What Do You Do With The Swim Platform?

We have been considering what to do with the swim platform since we bought the boat. It is all teak and the previous owner had treated it with a hardware brand of deck stain, the type you would use around the house. They had coated all of the teak on the boat with it and we have removed and re-done everything but the swim platform. The Cetol we have used on all of the other teak would not be a good choice for this area. It probably would hold up okay, but this area gets wet when we are underway, and with the new dinghy mounted on it, something more durable would be required.

After a lot of thought, we decided to AwlGrip the swim platform just as we did the sampson post and anchor platform. We followed pretty much the same procedure that we posted for that refurbishment. The entire platform is made up of strips of teak that are screwed and epoxied together. Over the last 30 years, some of those strips have started to separate. So the first order of business was to epoxy them back together using West System and screws to pull everything tight and hold it all together. The epoxy was poured between the strips, and clamps were used to tighten it up. Then, holes were drilled into the edges and the screws were installed. The screws were countersunk and hidden from view with bungs. The wood was then completely sealed with epoxy. Everything was thoroughly sand with 120 grit sandpaper.

The next step after sanding was to wipe everything down with a tack cloth, followed by AwlPrep. I use the two cloth method with AwlPrep - one cloth saturated to wipe down and the second dry, to remove the excess AwlPrep. Once everything was dust free, three coats of 545 white primer were applied. Each coat was sanded with 220 sandpaper between coats. Once one side was primed and sanded, the platform was flipped over and the other side done. The fasteners that hold the platform to the brackets on the stern of the boat were covered with blue tape to keep them free of primer and paint.

After the third coat of primer was dry and sanded, three coats of the topcoat were applied. We chose the Sahara Sand, which is the same color that we put on the anchor platform. Now, both ends of the boat will match. Just as with the primer, we sanded with 220 grit paper between coats, and wiped down with tack rags and AwlPrep. AwlGrip calls for sanding with 300 grit, but I have had issues with the paint not adhering to the previous coat with 300 or 400. I have never had that problem using 220 and the finish looks just as smooth. Once one side was completely done, the platform was again flipped and the other side done. 

The finished product looks great and the final step, before putting it back on the boat, is to reinstall the hardware. Both the swim ladder and the Weaver dinghy davits are fairly new, as are all of the fasteners. The stainless always gets a good polishing before we re-install it.

White I was working on the swim platform, the pump for the aft Raritan head got a complete rebuild. It is fairly new, installed by the previous owner, but it had not been working quite right. So the winter down time was a good time to get this done. The rebuild kit can be purchased from West Marine or most other marine supplies. The kits are rather expensive, and there have been times when the cost of a rebuild kit and a couple of extra parts was very close to the price of a complete new head. So take that into consideration if you have to do this. The next step is to re-install everything back on the boat.

Adding And Re-installing Switches

With the main electrical panel now replaced, there were a few small things that were unfinished and now is as good a time as any to get those done. The bilge pump switch for the secondary mid-ship bilge pump has been out for some time now. It was temporarily mounted in the forward hanging locker after the smaller secondary electrical panel was installed, but it was not convenient to get to. We did the installation for the anchor windlass some time back, but the helm switches to raise and lower the anchor from the steering location has not been done.

These are the kinds of small projects that I like to do over the winter months to have everything ready for any spring cruising we might want to do. The bilge pump switch will be mounted directly over the sub panel for the Air-Conditioning. The switch was originally mounted where the electrical panel is now, but whoever installed the switch did a really sloppy job of cutting the hole, and that was another consideration when deciding where to mount the AC panel. But I did want to keep it close to that location because it was easy to see, and I can reach the manual switch, even when standing in the front of the engine compartment. And because this is a toggle switch, it will be behind the steering wheel, so it can't get bumped accidentally.


The first thing that I did was to make a template out of a piece of cardboard so that I could get the hole exact and have everything lined up straight. With the template in place, I can trace out the area that needs to be cut out for the switch and LED light with a marker. I then tape around that area with easy release tape so that the wood is not damaged when the cuts are made. Teak plywood can be tricky to cut, and if you are not careful, the plywood will splinter and leave a ragged edge. So I first score the plywood surface with a utility knife to eliminate splitting and chipping, and drill a hole in the center of the cut out area.



The next step is to cut the hole, and my favorite tool for this, and many other small projects, is my Dremel Tool. I have the saber saw attachment that can be used directly on the Dremel or can be attached to the
flexible shaft attachment. I am always careful to make my cuts inside the area that I scored with the utility knife. This is the method I use for mounting any switches, electronic displays or gages.

Once the hole is cut I like to insert the switch to be sure there is enough clearance for the inner workings and that the switch can be aligned with everything around it. One work of caution, BEFORE drilling or cutting, check the area behind the spot to be sure you will not drill or cut any plumbing or electrical wiring. Once I am satisfied with everything, a thorough vacuuming is in order. Usually Susan is standing next to me with the vacuum running as I am cutting, sanding or drilling. But this time she was not on the boat, so I have to do a good job in the clean up.

Next step is to connect up all of the wiring. The tools are basic - a good pair of wire strippers, wire cutters, crimpers, my multi-tip screw driver, some wire ties, my favorite wire tie cutters (fingernail clippers), and a tube of silicone grease. With all of the electrical work on the boat, a good coating of silicone grease is added to both sides of every connection. We have almost never had a corrosion problem with any connections over the years using silicone grease. Just as with the larger electrical panels, before I removed the wires from the switch, I labeled them so it would be easy to put them back correctly.

I also like to be sure all of the wires are just long enough that should I have to work on the switch again, I can pull it a distance out of the hole to make working on it or rewiring easier. A bit longer length of wire allows for repairs should the need come up to cut and replace the ends with new connectors. At this point, everything is secured with wire ties to keep it neat.

The final step is to mount the entire switch. I use a small carpenters level to be sure it is aligned and mark the location of the screw holes. I then drill a small hole where the screws go to keep the wood from splitting. Everything is mounted and looking just as I planned.

The next switch is the anchor up and down switch, and the process to locate and install that is exactly the same as the bilge pump switch. This one needs to be in a location that is easy to reach while at the helm and since both of us are right handed, the right side of the helm seemed natural. We can also reach it from just outside the sliding door to the main salon, at the steering station. This one took a bit more wiring, since it needed to be run to the reversing switch for the windlass. But it was still simple and straightforward, and now two more items are off the to-do list. On to the next one. 

Replacing The Boats Main Electrical Panel

One of the major projects on my to-do list is finally finished. The original 30-year-old main electrical panel is now a thing of the past, and several of the upgrades I have been wanting to do are finally finished. Before I even begin, let me add a strong word of caution here. If you are, in any way, unfamiliar with the electrical systems on a boat or unsure of your capabilities, don't try and tackle this yourself. I have been doing this for a living for many years, so I have already made all of the mistakes, and a misstep in working with either the DC side or the AC side of a boats electrical systems can have devastating affects for not only yourself, but every other boat nearby.
A terrible marina fire at McCotter's Marina, Washington, NC has been traced to an electrical issue on board one of the boats in a covered slip. Doing any electrical repairs or upgrades to your boat can have disastrous consequences if not properly done. These kinds of projects should not be taken lightly considering the potential for disaster. Having said that, the replacement went rather well with few surprises, after all this is a boat.

Rather than try and list all of the proper tools, I consider a picture worth at least a thousand words. If you plan on doing any electrical work on the boat for repairs, upgrades or additions, I highly recommend that you spend a few extra dollars and get the proper tools and not cut corners. Your average inexpensive hardware store crimpers and strippers may not be the best choice. At a minimum, I like to use a pair of strippers that allow me to be specific with the wire size and will not damage the wire itself while removing the outer covering. It also lets me strip the wire using one hand. Most of the wiring problems I have encountered comes from two issues. One is corrosion which is a constant battle on a boat, and the other is from faulty connectors. Faulty connectors are usually a result of poor crimping in the installation process. For just this reason, I never used the typical hardware store variety of wire crimpers. It is my opinion that only a quality pair of ratcheting crimpers should ever be used on a boat. I actually have a couple of different pairs depending on what and where I am working. In addition, I have a heavy duty crimper for large cables, but they are very expensive, and unless you plan to do a lot of this type of work, not worth the expense, in my opinion. Another invaluable tool, is a circuit tester, especially working on older boats where previous owners have added and removed wiring without any identification. It allows me to chase down both ends of any wire and determine if it should be connected somewhere or removed. And of course, a good multi-meter is a must have on the boat at any time to troubleshoot or do repairs.

My first step was to be sure all power to the existing panel was disconnected. The shore power cord was completely disconnected and the main battery cables also removed. Since the battery cables were scheduled for replacement anyway, now was a good time to start the removal process. The biggest challenge is to keep track of which wires go where. The new panel was made for me by Paneltronics and is their 5401 analog model. I chose this one for several reasons. I have used Paneltronics line for a long time and always found them to be of very good quality. The 5401 would allow me to customize the breakers in any fashion I needed, and most importantly, the panel fit quite well in the space where the old panel came out. This meant I would not have to make any modifications to the bulkhead, which would add a lot of additional time and work to the project. In the process of removing the existing wiring, I carefully labeled each wire as to what load it feeds and was very careful to keep the DC and AC separated and easily identifiable. The original panel had the battery switch included, but the new panel would not, so all of the connections for the batteries were completely removed. This is very tedious, but an extremely important process. A small label-maker is very helpful at this time. This is a good time to separate and organize the wiring if it looks like a plate of spaghetti before you start. It is also a good time to have a close look at all of the connectors and give each a good hard yank to be sure they are secure. Any that look suspect should be replaced, and all of them should get a cleaning and coating. I like CRC product for cleaning the connectors and adding a protective coating. Once all of the wiring was removed and sorted out, the old panel could be removed. The next step was to mount the new panel, and since the dimensions were very close to the old panel, this was the easiest part of the entire installation.

With the new panel mounted in place, all of that wiring had to be reconnected. If I had the time, I would do a complete rewire of the entire system. But since this would be a massive undertaking and that good old work thing takes up much of my time, I chose to only replace wiring that was suspect or that obviously needed to be replaced. There were quite a few, but fortunately, during many of our other projects, we have already replaced many wire runs. I generally start from the top of the panel, which in this case is the DC side, and work down. Once all of the DC is re-installed, the AC side is done. I did upgrade some of the wiring from the shore power inlets to the panel, from the number 10 wiring to number 8 on one of the inlets. Of the two inlets, on the one we installed, we used number 8 wire. The shore power is connected via a transfer switch that feeds the panel from the shore power or from the inverter. The installation of the transfer switch was included in our post on the install of the inverter. The second shore power inlet connects to the smaller AC sub panel that we installed earlier. This smaller panel only feeds the circuit for the air conditioning at this time, but we can add other circuits later if need be.

During the replacement of the panel, I also added new Blue Seas bus bars for the AC ground (green wires) the AC neutral (white wires) and the DC grounds. This cleaned up the wiring considerably, made all of the connections neater and gave me the chance to replace all of the connectors. Once all of the wiring was reconnected to the panel, everything was checked and double checked to be sure the right wire was connected to the right breaker and everything on the AC side of the panel was indeed AC, and the same for the DC side. With all of this completed it was time to move on to connecting the batteries to the DC side of the panel. 

The battery cables were the original copper wire cables that were installed by the boatbuilder. They were probably too small and were connected via two battery banks. My new house bank is combined to have all of the batteries make up a single large bank. This improves the efficiency of the house bank and increases the longevity. With this set up, there only needs to be a single cable from the house bank to the DC panel and a single on and off switch, rather than a 1,2 or a "both" switch that was on the old panel. In each installation, this might be different depending on the set up and the needs of the owner. Some like to have the start battery on the switch so it can be combined with the house bank in an emergency. I prefer to have the start battery totally separate and have a set of jumper cables in the engine compartment should this be necessary. With this set up, there is no danger of me forgetting to change the switch and killing all of the batteries. But this is a matter of personal preference. The run from the house bank to the panel is a short one, and #2 wiring is more than sufficient to make the connections. Both the positive and negative cables were replaced as was the battery switch. In calculating wire size, the maximum amps that can be carried on the wiring and the length of wire round trip, from the battery bank to the panel and back to the batteries, need to be factored in. Likewise the battery switch needs to be sized properly. An excellent calculator for wiring size can be found here. What works in our installation may or may not be correct for another. A good solid connection on the cable ends is also very important in making up these cables. Some installers like to do a combination of soldering and crimping on battery cables. Myself, I prefer crimping only, but it must be done right. This is where my serious cable crimpers come in to play. I also use a heat shrink tube on every cable connection to prevent internal corrosion and to keep the connections neat and clean. This is done on all connections to the batteries and with any wiring used in the bilge or a wet area. For smaller wiring I use heat shrink connectors. I did not use heat shrink connectors on smaller wire, other than the battery cables, that connected to the panel. But that is just my choice, since these connectors are considerably more expensive. I also installed fuses on the battery terminals for added protection and security. These fuses must be sized correctly.

With all of the connections completed, the moment of truth is at hand. Everything has been checked, double checked and triple checked. There is always a bit of anxiety in firing up an electrical panel for the first time, no matter how many times I have done it. For me, the DC is the least scary, so that is the one I check first. It was simply a matter of throwing the battery switch and then the DC main on the panel. The voltage meter registered fine, and there was no smoke or sizzle. You need to be cautious with electricity or electronics since they are driven by smoke. If you let out all of the smoke, they won't work. So far so good, and one circuit breaker at a time was switched on. Once again, no smoke escaped. Now it was time to check all of the connections and the entire DC side of the panel with my multi-meter to look for problems and anomalies. Everything looked just fine, and the battery voltage was holding correctly for the loads applied. Every circuit was tested and inspected. Next came the really scary part. The AC panel.

With all of the AC circuit breakers off and the transfer switch in the off position, the shore power cord was plugged in. Oh good, no smoke or sizzle. If that were to happen with either DC or AC, the power must be turned off immediately and the problem solved. Once the shore power was plugged in, the transfer switch was changed to the shore power setting and the main breaker turned on at the new panel. Once again, so far so good. One at a time the new breakers were switched on and the voltage meter monitored carefully. All circuits were tested with the multi-meter. This is where it is very important that you know what you are doing since you will be dealing with live 120-volt power. This is no place for the inexperienced and can in fact be life threatening. All of the circuits on the panel checked out fine, and each outlet on the boat was tested for correct polarity and for faults. A simple outlet tester will work just fine, however, some cheap hardware testers may show a fault when none exists. So be sure the problem, if one shows, is in fact the circuit and not the tester. All of the outlets on the boat checked out and none of the GFCI plugs tripped, a good thing. All of the appliances on board were turned on to be sure they all worked. The final step was to transfer from shore power, unplug the cords, and transfer to the inverter. The entire testing process was repeated until I felt comfortable that the system was operating safely and correctly. 

A couple of reference books that have been very helpful to me over the years is Nigel Calder's Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Manual and The 12 Volt Bible. Both are good for both getting started and for planning more advance work.

                                                                                                                                                                      

Finishing a major project like this gives me a real sense of satisfaction and a new comfort level that the electrical system is now even safer that it was before. There are many aspects of the system that still need some work and over time will get done. But for now, we are secure in knowing that a major portion of it is up to date and the components are new. In addition, should anything need to be repaired or any troubleshooting need to be done, we now have intimate knowledge of the systems and where everything can be found. Maybe for the next project I will tackle something a little smaller.

Winterizing The Boat Again

Never say never. In the past, I have said I would never be in a cold enough climate to have to winterize the boat again, and here it is our second winter in the Chesapeake and my second year winterizing. We are very fortunate to have a very nice couple that spends the winters in Florida (where we should be) who has asked us to house sit from December first to the end of March. This time frame works well for us, since the cold is starting to set in and the boat can be hauled for the winter. Upon their return, spring will have sprung, and we want the boat back in the water. Just prior to haul out, we begin the winterization process and finish it up just as we are moving off for the winter. Here are the procedures we use for our boat each year. Other boats with different systems may require something different or additional.

My first priority is to get the engine winterized as soon as it begins to get cold and we will not be leaving the slip again until it warms up. As long as we have heat in the boat, there is no danger of freezing, but the engine is by far the largest expense should a failure with the heating system cause the temperatures to really drop. Since our slip is just outside of the travel lift pit, we don't need the engine to move the boat for hauling. It can be done by hand pulling the boat from piling to piling.

I generally do a complete oil and filter change prior to the rest of the winterization. We have a nifty valve attachment on the top of the raw water strainer that allows the connection of a garden hose. By closing the raw water seacock and attaching a short piece of hose to the fitting, the engine winterization takes a matter of minutes. The other end of the hose is dropped into a five-gallon bucket of anti-freeze, and the engine is started. Susan is on the dock watching the exhaust discharge, and as soon as it is all anti-freeze coming out of the exhaust, the engine is shut down. If you don't have this attachment, remove the hose from the intake side of the strainer, and either add an extension to it or use a longer hose to reach into the bucket. Be sure the hose reaches the bottom of the bucke,t and do not allow it to suck air during the process. And that is it, simple, quick and painless. I also make sure the coolant/anti-freeze in the fresh water side is topped off.

The next step is the fresh water system, and the tanks need to be emptied as much as possible. We run the fresh water pump with all of the faucets on the boat open until air begins to come out. At that point, it is good to open a drain in the bottom of the tank to let out the last few gallons that the pump does not pick up. Next, the hot water heater needs to be drained completely and a bypass nipple installed. There are lots of fancy gadgets sold to do this, but we simply turn off the water pump, remove the fresh water hoses from the tank, and attach a 1/2 inch connector to bypass the tank. This prevents the heater from filling up with anti-freeze; ours is 11 gallons and shortens the time to flush the system in the spring. Once the hot water heater is bypassed, there are two options. We usually dump about three gallons of anti-freeze in each tank and open all of the faucets.We also have a large filter on the water system, and I remove the charcoal filter prior to this and fill the housing with anti-freeze. Then we turn the fresh water pump back on and wait for straight anti-freeze to come out of the faucets. As each faucets spits anti-freeze, we shut that one down until all of them are full, including the shower handheld sprayer. Be sure the hot and cold lines are both open.

Next up are the heads. Many folks simply dump anti-freeze into the heads and flush them until it comes out the overboard discharge. This only winterizes half the head's hoses. The intake hoses and intake valve portion of the pump housing will still be full of water and can freeze and crack. We shut off the intake seacock and stick the intake hose into a bucket of anti-freeze. The head is flushed until the anti-freeze is coming out of the discharge lines. If you have holding tanks, they should have been emptied by now and thoroughly flushed and cleaned. The anti-freeze from the heads should be pumped into the holding tanks until enough is present to prevent freezing. Then the Y valve switched over to pump the rest overboard and the discharge valves closed. Caution should be used to prevent water from being trapped in the seacock if the boat is being left in the water, since this can freeze and crack the seacock with disastrous consequences. If you are not sure, remove the discharge hose, and remove all of the water with a wet vac. To prevent this in our case, once the boat is hauled, the seacock is opened after the boat is out and the fluids allowed to drain, then we close the seacock. This allows the entire sanitation system to be winterized without fear of some part being missed.

One final system is the shower sump. The top of the sump is removed and all of the water extracted with a wet vac. The insides of the sump are thoroughly cleaned and wiped dry. The top is replaced and the anti-freeze is sent in via the shower drain. This assures that the drain is conditioned and the sump is filled until the pump kicks on and the anti-freeze flows out the discharge. Then, the sump pump is manually activated until all but a small amount in the bottom of the sump is emptied. That's it.

The final step for us is to have the boat shrink-wrapped. I used to think that this was a major waste of money, paying to have all of this plastic put over the boat, just to throw it away in the spring. But after a couple of winters here on our previous boat, we found that leaving it out over the winter for one season did more damage to the boat than five years of living aboard in the tropics. So for the last two winters, we have had it done and really don't regret it. This also makes working on the boat during the winter months, doing projects, much easier. In some cases, we would not have been able to do much at all without the shrink wrap. And with careful use of a kerosene heater, I can get it pretty comfortable under the shrink wrap to do some work on the outside of the boat.

To-Do List 2011

The to-do list is pretty long for this winter since a lot did not get done last year. So here are some of the items.

1. Replace the main electrical panel (already under way.)
2. Finish the installation of the remaining ports.
3. Finish installation of 12-volt fans in all cabins.
4. Remove and paint the swim platform (already removed.)
5. Install an aft bilge pump.
6. Move batteries to allow for generator installation.
7. Install the fuel polishing system and replace all engine fuel lines and filters.
8. Refinish all cabin floors and repair where necessary.
9. Finish painting of engine compartment.
10. Add lights in hanging lockers.
11. Install galley exhaust fan.
12. Replace some of the copper lines on fresh water system with PEX lines.

These are pretty ambitious goals given the fact that I will only have weekends for the most part. But we will see how it progresses, and much of this will depend on whether we have 8 feet of snow again and I can't get near the boat. I will be posting as each project is completed. The new AC/DC main electrical panel is about 1/3 finished, so I do feel good about that. It is an important project that is long overdue. Time will tell. Have a great holiday season.

Open WiFi On The Boat And Firesheep And Other Man-made Disasters

One of the most visited pages on this site and our Sea Trek site are the postings for our simple and inexpensive WiFi system that we have been using for years. Many of our cruising friends use WiFi, as we do, to get online, gather weather information, send and receive emails and do all of the other things people do through the Internet. For years, we have used available WiFi, whether from an open access point or from a marina, hotel or restaurant. If anyone has been on a boating site lately, the discussion has turned to Firesheep, a program designed to allow anyone with it on their computer to access your Facebook page while you are logged in and do anything you can do. There is one fellow out there, I won't mention his name, that has been on every boating discussion board on the net, doing his absolute best to scare the crap out of anyone that will listen. This fellow is making some claims that would lead the less educated in all things computer to believe that if a 12 year old has Firesheep on his computer, he can steal your life, take over your identity and clean out your bank account. He would have you believe that if you use any open WiFi, the sky will fall and life as you know it will end.

I suppose there is some motivation for folks to do this and some folks are very good at it. By using these fear tactics, they can announce to the world that you are in great danger and they are here to save the day. I like to call this the Mighty Mouse Syndrome. For the minions that hang on to this individual's every word, it represents something akin to a savior. For the rest of us, it simply creates a lot of anxiety and confusion. Instead of "MY GOD, YOU ARE IN GREAT DANGER," how about, "there is an issue we should all be aware of and I might make some suggestions as to how you can protect yourself." Of course that does not make one seem so important and all powerful. But, I would like to make you aware of an issue and offer some suggestions on how to protect yourself. Now keep in mind that I am not an expert in this field and do not now, or ever have, proclaimed to be one. What I would like to pass on is what has worked for us, and if you would like to use some of our suggestions, great. If you are still confused or unsure, consult a true expert in the field. Be sure they are indeed a true expert and have no nefarious intentions.

First to Firesheep and how much of a threat it might be to you. As I understand this, Firesheep allows someone to grab the cookies from many of the social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Flicker and have the ability to do whatever the real user can do. Now, this is something to consider as a potential threat, to a point. Firesheep only works with Mozilla Firefox browsers. So if you use Internet Explorer, it won't work. This is a free, open source piece of software put out on the net for anyone to download by a fellow named Eric Butler, so he could prove a point and perhaps he has. What I have learned is that Firesheep cannot hijack your computer, get your bank records or allow someone to obtain a credit card in your name. It will allow someone to post on your Facebook page or other social network pages and add or delete your pictures, etc. It will not give them your password since the login page is encrypted. Susan has a Facebook page and I would not want someone doing that, but it would be an annoyance and not earth shattering.

Since the Internet went public, people have been designing ways to get into your computer and grab your personal information. This is nothing new and will probably not change in our lifetime. Firesheep is not one of these programs, but they are out there and it does not matter whether you are using an open WiFi, a secure WiFi or a wired connection. There are ways and people capable of getting in, but they are usually not interested in you and I, especially if we don't make it really really easy for them. So I did say I would share what we do to try and secure our computer and our online activities.

A couple of years ago, I researched a software product called Truecrypt that will encrypt your entire hard drive on your computer. The program is completely free and has had some good reviews and feedback. Once you computer drive is encrypted, no one can access any information without your password. That is important should your computer ever be stolen. It will not interfere with the operation of your computer in any way and is fairly easy to set up. This type of security is great for those of you that have really become paranoid with all of these doomsday reports lately.

One step we took some time back was to do a better job of securing our WiFi and Internet connections, no matter what we used. Sitting in an Internet cafe in Belize or Guatemala, we often wondered who was watching us electronically. We were careful not to do any banking or serious personal work over these connections and that is still good advise today. But we did find that there are ways to encrypt your Internet activities by using a VPN. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and a VPN is used to secure data across a network. Even if someone could intercept your data, all they would see is a jumble of gibberish. A VPN is a very simple and easy solution for boaters looking to protect themselves whether on an open WiFi or using your local marinas secure access point. It will also protect you on a wired Internet Provider. One short side of VPN is that the VPN provider itself will be able to see your activity. So knowing the provider is as important as using a VPN, maybe more so. This is complicated by the fact that there are hundreds of VPN providers out there and little in the way of reviews and user feedback. When you use a VPN, it activates an encrypted "tunnel" through your internet connection to the server of the VPN provider. Once it reaches the providers server, it is decrypted and sent on to its intended destination. When the data is being sent back to you, it goes through the VPNs server and is again encrypted before it is sent to you, so once again it can not be accessed by anyone.  Many VPNs will also provide you with a spoofed IP address that can not be traced by anyone, giving you even further anonymity. All of this happens in nano seconds so you don't see any difference in your Internet experience. A VPN is a very easy and basic step to help secure your WiFi or other Internet data. If you did nothing else, this will help considerably. Do your home work before choosing a VPN provider since they are not all the same. We used a well know provider for over a year and then suddenly there service went to hell. Look for reviews and feedback from current users before signing up.

We also use several software programs on our computers, many are free. For overall Internet protection, we have used Comodo Internet Security for a few years now. It is totally free and has been a good performer in protecting us online. We don't tend to visit potentially harmful sites, but if we get redirected, Comodo has kept us safe. They have received many excellent reviews and recommendations from other trusted sites. The Internet Security suite contains an anti-virus program and a firewall, both needed to protect your computer. We also use a couple of Malware programs. We have used Ad-Aware for a long time and they too have a free version. Many of these free versions also have paid version if you need added security. We also use Malwarebytes and Superantispyware to round out our Malware software. Another recommendation we have just begun using and like very much is IObits which is a more comprehensive program with several useful tools. We use the free version of all of these and they do root out lots of things we don't want on our computer.

So, do we fear that our lives will be stolen if we use WiFi and open WiFi in particular? No we don't, but keep in mind, that is our opinion and we suggest the everyone make their own informed decision based on facts and not smoke and mirrors from another Mighty Mouse, here to save the day. Does that show my age? Now that these individuals have generated so much attention to products like Firesheep, there are probably thousands of people out there downloading it and trying it that would probably never have heard of it or considered it until now. There are always going to be people out there trying to steal your information by whatever means they can. You can do a couple of things to protect yourself and go on with life as usual. Or you could get off line forever and toss your computer into the deepest part of the ocean. As one poster suggested on another site, you could encase it in concrete and use it as a door stop. We don't let the fearmongers control our lives, we control our lives. Unfortunately, today there is too much misinformation and sensationalizing going on around everything we do. It is difficult to sort through the half truths, exaggerations and sometimes downright lies to know what is right and what is bull. I don't know if this information helps or makes things worse for you, but since being able to get online has become important to us and many other cruisers, I thought it should be something for me to share and comment on.

We are working on an upgrade for our WiFi system, that is how committed we are. I will be posting soon about that and how it has been working out so far. I plan to consolidate the two WiFi posts already up and the update very soon. So stay in touch and let us know what you think about this subject.


How do you feel about all of this? Are you concerned, frightened, don't really care? What have you done to make yourself more secure online? Leave a comment and let us know.

See part 1 of our wifi set up.
See part 2 of our wifi set up.
See part 3 of our wifi set up.

Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association Conference

I have just returned from the 11th Annual Intracoastal Waterway Association Conference in Portsmouth, VA, which was held on November 18th and 19th. I found the conference to be very educational and informative. The AIWA has long been considered the voice of the the Waterway. From their website,

"The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association proudly represents the interests of commercial and recreational users of the waterway. AIWA is the only organization dedicated to ensuring the future of the AIWW and, as such, we have earned the reputation of being “The Voice of the Waterway.” Our members hail from 39 states and Canada and include both commercial and recreational users.


The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) extends 1,200 miles from Norfolk, Virginia to Key West, Florida. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are man-made canals. Congress authorized the creation of the AIWW in 1919 and the entire waterway was completed in 1940.  The US Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the waterway."

During the Conference, a number of speakers made presentations on the state of the Waterway, current conditions and ongoing projects. Representatives for the Corps of Engineers for the Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah and Jacksonville Districts presented reports on the current state of the Waterway, as well as future projects and expectations. The biggest challenge to the Corps at this time is funding for future dredging needs and disposal of dredging materials along vast stretches of the Waterway. Despite the economic benefits to the communities along the Atlantic coast, and the number of jobs that could be created through economic revival of these communities, it appears there is little hope of getting the much needed funding for these projects from our current Congress. Many of the current projects now underway and funded are from the stimulus funds issued last year. I was shocked to hear that the controlling depth of the ICW through the state of Georgia is only six inches. That is correct, inches, and there are virtually no funds designated for dredging in Georgia other than the Port of Savannah. Even that is up in the air to some extent. 

Amy Larson, President of the National Waterways Conference, gave a chilling report on how the new Congress will affect the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Many in the room felt that most of the needed funding could be judged as Earmarks to the Congress and might be delayed or not funded altogether as the Earmark becomes a target for the new House and Senate members. Many members represent the commercial interests along the ICW and spoke of the challenges and loss of business, not only to their companies, but to major shipping ports along the east coast. All of this translates into job losses, something our representatives have sworn not to let happen. Yet many have taken a stand that will, in fact, cost jobs and loss of tax revenues. I was also surprised to hear that, in deciding whether to fund Waterway projects such as dredging, recreational interests are not included, and the decisions are, in fact, based on tonnage for commercial value. We did have a couple of Congressional representatives present on Friday, and my conclusion from listening to them was that they did not have a clue as to how this current Congress is going to act, react or be able to do business. A very sad state to say the least. 

It was not all doom and gloom; there will be dredging for the ICW at Miles, 117, 122, 153, 195, 286, 300, 321 and 330. Many of these areas are known problem spots like Lockwoods Folly, Matanzas Inlet and other shoal spots that we have dealt with for years. There will be no additional funding currently for the Savannah and Charleston Districts. In the Jacksonville District and much of Florida, 80% of the funding for dredging comes from the Florida Inland Navigation District. F.I.N.D is a special State Taxing District to raise funds for the maintenance and upkeep of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterways in Florida.

On Friday evening, we had the opportunity to see the Waterway first hand from Mile 0 in Norfolk, on board the Carrie B, a replica of a 19th century paddlewheeler. It gave me the chance to talk with many of the members in a less formal atmosphere and get a real sense of the concern everyone had for the future of the Waterway. Everyone agreed that it will take a concerted effort from all concerned - the recreational user, the commercial users and the businesses and communities along the Waterway - in order to institute change and bring about any real progress.  If you have a vested interest, you need to contact all of your representatives in Washington, and encourage them to support the funding for these improvements. They need to understand how these projects are job creators and economic stimulators. If they see a pothole in the road, they understand it needs to be fixed. They can't see the impact the lack of dredging has on the people, communities and businesses along the ICW, so it lacks importance to them. They need to be made to see just how important this is.

That is my political rant for the year. I will try and get back to projects and happier boating stuff very soon. Thanks.

Catching Up On Work And Boat Projects

Time flies when your having Rum. At least I wish that was the case, but in  fact it is work that has made time fly and I have come to understand more and more that work really screws up my boat time. Susan and I have done both the Annapolis Sailboat Show and Annapolis Power Boat Show for Waterway Guide. Susan has sent the final two Editions, the 2011 Northern and Great Lakes Editions, of  Waterway Guide to the printer and we have been working on a variety of other projects at the office. I will be attending the 11th annual Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association Conference  in Norfolk, VA for two days to speak on the advancement and evolution of electronic navigation. The weather is very fall like, the leaves have gone through their annual color changes, and most have fallen to the ground after our last rain and wind storm, and it is getting progressively cooler every week. A reminder that winter is coming upon us quickly. We have already made plans to haul the boat in early December and move into our house sitting routine until spring. All of these thoughts don't fill my mind with warm and fuzzies. Especially when many of our cruising friends are sending us reports from out on the water, in much warmer places.

We have finished a couple of small projects. The aft windows in the main salon developed a new leak during a very heavy rain storm not too long ago. Those have been replaced and we have had a new windshield made for the flybridge. The windsheild was installed this weekend. The work on the ports continues but at a snails pace. We did find some great shades for the new ports called Peek-A-Boo Shutters. They are not inexpensive, but they are very innovative and look much better than anything we might have come up with. They offer us privacy when we need it and light when we want it. Most of the other projects are going to get  postponed until the boat is hauled. They can be done in the winter while we are off the boat and it is not so disruptive. The main electrical panel is in need of replacement so i won't have to worry about doing without some service on the boat while I am sorting out and replacing old wiring. Now I will be able to take as long as needed rather than trying to finish in one day. Yeah, right.

Since this year will be my second winterization of the boat since we returned to the Chesapeake, it should go a little faster. We plan to move ashore in the house that we will be "sitting" until spring, on December 1st and the boat will not be hauled until the 6th. I will be able to winterize all of the systems, the fresh water, heads, engine, shower sump, etc. as soon as we move off. We are only a few slips away from the travel lift so we don't even need to start the engine to get hauled. I usually try to start the winterization  process with the engine, about a week in advance of being hauled. It is much easier to do everything while the boat is still in the water than to try and do it on dry land. I will do a detailed post on our winterization procedures here as soon as it is finished.

We have a lot on our todo list for this winter. Then again, we did last year too, The eight feet of snow we had last year until spring made shortening that list a bit difficult. Plans for this year include refinishing the floors, lots of electrical work, moving the battery banks to make room for the generator, glassing and painting the flybridge and installing new seats. And this is just the first few items. It feels ambitious but we are hoping that weather will cooperate this year. If not, we will concentrate on some writing projects we have been putting off and of course work at the office will begin to pick up again. If we don't post projects, from time to time we will add an article or two on some of our favorite cruising spots. It always makes us feel a little better on those cold winter days and nights dreaming about fun times in warmer climates. We will try and make it interesting so stick around. Spring is just around the corner.