Can you think of anything better than doing a little light boat work followed by weighing anchor and unfurling the sails?
As the weather improved and we got ready to make an eastward passage, it was time for a little light boat work.
Our Lithium batteries
We have two sets of 190 amp hour 12 volt batteries, totalling 380 amp hours. Under normal circumstances, this capacity would be fine for an average cruiser, but we have added luxuries. The advantage of lithium means we run power-hungry devices like Jamie’s desktop computer, a bread maker and rice oven. And in our quest to eliminate gas usage, we opted for an induction cooker too.
We chose these items for convenience, but it does mean we can use a lot of battery power at times (an induction cooker can consume between 10 and 15 percent of your battery’s capacity).
To keep things running smoothly, we usually prepare meals during the day while the solar panels are pumping up the batteries. On a bright sunny day, our battery capacity reaches its peak by around 12 o’clock. The solar panels effectively top up the batteries throughout the afternoon, ensuring plenty of battery power for the rest of the day and through the night.
More boat work
Before we set off, we had a bit more boat work to finish. First, Jamie sent Liz up the main mast to install our new VHF cable. She had to tape it to the shrouds at metre intverals all the way to the deck. The brave little sailor endured a numb bum and aching shoulders in her efforts to suspend herself between mast and rigging. But it was worth it; we now have a powerful VHF radio again.
Find our what a curry tree looks like in the video. And Jamie talks through his hack for installing a new headsail furling line.
We’re off for a sail!
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What a gorgeous peaceful vid, thank you as always. I keep my curry leaf in the freezer and I have dried ones too, like you I adore them as we often have phoa for breakfast. ⛵️