Halfway Packed & Half Baked

Sunday afternoon, and it's siesta time. The temperature outside is 113, and we've been working outside in the garage all morning. I would estimate that we are about halfway through the packing chores, with two weeks to move-out date, so I'm comfortable we are on track.

We are also anxiously awaiting a response from the seller to our "offer to purchase" his boat. The offer expires at end-of-day today. I think he may be playing "chicken" with us. Who knows?

I promised last week to write a bit about the selection criteria we are using to choose our boat. Some of the critical items are as follows:

• Dimensions - minimum 18' Beam, 58' length. To us, anything smaller is too cramped for long-term living and cruising. However many people say they are perfectly comfortable in much smaller boats.
• Full Displacement hull design - This is really a technical discussion, with which I won't bore you.
• Econonomical Diesel Engines - At cruising speed (8 to 10 knots per hour), we need to be able to achieve at least one nautical mile per gallon of fuel. This points us toward Detroit Diesel 4-cylinder or 6 cylinder engines, or the equivalent Caterpillar or Cummins engines, ideally producing 200 horsepower or less per engine.
• Large Fuel Capacity - A minimum of 2500 gallons of Diesel.
• Generators - Two Diesel-Powered generators, a primary and backup, generating sufficient electric power to keep the starting batteries charged, the "house" batteries charged, and provide power for the onboard systems that rely on electricity for operation.
• Watermaker - 300 - 600 Gallons per day, reverse osmosis seawater desalinisation system.
• Navigation Electronics suite - Includes Radar, Sonar, GPS, Loran, Chart-Plotter, Auto-pilot, weather-fax, wind speed indicator, etc. (redundancy required, with repeaters on flybridge)
• Communication Electronics suite - Three VHS radios, Single Sideband radiophone, INMARSAT satellite receiver, Cellular phones, broadband internet service, and satellite TV.
• Active stabilizers - These are effective at significantly reducing the rolling motion inherent in power boats.

Other desirable features:

• Cockpit - This is the stern (aft) deck that is most often seen on fishing boats. It is at a lower level than the main deck living areas. It is especially desirable to us for line-handling while docking, and for bringing aboard supplies and people from the tender while on the hook (riding at anchor). It can also be used for fishing.
• Closed pilothouse - While the main pilothouse may be on the same deck level as the salon and/or galley, it must not allow light from those areas to intrude while underway at night. The crewperson on watch during an overnight cruise must be able to maintain his/her night vision at all times for safety's sake.
• Full walkaround decks - Facilitates easy and rapid movement for crew from bow to stern. It is not convenient or desirable to have to enter the indoor spaces to move from one end of the boat to the other, especially while executing tight docking maneuvers.
• Portugese Bridge - An enclosed waist-high walkway athwartship directly ahead of the pilothouse, allowing crew members to walk outside the pilothouse in heavy seas, with less risk of being swept overboard by an oncoming wave.
• Modern, efficient galley - Microwave/convection oven, 3-burner stovetop, refrigerator, extra freezer capacity, icemaker(s), dishwasher, disposal, trash compactor, etc.
• Laundry - Washer/Dryer
• Air Conditioning - Zoned marine AC Units; capacity to control each of the staterooms separately, and turn off when not in use.

This is not intended as an exhaustive list, but should serve to give folks unfamiliar with cruising yachts a better feel for what we consider important.

Now, it's time for more packing!