WE TOOK IT OFF - FIRST LOOK at Our Re-Galvanized Anchor [Ep. 79]

Our boat feels naked without her anchor, chain, and solar panels. This is a big boat project episode. Kate has fun with epoxy and fixes up the dinghy in her bikini, Curtis installs new solar panels, our re-galvanized anchor and chain arrive and we inspect it for the first time.

The upgrades continue! Living off the grid requires a bit of creativity to solve any problems that you may come across. The best part is meeting the lovely people that you cross paths with to accomplish the goal. Be sure to check out this video to see all three projects we complete while sailing in Brazil.

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#sailing #solar #offgrid #anchor

0:00 Testing our solar panels voltage, amps, and diodes. We find the reason our 100w flexible solar panels failed.
2:04 We search for a machinist in Saco de Ribeira, Brazil to fabricate a new fairlead from aluminum. We meet a wonderful yacht broker who helps us translate.
4:14 Meet Jacob, the sailmaker in Saco de Ribeira, who repairs our sunbrella hatch cover and comes to the boat to measure for our new cokpit rain fly’s.
5:45 Installing our 3 new 155 watt solar panels on the Bimini. Solar Panel Rail Mount Link: House Tuning 1″ Bar Clamps https://amzn.to/3JW9nfy
11:27 Kate shows us how she uses West System G Flex epoxy to repair our Hypalon RIB dinghy and paddleboard leaks with patches.
14:24 Kate tests out her repairs to the SUP (inflatable stand up paddleboard) by taking the dog for a ride to the beach.
16:49 Our re-galvanized 33kg Rocna anchor and 10mm anchor chain arrive back at the harbor. We take the newly repaired dinghy to load it up and bring it back to the boat.
18:09 We get a good first look at the galvanization and air our thoughts on the process. Then we install our anchor and chain on our boat while at the mooring, using our windlass.

So who is this crazy sailing couple making fun videos to share? Well, we are Kate and Curtis. As race winning regatta sailors, we already knew how to sail before we both sold up and headed out to sea, and had the goal of sailing around the world via Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. We brought our mixed rescue dog along with us as she loves sailing and swimming too! We enjoy both solo sailing (while the other is sleeping) and doublehanded sailing (as a couple).

Many people want to know if we are like Sailing la Vagabonde, well not quite. We don’t have a catamaran, there are no kids (yet), and our plan from the get go was to go around the world via the southern ocean. Before we left we did watch (and still do), and were inspired by other sailing channels such as Gone With The Wynns, Nahoa, Sailing Uma, Project Atticus, and well of course the original, SV Delos.

Our boat is a year 2000 J Boats J/46. We searched for 3 years for our perfect sailboat for sale, when we found it, we knew it was the one. We spent 6 months doing a bit of boat restoration and re-fitting in Rhode Island with solar panels, lithium batteries, a watermaker, wind power, and more and then went for our shakedown voyage in Maine. We stopped in Annapolis for a bit to do some more refit work and offshore modifications, installing a inner forestay (cutter rig staysail) and new rudder bearings, then we set off to the open sea. We went to the Bahamas, Miami, US Virgin Islands, BVI, Grenada, Carriacou, St. Maarten, where we enjoyed outdoor adventures, scuba diving, and have now did an Atlantic Crossing to the Azores where we had a chance to fly our drone (and learned how to fly a drone from a boat) and one of our favorite past times, mountain biking. After leaving the Azores we sailed to Tenerife. From there we have left on a huge voyage, transatlantic again, this time to South America as we head for our goal of rounding cape horn to enter the pacific ocean. We now live off grid on our sailboat, and we have sailed over 10,000 bluewater miles to date.

Enough of this, we hope you enjoy our relaxing video on #sailingsunday!

XO XO Sailing Sweet Ruca – Kate, Curtis & Roxy

Music from Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/ey2t4k