Hi Sailors!
The Sailing Roundup brings you the latest in sailing news, trends, gear, events, and training.
Editorial:
Snow on the Inside and Solar Panels on the Outside.
We just had a wicked winter storm with below freezing temperatures, 14 inches of snow, and force 9 winds. Unlike the wet heavy snow of the shoulder season, this weekend's snow blew right off Rocinante's winter cover. When I drove into the boatyard, I was relieved to see not a single flake on the cover. But when I unzipped the door to climb aboard, I discovered a fine dusting of snow all over the deck and cabin top.
Our winter cover frame, which we built last year, should last us at least 10 years. I designed it to stand off the hull, so that I could varnish the caprail under the cover and allow a good amount of ventilation to cut down on mold and thwart hull blisters from forming, while also providing plenty of fresh air for early-season projects. But that gap around the caprail also allows snow to blow up and under the cover – a minor inconvenience for the benefits gained.
People often ask why a solar panel is attached to the outside of our winter cover. It simple: to save the batteries.
Some owners opt to remove their batteries during the winter months and store them inside on a trickle charger. Our AGM batteries are pretty cumbersome and weigh 132lbs each, so we leave them aboard. But we can't just leave them aboard and forget about them. Batteries discharge at a rate of anywhere from 2-5% per month just sitting there. Considering some additional parasitic loads, like radio memories, you can maybe add another 1 or 2%.
As the battery discharges and the voltage drops, the electrolytes change from acid to water. The more water in your battery, the more likely it will freeze. I checked our Victron battery monitor and noticed a draw of .2amps. I’ll trace where that draw is coming from when the weather is more comfortable. For now, I'm happy to have the cushion and peace of mind of the 50w SunPower panel on the cover to keep our batteries topped up all winter long. Plus, I have lights and other 12v options available to me as I work aboard during the shoulder seasons. Speaking of which, I'm getting eager to start some projects! One priority is rebedding some fairleads in the caprail. With our cover design, I'll be able to do those with the cover still up. Boom!
~ Ben
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From Morse Alpha:
Our Women’s Webinar Series Starts Next Week!
There’s still time to sign up for Head Up: A Webinar Series for Women and NB. This popular webinar series covers: VHF; Sail Theory; Docking & Anchoring; Navigation, Tides and Currents; Watchstanding; and of course Happy Hour with sailing notables! Sign up at our website.Podcast Ep: 16 Recap of a Morse Alpha Expedition
We sat down with a few of our students and instructors to talk about learning to sail in Maine, the challenges, the experiences, the trials and tribulations. Of course we had a few laughs and reminisced a bit. But this was a fun one to record with a great group of sailors.Sail With Us This Summer – Expedition Availability
We’ve got a few bunks left on the Monhegan Race and one left on the Newfoundland to Maine leg. Check our site for details.
Now for the best of the web...
News:
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Forecasts are accurate about 80% of the time for the next 2-4 days.
Equipment, Maintenance & Projects:
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In this video we explain how to make Softshackle which can be locked to your rope or sheet so you can't lose it anymore.Polypropylene vs Dyneema for painters?
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Opinion & Reflection:
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