2014 – Initial Equipment Fit
This page lists the equipment I fitted or had fitted in Seatern in addition to the standard Swallow Boats fit. In general it describes the state at mid to end 2014 although some notes on updates have been added since. See my “First Year Assessment” for comments on how well the equipment performed.
Major considerations in the initial equipment choice were:
- I sail Seatern single-handed almost all the time
- I wanted to use an electric outboard if at all possible (but failed!)
- on each trip to and from home I will pass through part of the Port of Southampton and along Southampton Water which are busy with shipping
Important Note: the following is simply what I have chosen, not a recommendation. For most of the items I’ve provided a comment on my reasoning and my (very limited) experience to date (about mid 2014). I’m sure that in some cases something better exists, however at present I’m reasonably happy with most of what I have chosen. Much of the gear was bought as one purchase in summer 2013 in order to negotiate a discount, so it represents what was available then.
Outboard motor: Initially: Torqeedo 1003 modified to fit the outboard well; remote throttle control and Torqeedo lithium-ion battery charged from the 12v on-board power. Now: short shaft Tohatsu 6hp with high thrust propeller.
Tiller Pilot: Raymarine ST1000 with S100 radio remote control
Ballast pump: Initially: Whale Gulper 220 which proved unsatisfactory and I swapped to a Rule submersible bilge pump lowered through the hatch. Now: a Johnson Ballast Pump for both filling and emptying.
Mast winch: Lewmar self tailing winch to control jib halyard during mast raising/lowering. [Comment on Winch]
Anchors: Kobra mk.1 6kg (in anchor locker); Fortress FX7 (in cockpit locker). [Comment on Anchors]
Electrical Power: Initially: two 110Ah 12V lead acid “leisure” batteries each with Ctek M100 mains charger and NASA BM1 Compact monitors. Now: A single battery and charger and a means of recharging the battery on extended trips [Comment on electrical power]
Electrics and electronics:
Collision Avoidance: Digital Yacht AIT2000 Class B AIS Transponder with combined AIS/GPS antenna; Echomax X-band radar transponder
Navigation Lights: (mast raised) NASA “Supernova” masthead tricolour and anchor light; (mast lowered) Force 4 Evoled Port and Starboard, Baseline Marine LED Steaming and Stern. [Comment on Nav Lights]
Wind and Met: NASA Meteoman digital barograph with port and starboard NASA Clipper NMEA wind repeaters. [Comment on wind/met instruments]
Boat speed and heading: On the hatch-top – NASA Target Log, NASA GPS repeater, NASA Target digital compass – also carried: Plastimo Iris 50 sighting compass. [Comment on the hatch-top instruments]
Chart plotter and echo sounder: Garmin Echomap 50S (transducer fitted under sink unit)
NMEA 0183: Actisense NDC-4 data multiplexer
Communications: Standard Horizon GX2100 VHF; phone, internet access and TV: Apple iPhone and laptop.
Domestics: Origo 1500 Spirit Stove burning “Odourless” bio-ethanol; Pan-2000 heater (powered by stove); Dometic 972 portable toilet [Comments]; CO and smoke alarms [Comments]
Food storage: Waeco Tropicool TC21FL cool box/Waeco Coolfreeze CDF25 fridge
Entertainment: JVC KDX250BT “Digital Media Receiver” (music from iPhone); Fusion speakers.[Comment on radio/music system]