Sailing Fizzgig
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May 2017

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In Boat Work

Geek Post: Waponi Woo Communication Systems

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Ryan has a job, which requires Internet and phone connectivity wherever we happen to roam. As a result of this and my wireless ISP experience, we have sifted through most of the available consumer communications gadgets, gizmos and systems currently available. Here is a run-down of what communications devices we have aboard Waponi Woo, what they are supposed to do and how we use them. 1. Standard Marine VHF Radio Waponi Woo came with a Uniden UM525 VHF radio. A nice feature of this radio is Digital selective calling, or DSC, so we can hail other boats directly. As most of you with a boat already know, VHF works pretty well for line-of-site, short-range calling. We rarely turn our VHF off. In La Paz, and many other cruiser infested ports and anchorages, one can hail other boats on a designated “cruiser hailing channel.” There are also a few VHF cruiser…

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In Boat Life

Stanley and Phil

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You know you have been in the marina too long when you have developed a personal relationship with the large birds who frequent the dock. This is Phil. He likes to hunt from the starboard bow at night. We have made eye contact at 2AM on multiple occasions as I look up through the porthole in the starboard head. He likes to make it known my presence is a terrible inconvenience and I have no business being on his boat. I suspect he has anger issues but our pre-dawn talks haven’t led to him seeking the help he needs. This is Stanley. Unlike Phil, he is a pretty mellow dude who enjoys solitary walks on the dock at dawn and dusk. We like Stanley.

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In Boat Work

When you want to stay put…

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Waponi Woo came with two anchors. The one we used up in Puget Sound, a 22kg bruce, and a 40lbs Fortress, which we have never used. The bruce worked well in Puget Sound; we could usually get it set in one try without too much trauma. It held well on our way down the coast as well. We did a little bit of dragging in Santa Cruz and had to re-anchor, but it was a relatively empty bay and the conditions were calm. When we hit Cabo at the end of the Baja Ha-Ha and encountered our first time anchoring in a real sandy bottom, we discovered our old reliable bruce was not the anchor we need for Mexico. We turned to our fellow cruisers for advice and were told Rocna or Mantus was the way to go for what we would soon be encountering. After performing some additional independent…

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