First post from onboard TIH

Christmas brought me the The Wirie^AP:  Long Distance WiFi and Access Point.

Now installed onboard TIH, works great.

Holding Tank location

Half (well maybe more) of my problems on TIH are finding the optimum locations for equipment.  I spend a lot of time on older boats that have undergone many upgrades / additions / refits over the years.  Much of this equipment has been installed by "professionals" with no consideration for access to fittings or the ability to overhaul the item itself.  On one boat I delivered the cooling water impeller could not be replaced without lifting the engine.

I have been faffing about, for ever, with the location of the holding tank and the hot water tank.  The decision about the holding tank has finally been made.   This will remove one option when I make the decision about the hot water tank.  

Chain Locker......

 The W42 has a pretty nice chain locker (see above).  It is divided into two parts, the starboard side for chain (which on my boat does not drain) and the port side for rope (which drains into the bilge via a channel under the forward water tank).

One problem that I have encountered on a number of boats (including 2 W42s') is that the chain tends to pile up and jam the naval pipe (the drop pipe from the windlass).  This requires you to go into the vee-berth and push the chain down in the locker in the middle of weighing anchor.   This is not fun in a crowded anchorage or when single-handing.

An interesting solution has been adopted by the crew of Windtraveller a lovely Brewer 44;

http://www.windtraveler.net/

I have yet to decide what to do but I am open to ideas, including the one above.  Keep in mind that I have just removed the bow water tank.  I did this mainly to gain access to the hull in order to bolt on the lower fitting of the bob-stay for the new bowsprit.   I may incorporate this lower locker as part of my anchor storage.

This has now given me a large area which I plan to shelve and use for storage.