Why sprawl is bad

Electrical System re-do

My daily electrical needs are pretty modest. I just have one light in the cabin (plus a few stand-alone solar powered lights), one 12 volt plug for charging my cel phone & laptop, and an automatic bilge pump. Sailing the boat requires juice for the VHF radio, GPS, and navigation lights at night. In the future, I hope to install a radar and auto-helm.

At the stern is the 60 watt panel that charges the Pearl's electrical system.

Two 6 volt batteries (golf cart deep cycle variety) have been the Pearl's source of power. They have been working ok but I've been a little apprehensive because they don't seem to hold voltage so well any more. The power adapter to my laptop was failing at night (when the solar panels have no output) and I falsely diagnosed the 6 volt array as faulty. At the same time I was given a big 8D battery, so I hired an electrician for an hour to come give me some advice.

The 8D battery turned out to be a starting battery, not a deep cycle battery.

Although there was some uncertainty about the condition of the 6 volt batteries, I eventually decided to bite the bullet and get new batteries and a new charge controller, without which the new batteries may get spoiled. I went all out and got high end AGM gel batteries that don't vent fumes in the cabin, don't require maintenance, and are less likely to fail if submerged, compared to lead acid batteries (the standard type). I also sold the 8D and the 6 volts to a guy in the harbor.

The 6 volt batteries didn't pass the test but still seemed to work.

Now my task is to re-wire a lot of the boat since it is poorly done. It's good to note that I never had a clue about electrical systems (or any mechanical work, for that matter) prior to living on the boat, so I'm learning as I go with books, advice, and occasionally by hiring help. Ultimately, if I keep the system as simple as possible I have a chance of doing it myself (ie. no 110 volt plugs, as few appliances as possible) which is important because then I can address issues mid-voyage. Simplicity = safety and lower costs too.

The only exception I guess would be if I were to install a fully electric inboard motor, which would require more charging capacity, more batteries, etc... but that possibility is still far in the horizon.

New rowing dinghy

After 2 months searching around Santa Barbara for a good rowing dinghy, I had to start looking far and wide - they are hard to come by! I finally found a Watertender 9.4 in Marina del Rey for $250, so I drove the red Aerostar van 2 hours south. The Aerostar measured exactly the beam of the dinghy (55 inches) so I figured it would be a tight squeeze!

Happily, the dinghy slid in nicely, though I had to keep the trunk open. The owners were kind enough to give me a discount for being a friendly student, so the dinghy only cost $200, and it's in perfect condition. A new model costs $600.




I wanted a fiberglass dinghy because I like to row, and I'd rather not rely on outboard engines. I've been out at the Channel Islands and watched people struggle with their outboards, the dad working at it while the family is stranded on the sailboat. This is because an inflatable is very difficult to row, especially with more than one people. Meanwhile, we cast the skiff in minutes and were immediately enjoying ourselves.

Plus, who really wants to turn on a noisy, smelly outboard once they arrive in the peaceful islands? Living out on the anchorage, I enjoy the daily routine of rowing. It keeps me fit, taking no longer than 15 minutes each way, and I have some quiet time to reflect and watch the stars and clouds. The key is to have a good set of oars and a stiff dinghy. I get passed by the hawaiian outrigger canoe club rowing their fast boats. It's nice to include exercise in the daily task of commuting home.

Putting the friends to work, rowing to the wharf

However, when winter comes and the anchorage moves farther away, I may have to invest in a small outboard, particularly since stormy weather will make rowing very challenging. I'm looking into getting an electric outboard, but a decent one (equivalent 2HP) costs over $1200. Meanwhile a nice outboard with 4HP may cost as little as $500. If I take that route, I'll definitely go for a 4 stroke, not a 2 stroke, since 2 strokes are incredibly polluting.

From Anchorage to Harbor

See the satellite image of this route here.

How long does it take to get from the East Beach anchorage to the Santa Barbara harbor? The "Black Pearl" was anchored about 200 yards from Stern's Wharf when I began the task, gloves in hand:

...drop stern anchor line overboard with a float attached...warm up the outboard engine...pull up the bow anchor and 2 pounds of kelp...motor back to the stern anchor float and pull it up on deck... 40 minutes.

...motor around the wharf to the harbor...call the harbor patrol and get my guest slip number...tie up the boat and clean up the mess... 20 minutes.

That's on a calm day when everything ran smoothly! Unforeseeable events such as shipwrecks boats preventing the anchors to come up, mermaids sabotaging the propeller, and maruading pirate ships all need to be factored in.


On the this particular day a Tall Ship was entering the harbor at the same time, they fired a fake canon as they approached the wharf, as if aiming at the Black Pearl itself, scaring the heck out of me!

See the satellite image of this route here.

Cleaning the Motor

Ahhh... This is what happens when you leave the motor in the water too long. The motor mount is tweaked so I can't raise the motor easily out of the water. I'm going to have to exchange it for a heavier duty mount, since the 4 stroke 10 horse outboard is kinda heavy.

I REALLY like having a quality outboard instead of an inboard engine, so far. One of the main issues with an outboard, though, is that when motoring in a swell it will "cavitate" which means that it'll come out of the water killing your boat's momentum. A good motor mount will let you keep the propeller nice and low, and then when the motor isn't in use you can pull it clear out of the water.

After some good scrubbing done from the dinghy this is what the propeller looked like:

Sailboats, Sustainability & Stuff

Sailboats, Sustainability, and Getting Rid of Stuff.

6:00PM TUESDAY November 7th, UC Santa Barbara, Multicultural Center.

This slideshow will focus on how life aboard a sailboat leads us to a heightened sense of sustainability. Every system required for life - energy, water, waste, transport - is fine tuned for simplicity. This isn't necessarily for the sake of eco-consciousness, but rather for maximum efficiency. Whereas a complex society's needs are hard to fathom, the sailboat let's us pierce into the heart of the matter. Sustainability, and getting rid of stuff, becomes a practical issue, not just for safety but also for quality of life. After all, the joy is in going places, not in dealing with stuff. These insights can be applied to make our day-to-day life (on land) simpler, more sustainable, and hence more enjoyable.

NOTE: this slideshow will draw on the themes from the City College presentation (see below) but will be slightly different.

...click on the space below for the next slide...

Planet Under Pressure

Click here for BBC News' series exploring the most pressing environmental concerns of today.

The Sailboat Life and Sustainability

SLIDESHOW: 7:30PM. Thursday October 19, 2006 - Santa Barbara City College, Earth & Biological Sciences (EBS) Rm 309.

The Sailboat Life and Sustainability: insights for the real world.

I've lived aboard a sailboat for two and a half years, and have learned that the sailboat is a great teacher in the art of sustainability. It is a simplified system, in terms of energy usage, waste management, water issues, etc... so the lessons become more poignant. Because it is an isolated environment, making errors of judgement with the few resources you have at hand isn't just an inconvenience: this can have serious consequences. Hence we pierce into the heart of the matter, and fully realize the importance of vague concepts such as simplicity in our possessions, and wholesomeness of the individual. This is useful because then we can apply these insights to our society in the real world.


...for PHOTO slideshow click here...


...click on the space below for the next slide...