The Future

The Golden Cloud 7/4/12

The Future

And so for the last week or so once again I've hardly spent any time on my boat, well save for an evening fighting some metal ontop of the chimney.

Now this time its not the hotel, but I'm residing in a plush Ikea showroom of a house, as I dog sit for a lecturer off on his holidays.

The week has been an interesting one of self discussion over what I want from life, what my aims are, and what I enjoy.

One thing that has been revived spending time in the epitome of all that money can buy (including a double bed sized bath tub) has been my realisation that although its nice, it doesn't make me happy. In all honesty the best bit of the house, has been the view, and you can get a view from a shed, or a cardboard box.

Lupus the Dog

A joy of the house/dog sitting has been the time outside walking Lupus the dog. Admittedly the dog itself has been a pain, its a big (expensive) pedigree labradoodle who has defiantly been spoilt every day of its life. Every walk you spend most of the time forward planning how to avoid it seeing that grandma on crutches or that chew-able chiwawa. But on the occasions when I have found a deserted woodland, an empty beach, a open hilltop and the dog runs off, you soon realise how amazing nature's world is, and how important it is to not ruin it. 

During this time outdoors I often look out to sea with the water flat calm and a breeze blowing back my hair thinking soon I could be out there. Next on the footpath though is some woodland, and as I walk past the mushrooms, wild garlic, and other abundant food it is hard to forget that my allegiances with the boat are shared between sailing it into the sunset, or using it as a house in a sustainable life onshore. 

If any of you are unlucky enough to be a friend of mine I'm sure you will know I have 2 dreams that I want to choose between come autumn (and not the sharing life with a Girlfriend or a Puppy).

With a desire for the opportunity the boat offers me I have come up with 2 plans. Both are based on me saving my wages and using them to invest sustainably to make my future life more affordable both for my wallet and my planet.

Option one

The obvious choice for someone who owns a boat, make the boat seaworthy, sail into the sunset and just keep going... abit like this couple  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17084034

This plan has a lot of merrits, not only how much fun it sounds, but also with the limited space and access to shops at sea, you have to live sustainably to survive.

Option two

I have always wanted land, something inside me wants a small stream or lake, some woods and a horse. 

As a youngster who had been brainwashed by society to thinking that a masssive career was all important, I decided I wanted to work my socks off in the city get rich and retire to a large wooded lake. My Dad was going to be the gilly (his job would be to sit all day fishing then tell people how to catch) and mum would be the gardener.

But now this plan has simplified, I just want enough to live. According to the Feudal System of Medieval England that would be about 1/16th of an acre of land for food production, plus a few shared tools, access to a woodland and an ox.

Mark Boyle (Author of Moneyless Man, and Free-economist see www.justfortheloveofit.org) regularly updates facebook with links and sustainability motivation. One quote he posted was that of Mahatma Gandhi "be the change you wish to see". And like Mark I want to see a reinvigoration of society, reconnection between producer and end user, a reduction on reliance of the monetary system, sustainable lifestyles etc.

Now on that line of thought Option one although fantastically amazing I know a boat with humans is always going to need to come ashore, at least to get an orange to stop scurvy. But if I plough my money into a yacht I will have to buy my way on land. To buy i need money, thus a job, and for a job I need a fixed long term abode, and a bank account (all quite hard on the ocean waves)

So Option Two, work my ass off this summer, put all earnings into savings, buy a couple of acres of woodland/pasture. Move my yacht onto the land (temporary structure so no need for planning permissions). Then my life expenses suddenly over time will diminish. 

Housing - Land and Yacht owned outright = 0 P/A

Food - crops off the land, foraging, hunting, fishing = small inputs in first year, decreasing through time

Heat - existing clothes replaced by skins and wools from land, fire fueled by coppicing and managing the woodland.

Straight away I bet your thinking How can you afford that on one summer's wages. Well land is surprisingly cheap (<6000 an acre in parts of the UK) and I only need a small amount.

For doing this I will be the change I wish to see, I will need to grow links with the local rural society to survive, I will reconnect with local producers and barter my wears, I will become overtime increasingly dependent of the monetary system and I will grow a sustainable lifestyle....

So for now, I will only pay for things on the yacht, which can be used if the yacht is on land as well... In case I never go to sea in her.

So you thought it was cold!

The Golden Cloud - 09/02/12


I thought it was cold the other week, how wrong I was!


As per usual many things have changed since the last blog.


A minor alteration of 2 bus routes has meant my future at Ynyslas is in severe jeopardy. Something that for them wasn't a big change and for anyone else probably didn't make much difference has meant a total change of life plan.


A week ago the last bus to Ynyslas was 10.30pm leaving Aber. This meant I had ample time if I wanted it in the evening to go out for a drink with mates, go to seminars at uni, work abit late, have dinner at a friends, have a social life. This week the last bus is 5.40pm. Now if I want to work late, or have a social life, I have option a) sleep on the street, b) beg friends to stay over, or c) leave the bike at Borth station and cycle the final 3 miles in the dark and perhaps pissed. I really can't be planning a life around any of those options.


A further thing that it reduces massively is my opportunities to start a relationship with anyone, as you can't go on a date and be done by half 5! It also means that friends can't come over to see the boat and have dinner, or give me a hand doing it up!

Car

Harbour

So the conclusion was drawn that I had to either 1) get a car, 2) move to aber marina, or 3) move to aber harbour.

Marina

Now each has its positives. A car I can use to transport bulky items and gives me freedom. The marina I can walk onto the boat from nearby pub. The harbour is cheap and close to everything I need.


However, each also has negatives. A car even being relatively conservative would cost £3000 a year, and burns fossil fuels. The marina costs £2500. For the harbour I'd either have to walk across mud, or row to the boat!


Obviously the harbour is the best option, but it's got a major issue, the harbour master is never there! 


Anyway I came to the conclusion that ideally the harbour or marina are the best options. On discussing with my employers I found there is a possibility of sharing a mooring in the marina, while I have a large amount of work in the pipeline. As such, moving to the marina seems to be the way its going.


So to move to the marina I need to complete the following jobs.... 1) Paint the Hull of the Ship, 2) Get the Engine Running, 3) Get a Windturbine Rigged up, 4) Get the Mast up, 5) Get in the Water, 6) Sail to Aber.


The first job (and the only job I can complete myself) is the painting. So this morning after getting back to the boat last night, I set about this task.... Unfortunately once again this didn't go to plan.


First job, scrub down the hull... issue 1 hull covered in frost, issue 2 washing up liquid frozen, issue 3 sponge frozen, issue 4 when i've defrosted all the above with water that took an hour to boil on the stove, and start washing, the foam from the sponge freezes, then sponge refreezes.... Something tells me that preparing the boat for sea is going to take longer than I'd hoped!


Will update soon!

A Whole New Chimney

The Golden Cloud 25/1/12

Today was a great moment as I got a Whole New Chimney!

I've been having a lot of trouble with this fire, tar flowing out the chimney, back smoking, not drawing, giving me headaches both in anger and in asphyxiation!

So I chatted to the boatyard owner to see if he had any ideas. (After scouring the internet, I'd got some of my own ideas too!)

I thought what the issue was based around the diameter of the pipe and height of the pipe being tooo small resulting in not enough draw, and the single skin of the pipe getting too cold causing the smoke to cool too quickly resulting in tar build up.

The boatyard owner thought the majority of the issue was with me burning wet wood.

So today he said, get the stove out and he'd put you on a bigger pipe....

So I got the stove out! and loooky here...

The Chimney was soo chock a block with tar it was too tight to fit my finger through!


I blamed the cold pipe, and the boatyard blamed what i burnt! 


The issue for me is, thats the build up from 10 days fire!
I cannot afford posh wood from good sources dried in a barn for 38 years! I can afford free wood off the beach, the woods, and the hedge, the end.


So the opinion was taken to enlarge my pipe that way i'd at least have more time between having to clean the pipe, (once a week takes the Michael!)


So out came the plasma gun and the welder and bingo the new chimney was on!


Does it look a bit ott?

New Chimney

Old Chimney!

New one looks a lot more industrial and a little less homely but it most defiantly does the job... exemplified by the logs up the side catching fire just!

Right best be off! Got to get ready for a boat party on someone else's boat

Nos Da!

It never rains... it pours!

The Golden Cloud - 17/01/12


In this life it seems like it never rains, it pours! (especially in rural Wales!)


This last few days has been great on the boat as I now feel like I've got the boat in a state I can live in no matter what! I've had many friends over, which has been fantastic to both see them and get them over to show off my boat!


Alterations recently to the boat have been to put a second tarpaulin canopy over the boat which has successfully kept the frost off and taken away some of the chill, I've also installed full sized gas!


Now talking of chill, it definitely poured on that front the other night! But with a sense of "I can't pull out now" I kept buggering on!


The coldest night so far was forecast and I thought it had been bloody cold the night before. First I was set to begin with proper full sized gas out the cannister.... But the regulator I had from the old bottles doesn't fit the new ones.... and as it was Sunday night no way to get one to fit! I was running low on water, but I couldn't top up my water bottles as the mains had been turned off to save it freezing. I came back to the boat and tried to start a fire.... the wood, paper and cardboard was all too damp to start the fire, I was struggling to get the matches to light as well. So I thought OK I'll get into bed early with a hot water bottle (now on at £ land well recommended I've got 3!). However as this was the moment where my portable gas stove ran out of gas, I couldn't have a hot water bottle! I had 3 sources of heat and nothing would start, it was minus degree's onboard, and any place I could buy a source of heat was closed for the next 16 hours. 


The boss at work had earlier in the day offered me to stay over at the hotel that night.... One half of me was gagging to go, the other side said MAN UP.


Then my friend Marc offered a centrally heated place to stay... this was so tempting... but if I ran tonight I know i'd run every cold night!


So I tried to work out why the stove wouldn't light, while I ate my pickle sandwiches (no stove or cooker = no hot food). It seemed from looking at the stove and out the chimney that the smoke wasn't rising out the top if the chimney... Read up on Yahoo-Answers, and found that in cold weather you need to get a woodburner really hot or the cold air holds the hot air in the chimney and chokes the fire.


So I set a firelighter (I know there not eco friendly, but I borrowed a tiny piece of a corner of one, and its probably more ecofriendly than my carbon footprint at the crematorium if i'd froze!) with as much dry kindling as I could find, at the bottom of the chimney and got the fire roaring! Cut a long story short did the trick! And a slow cooked omlette on the semi-hot stove later I was warm satisfied and off to sleep.
Survived!


But last night I finally sorted out the gas bottle, and so I was finally cooking on gas (needless to say although I was cooking on Gas the stove was burning well for once!)


So with the boat up and running, today my parents are coming up to drop off my fishing rods etc. So I had a quick tidy up this morning of the boat... see what you think!

 GAS

 YAY STOVE

 Looking down the cabin, (from bottom right clockwise) Freezer, Stove, desk and seat, woodburner, bed.

Woodburner with 2 hours of wood cutting round it

I think it looks really cosy!

Another pours not rain, is condensation onboard. This cold snap mixed with drying a lot of damp logs round the fire means the boat is like a rainforest at the moment! humidity gauge is reading 80% + fingers crossed it warms up and the logs dry out sooner rather than later!

And I must thank Russ, Matt, Tom, Ben, and Laura for coming over the other day was really nice! and the Boat Plant, Beer, and Cider they gave me are all doing well! (the beer especially!)

Also thanks to boatyard Keith for giving me the corner of fire lighter that saw me through the cold winter night!

And not forgetting my audience for 1051 page views so far, spanning 10 country's as far apart as the US and Vietnam!

Right I've got plenty to do as always so speak soon!

The Adventure Begins

Golden Cloud 11/1/12


The Adventure Begins

The ferry pulled away out of Yarmouth on a cold winter's morning. Below decks my Kayak, for years neglected as I studied at uni, was coming up to aber for the first time. No longer a device of pleasure, but a working vessel, a platform for fishing and lobster potting, as well as collecting wood.

I sail across with mum, and once we dock on the other side, I'm greeted by the smiley face of Jo who offered to take the kayak up on her roof rack for me!   Incredibly kind of her!

From there I went by train to Wolverhampton to spend and evening with grandma and watch a football game, before heading on to Aber to prepare for what was to come...


I took the early morning train to Mach, to meet my friend and colleague Keith. From there keith drove us up to Porthmadog to the Golden Cloud. This was a special day, the day I moved in.


Armed with a bag full of tools and a sleeping bag (as well as keiths ample toolbox), we made our way through the wild and windy mountains of Wales, the twin geography geeks pointing out every morainic feature and erratic on the way. We made Porthmadog in good time and so I headed off to the shops to get a few things before I headed to the boatyard.

Upon arrival we made quick work of taking down the boom tent, mast and rigging, with help and knowledge from the boats old owner Brian (or Keith as I kept calling him). I say quick work, it was probably quicker than we would have liked. We carefully lowered the mast on her hinges with keith holding the rope forward, and me taking the weight of the mast with an old a-frame underneath. As we got nearly there the mast was but a meter from finishing point. Here we hit a snag... well actually my right ear!


I suddenly felt the weight increase dramatically through the a-frame, the rope had gone parallel with the mast, so from here the rope would have little strength to slow the fall. I told keith to tie the rope off as he wouldn't be able to stop her... at that the a-frame started to creak, a crack then appeared in the top of it... it was buckling under the weight, I shouted "keith tie her off she's gonna slip" to a response of ..."it's ok I've got it" ...bollocks had he!


With that the mast slipped out the a-frame, and through keiths hands, as I saw it coming I quickly dropped the wood, got my hands up to catch, but the weight of 9m of aluminium mast was to heavy to catch. As I caught her, she slid veraciously down the side of my head, ear, cheek, and neck, before resting (with a thud) on my shoulder!


An inch higher drop, an ounce heavier mast, or microsecond slower reactions, it would have slipped all the way, and smashed through the cabin roof, or worse still through my collar bone!


But all in all this was a good job, we lashed the mast to the railings and cabin roof, knowing that we'd saved a fair wack off crane fee's. Once we'd tidied a few more things ready for the move, we headed off to town to price up a freezer for onboard. On realising every electrical shop in Porthmadog was a rip off, Keith headed home to look at what was on offer online.

I spent the evening playing endless games of solitaire, moving things about and making plans for the boats future. When I thought the night was drawing in I headed to the local only to find it was still only  5.15 (It felt more like 8) and I'd have to wait like a seasoned alcoholic before I could get in. 


After a scrumptious Steak and Ale pie, bed called me as if it was half one in the morning. I tootled back to the boat (by this time it was 7.15), before laying out the sleeping bag and getting ready for bed.

Morning came with utmost beauty. There is nothing quite like waking up just before dawn next to a river, and watching the wild birds flock and feed across the sand bars, this was something I'd soon become accustomed to! As the sun rose over the welsh landscape the beauty of the scenery was breath taking (see pictures). There's also nothing quite like a big fry up on a big day!

By 7.30am I was ready, fed, and had prepared the boat to the nines for the haulage company.  The HIAB was booked for 9.30 and it wasn't till 9.20 I got the dreaded call. The lorry had broken down between Betws-y-Coed and Porthmadog. Some radiator pipe had burst, these things happen I suppose. Never the less the driver said he had the part and he'd soon be on his way. 


To fill the time I scrubbed the decks top to bottom... If I hadn't already paid the difference would have added thousands to the price of the boat!


11am no lorry, I phone up... the spare he had onboard didn't fit, so he'd had to get someone to come out from base with an alternative, he wouldn't be long an hour at worst...


3pm the lorry turns up... but my what a spectacular piece of kit this HIAB is... the crane arm folded out of the back of the cab like some mangled velocoraptor arm, swung over and with ease manoeuvred the boat peacefully onto the flatbed. The driver looked liked the worlds strongest man as he pushed the 4 tonne boat into position with ease.

Soon we were on our way, I called ahead and informed Ynyslas we'd be there before sundown...


Or not.


10miles out of Porthmadog, is a big hill... big hills and bodged pipe repairs don't mix. A sulphurous smell filled the cab and as we slowed steam surrounded us from all angles, like some 1940's romantic film at the station! We got out the cab and while I went for a walk to find the source of the sound of a beautiful river, the driver got to work on a repair.


The HIAB's next party trick was awesome too... with the flick of a button in the cab the whole front section levered itself forward, to reveal the smouldering remains of the driver's repair!


The magical jubilee clip just couldn't hold the pressure, and had come loose.


So away the driver went (it was now tipping it down, and I couldn't wait in the cab because the cab floor was at 45 degrees and the door was now about 8ft up in the air!


Soon a Haulage repair company turned up and set to work on the repair. Thinking it would be a quick job I stayed to watch. Turns out it wasn't and so before I got trench foot, I got the ladder out and went up into my yacht on the back of a lorry, went and sat at my desk and played cards...


Now I'm not the best at cards, in fact I'm pretty hopeless, ask my housemates of 67 pjm. So when it looked like I was gonna finish off my game of solitare, you can imagine my disappointment as the driver tapped on the hull of the boat and said time to go!


The disappointment was soon reduced as we sped off down to Ynyslas.


Upon arrival we were greeted by the staff and other people who live at the yard. In the dark, wind and rain they stood at the gate, wearing matching red head torches, and guided us in to the boats eventual mooring spot.

As I made my apologies for the delay, while introducing myself to my yard mates, I was soon whisked away to be shown the woodburner Lloyd had made me... I had been pricing up alternative places to get a stove from fearing this stove would be a bodge job. Oh no she was a beauty, the smallest wood burner I've ever seen, but beautiful. The yard had been working on her all winter to perfect her, and she was now, well perfect!


Once everything was sorted with the haulage and chocking up the trailer I headed into Borth to get the bus or train back to Aber, get a few things and sort out a few things.... Borth's further away than I remembered! Luckily I hitched a lift in with a lovely gent who owns a Snapdragon at the yard as luck would have it. He drove me into Borth, where I used the payphone (I know they do still exist!) to call in the ex that made this all possible to give me a lift back to Aber.


On arrival back in Aber, I charged my phone just enough to txt Jo who'd kindly brought up my kayak to say I was now here. And within moments we were back on out way with my kayak to the yard to slot her under the boat! (The bilge keel hugs the kayak light like a mother monkey to her child!)


One last sleep in town, in a bed, tho for this night before moving out properly.


Next morning I buy some things the boat needs, before heading to the yard to have the burner fitted. Out with the toilet in with the stove, fair swap I feel!


As the welsh rain fell, I quickly devoured a tin of beans before a few knocks with the hammer made a cowl to stop the rain coming down the chimney.

Soon after I started my first meal on the stove, Eggs and Bacon, my god was it tasty!

The boys at the yard have been fantastic so far, they've sorted everything out I could ask, they've lent my any tool I need, and they've given every piece of advice I could ever ask for. for this I'm forever grateful.


The next day I had work 9-5 cleaning up and preparing the hotel I work at for the new season, a long day, but good fun. The staff at work (and almost everyone I've met along the way) have all been so accommodating helping me out. At work they offered to help find me anything I needed for the boat, while also giving me a supply of firewood (in green grocer crates) some food (in the store of apples left from this years harvest), and various utensils I required. Bless the boss he's also lent me a shed for storing my excess gear, and is letting my mother stay over at the hotel when she comes to help me out onboard. 


After work I cleaned out the old flat with the ex as the contract ran out the following morning. Moving is always a stressful thing, but something about cleaning out a flat, that represents the future you were building was quite hard to take.


The boss then drove me back out to the yard, and the expressions from his face when he viewed the boat were a sight to behold. When I've brought mates to the boat they've seen that yes its small but its got everything and its perfectly adequate. He just had blind fear in his face, its making me chuckle just thinking about it. 


This brings me back to a conversation I had with the ex that evening. She said she felt sorry for me, in that I had little cash, and had almost been forced into taking the option of this tiny yacht, and she thought it might make me sad. 


When I thought about it though, I realised at the moment, I'm feeling the happiest I've ever felt. I've got a cool quirky house that has my every need, I'm living in a way that's frugal and relatively good for the planet, every penny I'm spending on my boat is something I am more than likely gonna make back when I sell her instead of going into the pocket of some landlord, I live in a amazing beautiful place, I can go kayaking whenever I feel (indeed yesterday morning I kayaked up river collecting firewood before breakfast), I get to cycle across some of the most gorgeous scenery in the world to get to uni, I'm surrounded by brilliant funny people who want to help me and want to have a good time, I have so many opportunity's with these people to do amazing things. Many people only have the experiences I've had in these first few days once in there life. Most only get to do the things I'm doing on holiday. Most people never have times like these. And for these reasons, I feel the richest and happiest I have ever felt... Long may it continue!

It's never easy

The Golden Cloud 29/12/11


It's never easy is it. With just over a week left until the proposed move date for the Golden Cloud, I get a slap in the face.


The boatyard currently home to the ' cloud (the one who was asking the earth for yard and crane fees) called me yesterday to say ... the clutch was gone on there crane!


Oh Joy!


So I spent last night ringing and emailing around the various haulage companies of Wales, looking for a lorry that has a crane built in (a HIAB)... the nearest companies with these are in Conwy or in Swansea... great.


However, this morning I get the email from a company in North Wales. His price undercuts the cost of boatyard crane, low loader, boatyard crane, by £200.


Out of Darkness Cometh Light!


So new move date 6th January. BRING IT ON!


Happy Christmas, have a great New Year

Oops I Did it Again!

The Golden Cloud 21/12/11


When I was a teenager my mother always used to say, "as soon as my savings got to £300, I couldn't take it any more and would spend it". Ooops I did it again!


Sat on the sofa, with top of the pops 2 on the telly, I've had one of those evenings where the boredom pushed me to a moment that I checked how my banking looked. After working for a friend of my mum, cleaning my great aunties car and selling my old speakers I'd amassed about £300... time to go and blow it then!


So onto ebay, look at my "watch list" and I soon see that oh wait, there's a 500w wind turbine on there, I've been watching it because it suits what I want... And look here, its on at £155, £300 less than I priced up. Well how could I resist a bid, i'll say a £180 maximum! 


30 seconds left, no bid from me £155, I'm holding out to make sure there's no time for anyone else to bid... 20 seconds left no bid from me, this holding out is hard £155... 15 seconds, Now's my time! £180 maximum bid.... 10 seconds OUTBID!... 3 seconds left quick £185 bid, .... 0 seconds ... WIN!


God my heart was about to explode....

I'm the winner!!!!

However, this is quite exciting, I now own a 500watt wind turbine, a source of power beyond my needs! (I'd planned for 100watts).


Before any geographers point out a big problem with turbines, I did think about it! A wind turbine, doesn't produce its rated output all the time. The output of this turbine increases from 0w at 0mph wind, up to 500w at 35mph wind. Some turbines won't produce any energy at usual wind speeds, and only produce an output at hurricane force wind! Luckily this turbine has an output of 100w at the average wind speed in the Aberystwyth area so that will do me nicely.


I'll probably also get a small solar panel to see me through the not so windy days of summer.  


Exciting stuff!!!!


It's been posted to the boatyard which makes it more exciting! However, he doesn't know it's coming so fingers crossed he doesn't send it back!!!!


Seatbelts on the roller coaster of The Golden Cloud is about to start!


Merry Christmas

What do I actually need?

The Golden Cloud 19/12/11


And so the Christmas season is most defiantly upon us. I'm sat now curled up in a blanket on mums rocking chair, sat by the fire while the dogs sleep to either side of me. It's so nice to be home and the Christmassy homely feel is definitely what the doctor ordered.


I spent the first few days after getting home doing a RYA Powerboats License. I sometimes find myself doing something fantastic like this. I spent 2 days courtesy of my job at uni, spinning around in a high spec. powerboat, doing over 35knots, racing ferry's, the rib's equivalent of a handbrake turn, j turns, 8 turns and donuts! FANTASTIC. Apparently this will also be something that will help the work I do, and will mean they give me more hours. What more can I ask for!?!


I've come back in the evening and spent my spare time reading the various books I've bought off amazon as reference material for the project. Many things have caught my eye, from chutneys and jams, to fish traps and lobster pots. Fingers crossed I'll have the time to try them out.


One particular book has been fascinating bedtime reading; Low Cost Living by John Harrison. One chapter that has captured my thoughts Energy.


Energy on The Golden Cloud is something of a critical point. The boat is designed to run on 12v produced by the inboard 10hp diesel engine. However, this has a number of stumbling blocks. 1st  the previous owner was in the middle of an electrics refurb, as a result the boats internal 12v circuit is incomplete and not operational. 2nd if the electrics were operational I will not be going to sea for the foreseeable future, and as such, the diesel engine that charges the batteries will not be running to charge the battery, the battery will soon run dead.


Now I also have a number of decisions to make with regards to energy. I could a) run off the extension lead that I will be supplied with from the boatyard, on metered mains 240v, at ~15p per unit. Or b) spend some of my years savings on a solar panel or wind turbine to charge the battery, and then set up the 12v circuits, with the free power from the sky!


The answer that slaps me in the face is GO FOR THE RENEWABLE, after all I want to be sustainable, and this will also be adding value to the boat. However, going down this route will cost me ~£500 for a set up for a 100watt panel, or £700 for a 500watt turbine. 


It will also limit me in the wattage I can use onboard. Yes I will not use all my electrical items all the time, and yes by producing my own energy I'm more likely to be careful with what electric I use, but it does mean I need to work out what wattage is a want and what wattage is a need.


So I wrote it down and worked it out. If my heating comes from the wood burner, and my cooker runs on gas. I'm left with the fridge (optionally works on gas) ~50w, the Laptop ~30w, phone charger ~5w, lights over the cooker, bed, forward cabin <10w each. Total under 100w. Other things I may need are optional extras, they're wants, not needs, The TV, the PS2, I really don't need in all honesty, I don't need lots of lights. Its also more than likely that I will only have the fridge, the laptop and a light on at one time. If I find I need something that I haven't put down for, worst comes to worst I can use the extension lead supplied.  


In a lot of ways this final bit of the blog is more of a survey than anything else. Other than light, laptop, phone and fridge is there anything anyone can think of that I will need electricity for?


Merry Christmas.