Rick & Ami's 8 Year Sailing Adventure

...or, how to log 8000 miles in 8 years!

12 January 2010 | Southern Caribbean
01 January 2010 | Bahia de Chalon, Colombia
19 May 2009 | San Blas Islands, Panama
25 December 2008
05 August 2007 | Mochima, Venezuelan coast
25 May 2007 | Trinidad, West Indies
28 February 2007 | Trinidad, West Indies
23 December 2005 | Trinidad, West Indies
12 August 2005 | Trinidad
14 July 2005 | Trinidad, West Indies
28 June 2005 | St. Lucia, Eastern Caribbean
09 December 2004 | Peru
10 June 2004 | Chatham Bay, Union Island, The Grenadines
19 March 2004 | Trinidad, West Indies
22 December 2003 | Trinidad, West Indies
11 December 2003 | Trinidad, West Indies
13 November 2003 | Trinidad, West Indies

Tara Vana Features & Specs

27 January 2002
Rick
GROUND TACKLE & DOCKING:
• 25 kilo (55 lb.) Delta anchor
• 250 feet of 3/8" BBB chain
• 100 feet of rode
• 33 lb. Spade aluminum anchor with 25 feet of 3/8" BBB chain
• 40 feet of 10mm chain
• Lofrans Cayman 88 1000 watt windlass
• 25 foot anchor bridle (1 inch) with Wichard chain grabber
• 125 ft. ¾ inch nylon line (two)
• 50 ft. ¾ inch braided nylon line (two)
• Misc. other docking lines (various lengths, sizes)
• Large anchor locker with ample storage
• 8 inflatable fenders
• Aluminum boat hook

SAFETY:
• New RFD SeaSava Plus R 4-person liferaft, March 2007
• ACR GlobalFix Category II EPIRB
• ParaTech 18' sea anchor with 200 meters of nylon rope
• Galerider 48" drogue with 100 meters of double braid line
• 2 West Marine inflatable life vests with whistles, strobe lights
• 6 life vests
• 2 handheld million candlepower spotlights
• 3 USCG fire extinguishers

SAILS & RIGGING:
• Fully battened mainsail, about 550 sq. feet, 3 reefs, November 2005
• Blue Sunbrella lazy bag November 2005
• Z-Spar mast and boom
• New standing rigging November 2005
• Self-furling jib, about 350 sq. feet
• Asymmetrical spinnaker, about 1000 sq. feet
• New "Gale Sail", hank-on storm headsail
• 5 2-speed self-tailing Lewmar 44 winches
• Miscellaneous shackles and blocks
• 10 folding mast stairs
• Bosun's chair

ELECTRONICS:
• Autohelm ST50 instrumentation (analog wind, Multi, ST7000 Autopilot, at port helm)
• Autohelm ST7000 autopilot with linear drive on port quadrant
• Northstar (Navman) autopilot with Raymarine linear drive on starboard quadrant (redundant system)
• Multi at interior nav table
• Raymarine ST600R wired autopilot remote at interior nav table
• Standard Horizon Matrix GX3000 fixed mount VHF with external speaker, 30 watt hailer (hailer horn mounted at spreaders)
• Uniden 502 fixed mount VHF (spare) with remote mic
• Standard Horizon HX350S handheld VHF (two)
• Dual masthead VHF antennas
• Icom IC-M802 SSB with AT140 tuner
• Commander Technologies 23 ft. SSB whip antenna
• Metz SSB DSC receive antenna
• Pactor 2-Pro modem with Pactor III firmware upgrade
• Furuno GP32 WAAS GPS/chartplotter
• Furuno 1715 LCD radar
• Fujinon 7 X 50 marine binoculars
• MLR Valsat O2L GPS
• Magellan handheld GPS
• Raytheon electronic handheld bearing compass

ELECTRICAL:
• Rolls lead-acid batteries with Hydro-Caps (650AH)
• Link 10 monitor
• TruCharge 40 amp 220V battery charger
• 80 amp high output alternator with Balmar ARS4 3-stage regulator on port engine
• 1000 watt Xantrex inverter
• 4 Siemens solar panels on tilting rack (300 watts) with Xantrex C35 charge controller
• KISS wind generator
• LED masthead tri-color, anchor light
• LED lighting throughout interior
• 4 interior 12v outlets

SECURITY:
• Flagship Marine electronic security system
• Deck sensors on transom steps, and on stern
• Cockpit sensors
• Salon sensors
• Activates siren and flashes deck light
• Remote control

ENGINES:
• Volvo MD2030, freshwater cooled (two)
• Separate start battery for each engine
• Large engine rooms accessible from transoms; ample storage
• Volvo 120SD Saildrives (two)
• Manual pull CO2 fire extinguishing system
• Racor 500FG fuel/water separators (two)
• Fuel: about 72 gallons, 36 gallons each engine
• 8 5-gallon diesel fuel transport jugs

PLUMBING:
• About 175 gallons freshwater storage in 2 tanks
• Pressurized freshwater system with two pumps
• Water usage meter
• Separate spigot at galley sink for in-line filtered drinking water
• EchoTec 8 gallon/hour watermaker
• High pressure saltwater wash-down pump at anchor roller
• 6 gallon 220 volt/engine heated water heater
• Freshwater shower at starboard transom, with water saving pressure nozzle
• 50 ft. garden hose
• High water bilge alarms for hulls, engine rooms
• Automatic bilge pumps for engine rooms, hulls
• Manual bilge pumps for hulls
• 5 3-gallon water transport jugs

INTERIOR:
• 4 stateroom layout with ensuite head/shower, hanging closets & shelves
• 21" Visio flatscreen TV on swivel wall mount & Sony DVD player in master stateroom
• 2" memory foam on master berth
• 6'4" headroom throughout
• Teak & Holly laminate floors in hulls
• Modern, LED reading lights for each berth
• Ample storage under the 4 berths, and in both bows
• Kenwood CD/MP3/AM/FM radio with inside/outside speakers
• Excellent ventilation throughout: 6 ceiling hatches with sunshades & removable screens, 2 forward facing hatches in salon, sliding window in galley (Goiot)
• 8 opening portlights (Goiot) with removable screens
• Custom built teak pantry, drawers, and cabinet facings
• Custom built bookshelves with teak fiddles
• 12 volt Hella Turbo fans (8)
• 9,000 BTU Haier free standing air conditioner, 110v

SALON & GALLEY:
• Dual basin stainless steel sink
• 2 burner propane stove with oven
• 40 lb. propane storage
• Electric propane solenoid shutoff under galley sink
• Front loading 12V evaporator plate refrigeration; air/freshwater cooling, 9 cubic foot capacity, with wireless temperature display
• Free-standing ice maker 110V
• Commercial quality non-slip salon/galley flooring
• Salon table with seating for 10
• Storage under entire settee
• Corian-type Wilsonart counter and stove cover
• Peek-A-Boo hatch shades on 2 overhead hatches

EXTERIOR:
• Dual helms aft, instrument displays at port helm
• Large, well shaded cockpit, blue Sunbrella bimini with aft and side Sunbrella panels
• White molded fiberglass cockpit table, seats 4-6
• Custom fit Textaline cockpit cushions
• Custom-made teak cockpit grate
• Sunbrella sunshade for the front of the boat
• Textaline salon window covers
• Ocean Frenzy kayak
• Folding deck chairs (2), folding Sport-a-Seat cushions (2)
• Magma propane BBQ mounted on stern
• Propane: a 20 lb. composite tank, a 10 aluminum tank, a 10 lb. steel tank, and a shut-off solenoid mounted under the galley sink
• 9' Caribe Lite dinghy with 9.8 Tohatsu outboard engine, sturdy engine lock, cable and chain for securing dinghy
• Dinghy anchor, chain, & rode
• SS dinghy davits; outboard motor mount
• 2 large lazarettes for dive gear storage; outboard fuel storage (18 gallons)
• 2 large cockpit lazarettes
• Molded fiberglass bow pulpit seats
• White "Starboard" folding helm seat (port)
• Transom fishing pole holders (2); trolling rod with Penn reel; misc. fishing gear
• Solar stern boarding lights (LED)



Comments
Vessel Name: Tara Vana
Vessel Make/Model: Nautitech 435 catamaran
Hailing Port: Laguna Beach, CA
Crew: Rick & Ami Bergstrom
About: With little previous sailing experience, we decided to sell everything we owned, buy a cruising catamaran, and explore the world.
Extra: Retired at 40, we've been living aboard Tara Vana in the Caribbean since Sept. 2001. It has been a rich and varied experience. New people. New cultures. Lots of dance and music. And spectacular scenery.

Who: Rick & Ami Bergstrom
Port: Laguna Beach, CA