Spring Break Sailing 2013

I have been traveling this week to the land of sun and palm trees. Each winter it is nice to get away from the cold in the Midwest and take a trip to some warmer latitudes.

I am fortunate enough to have a brother and a dear sister in law who live in Florida. They enjoy having me as a house guest because I am very handy. I earn my keep by working on a few boat projects each time I visit.  As Red Green always says, if the women don't find you hansom at least they will find you handy.

This particular trip the weather was a little cooler than normal.  The high for the week was only 75. Compared to the 20 degrees and snow back home, it felt balmy and tropical. It did not stop my daughter from catching a few rays on the deck of the sailboat. I am blessed that my daughter still likes to hang out with her old dad.

I am glad to report that we had a chance to go sailing and use some of the apps that I always write about.  My brothers boat had been hit by lightning so his GPS for his Garmin chart plotter was not working. We pulled out my iPad and used several charting apps during our trip to navigate our way down the inter coastal waterway to the gulf.

The boat is a 1980 Pan Oceanic 46 foot pilothouse cutter sailboat.  I have a blog about the total refit of the boat here.

The boat has a custom hard Bimini top, so I was concerned that the iPad's GPS might have trouble picking up a signal.  It worked flawlessly and had no problem during the entire trip.  The shaded area under the Bimini made it easier to read the iPad screen also.

The hard top provides shade from the intense Florida sun and incorporates davits, solar panels, fishing rod holders, running lights and radar arch.

I pulled up iNavX and it worked flawlessly as we motored out of the canal behind my brothers house and out to the inter coastal waterway to the ocean.  I checked out Navionics and SEAiq, which are two of my other favorites iPad charting apps.

I pulled up Marine Information Display on my iPhone and monitored our progress.

I gave the Shipfinder app a quick look to see if any ships were in the area.

The Pan Oceanic 46 is a classic Ted Brewer design from the 1980s.  It is among a number of great cruising boats designed by Brewer. Some of his other classics have been the Brewer 12.8, Vision 41 and the Brewer 44 center cockpit. Pan Oceanic yachts were built in Taiwan and the Philippines from 1980 to about 1986.  A 38, 43 and a 46 foot versions of the Pan Oceanic were built. It is estimate that 40-50 PO 46s and about 15 of the 43s were built.  The flush deck provides a full 6 foot 8 inch headroom below.  The pilothouse provides a pilot berth, second weather proof steering station, engine controls and navigation station.

 

 

All of the models were built extra heavy with hand laid fiberglass roving and matte.  The PO 46 is a heavy displacement yacht weighing in at 34,000 lbs. The full keel weighing 12,000 lbs provides a stable and easy motion even in heavy seas.

 

 

They all have high bull works, freeboard and a deep cockpit that keep you safe and dry while underway.  Large dorade vents funnel plenty of air through out the boats interior.  The engine and systems are accessed beneath the pilothouse floor

 

 

The boat was bought several years ago and has been a labor of love bringing the old girl back to her former glory.  The refit has taken many years, you name it, we have replaced it. New paint, removed teak decks, engine, fuel tanks, exhaust, shaft, fuel system, AC/DC panels, solar panels, wiring, windlass, standing and running rigging, chain plates, through hulls, battery charger, inverter, holding tanks, plumbing, custom hard top, refrigeration, cushions, custom cockpit hatches, insulation, 10 new custom pilothouse widows, new helm station, deck wash and cockpit shower, all hatches and hardware re-bedded, new main traveler, running lights, new interior cabinets, flooring, headliner, hydraulic pilot house steering and autopilot.

 

 

The whole process has been a valuable learning experience. I can safely say that I have my PhD in yacht restoration.  Not to mention the many hours my brother and I have shared working together on this boat in exotic places. It has given us a reason to get together and share some quality time.  It doesn't get much better than that.

 

The project is shaping up and is getting to the point where we can start taking some extended trips aboard. I can't wait for the next trip to see what else is new and to complete another project.  Stay tuned!

 

~~~Sail On~~~ /)

Mark