be clear, is there no such thing as a coax splitter for the antenna, similar to a TV coax splitter???
I don’t know but give me a minute. I sent an email to Bill Trayfors asking.
Send him another one and ask him if I’ll blow this sucker up if I connect the wrong data wires together.
Haven’t heard from Bill yet. Did a little web surfing. Seems like no end of splitters to connect 2 devices to one shared antenna. Nothing so far going the other way. General concensus is that anytime a splitter is introduced there is some degree of signal deterioration. Don’t know the extent but wonder if it is enough to just go the handheld route in the canal. If I hear from Bill, I will pass on his comment.
I feel your pain. I am about 75% through our SSB install.
Thanks for all your help, Kirk. By the way, the new radio is up and running, showing AIS targets. Woo hoo! Now, I still need to figure out how to get them to show on the Garmin.
From Bill Trayfors:
“Yes there are such splitters. I don’t like them…any sort of
splitter….because they can potentially damage your radio. And, the
VHF is a critical safety component.”
You should probably email Bill for details.
That is good enough for me.
I actually just thought of a way easier solution. I can just tap in at the mast step to link to a separate, spare antenna. Disconnect the cable to the masthead one and attach to a new cable running to the rail mount. The cable would be surface run but it would only be short term.
From Bill:
“OK, I understand. The solution for him is a 2-position coax switch.
The Daiwa’s are OK. Best one is the Alpha-Delta. Avoid MFJ switches,
and others. Source: Ham Radio Outlet or Amateur Electronic Supply.
Bill”
Thanks for all of your help, Kirk (and Bill’s help). I will look those up although I may just go with the KISS solution I thought of before.
Alpha Delta = 80.00
Daiwa = 40.00
http://radioworld.ca/index.php?&cPath=73_185
I have to agree with Kirk. Splitters are not good for full output and receive and have a possibility to fail. Mount an antenna on the rail and run the coax cable to a point where you can get at it. A handheld can then be connected or the main when push comes to shove could be connected. Stay away from splitters and especially TV splitters
Thanks Harry. The splitter idea has split!
Two backup handhelds. Cheaper and just as effective.
We do have 1 handheld but I’m not so sure it would be just as effective. Do handhelds and fixed units not operate at different power levels?