Latest addition to the fleet.....

Who could resist a Lyle Hess designed boat, of any shape or size;

Whitby / Brewer Sailboat Rendezvous 2013

The 2013, 20th Whitby/Brewer sailboat rendezvous will be held again at the West River Sailing Club in Galesville, Maryland on October 7, 8 & 9. Anyone who owns or is looking at a Whitby/Brewer is welcome to attend. Contact whitby42 "at" gmail.com to make arrangements.

Bowsprit, bobstay etc.....

Bobstay and bobstay plate installed.  My friend Rhys suggested adding "a second hole (on the lower plate) that can carry a waterline rode snubber".  I did not have this option as I bought the bowsprit already made.  I have seen this on a few boats and had thought it an interesting idea. 

Should be robust enough.

My late friend Patrick's boat "Gaia" for comparison purposes.  The location of my lower plate was dictated by the shape of the bow.

Small upgrades.....

My bowsprit did not come with a bob-stay, that had to be ordered separately.  I'm not even going to discuss the cost but if I ever sell the boat I'm taking it with me.

Moved into a bigger storage area in the yard.  This is how much space an exploded Whitby 42 takes up. 

Bow Sprit going on....

Capt Jim hard at work.

Lined up.

Business end.

Gulf Stream crossing....

Just back from my third Gulf Stream crossing this month, all on other peoples boats.   Always nice to remember what boats are for;

Sunrise over a benign Gulf Stream

AIS

I have always felt that AIS is a game changer, especially on sailboats.  The ability to quickly identify contacts and see their CPA (closest point of approach), course, speed etc. will make offshore watch-keeping much less stressful.   If you install an AIS transponder then other vessel should be able to see your details, which is even better.  I have recently helped to install a Vesper Marine XB-8000 AIS transponder with WiFi on a friends boat.  I believe that this is the best deal out there (for the moment) as the use of iPad apps via WiFi makes the system much more usable.

The device; 

Back

Screen shots

Target List

Vessel Info

More info

Once we have installed the Seatalk/Seatalk ng connector to the Raymarine wind instruments and depth/speed we should be able to see wind data, speed and depth on the iPad as well.