Our Island in the Sun…A New Sailing book…A Detailed History Of Brick House! (And a bonus of the RECENT history of Brick House…how she came to be “my” boat, then “our” boat, and how we afford to keep going after more than 12 years aboard!)

The history of Brick House…before we owned her…is the history with Garry and Carol Domnisse, her previous owners…when she was named “Yellow Rose”.

Their new book describes in detail, the adventures they had outfitting and sailing “Yellow Rose”. Everything from SSB radio schedules, to their daily lifestyle and their passages. Carol is a lady after my own heart and you will hear from her personally in this book. You will see why I say that…

The book is available in Kindle edition and hardbound Here On Amazon and at Barnes and Nobles, and on Garry and Carols blog at https://ourislandinthesun.com/

Here is the recent history of “Brick House”…during our ownership…

How exactly, does “BRICK HOUSE”  afford to sail around the world for over a decade now? How did Rebecca come to own Brick House aka Yellow Rose…and How did Patrick come to be co-owner?

Before SV Brick House became my sailboat, “my island in the sun”, Garry and Carol Domnisse owned her, and called her “SV Yellow Rose”. They cruised between Alaska and Texas and beyond, and had some of the best years of their lives cruising on this 1976 Valiant 40, in the 1990s.

But then they sold Yellow Rose…to me, Rebecca…Here is the story of how we afforded to sail off on this cruising sailboat..and how Patrick came to join me to sail around the world on Brick House, and how we manage financially, to keep sailing and cruising on her, and probably will for life.

In 2001, with my previous husband, with my dream boiling over with enthusiasm, we purchased SV Yellow Rose, and thought we were off on a new adventure with her. However, what was really MY dream didn’t quite work out as planned. My then husband, it turned out, wasn’t “onboard” with the dream we, or more accurately, I, had been planning for more than a decade, and well…

…I tried to rid myself of my sailing and cruising dream/addiction but alas, I was too contaminated to take the dream back, and settle for what I saw as a “second best” life, on land. Jim was a good guy, but I didn’t want to drag someone along, nor did he want to be dragged. We then divorced, but still, I put Yellow Rose up for sale, since sailing it and maintaining it by myself just didn’t seem reasonable at the time. I had just met Patrick, but he had already sailed around the world once, and I didn’t think he would do it again, and he concurred…he didn’t want to cruise this time, on such a small boat as Yellow Rose. He wanted a Swan 48 or equivalent, because this was what he has become accustomed to sailing offshore, in the NARC rallies that he sailed from Newport to the Caribbean on.

I figured that was probably just an excuse for not truly wanting to cruise, but I fell head over heals in love with Patrick anyways… so I continued to try to sell Yellow Rose. Yes..I had a little big of baggage…and should have believed Patrick Childress when he said he was earnest in wanting to sail around the world with me!

Just before signing a P&S on Yellow Rose, Patrick and I attended a seminar by Douglas and Bernadette Bernon who preached to “take the boat you have and go now”.  Douglas and Bernadette has just returned on the Shearwater Cutter 39 footer, from full time live aboard cruising. Patrick quickly learned from their wise words, and concluded that a Swan 48 would mean working for another decade. He had friends younger than him dropping dead of various ailments. He decided we should call off the sale of Yellow Rose, and go cruising soon! She was paid for, and not such a bad boat!

So I got rid of the P&S in the nick of time, and we started our preparations. I still wasn’t completely convinced Patrick would actually go…oh yee of little trust…. But saving every dime wouldn’t hurt nonetheless, and so we worked hard, saved every penny, and slowly prepared Yellow Rose for world cruising. Every weekend she was further ripped apart, and I cried to see her become a shell of a boat in the name of renovation. We renamed her “Brick House” since Patrick refused to cruise on a boat with the soft name of a flower. She splashed in June 2007, we married on her in July, and we actually sailed away in August. We waved goodbye to a friend on another sailboat as we left Newport Harbor…”see you in 4 years!”. I felt like that was a lie at that time. No way could the money possibly last that long! Would we even really leave the USA, or would it all fall apart just as my hopes rose?

We raced down the east coast narrowly escaping fall and winter, and then departed to the Bahamas. That’s when it started to feel real for me. We then raced towards the Panama Canal by way of the western Caribbean. I didn’t want to run out of money in India and have to work for a dollar an hour for the rest of my life to afford an airline ticket home!! I was so jealous when we met cruisers who were just “out for as long as it was fun”. We were on a monetary expiration deadline.

Secretly…I had another bank account though…with enough money for another year, if need be. Later I found out…Patrick had almost the exact same amount, representing another year, if needed!

Just as we started approaching a smaller than comfortable bank account, we drained our accounts with a dismasting in the northern Pacific. Luckily, with some determination to not end our cruising , we landed jobs in Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands where we worked for 16 months to fill the kitty back up again. That represented year 4.5. The only thing we had to buy there were 2 bicycles (no cars on the island), and some boat parts. Everything else was provided and we only had to pay Marshallese taxes of 5%, and social security from our paychecks. Nearly every dime earned went in to the kitty. When we left there in 2013, we had the same money we had when we departed Rhode Island, so we assumed we would be Ok for another 5 years. Patrick started his social security benefits slightly after departing there, and our very small writing income continued, so the money has lasted much longer. As we start year 13, as long as we are somewhat frugal, we manage to keep our head above water financially, and there is now no end in sight!

I think a big part of our financial success on the boat came from NOT buying that Swan 48 that we both would have both preferred. Going with the boat that was well within our budget, and not stretching things very far to have the biggest, fanciest boat we could have. I feel sad for the younger cruisers out there that enjoy nice big new boats, and experiencing this lifestyle, but then have to sell the boat, and work again. I can not imagine having to go back to long term work after living this way. But I do like those fancy big comfortable boats they sail in!

Now, Patrick and I sail, and do not see any end in sight for our adventure. Brick House is our home, as it was for Garry and Carol. It takes us to far corners of the world, and let’s us stay there extended periods of time exploring new cultures, and meeting new people. We don’t cherish the ocean crossings, but we love that the motion of Brick House is kind, that she carries us safely across the oceans we need to cross, and is comfortable at anchor and in marinas. We are glad she isn’t flashy or shiny… we think it probably discourages theft because we certainly don’t look like the richest boat in a harbor. She has what we need, and is well outfitted for all the comforts in life you could need. We do not insure her, ex dot for third party liability, because insurance companies think old sailboats are more of a risk than newer boats, but with Patrick Head of the Maintenance Board, we feel she is far safer and seaworthy than any newer boat out there.

Garry and Carol set off on Yellow Rose in their retirement. They sold her smaller boat, their land home, and everything they owned I believe, to sail off on Yellow Rose. Brick House was a newer boat back then but Yellow Rose was never an extravagant luxurious boat. I think for both us and them, she represented an affordable option to go out and live this lifestyle, and I encourage all new cruisers to NOT stretch their budgets for the biggest newest possible boats. This lifestyle can certainly be enjoyed in a modest boat like Yellow Rose, like Brick House, and the cruising kitty can be preserved for fun, maintenance, and emergencies. True freedom is when the boat is paid off, and you have a comfortable sum of money in the bank. Don’t finance a boat…only buy one you have cash for. I think Garry and Carol would tell you the same.

Garry and Carol just released a second edition of their book called “Our Island In the Sun, which describes the adventures they had outfitting and sailing her. It’s in both his and her voice which adds interest to the story.

The book is available in Kindle edition and hardbound Here On Amazon and at Barnes and Nobles, and on Garry and Carols blog at https://ourislandinthesun.com/

I enjoyed the old version too…how could I not enjoy reading about my Valiant 40’s previous life? This edition is promised to be more organized and edited, and in color! I am so looking forward to reading it again. My autographed copy, hot off the press, arrives this week!

 

Ten Years Ago, Where Was Sailboat Brick House? (FLASHBACK)

 

Who is Patrick Childress..and why a YouTube Channel?

Bluewater Sailboat Brick House Communications at Sea: Predictwind Offshore & Iridium GO or Sailmail and Winlink on the SSB

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Bluewater Sailboat Brick House – Communications at Sea: Predictwind Offshore & Iridium GO or Sailmail and Winlink on the SSB.

Communications At Sea/Getting Weather at Sea -Upgrades on Sailboat Brick House 2018 and 2019

The folks at SSCA enjoyed our article in Ocean Navigator a month or so ago, and have gotten permission to reprint it on their web site, with some minor tweaks. It tells of our communication evolution aboard Brick House…our change to Predictwind Offshore, using the Iridium GO satellite hotspot for email and obtaining weather at sea forecasts.

This article discusses how we have gotten weather at sea through our SSB/Pactor Modem utilizing the GFS Forecast model back when it was the only affordable method available, as well as Sailmail and Winlink to get our airmail email.

We then switched to Predictwind Offshore, and satellite communications by way of the Iridium GO. We discuss in this article which system is actually more reliable, and what system worked best for us crossing the Indian Ocean.

Read the SSCA Article On Brick House, on the SSCA website (may need to be a member.)

Here is a reprint of the article if you are not able to read it on the above link. But I recommend following the link because it’s laid out better there…and because you should probably think about joining SSCA anyways, if you aren’t a member now!

Communications evolution on Brick House: How two voyagers stay in touch from ocean to island

Published on 5/21/2019, s/v Brickhouse Submitted by Rebecca and Patrick Childress, originally published by Ocean Navigator Magazine…

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Ocean Navigator

Communications on our Valiant 40, Brick House, was once limited to a few methods. The most basic was the very high frequency (VHF) radio used for short-range communications to other boats and shoreside facilities. Single sideband (SSB) radio chat nets were used while underway and from remote anchorages to talk to cruisers at distances over the horizon.
The SSB radio, coupled with a device called a Pactor modem gave us the ability to send and receive text email messages through the software services SailMail and Winlink when the atmospheric propagation was agreeable. We had to train friends and family to keep messages short and without attachments that could easily overwhelm the delicate pipeline of radio waves. Sometimes in port, a hotel or yacht club would offer Wi-Fi, which would be usable on board if we could anchor close enough to the signal. Eventually we installed a Redport Long Distance Wi-Fi Extender on the stern arch so we didn’t have to anchor nearly on the beach.


Brick House’s radio gear: an HF SSB, a PACTOR radio modem and a VHF

 

 

The SSB was once the primary long-range communications device. Life on board was dictated by propagation tables that spelled out optimum connection times, calculated by the state of the ionosphere, and the distance between stations. Happy hours and barbecues were
abruptly interrupted as cruisers raced back to not miss checking into SSB nets or for their turn at being net controller, while others jockeyed for their turn at modem connections.


The RedPort Long Distance Wi-Fi Optimizer

 

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The following article originally ran in the March/April 2019 issue of Ocean Navigator Magazine
(www.oceannavigator.com) and is re-printed here with their permission.
Seven Seas Cruising Association – where cruisers meet.

To make sure both SSB/Pactor and voice communications worked reliably, monthly maintenance demanded copious cleaning of corrosion between the antenna, ground connections, tuner, radio and modem. But in those not-so-primitive times, it was our only option.

Growth of cellular

Over time, cellphone connectivity became more accessible because a forest of cell towers went up everywhere, even in the remote islands of Fiji. Competition drove prices down. Natives who lived in thatch huts would row up in rough carved canoes, handing their phones over, asking for a battery charge. At times, we had adventures hiking to a high pinnacle to get a signal from a tower on the next distant island.
In cruising Southeast Asia, we found cellular Internet had become even easier and less expensive. Communication between cruisers, businesses and those half a world away took a big leap forward. Our smartphone became a Wi-Fi hot spot for connectivity on board and the Internet handled all communications. The VHF, SSB and Pactor began collecting dust and rust.
Though Internet had become more accessible, there was often a learning curve to understanding the system in each country. Smartphones in the U.S. are often sold as “locked,” but cellphones internationally are mostly sold as “unlocked” and can use SIM cards from any country, costing only a dollar or two. Now upon arrival to a new country, it has become top priority to visit a cellphone store with phone and required passport so that we can leave with connectivity pronto.
We needed then, to learn how to put more “load” or “credit” on the phone — usually with scratch cards or by visiting almost any store — and then learn how to buy an Internet plan, usually by punching a series of numbers and pound signs into the phone. Every country has slightly different procedures and little gotchas to learn so as to preserve your data. In the past year, in almost every country we visit now, they have even come out with apps to automate the whole process.
From an energized cellphone, the beeps and dings of Messenger, WhatsApp and email notifications fill the air on board. The notifications are usually from other cruisers, so leaving the annoying VHF turned on and listening to endless impertinent VHF chatter is a thing of the past. SSB nets began their decline in Southeast Asia simply because everyone was connected by cellular, and SSB radios faded away for all but the most dedicated operators. Cellular remains the number-one most utilized communication method in port and for coastal sailing.
But when the Indian Ocean loomed on the horizon, it was time to get suited back up for long- distance remote connectivity. First, I should say, for a while in the remote Pacific, we did have an Inmarsat Satphone on board in case of an emergency. It was such an expensive communication device to operate, full of billing surprises, so we hardly used it. We knew this would not be an ideal way to cross the Indian Ocean, being reluctant to use it to get weather reports for extended intervals. We then made the single most drastic change that we have ever made to how Brick House communicates: We sold the Inmarsat Satphone to help pay for our new communication system, an Iridium GO Marine Package from PredictWind. This is robust satellite communications.
Switching to Satcom
We no longer use the SSB radio/Pactor setup for email or weather — ever. It has nearly gone the way of the cassette player or radio direction finder. We still maintain the SSB, however, just in case. If I were to put money into a backup system now, it would be to have a second Iridium GO. A cruising friend did exactly that but sold it three years later because the original one just never skipped a beat.

 

 

The Childresses’ boat is also equipped with an Iridium GO Satcom unit.
The installation of the Iridium GO was like any other electronic device: a 12-volt power source and an antenna on the stern arch. We mounted the antenna as high on the arch as possible to have a clear view to the Iridium satellites, and above the radar dome more than 6 feet from the wind generator to avoid physical and electronic interference. We had to empty lockers to clear the way to snake a rather monstrous cable through small holes without bending it. We permanently mounted the Iridium GO’s gray box near the chart table in a position that would not be in direct sunlight, not incur accidental splashes or bumps, and most importantly would receive a steady GPS position. The small hinged antenna on the unit not only turns the unit on but gets the GPS position as well — just not the Iridium satellites when the external antenna is attached. Many cruisers who don’t have the external antenna have to take the gray box outside and hope it doesn’t fall in order to get a semi-acceptable transmission.
The GO ships with a common automotive 12-volt plug for power. Since the GO is powered via a common USB mini-B five-pin connector, I cut the automotive plug side off and then hardwired in a Wagan smart USB charger. This device is powered via 12V, and then steps down and autosenses the amperage needed to safely charge each device that is plugged in to its four USB outlets, providing up to 9.6 amps. I installed a manual one-hour timer in the circuit so I can wind it up to charge, and then it automatically shuts down to prevent constant powering of the sensitive batteries.
It’s very important to update the firmware upon receiving the unit and watch for subsequent updates, as well as obtain updates for the GO software used on the devices. There appears to be nothing more to maintain aside from keeping the electrical connections tight and corrosion free.
With the Iridium GO and no-contract Predictwind unlimited data plan, we have easy access to impressively accurate forecasts using PredictWind Offshore. We are able to send and receive our emails as many times a day as we wish, at any time, in any weather, along with texts to our friends and other Iridium users. We have 150 minutes a month of actual phone calls. So now we can communicate anywhere in the world, anytime, whether it be with family or businesses here, or in the next country for marina reservations, to order needed parts or for technical support to keep our boat operating. We can even get a webpage if we don’t mind waiting. The system is somewhat expensive at $139 per month with an initial setup cost of approximately $1,000, but for someone with business interests, the system could quickly pay for itself by nipping a problem in the bud. And, of course, this is a tremendous emergency communication device.
Email considerations
Our email setup with the Iridium GO software is a little more complex than many users’ setup due to the volume of emails that we get, which is easily in the hundreds every day. Some people have an “at sea” address and an “on land” address, but we have just one primary email address that covers land and sea so we never miss an email.
First, I will tell you the two requirements that led to having the complexity (yet the simplicity) of just one email address.
1. I could not afford to miss a single email, large or small, because of having two email addresses, and I needed to have full capabilities on both my tablet and laptop whether at sea or on land.
2. I planned to shut off the GO service when I was in port, yet I needed to access/send/receive all emails that I had access to while at sea and continue to have that access on land — and vice versa. I needed one application on all devices to send and receive email from anywhere.
The solution? XGate software was installed on my iPad, smartphone and laptop. XGate does it all: connecting to the Iridium GO, the SSB/Pactor or to regular Internet, accessing all of my email and keeping it synced between devices. I can access both new and old emails on any of the devices in the same application with any kind of connection, on land or at sea.

The Childresses use the XGate service to manage their email usage.

I have all of my email forwarded to my XGate account — not my Iridium Mail account — and XGate then automatically transmits the short emails. It then sends a list of “large” emails to a folder called “BigMail” (in my case, I chose “large” to be larger than 30kb). I can then decide from that folder which emails I want to receive. I can do this from any device with any connection. I also set up a number of keyword filters to eliminate email that I don’t want at sea, such as Facebook notifications or Dell computer sales.
XGate email management options allow Childress to set the inbound email cutoff size and to mass delete emails.
Note: Some systems, like Yahoo, do not allow forwarding of all emails, and fetching is not recommended in most situations. I will provide a more technical explanation and solution to this scenario on my blog at www.WhereIsBrickHouse.com.
Unless you plan to leave the Iridium GO activated for long stays in port and use it regularly, you cannot access email in the Iridium Mail app or online since it’s only accessible by satellite. XGate not only makes my mail accessible by satellite or Internet, but it does it all in the same application. If two months of email are allowed to get backed up in an Iridium Mail address that can only be retrieved by satellite, there will be a problem. Iridium Mail offers no tools to remedy this case or any other problem, and Iridium offers no technical support, help line or contact information. Using XGate, however, I can simply boot up the laptop where heavy-duty XGate tools reside, and many of
the problems are resolved. Reparation at sea becomes quite plausible. There is even a human being on the other end of the phone or email to help since GMN, the makers of XGate, are actual human beings standing by to help. And, of course, PredictWind support is second to none, though your Iridium Mailbox is not accessible to them either.

There was something salty about the old days of anticipating a chat session with other cruisers on a schedule over the SSB and having little, if any, email at sea — just simple solitude. Sadly, everyone now seems to be glued to their cellphones, on the boat and on land. Cruisers sit at the yacht club, sipping wine, overlooking the anchorage, and all of them are staring at a screen. Maybe they are in a trance, gazing at my husband Patrick’s YouTube Channel.

Comments on this article and other technical matters are welcomed in the Tech Talk Forum
on the SSCA website at www.ssca.org. As a member, you can opt into this special interest forum by going to:
Member Profile→ Forums→ Forum Memberships→ Available Forums→ SSCA Tech Talk Forum.
Click the green icon to the right of the forum name to subscribe. When the pencil icon appears, click it to manage your forum preferences. If you have issues subscribing, contact Home Base at office@ssca.org.

Author: Rebecca Childress and her husband Patrick Childress have been full time, slowly circumnavigating for the last 12 years on their 1976 Valiant 40, Brick House. Having crossed the Indian Ocean last year, and spending many months off the beaten track in Madagascar, Mayotte, and the East Coast of Africa, they are currently hauled out in Richards Bay, South Africa while they do some maintenance on Brick House, while exploring South Africa and beyond by Jeep.

Last year, they began a Youtube channel
at Patrick Childress Sailing in addition to their blog at Where is SV Brick House?
If you’ve found this article useful, you’ll find more similar information aimed directly at sailors/cruisers
on the members-only portion of the SSCA website (www.ssca.org).
Seven Seas Cruising Association – where cruisers meet.

Mozambique Cyclone Sailing Tanzania to South Africa

 

Magazine Articles by Patrick Childress/Rebecca Childress in Sailing Publications

A definite decision : Predictwind

 

Mozambique Cyclone Idai – Sailing towards a storm In March (a little earlier than planned-still in cyclone season!)

Mozambique Cyclone Idai – Sailing towards a storm, a little earlier than planned, during cyclone season…

Late April, May and June is the right time to sail this coast….We left mid March because of an extraordinary weather window which would carry us the first 1000 miles downwind, instead of upwind…

Was it 100% safe? NO.

Did we get more than we bargained for, or just what we signed up for? Watch the video to find out…

Also…Wish we were on Patreon? We aren’t…but you can support us in 5 other ways:

🍯(Tip Jar) http://whereisbrickhouse.com/tip-jar/

⛵️ TWO FREE SAILING COURSES: http://www.nauticed.org/?school=where…

⏩ Amazon shopping here: https://amzn.to/2K9MmuA

FREE Predictwind

✩Tshirts and other: https://www.WhereIsBrickHouse.com/store

What do most people do when they see a cyclone on the Predictwind forecast with their Iridium GO or other ways of getting weather at sea? They stay safely in port, right? We saw an opportunity to go south with the north winds that would be north of the cyclone in the the Southern Hemisphere near Tanzania and Mozambique. It promised, if we played it just right, to carry us at least 1000 miles south with nice north winds!

So we grabbed our last veggies and eggs for 3 weeks, and set sail to South Africa, chasing Cyclone Idai down  down the coast of Mozambique. We wanted to be close enough for the winds, but not too close!!! We later found out that this cyclone was the worst cyclone to ever hit Mozambique, killing thousands of people and demolishing even more homes. It’s a good thing we played it just right!

Even with that, we did get the remnants of it when we got a little too close…and we were socked with 50 knot winds for a bit, complete with driving rain and lots of thunder and lightening. Seas mounted fast. Luckily it was short lived.

Too bad it was too rough and most off all too dark, to film during the very worst of it, or I know Patrick would have been up filming it!

Hope you enjoy the video, give it a thumbs up, subscribe, and have a lovely Easter weekend! If you have any spare change, leave it in the TIP jar in the top right corner of the screen…thanks!

We studied the two following books/guides (click on either to see more detail), and utilized our Professional Subscription at Predictwind  to help make these very important and intricate decisions about our trip south. Des Cason, a local Weather and anchorage guru and long time cruiser in this area also provided daily updates and advice as we moved south.

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See our Track…from Year One to Now with Predictwind!

 

Mozambique In April, May and June

Mozambique Cyclone Sailing Tanzania to South Africa