aegir-ran

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Aegir-Ran Is (Finally) Back In The Water

On October 24, almost seven months after first going on the hard with a dead engine, Aegir-Ran splashed with a new Beta 38 engine. The next morning, a beautiful sunrise was observed. This certainly beats the dusty work yard.

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Beta Marine 38 Is Installed

Aegir-Ran has been without a working engine since its Westerbeke 35C seized up earlier this year. After a two month effort, she has been repowered with a Beta Marine 38. After removing the transmission of the Beta, it was lifted into the cockpit. Because of the hard dodger, it was necessary to manhandle the engine into the companionway, where I had constructed a gantry crane to lower it into the…

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Oatmeal Recipe

During the past couple of shake-down cruises, I have kept track of the foods I eat most often, especially while underway. Instant oatmeal was very popular. I have previously used commercial recipes, but decided to develop my own. The ingredients include hot links (just click to purchase). 3 cups rolled oats ⅓ cup coconut milk powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla powder 3…

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Starlink Converted to 12 Volts

There are only a few things on Aegir-Ran that require 120 volts : Starlink, laptop charging, the ice maker, and the milk foamer. Running the inverter for these items is problematic: 1) it wastes some energy, perhaps 10-20% (which is lost as heat), 2) It makes an audible noise, and 3) it creates electrical noise that interferes with some of the electronic equipment, like the VHF radio. Of these…

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How Global Climate Change is Making Hurricanes Worse.

I have been working on Aegir-Ran on the hard for the past two months. Everyone in the work yard have been complaining about how much hotter and more humid that normal, and how the summer weather is lasting longer than normal. NPR recently published a story that discussed the relationship between the weather and storms. In the story there was a chart that confirmed my suspicions that the water is…

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(Re)Estimating Range Under Power

Since I have changed the fuel storage and I am replacing the Westerbeke 35C with a Beta 38, I need to re-estimate the range under power. I previously estimate the range to be 625 NM. Consulting the performance curves for the Beta 38: And, considering the tankage of 60 gal for the main tank + 15 gal in the day tank + 30 gal on the deck = 105 gal total, assuming 2200 RPM (fuel consumption is…

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Outboard Engine Harness

I looked around for a harness for my outboard motor. After reading several negative reviews and speaking with a friend who was disappointed with his purchase, I decided to make my own. The main problem with the existing harnesses is they are “universal”, and so do not fit a particular motor very well. I sewed a custom harness for my Yamaha F6 in about 30 minutes. It probably cost $2 in material,…

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Process to Import a Replacement Engine To Mexico

I have a TIP (Temporary Import Permit) for Aegir-Ran which in principle lets me import replacement parts duty-free. However, every time I cross the border and show the paperwork, the import officials do not seem to know anything about the permit. Naturally, I was concerned about importing a new/expensive engine, so I collected advice from many fellow sailors regarding the process. Unfortunately,…

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Foul Weather Gear

I have been putting off buying foul weather gear, in part because I have not needed it in the Sea of Cortez, but mostly because it is so darn expensive. I have been saving my pennies for the past several months, and am now in a place to pull the trigger on several purchases. To make my funds stretch, I have been keeping my eye out for good deals on eBay. The first purchase was a Gill OS1 jacket…

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Obtaining Weather Forecasts While Offshore

I have been procrastinating purchasing satellite communication equipment because the technology is evolving rapidly. The main use I will have for the equipment is obtaining up-to-date weather forecasts. I have been using PredictWind for the past year and I am convinced this is the forecasting tool I will use. While in principle, I can download PredictWind via Starlink, I do not consider that…

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Why The Engine Failed

It is now obvious why the engine failed. The flywheel damper plate disintegrated. Pieces of the spring/rollers were cut through and jammed against the housing. Note one piece of spring embedded in the transmission housing. In the photo above you can also see several of the swings have stopped rotating and have been ground flat. At the 3:00 position you can see a piece of spring missing and at…

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Westerbeke Engine Pulled

The Westerbeke 35C in Aegir-Ran seized. Something catastrophic failed inside the engine. The temperature did not rise, the oil pressure was good, and it was not hydrolocked. Since I was 80% certain I was going to repower the boat this summer, the failure of the engine confirmed my suspicion that the engine was on its last legs. I always suspected the engine after I learned the genset in the boat,…

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Sailing Single-Handed Without An Engine

I had been sailing for about a month, crossed from San Carlos to Santa Rosalia, and made my way slowly south down most of the length of Baja, about 400 miles. On March 26th, I was anchoring at Muertos in southern Baja (marked with the red X) and the engine stopped suddenly … on a dime. I immediately checked the temperature and oil pressure, and they were fine. I pulled the injectors and tried to…

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Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó.

I rented a car yesterday to drive to Loreto from Puerto Escondido to provision. Since I had a car, I took the opportunity to drive into the mountains to see the Misión San Francisco Javier. I understand it was the second church built in the Baja California Sur state (the bottom half of Baja), the first being built in Loreto. The mission was founded by Jesuits of the Roman Catholic church in 1699…

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Bahia Salinas

The bay that is located on Isla Carmen is best known for its salt mining operation, which probably started in the 1600’s and ended in the 1980’s. There are several decaying buildings on the site (note the old panga on the right). There is also some equipment left behind, including this forklift that has been turned into a planter. And this truck (which is clearly newer than the 1990’s. It is…

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First Yellowfin Tuna Caught

I’ve been trying to catch a yellowfin tuna since I arrived in Mexico, and was finally successful today, while sailing near Isla Coronado. I cleaned it on the spot. A few hours later, I arrived at Bahia Salinas and prepared a meal: pan seared tune in sesame oil with black sesame seeds. Fusion salad with rice, red onion, and cilantro. Served with say sauce and ginger.

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Where I Plan to Watch the Solar Eclipse

On April 8, there will be a solar eclipse. There is an interactive map that you can use to view the path for total eclipse. The path follows open ocean south of Baja and intersects Mexico’s mainland around Mazatlan. Many of my boating buddies are head to Mazatlan to view the eclipse, but it is likely to be a zoo there, so I have decided to pick a random point in the ocean to view the eclipse. I…