[Rhodes22-list] Electronics

Tue Apr 1 20:32:38 EDT 2008

I second MaryLou's motion on the mast mounted VHF if you're going to do
any coastal or Great Lakes sailing.  As for the compass, though, I haven't
looked at it since getting a hand-held GPS years ago.  If will do
significat single handed sailing, an auto helm is invaluable, especially
with remote control.
> Tom, 
> I am one of the people
that disagrees with Stan and Lee on the VHF. 
> It may depend
somewhat on your situation. We sail on the Chesapeake 
> where
there are a lot of other boaters. If some issues a Mayday, a 
>
Pan-pan or Securite call they do that over VHF. If you need to issue 
> a Mayday and you call the Coast Guard on your cell phone they will

> hear you but other boaters in the area (who may be much closer
than 
> the CG) will not. You may not need to deal with bridges or
commercial 
> shipping. We do and I find it easier to call a
bridge tender on VHF. 
> You can call them on the phone but you
need to have a separate number 
> for each bridge. You generally
cannot contact the bridge of a 
> commerical vessel by cell but
you can with VHF. A handheld will work. 
> We used one for years
before adding the masthead antenna because we 
> liked the added
range - particularly for picking up messages from 
> other people
with handhelds. And as Lee said you can use it for 
> weather
forecasts. That said if we are on the Bay on a busy weekend, 
>
the radio is usually off unless we need it. There is just too much 
> traffic. 
> 
> We use a transom mount type
fishfinder for depth (not permanently 
> mounted) and a bulkhead
compass mounted on a board in the 
> companionway. We seem to have
have an unreasonable aversion to 
> cutting holes in the boat. 
> 
> Best, 
> Mary Lou 
> 1991 R22 Fretless

> Rock Hall, MD 
> 
> 
> At 02:26 PM
3/31/2008, you wrote: 
> 
>>Tom, 
>> 
>>I might want to take you up on sailing the Big Assawoman. The
invitation 
>> is 
>>also open for Kent Island if
you want to get some Rhodes sailing before 
>> your 
>>boat arrives. 
>> 
>>Lost of people will
disagree, but I'd take Stan's advice on the VHF. I 
>> have 
>>a cheap handheld and only use it for weather forecasts. Once I
used it 
>> to 
>>call the Coast Guard and they told
me to call back on my cell phone. 
>> 
>>Regarding
your questions, I posted this about a year ago: 
>> 
>>"I had Stan install a Plastismo Contest 101 in my portside
bulkhead. 
>> West 
>>Marine's list price is $215,
but they'll normally match any Internet 
>> price 
>>you can find. I think they sold it to me for about $135 to $140.
I like 
>> it 
>>because it's two-sided so you can
read it from inside the cabin. I often 
>>lock the tiller and
go below to lay down on the settee, not that I'm lazy 
>> or

>>anything. It's nice to be able to see the compass to ensure
you don't go 
>>off course. 
>> 
>>Stan
and others will tell you that a depth finder (fish finder) isn't 
>>necessary because your centerboard and rudder will tell you when
it gets 
>> too 
>>shallow. This is proof that even
Stan isn't right all the time. Ask 
>> Rose. 
>>I
use my fish finder all the time. Even if you don't damage your 
>>centerboard and rudder by dragging them on the bottom, you'll
certainly 
>>knock the bottom paint off of them. I like to sail
close to shore, and 
>> it's 
>>nice to know when it
starts getting shallow. I had Stan install a 
>>Humminbird
Matrix 17 with the temperature/speed accessory on the 
>>
starboard 
>>side bulkhead. It was about $100. You'll need
transducer paint to keep 
>> the 
>>speed wheel
turning, and even then it's nowhere nearly as accurate as a 
>>
GPS. 
>>It will let you know if you're speeding up or slowing
down to help you 
>> trim 
>>your sails. (Tom: Don't
get a speedwheel. Even with transducer paint 
>> it 
>>will get marine growth in no time at all.) 
>> 
>>It cost more to install the instruments than to purchase them,
but Stan's 
>>crew did an excellent job. I'm way overpaid and
totally inept, so it 
>> would 
>>have cost me much
more to do it myself. 
>> 
>>I haven't ventured far
from the marina and normally try to get in before 
>>dark, so I
thought a GPS would be more of a toy than something I really 
>>needed, but I would definitely recommend at least getting a
cheap 
>> handheld 
>>for safety. I use mine to
check my speed more than anything else. I 
>> have a 
>>Garmin C276, but it mostly depends on how much money you want to
spend. 
>>Paper charts are still easier to read. I absolutely
recommend that you 
>> do 
>>not purchase a Magellan
GPS. I had nothing but nightmares with that 
>> company 
>>(except that nightmares stop when you wake up). 
>>

>>Good luck with your choices!" 
>> 
>>Lee 
>>1986 Rhodes22 At Ease 
>>Kent
Island, MD 
>> 
>>_________________________________________________________________________________________

>> 
>> >From Tom: 
>> 
>>Hi guys, 
>> 
>>I thought I had a name
picked out ("Mischief II") for the 1999 R22 that 
>>
Stan 
>>is recycling for me even as I write. But since the hull
will be navy and 
>>since I'm "forever in Blue Jeans"
that are baggy and worn at the knees, 
>> my 
>>wife
suggested "Rag Bag" or "Blue Jeans". It will be one of
the three. 
>>Stan has me talked out of a mast antenna and a
cockpit-mounted VHF, since 
>>GPS and cell phones work great
for communicating these days. 
>> 
>>At any rate,
since I'll be sailing mostly in the Big Assawoman Bay (BAB), 
>>which is extremely shallow in spots and tends to shoal a bit,
I'm still 
>>inclined to go with a depth gauge. And I'm also
inclined to install a 
>>wall-mounted compass in the cockpit
area. Does anyone have any thoughts 
>> on 
>>brands
to look for / stay away from? 
>> 
>>Thanks. 
>> 
>>Tom Bickerstaff ("Bick") 
>>

>>P.S. I should be "up and running" by the end of
June, so if anybody finds 
>>him/herself near Ocean City, MD
and wants to check out the BAB, just let 
>> me 
>>know. 
>>-- 
>>View this message in
context: 
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>>Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com. 
>> 
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>> 
>> 
>>-- 
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>>3/31/2008 6:21 PM 
> 
>
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