Preparation

The boat, a 2004 Catalina 42 mkII, 3 cabin, fin keel was already setup well for coastal cruising from the factory. I had added alot of equipment over the years to make it more suited for sailing the San Francisco bay and the local coast, but it still need plenty more to make it ready for offshore tradewind passages. I gave myself a year to prepare the boat for the trip, based on my experience with my last boat I knew it would take some time to get everything ready (It took 6 months on my old 30ft boat). I compiled a todo list on my Iphone and it grew longer each month, I never thought I would be ready in time for my July 2010 launch. Initially, the main items I wanted for the trip were, a short wave radio, a bimini, a new anchor and a fix a bunch of small items with existing equipment. The list turned into much more, but now I'm glad I added the extra items.

60ft up the mast to install the spinnaker block. Don't look down!



 










My final list of additions included:

  • Icom M802 SSB and pactor USB modem so I can receive weather faxes on my Dell netbook PC. Insulated antenna on backstay. FCC Radio license call-sign WDF2187.
  • Iridium 9555 Satellite phone with data kit. I like that I can receive text messages from a regular cell phone for free. email 881622417994 (at) msg.iridium.com
  • Spectra 200T water-maker, I was really on the fence over this item, but now Im happy I added it.
  • Webasto 16000 BTU reverse cycle A/C heating/cooling system for use in Marinas when I have guests aboard.
  • New North 125% Norlam laminate head-sail.
  • AirBreeze 160W wind-vane to complement my 3 solar panels.
  • Viking RescYou 4 man life-raft canister on deck.
  • FlexoFold 18x13 folding prop. This improves speed and steering dramatically.
  • Wichard JibEasy boom-brake. It works well for such a simple device.
  • 2nd smaller symmetrical spinnaker.
  • Spinnaker pole for use with my new 125% headsail for extended downwind legs.
  • Emergency tiller and emergency rudder.
  • ATN storm jib. This slips over my roller furling jib.
  • New Zincs and touch up bottom paint. I will do a full bottom job when I get to Mexico and use better anti-fouling paint you cant get in the US.
  • Mount a 1.25" track on the mast to mount the spinnaker pole.
  • ACR AIS class B system integrated into a new Raymarine C120W (at Nav Station) and existing Raymarine 80 head (at Binnacle) with radar.
  • Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook for downloading NOAA weather GRIB files and controlling Iridium modem.
  • Storm sea anchor chute and blocks/lines.
  • Fix and insulate fridge leaks.
  • Find insurance for Mexico that covered me single-handing.
  • Replace all 4D batteries with 6v cart batteries. An increase to 720a/h from 400 a/h!
  • Spare batteries for all on-board equipment. GPS / EPIRB / computers / radios etc.
  • Wash-down pump for on deck use.
  • Replace main water pump.
  • Install 12v Caframo Bora fans in all cabins.
  • Fix Yamaha 15hp outboard oil leaks and service Yamaha 2hp outboard.
  • Service/clean the Avon dinghy.
  • Get my PADI open water diving certification. Full set of diving gear / tanks.
  • Charts for the Pacific ocean.
  • Spare dock lines and extra fenders.
  • Manson Supreme 45lb primary anchor.
  • 4 Deckmounted 5gl fuel cans.
  • Honda EU2000i generator.
  • Clean and wax the topsides.
  • Replace all incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs.
  • Replace all hatch covers for shade.
  • Install a 2nd 110v inverter with pure sine wave output to run sensitive devices like my electric blanket when I go North.

    I did all of the work myself with the exception of the insulated backstay antenna for the SSB which I had done in Sausalito at a rigging yard. It may be have been better to have all the gear professionally installed, but I wanted to know how all the equipment works for when it goes wrong. Anyway, I had a great time doing it and it kept me entertained for a year!

    I haven't tested the transmit power/output of the SSB yet as there is too much interference in the marina. I will wait until I get into a clearer area. Receiving weather faxes works well and I can get the time signal clearly.

    The ACR AIS system looks very promising, I get signal from ships 50+ nm away and that's from my south-bay inland marina! It transmits my AIS info as well, so it complements the RADAR well for collision avoidance and gives me the ability to find any ships within VHF radio range even if I cant see them. I really like that feature.

    I was going to replace my original raymarine RL80CRC chartplotter, but ended up adding a second C120W head below at the Nav station. The old system worked fine but didnt support AIS, by linking the chartplotters using SeaTalk, I now get RADAR alerts on my new C120W below. Best of both worlds.

    The AC system was probably the biggest job as it required all the ducting work and a thro hull for water cooling. The AC system will only work from shore power unless I get a second Honda EU2000i. Im sure I've added more stuff than I need, but I had the time and a good budget to do it all. Im sure I will enjoy the trip more and in comfort. I learned a lot from my 2005 trip and I need to stay out longer and feel more at home this time.

    Update: Friday June 18th, 2010 Im excited about my new laminate headsail I had installed today. I went up a level from plain Dacron as I wanted better shape and the ability to point higher. I have been a long time windsurfer and have always been disappointed with Yacht sail performance. I think its mainly to do with cost, decent sails are so expensive because they are so large and need alot of cloth. OEM Dacron sails are bottom of the barrel for performance and dont last long before they end up shaped like old Safeway plastic shopping bags. I chose North because they make quality products and I own their windsurf sails, I have high expectations for it. I chose the Norlam cloth that has a laminate core, sandwiched with Dacron for durability, the original Catalina 110% headsail was trashed and was shaped wrong, it was almost unusable for upwind work.

    Update: Wednesday June 23th, 2010 Finally got my insurance policy through Mariners insurance. They are a broker in LA and found me coverage thro SeaWorthy, a subsidury of Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett owns it). They also own Geico and its A rated so Im pretty sure they have the cash to pay me if I sink the boat. Best of all they will cover me for singlehanded passages, all other policies required multiple crew (with sailing resumes) for passages over 24 hrs. I still need to get the Mexican 3rd party insurance to cover me legally for marinas, its a Mexican law you cant mess with. You are guilty until proven innocent over the border.

    Update: Thursday June 24th, 2010 I finally got the Iridium phone working as a data modem on my netbook. Its a trip back to the 90's and slow dialup. Anyway it works from anywhere in the world and I get a whopping 2400 baud! And you thought 56K modems were slow, its 20 times slower than that. I wont be downloading any youtube videos over that, but it does mean I can get NOAA weather files like the one below to check for storms when Im 1000nm out to sea. 

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