What electronics to I need?

[prv]

We will be liveaboard in Scotland for 3 years, during which time we will be enjoying some inland cruising (eg Caledonian Canal) with some offshore visits to the Western Isles. I'm thinking that a VHF & plotter would be all that was needed for that? After 3 years, we want to cruise to the Mediterranean for a year or more (radar needed?) & then have an option for the Caribbean if we feel inclined. I'm assuming an Atlantic run would need some more kit, maybe SSB radio & AIS?

The order of equipment vs place here seems odd. Surely radar is more important in Scotland, where you get fog, than in the Med where you don't?

Similarly, AIS isn't useless on an Atlantic crossing, but it's much more important in heavily-trafficked coastal waters.

I don't think SSB is an essential anywhere nowadays, satphone (and satellite email) has superseded it for serious point-to-point communication. Though if I was sailing long-distance I would still fit SSB for geeky interest and the more casual net-chat type stuff.

As mentioned, an EPIRB and/or PLB(s) would be sensible nowadays.

Pete

 

[petem]

For the Med I'd be more concerned about a Bimini, A/C, a Genset and a Pasarelle.

 

[Seastoke]

have you told swimbo about the atlantic crossing

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

have you told swimbo about the atlantic crossing

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Surely radar is more important in Scotland, where you get fog, than in the Med where you don't?

Er.. yes you do. We also have darkness from time to time, radar always helpful for that as well

 

[Orange]

I'm a bit puzzled by that. I can think of a number of boats that will do exactly what you want. What's the stumbling block? I wouldn't have thought cost is your problem if you are looking at Ellings.

The stumbling block is we have to sell our house to buy the boat.

 

[Seastoke]

you might be better being less ambitious ,buy a boat that will do scotland ,south coast and the med ,so if you get accross the pond where to then ,i would buy a boat over there in a better region ,but good luck

 

[prv]

Er.. yes you do. We also have darkness from time to time, radar always helpful for that as well

Sure - not saying you'd never want radar in the Med, just that if you want it there you'd want it even more in Scotland - and around the rest of the Atlantic coasts on the way down.

Pete

 

[Orange]

you might be better being less ambitious ,buy a boat that will do scotland ,south coast and the med ,so if you get accross the pond where to then ,i would buy a boat over there in a better region ,but good luck

Thanks for your reply, I'm not sure if I understand though. Across the pond where to then? Buy a boat in a better region?

 

[Seastoke]

what i mean is if you cross the atlantic ie pond you will be at say new york ,then where do you go ,iam saying ,say fly to the state where there is great cruising ground a and buy a boat there

 

[Orange]

what i mean is if you cross the atlantic ie pond you will be at say new york ,then where do you go ,iam saying ,say fly to the state where there is great cruising ground a and buy a boat there

Ahh, understood thanks.

The main use would be Scotland, then Mediterranean. Maybe then back to Scotland again. The Atlantic trip is a possible option though. I'd be more interested in the Caribbean, then maybe through the canal to the Pacific. I have very little interest in cruising the US.

 

[Seastoke]

Ahh, understood thanks.

The main use would be Scotland, then Mediterranean. Maybe then back to Scotland again. The Atlantic trip is a possible option though. I'd be more interested in the Caribbean, then maybe through the canal to the Pacific. I have very little interest in cruising the US.

do you really cross the atlantic or have your boat close to the carrib

 

[Orange]

do you really cross the atlantic or have your boat close to the carrib

Hi Seastroke

I'm afraid that us Manx are not too bright sometimes. I can't quite work out what you are asking. The best that I can manage is that you're asking if I definitely have to cross the Atlantic to get to the Caribbean? Well, I could stuff the boat on a freighter I suppose, but the Atlantic is part of the adventure? I think if we can't manage to get a boat that's capable of an Atlantic crossing (eg Trader), then we'd just stick to the Med.

 

[TwoHooter]

The title of your thread is What electronics to I need? Then you said:

Understanding that no-one makes a boat that's exactly what we want, would it be a better idea to try to find a boat that has all or most of the kit we would need, or is it better to find a boat that is already fully kitted out.

I'm trying to be helpful here. We went through the same process as you - see my thread here. Here's the result of our search. The boat we chose is not perfect but for us it was the best compromise. As you probably know, all boats are a compromise. We defined what we wanted to do with the boat and then we bought one that was able to achieve those objectives and had all the things that are hard to add as extras. For example: stabilisers, generator, air conditioning, hydronic heating, thrusters, a freezer, and a washing machine. These things are horrendously expensive to fit to an existing boat. Even fitting a washing machine to a boat that hasn't got one involves serious cabinetmaking and re-arrangement of other things. On the other hand you can fit things like a watermaker and new electronics quite easily. So a straight answer to your question 'would it be a better idea to try to find a boat that has all or most of the kit we would need, or is it better to find a boat that is already fully kitted out' is that it would be better to buy a boat which already has the things that are hard to fit (see above) but don't worry about the electronics because they are relatively easy to fit and the cost is unlikely to be more than about 10% of what you will be paying for the boat.

I agree with Jimmy the Builder about the electronics you need.

You answered my last post by saying that the stumbling block is you have to sell your house to buy the boat. I would have thought that if you have sufficient equity in your house to even consider buying an Elling you will have a good choice of boats when the time does come.

Good luck! Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Mr Googler]

Hi orange.

Go and have a chat with Dean at Bottomline. Down at middle river near the civic amenity site, Douglas. He has a huge amount of electronics and knows his stuff.

I buy all my stuff from him and very pleased with it and the advice.

Installing a simrad rs35 and hs35 vhf at the mo. A cracking bit of kit. I will also link it to a loud hailer so it will do fog signals and I can shout at SWMBO on the foredeck with amplified assistance

Nice to see another manxie on here........although I am a stay over!