Sailing South Africa with Electronics…Predictwind, AIS, and Raymarine Radar…we used them all!

In the old days, you used barometers, and GRIB files, and listened to SSB and VHF weather reports to round the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Now there is just so much more to aid a sailor.

 

We used PredictWind Offshore for planning the trip when we had internet, and then during the trip using our Iridium GO! to get updates to know when it was time to seek shelter. This was probably our biggest tool for weather Routing using the ocean current models , as well as four wind and wave forecasts from Predictwind to make sure we got it right.

We would not sail any ocean now without the Iridium GO and the Professional version of Predictwind Offshore. I would simply refuse to leave the dock without it!

Latest Video

Here is the latest video with us sailing from Richards Bay, underway through lots of wind and speedy currents on the way to Cape Town. It’s part one of a 2 part series, as we need to seek refuge from an upcoming storm, in East London for a few days.

 

Blister Repair 101 – Is there a cure for Resin Blisters?

It was a ton of work and took months to treat or repair these awful resin blisters. I think we discovered that simply peeling to a particular depth may not be the best way to go as the blisters originate in variable depths throughout the laminate. This is part one of two parts about the blister repair we completed on our 1976 Valiant 40 Brick House this past year. Come learn some tips and tricks to repairing the blisters on an old fiberglass boat and making her look new again!

Please leave your opinions and comments on the video, not on this blog…thanks!