The Bane of the Simple Life 2013 GANNET, my Moore 24, is a simple boat. I’ve now lived aboard her for several months, six and seven weeks at a time, and been pleased, as well as slightly surprised, how easily I can do so. Contemplate reducing your life to a crawl space. I have. I’ve written of entering the monastery of the sea. GANNET is the prefect monk’s cell. The little sloop has no plumbing; no through-hull fittings except for the depthsounder transducer, which was in place when I bought her; and a simple electrical system with no fixed cabin lights and a six circuit panel, four of which control lights above deck: masthead LED tri-color/anchor; steaming; deck level running lights to be legal in the unlikely event I am ever under power after dark; and compass. The other two are tillerpilot and depthsounder. However, the quality of my life aboard GANNET is greatly enhanced by electronics. Music, books, writing, photography, Internet, telephone, even shaving. GANNET is the first boat I’ve owned, other than the undecked yawl, CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE, on which I didn’t immediately build bookshelves. This is the price, the bane of the simple life: cords, cables, chargers. (reference photo 1) Individually from the box above: (photo 2) USB. USBMicro; foxL2 bluetooth speaker; iPod Classic; Apple AC plug; Apple 18 pin to lightning adapter; Apple lightning cord; Bose Soundlink charging cord; Panasonic electric shaver charging cord. Every one essential for something. And there are more. (Photo 3) The yellow rimmed water tight box is made by a company called Plano, of which I had not known until I saw it at West Marine. I’ve had good success with Pelican watertight cases, but this one appears to be very well made, too. It holds my collection of rechargeable Sanyo eneloop batteries and two chargers. In front of it is the charger for the handheld electric drill. Chargers for my two cameras, both of which are Sony, but, naturally, use different batteries. To the right of the box are a MacBook Pro power adapter and the standard AC charger for the Torqeedo batteries. I generally use a direct DC cord to charge the Torqeedo, which is more efficient than converting DC to AC back to DC, and can charge a battery while underway. (I thought I had a photo of this, but don’t. I’ll take one when I’m back on GANNET in October.) And there is also a separate power adapter for the iPad. All of this charging is done through two cigarette lighter sockets, one on each side of the Great Cabin. (Photo 4) Those that require AC are plugged into one of two 150 Watt TrippLite PowerVerters. I also have a Dremel tool aboard, very useful in cutting off protruding bolt ends, that can be powered via the TrippLite. Those that run off USB plug into one of two Elago adapters. The cigarette lighter sockets are wired directly to the ship’s batteries, with inline circuit breakers. The ship’s batteries are charged by four deck mounted 25 watt Aurinco solar panels, assisted by a Blue Sky Solar Boost 2000e regulator. In practice so far, both on Lake Michigan and in San Diego, the system works perfectly. For electricity and mobility by sail, Torqeedo or oars, GANNET is completely self-contained. The only times I’ve plugged into shore power since moving GANNET to San Diego have been briefly to run a hand jig saw. The hardest part of this simple life is untangling cords.

The Bane of the Simple Life

2013

GANNET, my Moore 24, is a simple boat.

I’ve now lived aboard her for several months, six and seven weeks at a time, and been pleased, as well as slightly surprised, how easily I can do so. Contemplate reducing your life to a crawl space. I have. I’ve written of entering the monastery of the sea. GANNET is the prefect monk’s cell.

The little sloop has no plumbing; no through-hull fittings except for the depthsounder transducer, which was in place when I bought her; and a simple electrical system with no fixed cabin lights and a six circuit panel, four of which control lights above deck: masthead LED tri-color/anchor; steaming; deck level running lights to be legal in the unlikely event I am ever under power after dark; and compass. The other two are tillerpilot and depthsounder.

However, the quality of my life aboard GANNET is greatly enhanced by electronics. Music, books, writing, photography, Internet, telephone, even shaving.

GANNET is the first boat I’ve owned, other than the undecked yawl, CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE, on which I didn’t immediately build bookshelves.

This is the price, the bane of the simple life: cords, cables, chargers. (reference photo 1)

Individually from the box above: (photo 2)

USB. USBMicro; foxL2 bluetooth speaker; iPod Classic; Apple AC plug; Apple 18 pin to lightning adapter; Apple lightning cord; Bose Soundlink charging cord; Panasonic electric shaver charging cord.

Every one essential for something. And there are more. (Photo 3)

The yellow rimmed water tight box is made by a company called Plano, of which I had not known until I saw it at West Marine. I’ve had good success with Pelican watertight cases, but this one appears to be very well made, too.

It holds my collection of rechargeable Sanyo eneloop batteries and two chargers.

In front of it is the charger for the handheld electric drill. Chargers for my two cameras, both of which are Sony, but, naturally, use different batteries.

To the right of the box are a MacBook Pro power adapter and the standard AC charger for the Torqeedo batteries. I generally use a direct DC cord to charge the Torqeedo, which is more efficient than converting DC to AC back to DC, and can charge a battery while underway. (I thought I had a photo of this, but don’t. I’ll take one when I’m back on GANNET in October.) And there is also a separate power adapter for the iPad.

All of this charging is done through two cigarette lighter sockets, one on each side of the Great Cabin. (Photo 4)

Those that require AC are plugged into one of two 150 Watt TrippLite PowerVerters. I also have a Dremel tool aboard, very useful in cutting off protruding bolt ends, that can be powered via the TrippLite.

Those that run off USB plug into one of two Elago adapters.

The cigarette lighter sockets are wired directly to the ship’s batteries, with inline circuit breakers.

The ship’s batteries are charged by four deck mounted 25 watt Aurinco solar panels, assisted by a Blue Sky Solar Boost 2000e regulator.

In practice so far, both on Lake Michigan and in San Diego, the system works perfectly. For electricity and mobility by sail, Torqeedo or oars, GANNET is completely self-contained. The only times I’ve plugged into shore power since moving GANNET to San Diego have been briefly to run a hand jig saw.

The hardest part of this simple life is untangling cords.