| Equipment |
Topic |
Comments |
Life jackets
SOSpender World Class Automatic
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
We would wear this life jacket all the time, even if it weren't required
by the Type V labelling |
| Other products tried: |
Various Type II & III foam PFDs |
| What's happened: |
Nothing - SOSpenders are working as advertised. |
| What's planned: |
Mustang Bomber Type III flotation jacket. Since we're wearing a
jacket 75-80% of time, why not? |
Batteries
Kirkland Start/Deep Cycle & Deep Cycle flooded cell |
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
No problems, performance comparable to the old Sears Diehard batteries they
repalced |
| Other products tried: |
Sears Diehard flooded cell |
| What's happened: |
Kirkland batteries (Costco) are made by the same company that
makes the Sears Diehards (Johnson Controls ). When my
Diehards gave up the ghost after 3 years, I decided to give the Kirklands a
try. |
| What's planned: |
When needed, replace the flooded cell batteries with AGM or Optima
spiral cell |
Battery switches
West Marine Minis
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
Works fine. |
| Other products tried: |
Blue Seas standard-size 1/2/Both |
| What's happened: |
This boat did not come with a battery switch. We originally
installed a 1/2/Both switch on the inside of the console, which made
it inconvenient to access. We replaced this single switch with 3
outward facing waterproof switches, as per a West Marine Advisor. |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Trolling Motor circuit breaker
Blue Seas Bussmann Series 185 Panel Mount 50 amp
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
Works fine so far. |
| Other products tried: |
Blue Seas Bussmann Series 185 Surface Mount 50 amp, Blue Seas T-1
surface mount 50 amp |
| What's happened: |
The T-1 circuit breaker was recalled in mid-2003. The surface
mount Bussmann 185 circuit breaker was installed facing towards the inside of
the console, and was replaced with the panel mount version facing out. This
allows the TM circuit breaker to be set without opening the console. |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Wiring Aids
Blue Seas Cable Clams
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
A great product. Cable clams provide a water-tight
thru-hull access path for wiring that is easily opened
up when needed. |
| Other products tried: |
Clamshell covers, sealed with silicone caulking |
| What's happened: |
Nothing |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Fuse block
Blue Seas ST* Glass Fuse Block with Negative Bus
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
Works fine |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
Nothing |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Charging system
Guest 2623A Three Bank charger
|
Status: |
OK but... |
| In a nutshell: |
Generally, this has been a reliable product. There still is an occasional
glitch where the starting battery gets stuck on "Charge". Resetting the charger
by unplugging it from AC power, then plugging it back in again clears the
problem. |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
Burned out twice, probably due to combiner and 24/12 system... More >>> |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Battery combiner
West Marine 50 Amp
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
This has worked exactly as billed. A useful product. |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
Nothing |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Autopilot
Simrad AP12R
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
Once you have an autopilot, you will never own a fishing boat without one
again. |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
Approximately 12 months ago, the autopilot began swinging the boat
into a strong right turn for no apparent reason... More >>>
|
| What's planned: |
Keep an eye on it, avoid overloading the transistors. It is too
much effort to remove the unit. |
VHF radio
Standard Horizon Intrepid LE (discontinued)
|
Status: |
OK but... |
| In a nutshell: |
A good radio performance-wise, waterproofing of the Squelch knob needs work. |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
Despite being rated JIS-7, the Squelch knob became damaged by
water intrusion after 9 months. The complete radio was replaced by West Marine
under warranty. The Squelch knob continues to get sticky whenever water gets
behind the knob. |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Antenna
Shakespeare 5225 Galaxy (8', 6 dB) (discontinued), and heavy-duty SS
rachet |
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
No problems |
| Other products tried: |
Shakespeare 5241 Whip (3', 3 dB) |
| What's happened: |
Whip antenna was inadequate, could rarely communicate with other
boats; the 5225 has been excellent. Mounted on the console rail, we can easily
communicate with other boats 15-20 miles distant. |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
|
EPIRB
ACR Satellite 406
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
Seems to be working well now, after resolving the problems noted below |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
The unit would periodically fail self-test. Returned the unit
twice. The first time, it appears that they bench-tested the unit and, when it
passed, returned it without doing anything. The second time they replaced some
of the internals, and the unit has been fine. |
| What's planned: |
Nothing |
Sonar
Furuno LS-6100
|
Status: |
OK but... |
| In a nutshell: |
A great black-and-white sonar for use in deeper waters. User
interface works well when operating offshore. However, it does not
seem as effective as other units in shallow water (under 25 feet),
and the speedometer function is off. |
| Other products tried: |
Lowrance X-81 |
| What's happened: |
The temperature thermistor in the original Airmar P66 transducer
failed. Unit was out of warranty, had to buy a new transducer. Speedometer in
the new transducer is also off... More >>> |
| What's planned: |
Replace with a Raymarine DS500X digital color sounder |
GPS
Lowrance Globalmap 100 w/ external antenna
(discontinued)
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
A reliable, if somewhat dated, GPS unit |
| Other products tried: |
None |
| What's happened: |
"Waterproof" unit fogged up after 1 year in saltwater, but... More >>> |
| What's planned: |
Considering replacing with a Standard Horizon 150C mapping unit |
Binoculars
Fujinon Nautilus AR-SX 7x50
|
Status: |
OK |
| In a nutshell: |
A great set of binoculars, although a bit heavy |
| Other products tried: |
Sea Bowld BR7500 7x50 |
| What's happened: |
Nothing; The Fujinons replaced the Sea Bowlds, which are a
decent set of binoculars for the price (around $130), but do not seem as bright
in low light as the Fujinons. Also, the Sea Bowlds were not weatherproofed,
and had a tendency to fog when left exposed to cool, moist air. |
| What's planned: |
Stabilized image binoculars, not sure which brand yet. |