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We have gained our experiences cruising over 50 thousand miles from 70N to 65S with many of those miles in cold waters. But the Med, Brazil and the South Pacific gave us experiences in sunny and warm conditions.
Many of our Hints and Experiences are for that reason a little "to much" regarding the heating system for the normal circum navigator. But still there are more and more sailors who take advantage of the cold remote and lovely, not so crowded areas in the world.
In cold areas we have met several cruisers with almost no heating at all, and they have survived even if it was very cold, wet and uncomfortable.
Everything is a question about priorities! 
 

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Old system
The original system was designed  with three battery banks, separated by voltage sensitive relays. Our main problem has been the charging capacity and the charging regulator, making our batteries deteriorate because of sulfation, almost whatever we have tried.
One of the nice things with the relays between the banks is that it is possible to save the other two (starter and bow thruster batteries which consume nothing under way using the engine) when charging the house bank during engine running for "days". The simple method for doing that is just to put a breaker on the ground wire to the relay so that feeding through the relay is broken. Of course the charging current has to reach the house bank first and then via the relays to the other two. This have saved our two other battery banks from cooking during "endless" engine hours i.e. in the Med.
The solar panel (60W) is almost enough to feed the fridge (equipped with a water cooled heat exchanger in a through hull fitting).
We use the wind generator (AIR 403) only when sailing using the autopilot, radar or other electricity consuming equipment. 
As indicated above, our standard alternator (60Amp) with a standard charging regulator is our weak point.
In NZ we will exchange the alternator and use a temperature sensitive (both the battery and alternator temperature) external charging regulator, able to work with different charging regimes. New batteries of course. We will go for AGM for two main reasons. No sulphating (and of course no equalization then needed) and can be charged with the same voltage as open acid batteries. Using Gel batteries there has to be a charging regime that regulates the voltage down to a maximum of 13,6 - 13,8 depending on the temperature. This means that even the solar panel and the wind generator has to be regulated to this voltage. 
We have now read Nigel Calder's excellent book "Boat owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual". Had we done that before leaving Sweden, we would probably already have had our AGM batteries and a separate charging regulator!

Now (2008-9) we have rebuild the system!

In Opua NZ, November 2008 we finally did the long planned upgrading of our DC charging and battery systems.
First the new batteries. We had as you read above decided to go for AGM, but after talking to people and reading the manufactures fine print we understood that AGM's need equalisation, almost in the same manners as a acid lead battery. Meaning that the main reason for us to have chosen AGM was gone!
We now decided to go for open deep cycle lead acid batteries. 1. Cheaper than AGM, 2 Overcharging, top up water, whereas AGM are dead in that case. Another reason was our existing alternator, but more on that later.      
- 4 * 6 volts 232 Amph Endurant R200 batteries in two new compartments. The old one was to shallow for the new deep cycle ones. They are put together in series and parallel and gives us 12 volt and 464 Amph. The starter battery is charged as earlier via a voltage sensitive relay.
- We kept the old 60 amp alternator, with it's inbuilt regulator as a spare and rebuild the old spare alternator to be regulated by an external regulator. We didn't choose a bigger alternator for two reasons. Our water maker is belt driven from the engine and uses the pulley we need for a bigger alternator, and by choosing deep cycle acid batteries, we could in fact not use a much bigger alternator (AGM and Gel batteries can be charged faster and more effective with a much bigger alternator compared with acid batteries).
We could have bought a one belt driven 85 Amph alternator, but 1000$ for 15 Amph!!!
A good rule of the thumb is that the alternator has to take care of your 24 hours consumption. No problem for us, especially as we are running the water maker every three days for two to three hours, giving us more than enough Amph back to the batteries.   
- The new external regulator, Balmar 612, for the alternator is a modern three stepped charger and can run different types of batteries. It can even equalize !! Temp sensors on batteries and alternators limit the output when the temperatures are too high. Our old alternator is much more efficient today. Charging the batteries much closer to 90% with full power.
- We have now got three solar cells, in total 240W. A new three stepped regulator take care of all those watts, ensuring no overcharge of the batteries. Even this regulator can equalize, and does it automatically every 30 day.
- Finally we got a new wind generator. The old one, AIR Marine 403, was completely worn out. Bearings and regulation was working very badly and finally we lost one blade in a squall south of Tonga.
The new one is still an AIR but a later much improved model called AIR Breeze. Almost silent and much more efficient, especially in light winds.  Same bracket and cabling as the old one was on the + side, and it's the lightest generator in it's effect class.

SHORE-POWER
To gain full safety we have an isolation transformer (3,5kVA to avoid overheating using a 10 Amp fuse (220v)) adjustable for different voltage ashore. No problem with leaking earth from the boat system out into the water creating corrosion by the leaking current. Personal safety is also gained (actually the isolation transformer is in Sweden sometime called a safety transformer because of it's use for protection of people).
   
GALVANIC PROTECTION
All through hulls, propeller shaft and rudder shaft are protected with hull zinc anodes. The system is divided into three groups where all protected items are within "sight" of their respectively protecting zinc anode giving the zinc ions a shorter distance to travel through the water. There are some advantages and some disadvantages with this system. On the plus side, it is easier to monitor the system. With no complete bonding system that, amongst other, eventually causes other problems, and has to take care of lightening current (making the system quite heavy) Minus is that we can get a small difference in potential between the groups effecting the rate of zinc consumption.
It's important to clean the anodes from isolating zinc oxide, and change anodes when 50% is consumed.

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A chain is very strong when forces are gradually increased, but chains, when compared with ropes are brittle and break easily under very strong and rapid jerks, especially if it has already been exposed to fatigue loads.
If the breaking load of your snubber chain hook is below the working load of your chain, you can keep track of the load effect on your chain, avoiding fatigue. Then you can use your chain "forever", at least if it is as ours, a stainless one!
When the holding is confirmed by using min 80% of your engines reverse force (normal size of sail boats engines) the relay to the windlass should be shut of (this is also to be done when the anchor have been lifted up and secured to the boat).
There are several examples when the relay have, because of wear, tear and humidity, engaged the motor to the windlass and released/or pulled the chain, not very pleasant whether you are at anchor or at sea. We have no experience of our own, but people we know have had both these experiences.

1. Depth to be able to deal with:
You have to be able to deal with at least 25 m depth with reasonable chain angle. This means 3 times the depth + 10 m, minimum 85 m chain. Eventually 60 m chain + rope (the rope should never, because the risk of chafe, be allowed to reach the bottom). If a shorter chain + rope are used, make sure to buoy the connection between the chain and the rope and the part of the rope that eventually can reach the bottom. Remember it's your safety and your undisturbed sleeping we are planning for. Don't use floating rope for your main anchor, there are a lots of chafing risks at the surface beside propellers.

2. Chain:
Steel is strong when forces are gradually increased but compared with e.g. a rope, steel is brittle, and sensitive to rapid, jerking heavy loads. To avoid this damages the load on the chain should always be allowed to be flexed with a rope or some similar flexing arrangement.
We chose an 8 mm high strength stainless chain with a breaking load of 5 ton. This is as strong as a "normal" 10 mm chain but much lighter. Shackle and eventually swivel has of course to match the chain both in size and strength. (See table below)  The anchor should always, whether you are using a swivel or not, be attached to the chain with a shackle, with the pin in the chain or swivel and the bow in the anchor. The obvious reason is to keep a straight line for the forces from the anchor onto the chain, without any additional bending forces when the wind shifts or the boat is riding back and forth on the chain. Yes we know that some anchors do not provide a slotted hole, but that doesn't change the fact that forces don't want to run around corners!
And on top of this, you want to be able to use as big a shackle as possible, and that's the thickness of the pin into the chain!! not the bow which need more space, giving you a weaker shackle. The latter means that you have weaken the whole system with a weaker shackle exposed to fatigue due to bending at the anchor, VERY BAD!    

3. Anchors:
Hard bottoms demand sharp, ploughing anchor e.g. Delta, Manson, CQR  while on soft bottoms you need bigger area, like e.g. Bruce, Spade, Roccna, Manson-Supreme, Bügle. The four latter are sharp enough to cope with most hard bottoms and therefore a very good choose as an all round anchor.
We are equipped with a +23kg stainless Delta as our main anchor and a 20 kg Bruce, both arranged on the bow, able to launch either of the two (or together with a five meter chain in-between.) We are hoping to be able to by a stainless Manson-Supreme to be more complete.

4. Windlass and cabling
It's important that the motor and relay are well protected and in a dry compartment. The anchor chain locker is a really a bad place for these electrical parts, even in short terms. At least our chain locker gets full of water now and then when sailing in rough conditions!
Stray current and corroded chain/shackle is one risk, and another is a high risk of malfunction of the windlass. 
Deep water and eventually double anchor sum up to great loads. Check your windlass when loaded. The voltage drop should not be more than 0,5 v. If more you have to enlarge the cabling area between the battery and windlass. Check that the windlass uses it's marked rating. There are quite a difference between different brands, in spite of being  marked with the same rating! Meaning that one brand's 1000W windlass can be much more powerful (cope with more load) than another brands 1000W, in spite the chain speed being the same. If you are to by a new windlass, it's a good idea to look into a size bigger than you first intensions (but remember the cabling!).
When using the windlass - try to never load the windlass with more than the dead load of your equipment by easing the clutch.
Never pull the boat with the windlass and do use the securing chain hook to relive the windlass when breaking loose the anchor from the bottom or digging it down when reversing.
The clutch should be "checked" every time and it's easiest done by easing the clutch until the chain runs out by it's weight when anchoring. You save time, it's much faster than letting out the chain by the motor and you get the anchor easier where you want it. Not 10m further back as you are reversing during anchoring, not to have the chain in a pile on top of your anchor.
But the most important advantage with this free fall method is that you are constantly "checking" that the clutch is working and not over tensioned, risking the key and the shaft of the windlass.  
On top of this, most manuals calls for disassembly of the clutch every month for a full time cruiser, to check, sand and grease the mating surfaces.

5. Taking the load off the chain to the boat:
Once again, never jerk the chain without a snubber or a flexing rope.
You need two chain hooks. One that matches the working load of the chain (not stronger) and is fixed to the boat via a flexing rope, a snubber, that prevents the chain from jerking.
The other chain hook should have the same braking load as the chain as a minimum, because this is your last securing hook. The windlass should never be allowed to take these loads because of the risk of breaking the key and the shaft in a jerk, well before the chain breaks. This is of course not valid for big windlasses with separate brakes, not effecting the key and shaft. 
The securing chain hook has to be fastened to the boat on a very strong cleat, and still be elastic enough to relieve the chain from any jerk. Easiest done with some meters of strong, but elastic rope between the chain hook and the cleat.           

6. Fixing the chain in the chain locker.
Never use a shackle to fasten your chain in the chain locker!
- First it's dangerous when you are in a hurry getting rid of the chain in emergencies.
- Second it's not good for the windlass if it will be stopped instantly when the chain come to it's end and
  the windlass is still pulling out by motor. The rotating forces will most certain kill the key or the shaft.
- Third you need to get the chain up on deck to be able to free the chain even in "normal" circumstances
   when you have to tie a rope at the end of the chain, anchoring in deep water.
All these three occasions are easily solved with having a strong, long enough rope tied to the end of the chain and then fastened down in the locker. Long enough so the chain have passed the gipsy before the rope stretches and slides in the gipsy without any forces onto the windlass even if the motor is still running. If the rope is to short, there is a big risk that either the rope or the windlass goes if the chain still is in the gipsy when the rope stretches.

To be able to attach an anchor rope to the end of the chain, stop the windlass when there is a meter of chain left in the locker. Attach the securing chain hook in front of the windlass and bring up the rest of the chain by hand with the chain still on the gipsy. Untie the locker rope from the chain and connect your prepared strong anchor rope to the chain. (We use a 20mm rope with thimble and shackle). Release the securing chain hook and start to put out the chain again with the anchor rope on the capstan or on a winch.
Pulling the anchor rope up, use the capstan or a winch until the chain is well onto the gipsy, secure with the chain hook before disconnecting the anchor rope. Tie the locker rope onto the end of the chain and lead it by hand down into the locker and when the chain is completely around the gipsy, release the securing chain hook and continue pulling the chain as normal.           
This is as far it goes, concerning the equipment.

When it comes to the manoeuvre, there are a number of items we try to live up to in every occasion, even if it's "dead calm".
- Round up the entire area you will use because of the scope you will put out, checking the depth. An even
  bottom is of course favourable. Avoid steep angled bottoms if you can't put a rope ashore (and "use" the
  angle to your advantage)
- When the spot is determined, use the clutch release to get the anchor on that spot just as the boat start
  reversing, not to have the chain above the anchor.
- When minimum three times the depth + 10 m have been let out, secure the chain with the secure chain
  hook (without tensioning the clutch) and carefully continue reversing. When the chain comes out of the
  water in a straight line to the anchor, increase the revs on the engine to about 70-80% of full power to
  dig down the anchor.
  If the depth is greater than your chain (three times...) connect your anchor rope according to 6. above.
- When the anchor is set, the clutch is gently tensioned and the secure chain hook is released. The little
  chain hook with it's flexing ropes is then attached to the chain and the rope to the bow cleats. Then the
  chain is let out so the boat rests on the cleats, connected to the chain via the small chain hook. 
  Finally we attach the securing chain hook again and release the clutch.
- Put the looking pin above the roller in place to prevent the chain from "jumping" out of the roller in swell
  or similar conditions.
- If the bottom is without coral we use an anchor rider. A 12 kg anchor weight attached to a rope rides
  down the chain to about a meter above the bottom. In coral areas we instead use buoys to let the chain
 "hover" over the coral and not getting snagged.      
- Where there is no tidal current we use an anchor sail on the back stay to prevent the boat from sailing on
  and of on the chain. The sail prevent the boat from jerking the chain when it "tacks", reduces load on the
  chain because it keeps the bow and not the beam towards the anchor and the sail saves a lot of space,
  important in crowded anchorage.
- Finally we turn of the relay to the windlass.

Up till now (cross fingers!) we have never dragged the anchor after we have fulfilled these steps. 

Example of working load and breaking load.
(marked with X are equipment we are using on our almost 10ton boat.)

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Rig
The prudent cruiser has to consider the additional demands that will effect the rig, sailing full time on the oceans, compared to "normal" costal recreational sailing for the normal lifetime of a yacht. The latter is probably closer to the design criteria!   

- Design - Consider the effect of fatigue.  "Standing rig not older than 10years" is often a demand in
   insurance policies, not without a good reason.
- Pre tension - Important! e.g. minimise fatigue, prevent deformation and improve sail performance.
  The pre tension of the cap shroud is 15 - 25 % of the breaking load of the wire, the lower figure for masthead rigs and the higher for fractional rigs.
- Align chain plate - rigging screw - shroud - and attachments to the mast. If aligning is not possible, toggles
  must be used, not to introduce fatigue loads. 
 - Vertical spreader angle have to be 6º up from the horizontal plan.  Never horizontal!!
- Adjust newly oiled rigging screws and with a minimum of load.
(have the backstay tensioned,and when adjusting under sail, tension leeward rigging screw never windward )
- Use Chrome bronze rigging screws (consider upgrade one size) to minimise fatigue and the risk of yield in the threads.
- Consider using Sta-lok/Norsman end terminals on wires. Easier to replace a broken wire in remote places. 
– Swaged terminals. Sensitive to misalignments (fatigue) Difficult to get new done everywhere. 
- Chain plates. Solid and strong, watertight and no forces in hidden threads (trough deck).
- Finally have the exact diameter of the holes for the clevis pin to the rigging screws.
Be very careful with the alignment between chain plate and rigging screw. If an angle occurs it's absolutely necessary to use a toggle ( right size) between the chain plate and the rigging screw to avoid pre mature failure (fatigue).  
- Check before every passage: the surface of the aluminium mast around every spreader, shroud
  attachments and fittings. Halyard sheave boxes, slots and cleats. Hooks and bolts in the head box, split
  pins secured, wires and swages (or other end fittings).   
- Furling mast - furl the main keeping some resistant in the outhaul, straight mast to keep the profile
  tensioned.
- Have the backstay marked at 1; straight mast (to furl the main), 2; ok tension to furl the headsails and
  "normal" sailing, 3; max allowed tension in the fore stay.
- Furl the headsails with some resistant in the sheet and with enough tension in the fore stay. Avoid flutter
  and let the sheets continue a few turns around the furled sail. When on anchor, allow the sheets to run
  back along the deck to minimise "sailing on anchor" 
- Secure the furling lines. A halyard clutch on deck close to cockpit is perfect and it even allows you to furl
  safer. If you loose the furling line while furling, the headsail "normally" folds out and rips in strong wind.
  Furling through a locked clutch, this never happens. Much safer and you can rest furled halfway!    
- Avoid having the mast pumping back and forth in heavy seas. (check stay, inner fore stay and tension the
  back stay.)
- Never allow the fore stay and cutter stay/solent stay with Furlex to swing. Have them tensioned enough
  at all time to avoid a lot of various damages on the Furlex and it's fittings. Make sure your back stay
  tensioner is tensioned enough!
- Never let the top of the mast get a negative bend due to heavy load in the forestay or reefed mainsail.
  Use Back stay tensioner!!

Sail
We only fly Dacron sails without any other fibres. The main and jib had done some 32 thousand miles and the genoa 25 thousand until November 2008. Wear and tear are obvious, especially the threads are damage by the UV-radiation.
But still it's a safe material that last longer than until it no longer "sails".  

- Our rig is a masthead rig with two straight spreaders, keel stepped mast, separate intermediate shrouds,
  double lower shrouds as a "standard" rig. All wires are one size up (7 to 8mm, 8 to 10 mm and rigging
  screws are 3/4" instead of 5/8" and of course chrome bronze. Decision taken after having considered
  increased fatigue loads during full time cruising around the world for ten years!)
- We have even upgraded the rig  with running backstays and an inner forestay. On the latter we can fly a
  storm jib.
- Furling main with four 2,5 m long vertical battens. New since 2009, with the same batten system and
  made of Dacron, by Doyle in Whangarei in NZ. 
- Genoa 1,3 on furling forestay (Furlex 300) on the extreme bow. New in NZ as above.
- Self tacking jib 300 mm behind the forestay (Furlex 200). New in NZ as above.

We can't tack with the genoa without furling it completely and then let it out on the other beam. This is because of the self tacker on the cutter stay just behind the forestay. But having a blue water hull,  Lindisfarne turns gently through the wind, so in fact we have almost time to furl and unfurl so it doesn't slow us down much. On the plus side is the "lack" of wear on the genoa because no chafing on stays and spreaders and no flutter thanks to the furling (and again; some tension in the sheets during furling).
The slow genua tack is more than well compensated by the advantages of the self tacking jib.   

The jib is of course a splendid close to hauled sail, but it is very effective down wind sail as well!
We use the jib as a staysail, firmly sheeted between the main and the out poled genoa.
Not wing-on-wing as a lot of boats fly headsails. Our jib closes the gap between main and genoa, using the strong apparent wind across the boat in front of the mast when going down wind.
Two things happen. The speed increase because the sail configuration is greater and use wind that otherwise would have just "passed by". But maybe more importantly, because the jib uses the wind across the boat and is firmly sheeted, the boat leans a few degrees to leeward and "stays" there.
No more rolling when Lindisfarne is running with the wind!! 
Of course in very light wind and confused sea there is not enough wind to stabilise.
Thanks to the wind pressure from the jib (back into the genoa). we fly the genoa poled out all the way up to 100º apparent wind. Saves us a lots of work on deck when the wind is in shifting conditions (found often in light wind in the trade winds)
We use the whisker pole with three lines attached to the end fitting other than the head sail sheet. The lift to keep it up, the downhaul to keep it down and a third line aft to prevent the whisker pole from following the genoa forward when furling. The latter is very important. If you allow the pole to go forward when furling, the genoa can't be furled completely, because the whisker pole is much longer than the distance between the mast and the forestay, letting the genoa flutter until the whisker pole is released. Furthermore, if you furl in at night because of strong wind, you can leave the whisker pole with it's three lines in position until dawn. Much safer and comfortable (the wind might even have changed by then!)              

One disadvantage with our two very tight placed headsails is that Lindisfarne sails when on anchor. To prevent that we fly an anchor sail on the backstay, using the topping lift (dyneema) as a halyard.
Works perfectly. No jerking turns at the end of the chain when she "tacks". It's merely a light turn with her stern when the sail catch the wind and presses the stern through the wind, in opposite to when the chain "pulls" the bow through the wind. Much more comfortable and perhaps more important; less stress on the chain and anchor. Works good even on a mooring.

The need of running back stays and inner forestay became evident one night in rough condition between Shetland and Norway. We didn't like the way the mast at the upper spreader moved back and forth.
Today, going out with the tide, into the swell is possible without any excessive movements in the mast thanks to those extra stays.
The storm jib attached to the inner forestay of course demand running back stay, but that came later using the advantages with already having these stays. The main reason for upgrading the new mast with these stays was to stabilise the mast at the upper spreader.  

We have even changed the chain plates. Two reasons; leakage and threads through the deck, not possible to inspect. The new ones are simply a plate, similar to the old ones below deck but continuing through deck including the hole for the clevis pin for the rigging screw. Using the "old" bulkheads and holes below deck. Material upgraded to 2205, high strength stainless steel, and thanks to that we have been able to weld watertight plates, bolted through deck. The new plates are angled to their shrouds attachments on the mast, both lateral and longitudinal.    
The back stay, inner forestay and cutter stay have also new "chain plates" described more in detail in the photo album.

When changing all the chain plates, we took advantage of the opportunity and installed a lightning protection. All stays and shrouds are connected to keel bolts via 16mm² cabling between chain plates and keel bolts. The mast has a separate cable to the keel. The system will probably not protect our electronic equipment, but it will hopefully save us and the boat even if we have a direct hit.     
 

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The only really significant parts we have repaired or changed during our five years of cruising are pumps. The engine have one saltwater and one freshwater pump, both are exchanged. Our galley and shower pressure pump is new since two years. The grey water pump have had it's membrane exchanged...  The feeding pump (low pressure) for the water maker have had new membranes and valves. So for sure we advise you to bring spare pumps and spare parts to pumps (not to forget the pump in the head).

Tools and a set of screws, bolts, bits and pieces like plywood, plexiglas, delrin, rubber cloth, sheet of stainless and more, are quite essential when it comes to repair in remote places.

And remember, if you don't need what you brought, it's a very good feeling in helping some fellow cruiser in need.           
 

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Since Chile the boat is equipped with an AIS-B transponder. Information about other ships position, course, speed, rate of turn, closes point and so on comes up on the computers chart program. Our transmitted position, course and so on is possible to turn of and still receiving information, important in areas where you don't want "them" to find you.
 

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