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We’re breaking the timeline for this Happy Holidays Update and to wish everyone a wonderful and safe Holiday Season! There’s a lot happening here in Boot Key harbor, marathon, Florida – lighted boat parade, egg nog on the dinghy dock, Xmas carolers, a holiday potluck… and so much more. We put together a few of our favorites to share with you in this short update.
Winter has arrived here (it’s in the 50’s F! 😳) and folks in the harbor are all bundled up. But there’s sunshine just around the corner and we’re looking forward to getting back into the post-holiday swing of things very soon. So stay tuned… there’s still a lot of great stuff to come.
In the meantime, we simply want to pause to thank everyone for their subscriptions, likes, comments, and continued support. We didn’t know what to expect when we started posting vlogs and couldn’t be more thrilled to hear it’s being enjoyed and shared. So thank you, thank you, thank you… you’re being here is greatly appreciated.
As always, you should know that we upload as regularly as we can… but only if we genuinely have something to post. We know that’s not exactly “algorithm friendly” but it feels right to us. Unfortunately, this means we may not show up in your feed as often as you want us too. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, please subscribe to our channel.
You can also find and connect with us here:
- Follow us on the ‘Gram = @herb_svgaruda @heather_on_sv_garuda
- Buy us a beer = https://svgaruda.com/why-we-cruise/
In this episode we upgrade a bit by installing an Electric windlass – removing our old manual windlass first and re-fiberglassing the deck to address a leak. The leak was likely more annoying than problematic, because every time it rains heavily, water makes it way through the deck (yikes!… not good… we don’t need a wet deck core because it will eventually rot and lose it’s structural integrity), down the new anchor locker door, and end up dripping on our feet in the V-berth. Enough is enough… time to put an end to this leak.
…and as long as we’re going to be removing the windlass to do so, why to get a new, powered windlass?!?! (At least that’s the logic I used to convince Heather that this project would be worthwhile.)
Of course, removing the old manual windlass and replacing it with a new powered one is only the beginning of the project. We also have to install new wiring runs to power everything… and take a quick detour to make a new panel in the cockpit to fit a secondary switch along with the autopilot controller.
Like all boat projects, it’s a little bigger project once we begin…
As always, you should know that we upload as regularly as we can… but only if we genuinely have something to post. We know that’s not exactly “algorithm friendly” but it feels right to us. Unfortunately, this means we may not show up in your feed as often as you want us too. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, please subscribe to our channel.
You can also find and connect with us here:
- Follow us on the ‘Gram = @herb_svgaruda @heather_on_sv_garuda
- Buy us a beer = https://svgaruda.com/why-we-cruise/
In this episode we finally get around to putting Starlink on the boat… and we couldn’t be happier with it!
We don’t have all the considerations that a residential customer might (our “dishy’s” view is rarely blocked from viewing the sky, for example), but installing residential Internet hardware on a 40 year old sailboat is not without some challenges – including more than one attempt at where/how to mount the dishy. It takes us a while to make some space, remove some old stuff, and get the latest technology on board, but in the end it was well worth it.
Our system has been running for a while (Yes; we have activated the “roaming” version of the Starlink service) all along the Florida Keys without issue. Hopefully this streak holds…
As always, you should know that we upload as regularly as we can… but only if we genuinely have something to post. We know that’s not exactly “algorithm friendly” but it feels right to us. Unfortunately, this means we may not show up in your feed as often as you want us too. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, please subscribe to our channel.
You can also find and connect with us here:
- Follow us on the ‘Gram = @herb_svgaruda @heather_on_sv_garuda
- Buy us a beer = https://svgaruda.com/why-we-cruise/
- Check out our website = https://svgaruda.com/
Oh… Here is the equipment and link for the mounting post I used:
(We’re not affiliated in any way – I ordered off of Amazon – just pop the name in your search bar)
Winegard DS2000A Universal 22-inch Mount for Antennas
In this episode I’ll show you how I upgraded the Raymarine Navionics on this old boat. Everyone want’s to have the latest, coolest navionics and electronic doodads on their boat… or at least I do! Unfortunately, adding anything means first understanding what you have. And if you own a used boat, you likely know exactly what it feels like to inherit someone else’s installation (or several someone else’s, in this case)… arrgg!
I’m unraveling the current mixed bag of electronics on Garuda this week with an eye on upgrading into something new. The old system was a bit of mystery – a hybrid of technology from the past fifteen years or so – but some of it could certainly be used… right? What I find is a splice-fest of SeaTalk1® and NEMA 1083 that I need to get into the latest SeaTalkNG® networking.
The first goal is to incorporate a Raymarine Axiom 9 RV Multifunction Display (MFD) with Sonar, AIS and digital Radar. From there, I plan to add a second MFD at the Nav Station and incorporate a (very old) Raymarine Autopilot.
We also manage to escape Garuda for a bit of an adventure – paddle boarding and kayaking Dove Creek in Key Largo. Dove Creek is a popular destination for those visiting Key Largo due to the abundance of sea life, shallow depths, and light currents of this mangrove tidal area. Nurse sharks, parrot fish, snapper, horseshoe crab and sea turtles are just of sampling of sights along the way.
We upload as regularly as we can… but only if we genuinely have something to post. We know that’s not exactly “algorithm friendly” but it feels right to us. Unfortunately, this means we may not show up in your YouTube feed as often as you want us too. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, please subscribe to our channel.
Finally: Here is the equipment list I promised: (we’re not sponsored by or affiliated with any brands or retailers so you don’t have to worry about clicking on any links)
- Antisense NGW-1 Bi-directional NMEA 2000 Conversion Gateway: https://actisense.com/products/nmea-2000-gateway-ngw-1/
- Raymarine Axiom 9” RV: https://www.raymarine.com/multifunction-displays/axiom/axiom9.html
- Raymarine T-101 Wireless Wind Transducer: https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C344%7C2028690%7C2028817&id=342580
- Raymarine SeaTalk NG 5 Way Connector: https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1%7C344%7C2028705%7C2028880&id=1108790#
- MokerLink 5 Port Gigabit Industrial DIN-Rail Ethernet Switch: https://www.amazon.com/MokerLink-Industrial-DIN-Rail-Switching-Unmanaged/dp/B097MVYLC9/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=mokerlink%2B5%2Bport&qid=1670002517&sr=8-4&th=1
In this episode I’ll show you how to make a hardtop bimini – for the second time. After a few weeks work on Plan A, the new hardtop didn’t fit on the boat. $#*&!
It turns out that my mistake wasn’t in the process, it was in the setup. Letting the hardtop sit upside down while applying more fiberglass and resin caused the original shape to be lost. The hardtop was bowed outward and to make matters worse, the areas that were most out of line were those with the thickest fiberglass. So now what?
Putting my “seamstress” (“seamster?”) hat on, I considered how to cut in some relief and then perhaps fiberglass some new seams (much in the way a piece of fabric could be taken in). But I wasn’t going to get many attempts at it without mangling what I’d already accomplished. So I decided I needed a “practice run” first… or at least a “form” to see where alternations needed to be made.
So off to the big box store to buy some fiberglass shower panels, then a bit of “stitch and glue” using zip ties to form the base of the form before putting a layer of fiberglass on top to make the shape. Is it just me or does this “form” look better than Plan A? hmmm… maybe run with this “Plan B” a while??
So… some cheap shower panels, zip ties, duct tape, nidacore for the gutters, and the usual fiberglass steps… and Bimini 2.0 begins to take shape. Come along for the second installment of how to make a Hardtop Bimini.
We upload as regularly as we can… but only if we genuinely have something to post. We know that’s not exactly “algorithm friendly” but it feels right to us. Unfortunately, this means we may not show up in your feed as often as you want us too. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, please subscribe to our channel.
In this episode I’ll show you how to make a hardtop bimini – including all the steps and materials I used (and a mistake that leaves me considering what to do next!).
Owning a boat (especially one that could use a good rehab) comes with its fair share of projects and challenges. On Garuda, replacing the old bimini was certainly on the short list of eyesores. I’d been sitting in the cockpit staring at things for a while… trying to envision a solution to keep the sun and rain off my head while at the helm. I gave a lot of thought to sewing a nice new bimini but with the dream of eventually living off-grid, I ultimately decided to build a rigid hardtop to give me a platform for mounting solar panels overhead. Now, I just had to figure out how…
With help from my friend/neighbor Gordon (and plenty of encouragement from others in the marina), I start with two sheets of nidacore, chopped strand and biaxial woven fiberglass, and plenty of polyester resin as a foundation for what follows. Next came a beefed-up frame and some cutouts to allow access to the rigging… then a gutter to catch the rain, some electrical conduit for lights (and a mounting location for the required stern light), and feet for attaching the solar panels… this is turning out to be a real project!
I hope you enjoy watching me get creative on this project… even though it really doesn’t go my way.
We upload as regularly as we can… but only if we genuinely have something to post. We know that’s not exactly “algorithm friendly” but it feels right to us. Unfortunately, this means we may not show up in your feed as often as you want us too. To make sure you don’t miss an episode, please subscribe to our channel.
SV Garuda Ep. 8 deals with a lot of wood – both interior and exterior teak restoration and repairs get completed as we attempt to correct “too much ugly.”
We’re beginning to tackle the big project of getting things stowed where they’re supposed to be by bringing some order to all the smaller projects that are pending – beginning with the woodwork on board. We make functional repairs to the v-berth door (it won’t close!) by cutting away some water damage to the door frame; then follow up with some cosmetic repairs to the interior teak in the companionway to cover the old water damage and blend our new repairs. With the interior woodwork projects underway, we turn our attention to the “ugliness” in the cockpit, hull, and decking – repairing the broken rub rail before stripping, regrouting, and varnishing the cockpit combing and cap/toe rail. That’s 7 laps of 75+ feet with a paint brush – but “whew, what a difference!”
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We finally complete the Anchor Locker project by assembling the primary anchor – marking chain, attaching rode, and loading it all onboard! For added safety and flexibility, we also utilize the old hardware to set up for anchor #3… which is just about the time the water pump fails.
Without a spare water pump or service kit (hello Amazon!), Herb breaks down the water pump and sets up some tests to determine what’s wrong with the fresh water system in order to get it running again (not exactly his favorite project so far).
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We’re counting down to the new year (and the day we can cast the lines and get sailing)! And with the storm season more than officially behind us, we take on the anchor locker – adding navigation lights, making a bulkhead repair, and fixing the old doorway before turning our attention to the anchor, chain, and rode.
Often overlooked, the anchor locker is one of the areas of the sailboat critical for cruising. We rely on the components, equipment and mechanics to operate smoothly and reliably in order to STOP sailing – to explore remote locations, get a good night’s sleep, or simply to “drop the hook” and stay awhile.
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