I just finished uploading 3 new videos: the story of our Vancouver Island sea trials from a couple of weeks ago which is a two-part YouTube video, and a highlights video which is about 4 minutes of footage of WiTHiN in the water for those of you who want to get right to the boat stuff. All three are available to view in HD by clicking the “HD” symbol on the lower right hand corner of the YouTube video frame.

Here they are – enjoy!

Ben and I have been hard at work getting ready for the final stage of this boat build – to convert my garage back over to actually housing our vehicles for the winter (which will make Helen and Krista very happy), and a new home for WiTHiN in the shop which is being extended by about 10 feet into the garage to contain all 29 feet of her.

Ken is back from vacation in a week or so and we will start on the final phase which will prepare WiTHiN for the ocean crossing this summer, and another round of sea trials on Vancouver Island in December or January. Here are some of the items on the todo list:

1. Install the power water maker Katadyn Survivor 40E
2. Install the back-up manual water maker Katadyn Survivor 35
   1. Since I am not carrying any fresh water ballast as an emergency water supply, I really do need a redundant maker maker. And, since I will be on the edge of being able to collect enough electrical power with my relatively small solar panel array, I need to start thinking about using more human power. The second Katadyn water maker is hand cranked, and would be far more efficient at producing water using human power than manually running a generator, storing the power in a battery and then powering an electric motor. With these two options, I can use the electric desalinator during sunny periods when my solar panels are producing plenty of electricity, and use the manual desalinator during cloudy / stormy times.
3. Install a hand crank generator in the cabin
   1. I am looking at various military hand crank electrical generators to supplement what I can collect with my solar panels, and as a redundant source of electricity to run the essential devices such as the GPS, AIS receiver, nav light, Tracking device, VHF radio and satellite phone.
4. Install a seat belt
   1. I noticed during the rough, windy day on Okanagan lake, that I was bouncing off the walls quite a bit in the cockpit. I realize that I do need a seat restraint.
5. Install more elastic cords in the cockpit and cabin.
   1. I want to be able to stow some safety gear in the cockpit where it is immediately accessible – like the manual bilge pump, my emergency ditch bag, PFD, flares, air horn, flashlights, knife, etc. I also want to keep some lighter weight items like clothing up on the ceiling of the cabin and cockpit.
6. Install the AIS receiver
7. Install the VHF radio and wire the antenna
8. Install the Satellite phone antenna and wire into the cabin
9. Put a garbage tube in the bow compartment
   1. This would be a large diameter plastic tube that I can stuff garbage into and leave it on top of the gear stowed in the bow compartment.
10. Make up the spare drive leg (complete with cranks, pedals, etc – ready to insert and go)
11. Make up the spare drive leg gear box spindle sets
12. Make a 100 lb keel bulb (Manny at Rohmec Industries)
13. Set up a long term gear box test with electric motor in a large salt water filled tub.
14. Install another vent in the cabin (fast close with pull handle)
15. Make a food train for the bow storage compartment
    1. This is a long, snake-like train of my daily food bags. The idea is that I will be able to reach into the bow compartment, rip-off today’s food bag and pull the long train of bags forward. Retrieval of the next day’s rations would then be readily available at the front of the compartment right near the hatch. I’m not sure how to do this yet – need to experiment with some different ideas