Remote Chartplotter Project
06 October 2011 | Portobello, Panama
Susan / mostly cloudy with periods of rain, 86 degrees F
One of Jerry's favorite types of projects is upgrading Vida Dulce's electronics. Today he completed the installation of a remote chart plotter screen and control keyboard.
Our overnight crossing from Cholon, Colombia to Isla Pinos (Tubak), Panama was quiet until just after midnight when I came on watch. What was a few isolated red radar circles built quickly to become nearly 6 hours, and 28 miles, of continuous squalls bringing torrential rain, lightening, thunder, and ever-shifting winds. Just when the radar indicated a lightening of the storm, it gathered strength and engulfed us again. It was one cold and wet night. up at the helm. We've had the remote chartplotter LCD since Tortola, BVI and nearly all of the parts required for installation since our last trip from the land-of-plenty (LoP), but as anyone with a house or boat knows, once starting a project you may need one or two more parts or pieces that you didn't anticipate needing and don't have in the stock of parts and spares. Finding those parts outside of the LoP is nearly impossible as is getting things shipped to Colombia at a reasonable cost so it was a blessing when Jerry found a Raymarine dealer in Panama City who was willing to order the needed parts, which we picked up yesterday. With all needed parts and pieces and tools on hand, success!
So the next time squalls are overhead, we can monitor the situation and manage Vida Dulce's speed and direction via the autopilot, but not her sails, from the warm, dry inside nav station. We're diligent about reducing or dropping sails as storms approach so we're unlikely to repeat the experience of the last passage. An added benefit is being able to monitor radar and winds from inside while at anchor, especially at night during the rainy season. For those interested in a few in-process pictures, check out the Portobello, Panama photo gallery.