Nirvana's New Auto-Pilot!

Over a year before this installation, we ordered the Raymarine EV-100 autopilot for Nirvana. With plans on sailing long passages, we figured we'd take the advice of other cruisers and make our lives simpler when sailing all day. With the autopilot, we can free ourselves from standing at the helm for hours on end.

When finally opening the contents, we found four components .. with four manuals! The installation wasn't real difficult, but with the different manuals and components it took patience. One thing that we wished we'd had known before ordering & starting the installation ... the EV-100 autopilot requires SeaTalk cables between its four components. One cable was provided, but it wasn't long enough to do anything so we needed to purchase the SeaTalk Spur cable. It's a bummer when you finally get ready to tackle a project and realize you don't have all the parts! Hopefully, this post will prevent others from learning the hard way.

As I mentioned, we ordered the EV-100 over a year before installing it and we installed it around November, 2018 .. I'm really doing a poor job of keeping this blog up! Now that I'm finally writing about the installation .. my mind is a blur. Honestly, I can't remember all of the installation details, so I'm gonna give you the basics .. sorry!

Ken installed the gray control unit in the aft cabin, where he also added the sensor core. The aft cabin seemed like the logical place for our situation, with it being in between the cockpit and our electrical panel. The wheel drive was easily added to our wheel in the cockpit, and the p70 control head was also added in the cockpit by running wire up our steering column .. not so easy, but we got it done. During the installation process, Ken did make a couple of calls to Raymarine for assistance. I can say that we were very happy with their customer service! 

A close up of the sensor core ...

The sensor core in the aft cabin .. near the companionway. The control unit is just below and to the right of our dinghy oars (notice how we added straps to store them, along with our boat hook).

With the components installed, our cockpit now provides the autopilot, a compass & an older Lowrance GPS. There were two more things we needed to do before our installation was complete .. we needed to program the unit's "hard over" time and we needed to take the boat out on the water to calibrate the unit. For those with a Catalina 30, we set the hard over time to "10".  Once everything was hooked up & programmed, we were finally ready for calibration on the water .. but this wouldn't happen for another 8 months! Yep, we were distracted by Puerto Rico. Once we were back home, we finally took Nirvana out on the water and calibrated the autopilot this past July. Luckily, the directions were easy, our hard over time seemed correct, and everything went as hoped. We finally have a working autopilot on Nirvana!

It was so good to get back on the water! We've got more projects (and sailing) to write about, but that's for another time.

Hasta luego ... until then. Mid-Life Cruising!

Installing Lowrance Chartplotter Transducer

Do you see the black cursor right above New Orleans?  That's our home!

A while back, we got a great deal on a Lowrance HDS-5 GPS/Chartplotter and also a while back we installed the depth transducer.  While we need to tackle learning how to read the thing (so many symbols on that map), we first needed to tackle getting it installed!  The Lowrance model that we purchased came with a depth finder, which meant that we (Ken) needed to install a depth transducer.  For those that don't know what a transducer is ... it's a little device that reads the water's depth (as well as other things) then sends the information to our GPS screen.

This really stressed Ken out, as he wanted to make sure he placed the transducer in the best place possible without catching interference from the strut, keel or anything else that may get in the way.  When reading the info that Lowrance provided, it all pertained to motor boats.  It discussed how to install the transducer on the transom ... no help!  We needed to use the "through-the-hull" installation, meaning that the transducer would be on the inside of the boat and reading through the hull. 

Nirvana already has a depth transducer near the bow, under the v-berth.  We debated about whether to also install the new transducer near the bow and remove the older transducer.  However, running the wires up to the front of the boat was not something Ken really wanted to tackle if not necessary.  Plus, why not keep the older transducer installed as a back-up?  When considering placing the transducer towards the rear center of the boat (back of galley), I worried that we would not have enough notice of shallow land and therefore run aground easier.

After way too much thought we agreed to place the transducer towards the back of the galley, underneath a cabinet.  This location is pretty much at the back end of the center of the sailboat, right at the start of the cockpit.   It seemed that there wouldn't be any interference, and Ken convinced me that with the slow pace of the sailboat a few feet wouldn't make a huge difference in measuring the depth.  Plus, we'll still turn on the old depth finder which will give us a reading from the bow.

Ken removed the compass, an older transducer, and some instrument that never worked from the steering column then ran wires (with my help) down the column and into the existing terminal block in the aft cabin.  From there, Ken connected the wires from the newly installed transducer.  While Ken had the steering column torn apart, he was also able to fix the light on the compass which had never worked ... he's so smart!  Also, he painted the bottom of the compass black to give it a newer and cleaner look.

Aft cabin with cushions removed 

 View of steering column

Left picture shows the aft cabin with cushions removed, fuel tank and wires exposed and transducer installed.  Right picture shows the steps in front of part of the aft cabin and leading into the cockpit, plus the galley cabinets where the transducer was placed underneath.  (We really need to tackle the interior teak)!

After mixing up a batch of Marine Tex, Ken covered the back of the transducer with a thick layer of the marine epoxy, added a layer to the inside of the hull, and prayed we were doing the right thing as he pressed the transducer into the thick goop. 

Steering column put back together with older depth finder, newly painted compass and new Lowrance!

Although we have no idea how to read a chart yet, it appears that we won't have to pry the transducer from its current location and start over.  We did take a quick sail the following day, and it seemed that the depth was accurate (compared to original transducer) and for the first time we were able to see our speed ... 6 miles per hour!  Ah, good things are to be enjoyed, not rushed.  We need to play around with the Lowrance and see if we can change the speed to knots instead of miles ... I would hope so in today's modern age! 

We're no fishermen, so we had no idea of the fish-finder was working properly.  Although it's not a big concern for us, we'd like to learn how to use it as well.  After returning from our sail, we learned from Lowrance's site that a good way to tell if the depth transducer is placed properly is to see if the fish symbols are in an "arch".  If the arch is a little distorted one way or the other, that could indicate that the transducer is at a little too much of an angle.  However, checking this while docked in the backyard will not be accurate and we must be out in the lake and moving.  So, we'll find out later.

For those facing the same dilemma as us and trying to figure out where the heck to place their transducer on a 30 foot sailboat ... hope this helps.  Every sailboat is different, but for us this seems to be a good choice.  I hope I'm not eating my words later!

Now, how do we read a chart and how do we use this chartplotter?!   We're aware that we will need to plot some courses, but I'm just wondering if some of the main routes are already in there .. you know, like the GPS in my car.  Don't worry, we won't be running into you some dark night ... we are planning on taking a navigation course soon!

Gotta go ... I need to plot my course to the grocery store!

Hasta luego ... until then. Mid-Life Cruising!

Pushing Buttons!

Between continuing education classes for real estate and trying to educate myself on our new "toys", I haven't had any time to write a post until now.   I'm so grateful that all these new electronic gadgets have an instruction guide!  I've spent hours reading over all the material included with our new camera and Lowrance.   The advancements in technology really are amazing!  I think I finally have somewhat of an idea of how to use these things ... the camera more than the chartplotter.

Ken and I were able to go out for a quick sail on the lake this past Sunday and try out our new gadgets.  In our efforts to try and figure things out, we pushed a lot of buttons on our Lowrance (installation post coming soon) and on our new Nikon camera.   I was really tempted to just grab my phone and snap a few shots ... I hate change!   But, after taking a few pictures I started feeling a lot more comfortable, and I even took a short video ... our very first!  I want to play around with the video before I post it, but it was really easy.  Getting it on this blog may be another story!

The Lowrance chartplotter/GPS seems to be pretty user-friendly as well.   For the first time we were able to see how fast (if you wanna call it fast) we were going.  We averaged a whopping speed of 6 mph!  Since Ken and I aren't really familiar with charts (paper or electronic), we still have some learning to do.  Our Lowrance came with Nautic Insight, which is supposed to show the Gulf Coast and areas further South. We're excited about venturing out of the lake this Spring.  We had planned on sailing to Mississippi by now, but we weren't going without a GPS/chartplotter.  We'd really rather not use our TowBoatUS insurance!

                   See the black cursor above New Orleans ... that's Nirvana's home, and ours too!

The weather was warm and great for a Sunday sail.  Ken and I were both relieved that Ken's installation of the depth transducer seemed to be fine, and that the Lowrance and camera didn't seem to have any problems.   So far, so good!

Here are a few pictures that I took with the Nikon.  I didn't read the instruction manual until after we went sailing, so I could have adjusted for the cloudy day but didn't realize it.  Overall, I'm really happy with this camera so far.

               This picture was with the "painted" effect ... lots of other cool effects to play with soon!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Santa Comes Early!

With pumpkins and fall flowers on our home's doorstep, Ken and I are trying to adjust to the fact that Halloween is over, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  Where has this year gone?!   Then, I turn on the television and watch all sorts of Christmas commercials ... really?  What happened to the days when we celebrated one holiday at a time?  Maybe it just seemed that way when we were children, but I don't recall seeing Christmas trees in the store while shopping for my Halloween costume!

The other day Ken and I were in Wal-Mart and the first thing I saw when we walked in the store was a Christmas tree!  While grocery shopping we listened to Christmas music playing overhead.  It is said that the older we get, the faster the time goes ... as I get older I totally agree!  You'd think that with modern technology such as fax machines, email and cell phones we'd have more time on our hands.  However, we all seem to be busier than ever.  With that in mind, I guess it may be a good thing that the stores aren't waiting till the day after Thanksgiving to put up the Christmas decorations ... it already goes way too fast!


It's already starting to feel like Christmas in our home.  In fact, Santa came a little early for Nirvana!  What toy did Santa bring?  A Lowrance Chartplotter/GPS ... woo hoo!  Actually, Ken and I never open Christmas presents early, and this doesn't have anything to do with the holidays.  We've been wanting this Lowrance for at least a year now, and are finally able to make this long awaited purchase.  We're sooo excited and can't wait to try this out.  Now Nirvana will be able to go places!  Until now, we didn't have a GPS (we bought an inexpensive "puck" but never really embraced this option) so we were really limited to where we could sail safely. 

Ken recently ran the wires, and now we need to mount the depth transducer before the installation is complete.  Of course, I'll write a post all about this process in the near future, as well as our thoughts about this product.

On top of that, I finally broke down and bought a new digital camera!  I've been using a not-so-small Fuji camera for the past few years, and I really wanted something small to easily carry around.  Sometimes I've used my very inexpensive phone (the cheapest AT&T sells ... always frugal) which really wasn't bad, but I thought this blog would be a good excuse for someting better.  Also, I wanted to have a video camera to record our upcoming sailing adventures as we slowly transition from beginners to experienced (somewhat) sailors.  I can't wait for that first time we venture into the Gulf of Mexico and are welcomed by dolphins ... gotta have that on video! 

So after much consideration and many headaches, I decided to go with the Nikon Coolpix S6200.  This little camera has a 10x zoom (which I really wanted), 16mp and video with a device that is supposed to eliminate the wind noise (another plus).  It also has some really cool effects, such as fish-eye and miniature which should make for some fun pics.  This camera isn't waterproof, but after seeing it on sale at Target, plus adding two coupons I figured this was a good deal and I could add an underwater camera once we actually "leave the dock" for good.  I've already got my eye on the GoPro HD HERO2 Camera ... gotta get it eventually!

Thank to all that gave me advice on our Facebook page, and I'll also post a review about this camera once I've used it for a little while.  I hope it will be a good one!

So, I guess it's about time Ken and I learned how to use a chartplotter!  It would also be a great time to learn how to read paper charts.  We know we can't always rely on modern technology, as much as we'd like to!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

By the way ... if you're planning on shopping online at Amazon for the holidays, please consider clicking on the black Amazon box to the right of our site!  It won't cost you any extra and we'll make a few cents.  We'd really appreciate it, and you'd be doing a good deed for free!

GPS For Forty Dollars?!

On this day, Talk Like A Pirate Day, we say "WooHoo"!  Is that pirate talk?  Probably not, but it seemed appropriate after finding what might be a treasure for less than $40.  After much research, Ken and I came across something that we'd never heard of before - a GPS mouse, or puck.  This mouse connects to your laptop, then you just download the free navigation software from Sea Clear and the free charts from NOAA and you've got a $40.00 GPS!  We wondered how many others do not know about this alternative, so here it is.  The two main drawbacks are keeping your laptop dry and providing shade to keep the glare off of the screen, but other than that we've read a lot of good reviews. So, even though we sold our gold for a gps, we need a ton of things for the boat and thought we'd try this less expensive alternative for now.  Once we sell our house and take off cruising, we can purchase a more expensive GPS.

After reviewing the different brands, we chose the GlobalSat BU-353 Waterproof USB GPS Receiver from Amazon, which had the best price.  We can't wait to test this out and tell you what we think!  If you have any experience with a GPS mouse, we'd love to hear your thoughts.  Again, this was less than $40, so it's worth the risk to us.  Better yet, if you'd like to purchase one of these, you can purchase it right here and we'll get a dollar or two!  It won't cost you any more, just less for Amazon.

On another note, with work and obligations we haven't had a chance to sail Nirvana lately or try out the other recently found treasure... our lost auto-pilot motor.  The new GPS and auto-pilot motor will be a great excuse to break away and try them out.  Hasta luego ... until then!  Mid-Life Cruising!