What went well and what needed improvement (2016-2017 cruise)

Things that worked well

• Dinghy storage.  Stabilizer bar and lines plus a ratchet using a web strap allowed us to carry the dinghy on the davits all the time (as opposed to hoisting it aboard and storing on the bow during open ocean sailing)
• Gates at the stern.  Made getting on and off Sophia at anchor much easier.
• Hard rails on the bow.  Made transiting to and from the bow much safer.
• Outboard Motor. Despite being old, it was very reliable.  Knock on wood.
• Honda generator.  Kept us in hot water, ran the coffee makers, and charged the batteries when needed
• Electronics (specifically the NMEA 0481 to NMEA 2000 bridge allowing communications between Raymarine instruments and Garmin)
• Automated Identification System (AIS)  Provided us information on all the big ships and many of the smaller boats we encountered. Gave us a sense of confidence that the big ships actually saw us.
• Folding leaves for our dining table
• Tank level indicators for fresh water tanks.  We go through a tank of water (50 gallons) in 3-4 days.  Always good to know that we are getting to empty before taking a shower.
• Two way headsets to communicate when anchoring or docking.  Marriage saver!!!
• Garmin 741 with remote IPAD application
• New autopilot installed in Oriental.  Should have been replaced before we left.  We knew it was old and a bit iffy.

 

Things that did not work well

• Cockpit cushions. We seldom used them, once or twice to sleep in the cockpit.Uncomfortable for me and made getting in and out of the cockpit awkward.  Big storage problem
• Panda Generator.  After several thousand dollars, still did not work for us with a worsening exhaust leak and still overheating. We fixed the exhaust  leak and will give it more try.
• Head.  Needed to be rebuilt twice in six months a very messy job, but it does get heavy usage.  Next boat will have two heads.

Things that we needed

• Staysail furler. Trying to stow the new staysail is too difficult in a stiff breeze.  Adding a furler was the number one item on our list for refit

 

Things we had or bought that were not needed

• Asymmetric spinnaker.  Never used it. If we were running with the wind and the wind was less than ten knots, we used the engine. Storage problem.  Left the spinnaker home for 2017-2018 cruise.
• Heavy pole for genoa.  Used it only as a crane for lifting the dinghy out of the water. Never used it for sail control (a bit heavy, should have bought a smaller one)

 

• Expensive binoculars and camera.  We always used our inexpensive working binoculars (lightweight) and Elena always used her smart phone for pictures. Wasted money.

Upgrades that we considered but turned out were not important

• Electric windlass.  Not ever needed with Elena at the helm controls.  Manual windlass is a bit slower, but is extremely reliable.
• Bow thruster.   Would make docking easier certainly but we have learned to use spring lines, leverage wind and current and to be patient when the wind pipes up.