Coppercoat antifouling…or even conventional antifouling…short term, should work at least to some extent to prevent marine growth on a sailboat hull, right? After 6 or 7 weeks, there should be no barnacles or build up of marine growth, no matter what kind of nutrient rich water your boat is sitting in, and no matter how little movement the boat makes, right? Well, we have been in the water for 7 weeks now…this should give us some idea if our Coppercoat application has failed or succeeded. 7 Years will tell us even more!
Patrick was feeling confident that although we strayed from the Coppercoat application instructions, that the hull would be in good shape, free from hard growth. I was a little concerned that we might have a failed Coppercoat application story for you. At the very least we would be able to tell you why the Coppercoat failed. Everything you read about Coppercoat says do NOT stray at all from the instructions. We certainly DID stray from the instructions, mostly out of necessity to get the results we knew were required to make the Coppercoat application successful in the end. Patrick isn’t one to follow directions blindly just because his wife tells him to…he uses sense and knowledge when he strays.
What brown water to go look at a hull in…what lurks below?
So despite being in very brown mucky water here in Richards Bay, South Africa, with bull sharks, crocodiles and hippos not too far away, Patrick decided that before we sail this boat around the Cape of Good Hope starting this weekend, he should take a look, or at least a feel of the bottom of our sailboat to make sure it’s not encrusted with barnacles or other serious marine growth. This which would make for a a slow and potentially dangerous rounding, not to mention, put a lot of strain on the engine if we had to motor. While he was down under the boat, he’d give it a wipe. Better to have crocodiles, hippos, a sinus infection, and a not so friendly bull shark, than a hull encrusted with barnacles for an already risky passage like this one!
Patrick going in to the water in SriLanka to do our monthly scrubbing of the hull
We were both nervous as he got in to the water to clean the bottom of Brick House. I kept thinking, what if the Coppercoat has failed!?! What a nightmare that would be! We would probably have to haul her out and choose another kind of antifouling paint to put on her hull. And what if a Bull shark visits Patrick…will he know who the boss is? I think Patrick’s main worry though, was the sinus infection.
As he slipped in to the water that was nearly as warm as the hot African air, I prayed, please…do NOT be a failed Coppercoat application. SV Britican’s hull was growing serious barnacles in less time that this. And this water grows barnacles in a week on many boats here.
So in he went. He did have scrapers, and wire brushes at the ready…just in case of bad news, ready for the typical disappointment that bottom paints usually present, even in this early stage.
After 15 or 20 minutes at the end of the Seabreathe hookah unit, he surfaced for the report. I was ready to hand him the scraper, and watch him dissapear back under the water for round 2 of many, per usual.
He handed me the sponge, and jumped out of the water with a giant smile on his face! First time ever…he didn’t need these harsh tools…the soft sponge was all he needed!
Here is his report for weeks 7, word for word:
“We have been sitting in this very nutrient rich estuary water for 7 weeks now. Part of the prep for departing in a few days for East London, then onto Cape Town, was to go into this mucky estuary water, with 4 inches of visibility, and give the hull a wipe with a large, flat, soft sponge. I worked more by feel. What little I could see and what I could feel, Coppercoat is appearing to be working as it should. There were 3 little barnacles on the hull, at the tight junction where the drive shaft enters the hull and I wasn’t able to really apply the Coppercoat very well. Actually I was happy to see and feel those barnacles as it shows what could have happened if the Coppercoat was a failure on the rest of the hull. The wipe with the sponge took a fraction of the time it would have taken to clean traditional antifouling free of sediments“.
What a relief that we possibly have a Coppercoat success, as opposed to the Coppercoat failure that I was a bit nervous about. The 3 barnacles on the area that he had a more difficult time treating, was a good comparison of what could have been a universal problem. He described to me under later questioning that from what he could see from 4 inches away, the hull looked to be in various shades of blue and green which indicates a successful Coppercoat application to me!
We could not be happier, to see that we are at least off to a good start. Perhaps the extra sanding will shorten its life span…but if it works for 2 years we will be thrilled. If it works for 5 or 10, we will be ecstatic!
Be sure to subscribe here to get updates on our Coppercoat Application Failure or Success as time goes by. We promise not to give a Coppercoat review every 6 weeks 😉 We are just excited to report all is well so far. Please feel free to write to us and ask us how it’s going if we forget to report the results over time!
Here is the Original Application Video in case you haven’t seen it yet. Only time will tell how the Coppercoat works longterm.
So many people have asked us which park we liked best of all of the safaris we have done in Africa. We have been here for well over a year now, and can luckily say we have been on quite a few Safaris..some of them for many days.
We have been to more than 10 parks in Africa. We have been to Mikumi, Manyara, Taringire, and Serengeti/Ngorongoro parks in Tanzania. We have been to the Etosha National Park in Namibia, Hlane Game Reserve in Swaziland, and Kruger, HluHluwe, Imfolozi, I’Simangaliso, and Enseleni parks in South Africa. There are more countries in Africa, and more Safari destinations in the countries we have been to. And there are more countries we haven’t visited yet. It would take a lifetime to see them all, and we wouldn’t mind trying. We really love safaris. We wake up at 4am and get out the door the moment it is allowed at each park, we rest midday, and then we go out late afternoon til they force us back in to the gates and lodges at night. We never seem to tire of the search and reward of viewing wild animals on safaris, either in our own small vehicle or in a safari vehicle with a guide.
First, to compare them all isn’t fair. It’s often about luck, weather, and the time of year you are at a location. Hence we want to be sure you know, this is not a scientific comparison, not the most educated one either. Honest and personal yes. We DID recieve a small discount from one operator in Tanzania, but it was so small, I’m not even sure it wasn’t anything more than a standard negotiating discount 😉
All parks in Tanzania were visited in shoulder seasons…while it was dry, but while there were medium amounts of tourists, so the animals were not completely visible when we were in green pastures or in wooded areas. Etosha we visited during extreme dry season, so animals were easy to spot, and many were dying from lack of green food and water. Kruger was visited during wet and busy season, so there were more hiding places from the tourists and watering holes for animals, so possibly we would have seen more in dry season. Hluehlwe and ISimangaliso were very close to where we stayed for the time we spent in South Africa (10 months and counting in this country alone), so we saw them during different seasons, wet and dry, and always had a nice safari but only sometimes an extraordinary amount of sightings. Hlane was in wet season as well, so we often didn’t see many animals.
So here is our order of preferences…based on what we saw while there, how much effort it took us to find animals, the variation in species found…
Best to Worst
#1 and #2 Serengeti And Ngorongoro Crater -Hands down the best. Worth going way way out of your way for…a flight to Tanzania is well worth it for this park alone. We didn’t need to rest at mid day becuase the animals were still out, freely around the park. But far, this park has the most number of animals seen, biggest herds, lions close up consistently, and active, one leopard, etc. Best accommodations. By far the worst prices! Even if you camp it’s expensive here! But there is no real way to stay outside the park, there is only very expensive self drive, meals are expensive, hotels start at $300 per night. Ticket to the park, just under $100 for the day per person! And the park is so big, you really are forced to stay inside the park. Ngorongoro Crater is either part of Serengetti or just outside, and is equally as worthwhile, and as a matter of fact if you can’t see the Serengetti, at least get to Ngorongoro…it is a completely enclosed crater, filled with animals, and it is just stunning…huge herds, abundance and variety of animals, scenery..it has it all, just like the rest of the Serengetti! If you get to not one other park in your life, Serengeti and Ngorongoro National Parks are the ones to do! Put these on your bucket list if you love seeing animals in the extreme wild! Choose a tour operator before you arrive to be sure you go with a reputable well organized operator (http://www.FaceafricaAdventures.com is one we can personally recommend, but there are hundreds!) See our Youtube video here:
#3 Kruger National Park -Very very wonderful. Worth going on a special trip To South Africa for. We went during a crowded time of year (School holiday) but still didn’t see that many cars, though the lodges were packed and sold out, for Christmas and New Years holidays. And it was rainy season on top of that, though still nice weather, and still we saw lots of animals. Rainy season is always the worst time to go to any national park becuase the animals don’t need the man made watering holes, and can find food and water anywhere. The trees and bushes are greener and fuller so it’s hard to see beyond the road. It took a LOT of work to find them this time of year, but we had some very close encounters, and brilliant photographing opportunities anyways! Huge variation of animals… big cats almost every day, one day mating very close to the car, great leopard sighting one day, unbelievable wild dog experience complete with hyenas moving in on the injured dog, up close and personal hyenas every day. A few rhinos in the distance, and all the typical safari animals, big and small.
Hotels were never more than $100 per night and were clean and decent…self drive was very cheap or free, gas stations were abundant, as were restaurants and snack shops. Entrance was about $25 per day per person, but we had a “wild card” which is like a season pass that had already paid for itself by the time we went to this park. Much more affordable than Serengeti, but lacking two things, in at least the part of the park we were in: 1. Plains that rolls forever, with gorgeous sunsets of amazing colors. 2. the sheer number of animals, the huge herds: If Kruger had 10, then Serengeti had 1000. That said…the animals varied in both parks, and in both there were lots of lions. Still Serengeti tops Kruger if you can afford it. But Kruger can be self drive and save a lot of money. Buy a guidebook if you go to Kruger…you will want to know what the animals are!
#4 Etosha National Park. This is a park worth flying to Namibia for. We went when it was VERY dry season. Excruciating for the animals, excruciating for our sinuses and skin. Couldn’t imagine being in an open vehicle here…the dust would kill you. There were times when cars passed us that we had to stop and wait for dust to clear. I don’t know how the flora or fauna lives through it. I was very glad to be in our air conditioned self drive car. Hotels in the park were as expensive as Serengetti, but very decent hotels just 1-2 miles outside the park were affordable at under $150 per night with a fantastic breakfast and dinner for 2 included.. Self drive and entrance to the park also very reasonable.
#5 Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. We went during dry season, and saw lots of animals. If you are already in Tanzania, and are looking for a cheaper alternative than the northern parks, and still a good experience…it is worth the bus ride from Dar Es Salam to visit this park. We stayed for 2 nights inside the park, at a somewhat run down but cheap hotel, but it was a great location, with unbelievable sunsets with animals right around the hotel. No crowds at all. Big herds though not as big as Serengeti. But bigger than in other parks. All the common animals, multiple mating lions, jackals, etc. Drove with guide only, though I think you can self drive. Prices here reasonable including entrance, but more than South Africa. A nice first safari, no doubt. I’m not sure if self drive is allowed here..but the driver we found at the Mikumi Tourist Board found animals we never would have! (We made a video of our trip here:
#6 Hluhluwe in South Africa. Imfolozi National Park is now one with Hluhluwe National Park. This is a very good alternative in South Africa if you can’t make it to Kruger. In some ways it’s even nicer due to its small size and lack of crowds. We went here probably 15 times, mostly overnighters, since it was within a an hour or sos drive from where we were living in the boatyard. Lions only here once, from very far away, so it’s not the Park for big cats. But there are so many Rhinos, and they are active too. We have seen wild dogs, though not often, and all of the common sightings like many elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, Impalas and other antelopes too numerous to mention. During a night safari with a ranger, we saw lots of owls, rabbits, beautiful sleeping birds, and a civet cats, in addition to the day animals. We Baught a “wild card”..a seasons pass, which included Kruger too, so a weekend here with food was always under $125 for 2 days for 2. If we didn’t have passes, it was about $18 per person per day for entrance.
#7 Manyara, Tanzania. We saw no lions in trees, or lions anywhere, which is what the park is famous for, but we only went for one day. We saw some hyrax which we have seen nowhere else, and plenty of the common safari animals including hippos far away, but nothing extraordinary. Many many extraordinarily beautiful birds at this park.. beautiful colors, sizes and shapes, more than any other park we have ever been to. Expensive entrance though I don’t know the exact number, since we were on a tour. We stayed at a cheap adequate hotel/campground just outside the park.
#8 Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. famous for huge herds of elephants of which we saw many of in a day visit. We stayed in the same hotel as above since these 2 parks are very close to eachother. Besides the huge numbers of elephants, we saw the common safari animals easily, during dry season. Expensive entrance though I don’t recall the exact number because we were on a tour.
#9 Hlane Park, Swaziland. The worst roads of any park for sure. We were still able to drive them in an economy car, but it wasn’t pretty. One of the best watering holes, especially early in the morning, with rhinos and elephants and other every single morning. The one drawback of this park is that if you want to see the lions, you must pay to go on a guided safari. They aren’t that expensive but it does take some freedom away to stay as long as you want, waiting for the lion to wake up and start his hunt. They don’t allow self drive vehicles in to that area of the park and it’s locked and fenced. So you are sure to never see any lions on your own drives…which is a major bummer to us. But at night, you could hear the lions roaring…even my half deaf husband could hear them! We only saw the most common safari animals, with the addition of rhinos, often, and up close at this park. The accommodations inside this park were nice, and about $100 per night. There is however no electricity at any time, not even a generator. They supply paraffin lanterns to each guest, and in every room. Romantic, but inconvenient at times. There is also a campground. There were many tourists here for their first African Safari, but in our opinion, unless you are visiting Swaziland anyways, it’s not worth a special trip to this country for a Safari in and of itself.
#10 Enseleni. This is a walking safari, small nature reserve 10 minutes from where we were in the boatyard. It had Wildebeest, zebras, and hippos though we never saw a hippo. One day we got a lot of ticks on us, so we never walked there again. The price was very cheap to enter…about $2 per person. There are no accommodations inside. It’s a nice safe place to walk, and nice to walk so close to zebras and many kinds of antelopes and duikers. It’s only rated last because it’s small, and doesn’t have that many animals. But it’s a pleasant afternoon walk if it’s a cool day. This is a park to visit only if you are around Richards Bay, South Africa. It is not worth a special trip here.
Sailboat Security Systems…GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies) will always be watching now! It’s not just for super yachts any more…small cruising boats have them too!
What’s in all these boxes? Global Ocean Security Technologies (GOST) -The Cadillac Of Sailboat Security Systems!
Well, today I returned from the USA to South Africa to my sailboat “Brick House”. I was on a frequent flyer ticket, so I flew the long, wrong, multiple connections route. I of course, had lots of boat bits, so I came with 4 oversized, overweight checked bags, and 2 big carry ons. Even one of the carry-ons was too big, and in the end, they insisted on me checking it. But would I?NO WAY!!!Fragile, valuable, and mission critical!
True to my typical style, I had come prepared with other bags inside of my bags JUST IN CASE. I had arrived 3 hours early, for just this occasion.I had overspilling suitcases and bits scattered around me when the second customer of the day rolled through the door as bleary eyes as me, and I had to shuffle over to make room. I eventually had two properly sized carry ons, albeit without wheels or long enough handles to put on my shoulders. I stayed while they pulled every single one of my checked suitcases aside to do a messy, thorough search. I helped them repack with my cardboard, and styrofoam protectors properly placed to protect more fragile items including a Raymarine autopilot linear drive purchased as a backup. This was for our existing Raymarine autopilot which is doing well after 14 years. We are using the old one as a spare since it’s still in great working order! With 8 boxes from one company and 1 heavy one from another, I crawled to my gate overladen but determined. Why my insistence to carry so much on the plane with me?
I was returning with a complete, state of the art security system from GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies). I was flying through Johannesburg, South Africa; an airport famous for pilferage, and outright theft of bags. What I had in those 2 bags was valuable, delicate, and vulnerable. I couldn’t chance losing them. In those 2 bags were 2 strokes of luck that I may never have again.
What was in my carry on bags promised to keep us safe and secure for years to come, so I was taking my short 24 hour shift to keep them safe and secure. I was to be laden down for the entire trip, unable to shop or enjoy dining between flights, having all I could do to carry those bags through winding arrival halls, up and down stairs, and through more security checkpoints in time for the next departure. Have you ever carried 8 boxes of electronics through no less than 4 security checkpoints? I had to unpack each time, put them in separate bins along with my shoes, watch everything like a hawk, and then pack them all back in on the other side of security. I had a lot of explaining to do too. I then had to wobble to my next gate as fast as I could, miss meals and hydration, andthen struggle on to crowded planes vying for the most secure location in the overhead bin, begging for mercy from strong men to help me lift them high but gently to a secure position that wouldn’t come loose or get crushed.
Because of all of this I could not run fast enough to make my very last connection to Durban. I missed it, despite the security scanners giving me a good break and exerting every last ounce of energy had.I was devastated, drained, and sooo concerned about my 4 other checked suitcases. Surely they would be pilfered, or dissapear all together.? And they were mission critical bits too! Most who know me would say I searched online til I found the cheapest flight to Durban.No…I took the next flight I could get, and I didn’t worry about the price of it. I wanted to get my baggage out of there just as quickly as possible!
We are in South Africa..where there are a lot of nice people…but also a few very bad ones, like anywhere. The locals had warned me profusely about airport problems, and problems right here in Richards Bay. We are heading to South America, where the same is true. This world is NOT getting safer. I didn’t even feel safe in the USA on this trip. I was amazed to see even in my small little rural hometown, where my family still lives, that they lock windows and doors, and have security systems armed even while at home. It’s no longer a world where doors are left unlocked, and people are universally trusted as the default. Yes…there are many many honest and generous people, the word over. This security system is for the unsavory few.
We had decided months ago, if not a year ago, that it was time to get serious about this worldwide reality, and set ourselves up right. We had messed around with a few security cameras and alarms on the boat, Patrick even made some cool home brewed alarms. I had read and emailed, watched countless YouTube videos, and contemplated how best to protect our floating home. (See https://youtu.be/pi0zpy7CH5o) But no security traps were perfect and admittedly, they left gaping holes in our security. There was only a small chance they would work when push came to shove. We don’t really want to just watch someone on a camera as they pilfer our boat and hope someone can identify them afterwards, like with our security cameras that are on the boat now…we wanted a real system that will scare away the unsavories before they get in, with nauseating alarms and blinding flashing lights, send alerts out by phone, email and SMS, and always be reliable, every time…with no false alarms…and even be able to monitor/report this worldwide to us and even local security teams/police, even when we are out of internet range!
We actually had narrowed it down to 4 systems that had some of the different components, different sensors and features that we liked. Only ONE had EVERY FEATURE AND COMPONENT AND SENSOR that we wanted, as well as many new ideas to consider…
GOST – (Global Ocean Security Technologies) was what I was carrying home like a delicate raw egg in my bags…very precious cargo…very critical. Everything we wanted in a security system. Our final solution on how to keep the boat safe from trespassers, pirates, thieves, intruders…
By the time Patrick and I had finished thoroughly examining GOST’s security systems, and has discussedthe various options at length with the Installation and Sales team there, we were both absolutely sold that this was the system worth spending our precious stash of cash on. No other company even came close to what GOST offered in terms of having ALL the sensors and security devices we now wanted. Finally I compiled a list and asked for the final quote. The prices certainly reflected the quality that I was seeing, and I was heartbroken when I succumbed to the fact that I couldn’t have all the bells and whistles that this ultimate marine security system can provide. But the technology was so advanced, so tried and true, so respected, and the technician so competent at GOST…that it made it painful to drop a good chunk of change on a different companies system that we felt was only a distant second in quality and reliability. It would have been like buying the Hyundai instead of the Cadillac knowing full well the Hyundai was not going to make us happy despite the endless car payments we would make.We would always be wanting the Cadillac. EveryoneI spoke with in the know, confirmed that GOST was the cream of the crop, the gold standard, that they were THE “go to company” for security systems! I couldn’t find one bad review online, from anyone. So we decided, rather than going for the lower pricetag second choice security system, we would go with GOST’s simplest base system and just not have every last sensor we wanted. Quality over quantity. Maybe we could afford to add more later. At least it would always work and always be there with us, and it wouldn’t collect in the junk drawer like countless other rinky dink dissapointing gadgets already have.
When GOST took my credit card for the most basic, they were probably pretty dissapointed, but remained very helpful and professional. They then confessed that they recognized our names from sailing magazines and YouTube videos, and announced that they would be giving us a bit more than just the basics, “just in case” we did a video or wrote an article about security in the future. Who us? Write or vlog about security? Yeah…I guess we have done a few! And maybe now this YouTube and blog stuff has paid off! I’m sure GOST wants to be sure that if we do a video, we can at least represent them with more than just the basics, though they were polite and didn’t make any demands. We did though, agree to make a video about our new system, so stay tuned.. it will be a brutally honest video if need be! They are confidant…we are too…it wouldn’t go on the boat if we weren’t already completely confidant that this is the best security system made!
GOST makes and uses the technology that the big ships use, and most of us little boats have never even considered before. This isn’t a system for a few hundred dollars, it’s up there with the price of a good Raymarine chartplotter. But if you have more than that to protect, and want hard core protection instead of a toy, GOST is who you should compare all other systems to. It’s worth going to their web site at GOST.com even if just for some ideas on what to look for in other systems. Even if you find you can not afford a comprehensive system like one from GOST, we highly encourage you to find a system that can work for you. The world is NOT getting safer…and we cruisers need to take a hint from those on land. (Beware: the technology you see on their site will spoil you for the possibilities that are NOT available at other security companies!!)
When I received the boxes, I couldn’t believe our luck! Not their amazing “Cloak”, and not the “Sound Barrier” which are really cool theft deterrents, but some pretty great stuff for a sailboat of modest means or more, like ours.I couldn’t wait to get this back to Africa, get it all installed, test it out..and make a video to show you too! You all know that we would make a video and/or an article about this regardless…it’s been a really big concern for us for a long time (see links below for all of our past security articles, blogs and videos)…butnow we will finally, finally have what it takes to protect ourselves against thieves and intruders onboard SV Brick House for the long term ! Thank you GOST for letting us see what’s possible!
Call before you drop by BRICK HOUSE from now on, OK? We wouldn’t want to wake up the whole neighborhood as you board!
More details to come in blogs and videos and articles, so be sure to subscribe for updates! THERE IS SO MUCH TO TELL AND SHOW YOU! You can click on this image below if you can’t wait for our videos and article/blog!
Check out the array of sensors this company can provide!
——————————————————————————————————
Here are some videos and blogs we have done in the past. Yes…we really have been very concerned for years! Such a sigh of relief to finally have found something we feel will genuinely work!
Here are some non lethal, sometimes legal (depending on the country you are cruising) self defense products and ideas against NONARMED pirates, thieves and intruders: (Consider these carefully before purchasing and watch the above video and read all comments…it’s NOT a self defense weapon recommended or endorsed by us…they are just some ideas to round out the discussions we all have about what to do in this day and age if increased security risks aboard our sailboats)
Some of them are viable. Some are a little crazy…and deadly if the intruders are armed. Some could escalate a situation very quickly in to a deadly attack. But used in the right situation…against non-armed pirates , thieves and intruders…and it could be just the ticket!
It would be better however, in our opinion, to spend your money first, on a good security system that can warn you day or night or when you are away from your boat, that you are about to be robbed, and prevent it before it ever becomes an event. This is why we have made a very serious investment in a system from GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies)
GOST ONLY protects boats…worldwide…big boats…little boats…all kinds of situations. GOST will now be watching our boat, day and night…but the GOST will never be seen!
So many people have asked us which park we liked best of all of the safaris we have done in Africa. We have been here for well over a year now, and can luckily say we have been on quite a few Safaris..some of them for many days.
All parks in Tanzania were visited in shoulder seasons…while it was dry, but while there were medium amounts of tourists, so the animals were not completely visible when we were in green pastures or in wooded areas. Etosha we visited during extreme dry season, so animals were easy to spot, and many were dying from lack of green food and water. Kruger was visited during wet and busy season, so there were more hiding places from the tourists and watering holes for animals, so possibly we would have seen more in dry season. Hluehlwe and ISimangaliso were very close to where we stayed for the time we spent in South Africa (10 months and counting in this country alone), so we saw them during different seasons, wet and dry, and always had a nice safari but only sometimes an extraordinary amount of sightings. Hlane was in wet season as well, so we often didn’t see many animals.
