AIS Antenna or Splitter and Axiom 12 Goof

I'm working with John and Kim on their new Leopard 45, GypseaBLU, with some electronics installation and have a couple of tips to share.

Raymarine Axiom 12 Chartplotter Chip Goof

The chart chip socket on the Axiom 12 (not the Pro model) has a small space above and below it where the case fits around it. It is easy to insert the chip into one of the spaces instead of into the chip socket. These spaces are just the size of a chip, so it seems like you're inserting the chip correctly until it doesn't click into place. It seems that missing the chip slot is a common problem. World travelers who need to regularly access and update the chart chip may want to invest in the Axiom 12 Pro or in the Remote Card Reader. At a minimum, be very careful in inserting the chip. A simple fix to prevent this goof is to add a bit of caulk around the perimeter of the chip socket. But on the late model L45's access to the back of the chart plotter is challenging, so a better solution may be the remote card reader. You don't need to ask how we learned this tip. 😞

AIS Antenna or Splitter

We're installing the Raymarine AIS700 transponder. There is a new AIS Class B+ standard that uses a 5 watt transmitter and the same transmission protocols as are used by Class A transponders. Raymarine doesn't yet have a transponder that supports this new standard (very few vendors do as of  Nov 2019).  The AIS700 incorporates a splitter, but we were prepared to install a separate AIS antenna. A bit of searching on the subject found an in-depth analysis of the various tradeoffs: AIS Overview and Installation Considerations. Another good article is VHF‐AIS masthead antenna and coax installation, selection, and test. The end result of this analysis is to use a good quality coax and that height is more of an advantage for distance than having a separate antenna. Note that VHF antennas should not be placed within 4 ft of another antenna or of parallel metal objects like masts and shrouds. These metal objects result in signal propagation distortion that can result in reduced distance in certain directions. So a masthead installation is better than a solar arch. A spreader installation is affected by the mast and shroud. Two antennas on the masthead affect each other.

We opted to go with the built-in splitter, since it has low insertion loss.

  -Terry

Two Days in Beautiful Beaufort

Dear Readers,

We have spent 2 days in beautiful Beaufort. The locals call it that not only because it is a lovely town, but to remind you how to pronounce it properly. Staying at the docks right here in town makes it so easy to wander about. 

One of the lovely features here is the town park right on the water.

Yes, the sidewalks are concrete tiles with embedded shells framed with bricks. And there are many swings along the walkway for you to stop and enjoy the view.

Terry and Peggy tried one out on the way to breakfast this morning.

Now that we've enjoyed the town, we'll be headed south later today.

Yikes! That's the Smoke Alarm!

BEEP!   BEEP!   BEEP!
BEEP!   BEEP!   BEEP!

It was one of our smoke/CO alarms! Which one? Is there a fire? There was no smoke in the cabins or salon. The genset wasn't running, so that was unlikely.

Both engines were running hard as we motored down the ICW from Charleston, SC.
A quick check of the port engine room shows steam. The starboard engine room was clear.
We quickly shut down the port engine and the steam cleared out. There was coolant on the inboard deck next to the engine. Briefly starting the port engine showed a leaky hose that was spraying coolant onto the hot alternator, which created the steam. About the time we had determined the port engine was the problem, the voice report from the other smoke alarms told us that it was the port engine compartment alarm.

The smoke alarm saved our engine from losing all its coolant and overheating! Installing those smoke detectors paid off! We had installed a set of communicating smoke and carbon monoxide detectors back in 2015, see Detecting Fire and CO. None of the alarms have notified us of an active alarm situation--until today.

Some of the units have failed over the years. When a unit fails, it says something like "Malfunction in Living Room, Please see manual." The room varies according to what we've programmed for each unit. The unit will then beep periodically to let us know that it has experienced a problem when we weren't around to hear the initial message. These units are build for residential use, so it isn't surprising that they occasionally fail in the marine environment. At about $50 each, they are affordable and provide an early warning system.

  -Terry

Passing Charleston

Dear Readers,

Trips up and down the ICW can be fun. But, sometimes, it's also a long day on the water. We are not in favor of long days, but there are parts of the ICW where you must push on. There are not many stopping places between Georgetown and Charleston. So, we push on.

Lately, mornings look like this.

Yes, it is cold even here in the south. Our trusty pilots dress warmly for our early starts. Close friends KNOW it is cold when Mike puts on a jacket AND a flannel shirt. Not to mention, he has on long pants!

Luckily, long days on the water afford us the opportunity to see and hear many different things. The day started with the trawler, Almost Perfect, passing us. We could not resist asking what made the boat 'almost perfect'? The answer was that it was perfect- until they had to fuel up!

Because it was cold, the crew felt the need to heat up the cabin. Our favorite method of doing that?

Yes, we baked muffins! We used a basic cranberry muffin mix. Then, we stirred in dried cranberries,  dried blueberries,  and pecans. We dusted the tops with cinnamon sugar, and we added a pecan half to complete that gourmet look. And, yes, they were ever so scrummy. 

Happily for us, the ICW also shows signs of upgrades and improvements. Yesterday, we saw this:

It was not the first dredge we've seen. And, we are happy to have them along our path, proving that our next passage this way will be even easier.

As the afternoon wore on, we passed Charleston harbor. It's always an exciting passage through that area. There are boats of all sizes going in all directions. We even saw a few dolphins. But we continued on to a quiet anchorage on the Sono River. It was a beautiful evening.

This morning, it was chilly yet again. Luckily,  Peggy came up with the idea of warming up yesterday's muffins in the oven. It made for a great (and warm) start to our day. Here was the view this morning. 

We're headed off to Beaufort, South Carolina today. As always,  we look forward to an adventurous day on the water.

A GREAT Two Days in Georgetown

Ah, Dear Readers - Once we got to Georgetown,  we could not bring ourselves to leave. Georgetown just happens to be one of our favorite spots. All the marinas are right off the main street. Our marina had 2 washers and 2 dryers that work. Both restaurants and ice cream can be found just a few blocks from the boat.

The deciding factor was the Taste of Georgetown held yesterday to benefit the Family Justice Center located in town. Main Street is lined with restaurants.  Most of the restaurants had small tents outside. You purchase tickets. Then, you trade your tickets in for samples of great food. 

We sampled the Cajun shrimp,  grilled chicken and andouille sausage over linguini from Graham's Landing. Oh, yum! Next, on to Root (yes, that truly is the name of the restaurant). There we sampled meatball served over creamy grits. This was a new idea for me. I never imagined this combo.  We continued wandering up and down the street, trying out tastes of food from this charming town.

Yes, they even had tents so you could sit in comfort as you enjoyed your seafood chowder followed by carrot cake and homemade ice cream. We had enough tickets to fill up on fantastic food AND get things to bring back to the boat.

This morning, we are once again off the dock bright and early. For breakfast, we enjoyed cinnamon rolls from Pawleys Island bakery- one of the last items picked up with our tickets at the Taste of Georgetown. 

Here's one last look as we leave Georgetown behind. It was a great 2 days. Now, we're headed south again.

Oh no! Someone Stole the Warm!

Dear Readers,

Yesterday was a lovely day on the water. It was warm, but not hot. It was partly cloudy, so the cabin did not overheat. We made good time, and arrived at Osprey Marina in the late afternoon. 

This is an interesting marina to visit. Once again,  the entrance is a long narrow cut with barely enough room for 2 boats to pass each other (for me, that would be 2 kayaks). There is one long dock that extends a long way down the entrance- we are tied up there. 

From our spot, it's a long walk to the office. It's so long that the dock hand asked if we wanted him to give us a ride in the car- it seems he doesn't walk it himself! We turned it down. After all, he wasn't going to bring us back!

However, Osprey Marina makes it worth your while. You get a bag full of treats when you register. We received: pen, can koozie, 3 mints, a package of pecan twists, a Honeybun pastry,  a jar of pepper jelly, crackers, and a whistle. You might be thinking, Dear Readers, that this bounty was due to Halloween. Oh no, this is the usual gift bag!

We settled in for the night. The wind started up. The wind kept getting stronger. We had thunder and lightning. It rained.

This morning, we awoke to changed weather. 

In the night, the heat pump switched from air conditioning to heat. It is 49 degrees at Myrtle Beach. The Coast Guard is reporting 'heavy weather' out on the coast. Even Michael has put on a jacket! Someone took our warm weather. We definitely got tricked instead of treated on Halloween!

Today, we are headed to Georgetown.