Preparing to go

We have been in our current marina for 3 months. It’s time to move on!

When I only lived aboard, I dreamed of living on the hook. Swinging around at anchor without a single solid surface in range of our hull. No neighbors, no dock lines, no shore power, just the boat as it’s self contained world. When we set off to go cruising, the beginning was this very dream come true! Every night we anchored in a calm and protected spot. This then continued on as we voyaged internationally. The Bahamas had a bit less of the protection but much more beautiful waters to swim in. Bermuda was beautiful and well protected. Then came the Azores.

The anchorages are very deep, about 50 feet or more of depth and a rock bottom. Not really ideal! By contrast, the marinas are really inexpensive. As you can imagine, we chose to tie up in a marina where 10 months cost us €2100. We then left the comfort of the Azores and reached mainland Portugal where we once again tied up for another 3 months. The cost was a bit higher at €270 per month, but still really reasonable given how the anchorages in this area are similar to the Azores. 13 months and €2910 later, we are finally leaving the marina life and heading back into the hook!

We plan on leaving tomorrow and sailing about 400 nautical miles to the south coast of Portugal where we will once again live on the hook!

We plan to anchor from now until December, when we will be finding a marina to leave the boat in and fly back to the United States to visit with family over Christmas. Tomorrow we begin a three month stretch at anchor!

The Perils of 110VAC Tools!

I find myself sitting in a marina in Portugal where endless amounts of power are available in 220VAC at 50Hz. The United States runs on 110VAC at 60Hz. The short version to this problem is they are not convertible.

The long story is: The way you can convert 220 to 110 is with a converter that steps the voltage down but still keeps the lower Hz which means your tools will run but just a bit slower.

All of my tools are from the states where 110 is the standard and therefore that is how they are powered. Even the battery charger for my cordless tools is 110! The only way for me to power my tools is to crank up the generator which is from the United States and cranks out 110VAC at 60Hz. It’s like my mini American power plant!

All of this could have been avoided by being a little more selective when I was took shopping all those years ago. Tools do come convertible where you can plug them into 110 or 220 at 50 or 60 Hz. These tools can work anywhere and would negate this whole issue.

If you are planning on going cruising, be sure to buy tools that come convertible so that you don’t find yourself sitting at a marina pier surrounded by neighbors and having to ask them if it’s ok with them that you run a noisy generator on that peaceful day.

Making New Friends

In Póvoa de Varzim, we met another cruising couple in the same Marina.

They started their journey in England and have made their way across the English Channel and over to the coast of Portugal.

We had a great day with them traveling through the Douro Valley sampling various Port Wines.

Getting ready to go!

My parents have returned to the states bringing out mini vacation to an end. Now we are working hard getting the boat ready to keep sailing on into the Mediterranean Sea!

The Best Inhibitor of Galvanic Corrosion

In the world of advanced chemical compounds, it seems that the best solution to a simple problem like galvanic corrosion would be a synthetic concoction. The truth is, all modern chemicals are compared to the best solution to the problem: lanolin.

Lanolin, sold as Lanocote, is removed from sheep’s wool. The lanolin is separated from the wool and bottled up into small jars. This agent is natural and safe to use without gloves, and will not react with your skin!

It works great at keeping water out and dissimilar metals separated which then prevents any galvanic issues.

I personally use this anytime I have bronze and stainless steel touching, and an extra thick layer anytime I am mixing stainless fasteners with aluminum fittings. If you don’t use lanolin, or one of the other more expensive materials, you will quickly see bubbles form in the aluminum adjacent to the stainless steel fastener.

Lanolin is easy to use and good to keep in the boat. Best of all, it lasts a long time. I have been dipping into my same pot for the past 5 years and it is still full enough that I don’t need to think about buying more of it anytime soon!