Puerto Sherry
17/08/07 04:30 Filed in: Spain - Andalucia
During the morning Juan from Talleres PaEs arrived with my new "A" frame tack welded and ready for final adjustments. Unlike earlier proposals this "A" frame will be secured to the pushpit by four clamps. This has the advantage of easy removal if required but I have some concern about rigidity, particularly once the Superwind is fitted. I suspect some extra bracing may be required.
However, it fits perfectly after and after checking clearances for the Superwind Juan departs saying the frame should be ready for final fitting next Tuesday.
After some research I have concluded that sealed "Gel" batteries are not the way to go. They are eywateringly expensive and apart from their sealed specification offer minimal operational advantages for the price. It seems that Trojan 105 6V wet lead-acid batteries are the best way to go for long term cruising. Sterling Power Products who supplied the battery charging equipment on Kiriwina have avery succinct and compelling summary on their website.
Six x 6v batteries would have to be wired in series thus equating to 3 x12v batteries. None of the chandlers in Puerto Sherry are able to source these batteries but the duty receptionist at the marina office confirms with one phone call that they are available in Alicante. The next question, which cannot be answered until monday it now being late on friday, is how much do they cost and how do I get them to Puerto Sherry.
Marina Office (Inside the lighthouse) at Puerto Sherry with replica Caravel in the foreground.
Back on board I climbed into Kiriwini and resumed cleaning marine growth from Kiriwina's waterline. After a couple of hours it was all removed. The water here is quite murky so I cannot assess the condition of the underwater hull. By feel it seems that growth is mainly confined to slime apart from one of two patches where the antifoul was applied too thinly.
However, it fits perfectly after and after checking clearances for the Superwind Juan departs saying the frame should be ready for final fitting next Tuesday.
After some research I have concluded that sealed "Gel" batteries are not the way to go. They are eywateringly expensive and apart from their sealed specification offer minimal operational advantages for the price. It seems that Trojan 105 6V wet lead-acid batteries are the best way to go for long term cruising. Sterling Power Products who supplied the battery charging equipment on Kiriwina have avery succinct and compelling summary on their website.
Six x 6v batteries would have to be wired in series thus equating to 3 x12v batteries. None of the chandlers in Puerto Sherry are able to source these batteries but the duty receptionist at the marina office confirms with one phone call that they are available in Alicante. The next question, which cannot be answered until monday it now being late on friday, is how much do they cost and how do I get them to Puerto Sherry.
Marina Office (Inside the lighthouse) at Puerto Sherry with replica Caravel in the foreground.
Back on board I climbed into Kiriwini and resumed cleaning marine growth from Kiriwina's waterline. After a couple of hours it was all removed. The water here is quite murky so I cannot assess the condition of the underwater hull. By feel it seems that growth is mainly confined to slime apart from one of two patches where the antifoul was applied too thinly.