Sunday February 21, 2010
2010 Boating Season Plans
Being of the technical mindset, this post is dedicated to my plan to prepare for the 2010 boating season. Obviously, I'm starting to get antsy about getting out on the water with Summer Dreams, my appropriately named '09 Sea Ray 270 Sundancer. I didn't get as much time on her in the fall, especially for doing any customizations or upgrades. Thinking of what I want to accomplish this summer, I feel that it's best to put in down in writing. Besides being an excellent way to share my experiences, for the most part I'm using this to keep my on an even keel.
First up is my overall plan:
- Get the boat into the water. The water systems don't have to be commissioned since I'm not planning to take her out until the upgrades are completed. I'm hoping for mid-April, predicting that the ice will thaw by end of March since in 2009 it was March 30th.
- Open up all the access panels and scope out all routes for cabling. I'm told by Sea Ray that there is "tubing" for such things but I'm wary. Basically, I got to see what's there and obviously modify this plan as appropriate.
- Run the required cables and installing any inside equipment first including wall plates, etc.. This way I work from inside to outside. This may take a bit of time since I might not have all the parts or cables required; also fishing cables is an exercise in patience.
- On a sunny weekend or few days off, I will remove the anchor light and begin to sculpt the interface plate. I'll remove the canvas for this operation. Once I have the interface plate, the backing plate(s), and all components I'm ready for installation. Once started it has to be complete as I can't have openings where the weather can get in.
- Finish the installation of the SCANSTRUT compact dual PowerTower and for the wireless antenna mount.
- The assumption is that all the internal stuff is ready to go so at this time I can install the radome, satdome, and antenna.
- Register the Bell TV and the Sirius radio subscriptions with the tuners.
- Warranty work; get the cockpit carpets, transom shower, canvas snap-ons, and gel-coat touchups all done.
- Strengthen the Vberth bed support via starboard/marine board. I just don't think that the current support will hold up to typical usage/abuse.
- Using a spare foam bed topper, cut out the shape for both berths and sew a zip on cover/fitted sheet. Top with a modified duvet instead of using sleeping bags as we are now. The point of this is to increase the comfort level while being on an extended cruise (read two weeks).
- Plan the "Golden Triangle" trip with provisions, stops, everything...
So that is the overall plan, now for the details. On the electronic install side of things, here is a of electronics that is currently installed on my '09 270DA; that was purchased with the boat:
- Sony CDXH905IP Marine AM/FM/CD Stereo with digital display remote and iPod connector.
- DICE iPod cradle; does not support iPhone 3G physically.
- AudioVox FPE1508DV LCD flat panel TV, 4:3 aspect ratio, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i, DVD, Dolby Digital.
- Glomex HD omni directional ATSC antenna w/ amplifier/gain control.
- RayMarine C70 Chartplotter/MFD
- RayMarine Ray 240 VHF/DSC
- RayMarine RayStar 125 GPS Sensor
So in my effort to outfit my '09 270DA with full electronics, here's the part list of what I've got so far:
- Ericsson W35 Fixed Wireless Terminal
- Ericsson W35 12/24V Power Lead
- 1 x Marine Antenna 746 - CDMA/GSM/3G (746)
- 5187 HD Shakespeare Stainless Steel Ratchet Mount
- 1 x Antenna Patch Lead for W30/W35 (RG174NMCX)
- 1 x LMR-400 Type Cable Set - 10m
- 2 x Blue Sea Systems Medium Cable Clam
- UNIDEN Caller-ID phone & cradle; battery powered.
- Imtra IML Top Switching wall plates & jack; RJ11, RJ45, boxes/mounts, and trim.
- SNYSC1C -- Sony SiriusConnect Interface
- SCC1C -- SiriusConnect Universal Vehicle Tuner
- Shakespeare Galaxy SRA-40 Sirius Satellite Radio Antenna
- KVH Azimuth 1000 Electronic Compass
- RayMarine RD218 w/ 15m cable
- RayMarine 33STV Satellite Dish, incl. dish/dome and ACU.
- SCANSTRUT DPT-SR1-30 Compact Dual PowerTower.
- SCANSTRUT SC-113 Integrated Light Bar
- SCANSTRUT SC-111 GPS Antenna Bar
- Bell TV SDTV 4100 receiver/IRD
- Xantrex XPower Inverer 175 Plus
- Blue Sea 15A rocker circuit breaker
On my wish list is:
- Replace the iPod dock with a similar iPhone cradle; i.e. Carcomm CMIC-09.
- RayMarine AIS250.
- Xantrex Link Lite; battery power monitor.
- Bennett Tab Position Indicator; assuming the trim tabs on my boart are from Bennett.
Here's what I got so far in terms of a detailed plan:
- Create a 8"x8" interface plate, sculpted to the radar/spoiler arch surface, out of starboard. I picked up the equivelent material from Canus Plastics here in Ottawa.
- Mount center of the arch the DPT-SR1-30 with a RM RD218, RM 33STV, Shakespear Galaxy SRA-40 on a ScanStrut SC111, and an ScanStrut SC113 light bar. It should look this (though the RM satdome pictured is the 37STV and not the 33STV which is smaller.
- The following image depicts how the GPS/light bar will be mounted on the satdome plate.
- Next up is the Laser 746 antenna on a Shakespeare 5187 ratchet mount with a Blue Sea cable clam.
- Access to the mounts will be through the center access panel and the port LED light.
- Once the antennas are mounted, the interior mounting begins. First up will be the KVH Azimuth 1000 compass which will replace the Sea Ray stock compass. However, I have to wire power and NMEA-0183 to the C70 after I determine how the RM GPS 125 is connected, SeaTalk or NMEA-0183.
- Then I have to mount the ACU and the Bell TV/ExpressVu 4100 receiver/IRD (+ AC/DC power converter), preferably where the electrical panel cabinet, where the Sony CDX-H905IP is located. I need ~10" depth for a rack style install otherwise I may have to go funky in terms of mounting. Of course, this means I have to cable from the helm/arch/TV to here which is problematic. I just don't how the wires are routed at this point.
- The Sirius radio tuner and the Sony interface modules have to be mounted in the electical cabinet as well. There isn't much room so mentioning that I also have the Ericsson W35 unit to install as well is giving me a headache.
- Lastly, having a bunch of IR remote controlled stuff in a cabinet (with no window) is stupid. So either I have to put in a clear glass window or a IR repeater... The window sounds easier but thinking how to match trim/color is adding to my headache.
- Lastly, having to put in some data/telephone outlets which I picked up already. The first one is for the cabin and the second one is for the helm (phone only).
To wire/cable everything, I essentially will have to open everything up. I figure that I will have to remove the helm panels to get access to the C70, the panels in the wet bar and on the arch starboard side, the panel behind where the TV is, and the electrical panel. Hopefully, I can rent a snake camera to see where the cables go. I'm hoping that there is space to route cables from the helm to the electrical panel up and around the cabin entrance because the only other way is back to the bilge, cross over behind the generator, and up along to the electrical panel. Of course, this route is not preferred since it follows the main AC/DC bus/wires AFAICT.
Of course, mounting all of this stuff will be a task. The most troublesome will be the radome (and satdome) because of the mount. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, here's two thousand.
Your thoughts and comments are welcome. 
Cheers,
Kaoru
Posted by Kaoru [Boating] ( February 21, 2010 04:29 PM ) Permalink | Comments[0]
H1N1 is not fun...
The following post has been sitting in draft for quite awhile but it took awhile to get over it. I post it now as I reflect over the past winter, which I hoping will be over soon.
Well, I've had my first run-in with H1N1. For all the people out there thinking that all the H1N1 hype is part of an elaborate agenda and that they're are to smart for that, all I can say is those people are full of sh*t. H1N1 is real and it does kill. Of course, so does the regular flu but my experience shows (as well as the prevalent evidence) that H1N1 differs since it goes after otherwise healthy young people. I count my lucky stars that I made it through, but I definitely can see if I was in a slightly different situation I wouldn't be here to talk about it.
My story starts off with my family just getting over a bout of nasty colds, delaying us in getting the flu shot. Approximately 7 days passed after we get our H1N1 vaccinations, my oldest daughter Madeleine gets a cough and fever. Visiting the family doctor, she is told that it is flu-like symptoms so she was put on Tamiflu and she should rest, drink plenty of liquids, etc.. So being the worried but otherwise healthy father, I get her medications, bottled water, and reassure her that it's not H1N1, just a bad cold. Next morning I wake up with a cough, I've had worse, but I dismiss it as proof that it's just a cold. Boy was I wrong! By late afternoon/early evening I was in bed with cold shivers so violent that I was shaking the bed. My fever was hitting 105.5 F (according to our digital/electronic hospital grade thermometer) and was completely delirious. And that was after taking rapid release extra-strength Tylenol. If wasn't for my oldest brother telling me to go to the hospital, the outcome might have been different noting that death usually occurs at 107 F without treatment. To make a long story short, the resident doctor at the hospital confirmed H1N1. He of course gave me Tamiflu, since I was presenting within 24 hours, but mentioned that there is no direct evidence that it does anything. The treatment is province mandated, free, and it couldn't hurt. He did mention, however, that I did fall into the high risk category for respiratory distress. For that, the doctor gave me Ventolin to help my lungs. Since I wasn't coughing that much, I didn't think it mattered but since it was free, no problem. I was sent home finally since there was nothing else to be done. The following day, my fever was like a roller coaster, going up 102-104 and back down. I'd be in a flop sweat one hour, cold shivers in the next. And my body hurt. Not just sore muscles hurt but cannot move even my hair hurt. Thursday night my fever roller coaster finally broke and I started to feel better. By Friday afternoon, however, my almost non-existant cough got worse and my lungs hurt. The pain was deep in my lungs. I was sucking on Ventolin like crazy. It finally settled down but the cough remained... FOR THREE MONTHS I was coughing, like a bronchitis. Finally as mid-Feburary rolled around, I now feel like I was before this whole episode occurred. Total time: mid-November to mid-Feburary.
Now I consider myself lucky. My cousin in St. John's, Newfoundland was not so lucky. Younger than me with a young family, he got H1N1 as fast as I did but he didn't get the vaccine. He died... Then resuitated and kept in a coma not knowing if he suffered brain damage. His lung surface tissues died, his kidneys failed, and his feet and hands were turning black. He had several operations including scraping his lungs and to save his extremities. Because his body was no longer processing oxygen so his blood had to oxygenated artifically. I can officially say that though he is still in hosiptal, he is on the mend though his life will be completely different now. For Christmas, the entire Daigle clan pitched in to provide some money to help in the recovery.
So, I now have a different view about H1N1. It's not hype. It's real, it's deadly, and it can happen to anyone.
Food for thought,
Kaoru
Posted by Kaoru [Family] ( February 21, 2010 04:29 PM ) Permalink | Comments[0]