tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295972862026-10-11T18:35:46.819-04:00THE BIANKA LOG BLOGAhoy!
You have found BIANKA's Blog Log site.
BIANKA is the world's first electric powered Nonsuch. Check in to see what new "adventures" Mike and BIANKA have been on lately and what repairs and projects are going on board.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger811125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-63239180413854846142025-01-26T20:26:00.001-05:002025-01-27T18:37:12.265-05:00HOW OUTBOARD MOTORS ARE MADE An interesting video on how Outboard Motors are manufactured. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-76565482998126502172023-06-13T11:08:00.002-04:002023-06-13T11:08:58.631-04:00INSTALLING THE 48 VOLT LITHIUM BATTERY One of the nice things about electric propulsion in a sailboat is the ability to upgrade parts of it as new technology comes along. When I made the conversion back in 2008 Lithium batteries were new and available but, were very expensive. Plus there were long wait times for delivery. So I went with the 8A4D AGM batteries. Today the prices have come down as have delivery times. My 48 volt Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-88517366397767138462023-05-23T08:45:00.003-04:002023-05-23T08:49:38.145-04:00A BATTERY SEA CHANGEIt was in 2008 when I converted BIANKA from having diesel auxilary power to electric propulsion. I had four heavy 8A4D AGM lead acid batteries totaling almost five hundred pounds to power the Thoosa 9000 electric propulsion system. The batteries were located below the cockpit and though while accessible it wasn't really comfortable to work on them. This season they are being replaced Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-67865438589241406892023-02-28T08:58:00.002-05:002023-02-28T08:58:44.965-05:00A CELL PHONE ALTERNATIVE TO SATELLITE PHONESIf you often sail out of Cell Phone range a new blue tooth device can turn your cell phone into a text satellite phone."The motorola defy satellite link, is a Bluetooth device that provides satellite connectivity to any iOS or Android smartphone*, designed for anyone that has ever been frustrated by a lack of cell coverage – whether travelling or participating in outdoor Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-18427914361326778752022-11-09T11:32:00.002-05:002022-11-09T11:32:57.910-05:00BONUS DAYS OF FALLHad some bonus days in November with the temperatures reaching into the mid 70 degree Fahrenheit range. Took advantage of the warm days to take off the sail and lower the boom. Now it's up to the boatyard as to when to unstep the mast and pull the boat for the winter. Once that is done I'll winterize the water systems and then get into a winter mode of occasional boat checks until spring.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-8399939235447945892022-06-30T08:45:00.000-04:002022-06-30T08:45:03.427-04:00WHITE SQUALL: Lessons Learned While BIANKA survived the White Squall conditions from a weather front that blew through the harbor a few weeks ago. The same could not be said for the dingy. The heavy rain was not an issue but, the winds blew BIANKA around and whipped saw the attached Porta Bote dingy around and may have flipped or at least turned it 90 degrees at some point. Dumping some of the contents into the water. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-80706771269886226522022-06-17T23:12:00.002-04:002022-06-17T23:12:54.084-04:00WHITE SQUALL AT THE MOORING Exciting day on the boat. Weather front came through with White Squall conditions. I think the dingy might have flipped in the storm. Lost one of the oars and found the battery for the outboard floating outside the boat. Hope it still works going to be awkward trying to row to shore with one oar.Luckily the battery was sealed and still powered the outboard. I made it back to shore though Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-69285217622866212832022-04-27T10:19:00.002-04:002022-04-29T19:34:31.702-04:00A SPRINGTIME SOLAR SURPRISE I've been away from the boat for awhile. I was traveling to warm places each month over the winter. Plus getting COVID knocked me down but, not out for two weeks. So I did not get on BIANKA for my usual checkups and battery charges. Usually that would not be a problem since my 48 volt solar panels would keep things topped up. So it was a surprise when I looked at the data from the new Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-71819009113329600182022-02-20T08:22:00.001-05:002022-02-20T08:22:25.821-05:00ANOTHER WINTER CHECK UP The temperature moved up to the mid-forties one day and so it was time to go do another Winter inspection on Bianka in the boatyard. Primarily to rebalance the 48 volt electric propulsion battery bank. While there I also emptied the bilge of about two gallons of water that on my last visit was a frozen solid block of ice. I also taped over the portside cockpit hatch where I think most of Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-45790858872292199882022-01-24T12:32:00.000-05:002022-01-24T12:32:15.346-05:00BOAT DRINKS AND ICE A little over a week ago I was snorkeling in 80 degree F water in Bonaire and enjoying ice in Boat Drinks. Yesterday I was on my boat looking at ice in the boat. A little in the bilge and the Brita water container frozen solid. That will have to wait until warmer days to remove. It was also too cold to work on board I just sat by the heater and waited until the batteries get a top up charge.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-62833624196194145922022-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:002022-01-17T06:00:00.222-05:00BONAIRE OYSTERS With Bianka safely on land for the Winter. I have now implemented my Winter retirement plan. Which is to get to some place warm at least for a week every month during the season. January finds me on the Dutch Island of Bonaire Where I spotted 3 sailing boats coming into the harbor early in the morning while having my coffee. It turns out these 3 boats are Oysters of various Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-76460900054621823982022-01-14T15:51:00.000-05:002022-01-14T15:51:22.858-05:00A RETIREMENT PLAN FOR WINTERWith Bianka safely on land for the Winter. I have now implemented my personal Winter Retirement Plan. Which is to get to some place warm at least for a week every month during the Winter season. January finds me on the Dutch Island of Bonaire. Getting someplace warm over the winter even if it’s just for a little bit can really help make the winter go by fast. Unfortunately, it’s not Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-73087064172758721072021-11-15T12:02:00.000-05:002021-11-15T12:02:10.909-05:00TIS THE END OF THE SEASONThe boom is down the mast unstepped and BIANKA waits at the dock to be hauled out for the winter. I make one more trip out to the mooring to remove the pickup stick. I also winterized most of the systems on board which is basically the boats water system thanks to the conversion to electric propulsion in 2008. I no longer need to spend cold evenings in the boatyard changing the engine oil and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-91449269853810765412021-10-25T13:28:00.001-04:002021-10-25T13:28:38.255-04:00A NEW END TO SEASONFall has come and it's time to end the sailing season here on Long Island. I'm trying something different this season. I am taking the sail off and lowering the boom while the boat is on the mooring instead of at the dock. This allows me to do the tasks at my leisure and in the best weather conditions. Starting with the sail and got it off just in time as a Nor Easter is expected to hit the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-87817345003921207012021-09-10T07:26:00.001-04:002021-09-10T07:28:53.928-04:00TWENTY YEARS AGO: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 Twenty years ago BIANKA was docked at Chelsea Piers just up the river from the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th 2001. I was not supposed to be there that morning. I had planned to start a two to three week cruise out toward Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket the day before. But, I had trouble getting access to the Internet to take care of some business. The weather report Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-11976217165070411862021-08-21T18:18:00.000-04:002021-08-21T18:18:08.316-04:00HURRICANE HENRI PREP It's been almost 36 years since Long Island suffered a direct hit from a Hurricane. So I spent the the morning on BIANKA doing storm preparation as hurricane Henri approaches. Added a second line to the mooring. Removed anchor from the bow roller to prevent it from cutting through the mooring lines.Finally dropped the sail and cover on deck to reduce windage. I took a photo as I headed for Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-47435157232967432262021-08-19T10:57:00.002-04:002021-08-19T11:04:34.749-04:00OUTFITTING SEASON: VHF INSTALL Spring has come and the winter hiatus has released my gumption to the point where I am finally starting on projects that have long been planned. One of them is to install an additional VHF radio in the forward cabin. The radio was bought in 2018 so you can see I'm a little bit behind schedule. Every year I kept reminding myself I'll be able to do the installation during the summer but, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-36849400663485787972021-03-22T11:56:00.000-04:002021-03-22T11:56:31.526-04:00A SOLAR UPGRADEOne of the nice things of having converted from Diesel to Electric Propulsion is the ability to easily upgrade. That includes the auxiliary systems. Like BIANKA's 48 volt solar controller. I originally installed a Morningstar 48 volt solar controller back over ten years ago.It has been a real workhorse that has never failed to keep the propulsion bank topped up summer and winter. Since thatUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-56482662389995700212021-02-25T07:41:00.002-05:002021-02-25T07:41:30.126-05:00WINTER BLISS AND WINTER REGRETS It's been a rough year because of the COVID virus which has continued into a rough winter here in the northeast U.S. I've managed to get some relief from the snow an cold temperatures by hopping onto a plane and getting some place warm every month for the last three months. Which for me is spending some time in the Florida Keys. Mostly in Marathon. While I am enjoying the warmth I am Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-86498161774479922682020-08-07T10:34:00.004-04:002020-08-07T10:34:59.479-04:00TROPICAL STORM: Lesson Learned Somewhat of a tactical error on my part by not Putting a 4th security strap on the sale cover as tropical storm ISAIAS hit the area. It won't happen again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-10539296740595178882020-04-17T09:31:00.001-04:002020-04-17T09:31:58.082-04:00HURRY UP AND WAIT
Just made a call to the marina thanks to be COVID 19 virus they are shut down and
not launching boats. Governor Cuomo just yesterday announced that businesses will stay shut
until at least May 15th and it could be extended after that. Looks like BIANKA might get splashed
in early June in the most optimistic scenario. Meantime I’ll be working on a new sail cover for the boat
while Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-87328370049762183462020-03-27T12:55:00.002-04:002020-03-27T12:55:58.191-04:00BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Bianka has only one sail but it is 540 square feet. it's rather large and unwieldy. When I took
it off the boat last fall I just bundled it together and put it in the garage thinking that I would fold
it when I got the time on the lawn. Well, the days came and went and I never did fold it last fall.
So when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and people including me were pretty muchUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-18341387903349050732020-02-21T22:55:00.001-05:002020-02-21T22:57:29.595-05:00WINTER MAINTENANCE WITH WD-40
It's a nice windless sunny winter's day about 45 degrees Fahrenheit which makes it an excellent day to head down to the Boatyard and check on BIANKA. No wind makes for a pleasant day to do a boat check even if it is still winter. But, even before I climb into the cockpit I needed to do some maintenance at ground level.Toward the end of last season the combination lock I used on the dinghy Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-60301653833160307182020-01-01T11:23:00.001-05:002020-01-01T11:59:30.768-05:00HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020Went down to the boatyard for a boat check and to charge up the batteries. The New Year begins with no snow but BIANKA seems to be nestled in behind snowbanks of shrink wrap anyhow.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29597286.post-43181008442177929912019-12-10T18:31:00.000-05:002019-12-21T11:15:34.863-05:00HIGH TIME TO GET TO SEA
“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0