2327hrs 28 Nov 2005 UTC 46’16”S 107’07”E Ref 598
most of you would recognise the bright green rather slimy seaweed that grows along the waterline of jettys and harbour walls and boats. we now have it growing on deck in all the spots where water collects. the makings, perhaps of a cricket pitch for neptune. berri’s starboard side is black with slime – same stuff that grows with the green weed. and on submarines, i expect.
a couple of smaller albatrosses with us, doing low passes over the cockpit. i remember being on the runway during lvp’s low pass over tennant creek airfield – photo on adastra website – and looking into lionel’s eyes as he went past. likewise certain unmentionable incidents in naval aircraft – and it’s a bit like that with the albatross – big wings curving down, bright white face with piercing beady eye in dark slash behind chalky yellow beak looking right into my eyes, or so it seems.
lazenbys – wind or turbine ampair? and do you intend to take good solar panel? don’t know about ampair with wind kit but will easily get you half way round on turbine. we now think correct technique (wisdom of hindsight)is to use solar during daylight = 4+ amps from our panel in dim sunlight, but must be correctly angled at rt angles to sun – and only stream turbine at night or when badly o’cast. doubles life of brgs – wld get you all the way around – and we abused ours like crazy – they don’t like skipping turbines etc but not much we could do in those conditions – so ours shorter life than design. best bet if you are concerned is to find a second hand one and take complete unit as spare – that’s what i’d do next time. also, wind or turbine cost you speed – turbine for us was 4.8 miles/day.
saw a second hand katadyn watermaker in boat shop in plymouth – about half price – but factor in cost of new membrane (you might get lucky but not worth the risk) and extra power needs – ours uses about 4.5 amps average, makes 4.5 litres/hour in water t )10 degrees.
site all your sockets for ampair, solar etc as far away from stray water as possible – get simple, easily maintainable ones if you can – they will need to be taken apart occasionally. xantrex battery monitor great tool too if can afford. gunk up everything with vaseline or other water inhibitor – then seal all junction boxes, fuses, joints and other vulnerable bits with silicone, self annealing tape, heat shrink – whatever, but do it. the inside of the solar junction box was a sight to behold – green, cheesy, powdery crud, no metal left anywhere – they don’t make them for the southern ocean.