[Rhodes22-list] Electronics

[Leland]

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.
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