Posted in Boat, LED, Posts by Edvin on Jan 31st, 2011
I was planning on installing the LED strip over the white laminated bulkheads but it turned out to be a bad idea because the LEDs were too close to the bulkheads and I wasn´t able to get an even spread. After experimenting with different positions I found that the best place for the strip was above the nav-table and kitchen. But i didnt know how to mount the strip so I went to the hardwareshop and found an aluminum profile that fit the strip perfectly.
Im very plesed with the result, a powerful dimmable light which reaches both battery compartment and the switch panel.
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Posted in Boat, LED, Posts by Edvin on Jan 29th, 2011
Great day today ! The package from LEDbutiken.se came with the mail. I went straight to the boat after work to begin the installation.
I started by taking the 3×1 W downlight apart to see if I could fit a sub miniature powerswich in there.
It looked like it could work so the next step was to cut away material from the inner housing of the lamp so the switch would fit.
Than i soldered the plus wire to the switch.
The lamps will be connected with a 350mW dimmer controlled by a 100kohm pot.
I was really impressed with the light in the lamps the colortemp is great and the light output is incredible. Once the two lamps were up I could easily disconnect my 150W hologen spotlight that i had been using as worklight. Its a good thing the light will be connected to a dimmer because i suspect they will be running on about 30% intensety under normal circomstance but its really good to be able to have a lot of light when needed.
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Posted in Posts by Nick on Jan 27th, 2011
Posted in Planning, Posts by Nick, Safety on Jan 25th, 2011
This summer a fuel tanker loaded with 9 million liters of diesel got hung up on a sand bar southwest of the community of Gjoa Haven in the territory of Nunavut. It was the second time in less than a week a ship had run aground in the Northwest Passage through Canada’s Arctic archipelago. A few days earlier a tourist vessel with about 130 passengers, struck an uncharted rock. So why are these ships running aground in the arctic so frequently?
The majority of charted Arctic waters were surveyed with obsolete technology dating back to the 1800s and along with the massive retreat of ice there is so much more navigable water that has never been charted. In fact charting is so bad that sailors and ships report stone pillars (reaching up to near-surface from very deep water), sand banks and rocks are not charted at all or are charted out of place. Islands can be charted up to a 1/4 mile out of place on the chart. In addition, the land is still rebounding from the glaciers so charted depths are wrong by quite a bit.
The formal announcement of a joint Canada-U. S. survey of Arctic waters is mapping a large swath of ocean floor. Updated charts are needed to give the few ships that visit the north sufficient information for navigation – such as sea level rise or movements of the seafloor – that are not yet tracked. Ships will examine seafloor features, measuring ocean depths and supplying data for updating nautical charts but it is estimated that it will take more than 25 years to map the prioritized areas of the Arctic seafloor!
We are planning on taking what precautions we can to avoid getting ourselves into trouble since we will be sailing some uncharted waters. We will not only have radar but are looking into forward horizontal sonar scanning it operates like underwater sonic radar, scanning a moving beam over a 90-degree arc either vertically or horizontally ahead of the boat. In the Forward Vertical scanning mode, this gives the navigator an underwater sonar image of what’s ahead from just under the surface 1200ft to directly below the boat 600ft.
We will also have different charts on board electronic, and paper from various mapping agencies so that we can cross-reference. At the moment we also have three different pilot looks and sailing directions; Canadian, British and American, most are 10-20years old. Most important is our remaining vigilant one keeping watch off the bow for ice and other visible objects while in known poorly charted areas.
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Posted in Planning, Posts by Nick on Jan 25th, 2011
Many people have been asking why we want to take on such a cold, remote voyage and what our motivation is. Of course this is a difficult question to answer there are so many reasons to go. Adventure, Challenge, Unspoiled Nature, Cultural, Philosophical etc. Rather then try and answer these all I will just list a series of general goals that is motivating us to do this voyage.
- To challenge ourselves in high latitude sailing and sailing in ice conditions
- To witness the largely untouched and unspoiled north
- To experience and share with the people and cultures that inhabit the north
- To observe some of the most incredible wildlife our world has to offer
- Be one of the few boats to accomplish this voyage
- Attract attention that will highlight environmental change in the Arctic and its effects by attempting a new route that has been exposed by the retreating ice
- That expedition sailing is not only an elite past time but that a motivated crew on a modest second hand 1976 31ft cruising sailboat made of fiberglass that is well equipped, well planned with a modest budget can successfully sail this unique route through the Northwest passage.
Philosophically I will let a couple of quotes from some well known sailors and writers provide some insight:
Free on the right, free on the left, free everywhere. – Bernard Moitessier
You may walk through country after country, through lands and through huge cities you’ve never seen before, and over the whole wide earth, and never learn as much as you will from the sea -Par Lagerkvist
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Posted in Boat, Engine, Planning on Jan 24th, 2011
We´re going to need a strong dinghy and engine 6-9HP to be able to push or pull Belzebub in case we get stuck between ice floes. It would be optimal to have only one type of fuel on board so we have been looking for a diesel outboard engine. Our growing concern about our old Volvo penta inboard which may have to run non stop for up to a month has made us think about a backup alternetive and that might be a mount for the outboard on the stern.
We´ve found this one:
http://www.shanghaicnpower.com/productshow/productshow.asp?ArtID=719&ArtClassID=16
No idea about the quality , maybe someone knows ?
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