This sounds really amazing for sometime in the future.
From MIT News “Researchers build a portable desalination unit that generates clear, clean drinking water without the need for filters or high-pressure pumps.“
Definitely could be a game changer for our retirement, certainly looks like it might be worth putting off buying a watermaker if you don’t need it for a few years.
Our 3 month refit rush to the water begins with the original design details that make a full refit of 1977 Rival 38 Centre Cockpit Ketch much easier.
We throw in our 3 top tips to make a full refit much faster.
Some of the Sailing channels that we have learned from and seen these features work against them are:
Look at the refits on “Sailing Uma”, “Beau and Brandy Saiiing”, “Bums on a Boat”, “Sailing the good, bad and ugly”, “Free Range Sailing” to see why a separate aft cabin would have helped.
Composting toilet: Look at every boat doing a refit without one, also every boat doing horrible toilet fixes who doesn’t have one.
Headlining. An issue for everyone. Even with good headlinings, we suggest taking them down if you have any issues with leaks and not putting them up until the end or you will spend hours taking them down and putting them up multiple times.
Two and a half years ago, when we bought Vida, she was in a very tired and damp condition with all original equipment and fittings (much of it not working). We have removed all the gas, diesel, and paraffin equipment as well as all the plumbing and electrics. We have composting toilets, are installing an electric motor and all electric cooking. We are fitting a huge solar array and probably a wind generator. We have replaced all the windows, removed all the headlining and more. We are replacing all the standing rigging with Dyneema synthetic rigging. This is the biggest sustainability project of our lives as we prepare for a retirement when we want to cruise the world using zero fossil fuels on a very low budget.
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Today I have started a three month sabbatical (a generous gift from the Methodist Church that I work for, they come every seven years).
The plan is for me to spend most of the time working on Vida with Jane joining me when she isn’t working.
If possible we would like to get Vida launched by the end of the sabbatical. That will only be possible because there will be a great deal that doesn’t get done this year (or even next year).
The first task has been to get me to Beaumaris with all the things that are too heavy for Jane to load into the car. Hence, we loaded up our little, electric Nissan Leaf to the brim.
On the roof rack we had both the main and mizzen booms plus loads of plywood.
Inside we had a solar panel, big Victron Inverter, my bike, loads of tools, clothes and food.
The roof rack says 50mph maximum, so the 100 mile journey is quite slow. However, it is very good for the range. We barely needed to top up (although we did and as the Ecotricity charge point had lost its Internet connection it was free so we filled up).
Getting everything from the car, then onto the boat, then into the boat has been pretty tiring. So we had a nice veg and cannaloni bean curry, now relaxing with YouTube.
Sustainable Sailing 