What to/not to take?

[Rosie1963]

I am trying to make decision on what to take and not to take and a few items are bugging - mainly because they are large and only useful for some of the time

Is it worth taking a folding bike? I am tempted as much of the time I will be on my own and maybe it would save on taxis and allow me to explore double in half the time.

Petrol generator. Just fits in the quarter berth. This is only one year out, and I need to apply for a job for my return in 2015, and my thinking is that with the generator I can have a very noisy mobile office set I take with me. I often need access to printing - so this would power that.

I am sure that there are many other things that I will deliberate over - mainly the amount of clothes I no have at home that need to be distilled to fit a 12inch wide vestibule. I will take one suit incase of a wedding, funeral or even a job interview.

I welcome any suggestions of what to miss out or something surprisingly useful that saves money!

 

[TQA]

Yes to the bike unless you are in the Windward?leeward Islands.

No to the generator. Swap it for solar and an inverter.

 

[ribrage]

Yes to the bike unless you are in the Windward?leeward Islands.

No to the generator. Swap it for solar and an inverter.

Yes to the bike - full size bikes ride better if you can squeeze them in to the boat ?

yes to the generator - if like me you do all your own maintenance the generator comes out often enough to be worthwhile - DRILLS, GRINDERS ETC , my inverter is only small and used for powering laptop or occasionally the TV

PLUS : If you already own it, it's not like you have to buy one, you will kick yourself the first time you need it if you don't take it

 

[sailaboutvic]

To start with NO to the TV
Inverter big YEs , we also do our own Maintenance and some time help others too and our 3000w inverter will run most things . Avd it was very cheap , you don't need to buy a super marine type , mine is five years old now , brought from Maplin for 199 pounds .
Solar panels are a must , we can sit on our anchor for. Weeks on end with out starting the engine ,
Bike we don't have but at time we wish we did ,
Water contains will always come in handily .
some one else carry on with the list .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[Summer Sailor]

No to the generator. Swap it for solar and an inverter.

+1

 

[AndrewB]

No to both. The bike will be unused unless you regularly go into marinas. Anyway, using local buses is part of the fun, and in many countries taxis are relatively cheap, specially if you combine forces with other yachties.

A generator is a pain and will guarantee unpopularity with neighbours in anchorages. Go into a marina if for some reason you need a lot of power. But like others I think solar power and a largish inverter (min 1000w will run power tools) is essential. Also consider uprating your engine alternator.

Tell yourself you can always buy extra clothes should you need them ... you won't. I carried a suit for 10 years and after I stopped working only used it once, after brushing off the mildew. No-one expects yachties to be smart.

 

[GrahamM376]

Yes to folding bike and yes to generator but only for occasional use maybe when several days overcast weather and batteries need charge or for power tools. Solar panels are best with large domestic bank, we only have 350w inverter which is adequate for computer, printer etc.

 

[michael_w]

No to the bike. There is no law that says you cannot take a taxi or bus. The main danger in the Third World is the abscence of any form of highway code. Take the genset, apart from your engine's alternator, it is the most powerful and cost effective power source.

One good outfit is handy, otherwise, they do have shops in foreign parts.

 

[wazza]

So the general conscience of opinion is Yes to the bike & genny and No to the pair of them..! ;-)
As you see you have to make up your own mind on these matters.
Personally I'm a definite Yes on the bike, but it is also good to take the bus.. And a No to the genny unless you'll run it while sailing to your destination as when you get to 'that' tranquil anchorage the last thing anyone wants to hear is a motor running for a long while..

 

[temptress]

So we have bikes, solar, wind, twin alternators on the engine (one is a 160amp Balmar) but no generator. We have not used the bikes since Ireland either too hilly, dangerous traffic, or just no roads/trails for a bike.

We are just about to get a small Honda generator. The modern ones make less noise than most wind generators.

 

[michael_w]

After 24hrs at anchor you'll have no hot water left. The petrol genset is an easy way of making more and charge your batteries at the same time. Even in the tropics I've never had much success with those solar bag gadgets.

 

[TQA]

After 24hrs at anchor you'll have no hot water left. The petrol genset is an easy way of making more and charge your batteries at the same time. Even in the tropics I've never had much success with those solar bag gadgets.

Standard solar shower bag works well for me. After two hours in the sun and sheltered from the wind you get a hot shower, three hours and it burns