We listed our contest on both the website and on Facebook. As luck would have it we had two people choose the same arrival time and they were the closest, so we are handing out two prizes. Norman and Wanda Er drop us a line with your mailing address and we will mail you your Two Fish shirts.
Two Fish Crew
On our third day, I saw the color come back into Tim’s face as the waves had calmed down. I was much more relaxed. My spirits were buoyed by the dramatic change in our fortunes. “Making great time! Spirits up big” I wrote. We were motor sailing at almost 6 knots. Thoughts of stopping in San Salvador for fuel seemed reactionary. I was focused on how long we could run the risky short cut route. The ETA was now 7 days. Food kept the crew happy and the hallmark lentil dish was a big hit. Homemade cookies were also disappearing at an alarming rate.
The flatter seas offered a great chance to change out the leaking diesel hose on the port engine. Earlier I had only clipped off the end and reattached the hose. We measured up a new hose, cut it with the hose cutter and added a hose clamp. Problem fixed by David. The Port hull diesel smell was eliminated and the Captain’s quarters would get a break from motoring sounds.
Jerry cans
This was also an opportune time to check our diesel stores. Charles did most of the work of siphoning 6 jerry cans into the tanks. I calculated consumption 2 ways: looking at the fuel gauge (not so accurate) and looking at engine hours (also not so accurate). Luck had it that both measures came out within a gallon of each other. Based on my overly complex spreadsheet, we could motor 80% of the way from here to the BVI assuming the waves and wind were not strong on the nose. With too strong a wind we could only travel half the distance. Fingers were crossed that the short cut would work out.
As I was mulling over the risk, I got another email from our weather routers. Both were suggesting that we go east. I justified my plan to myself through a few points: 1) We had more range with our fuel than the routers calculated, and they wanted us to travel east for the breeze, and, 2) if we got caught in the trades our boat gave us more options that a smaller monohull. In trading, the term for self-justification is talking your own book. Well, I talked my book up to the crew. Reminding them we could always stair-step if we saw the trades coming.
Light switch repair
Day three also brought a new challenge as the lights in the master head stopped working. Trips to the head had to be done with a head lamp, no pun intended. Gail emailed our fellow Antares owners and they replied with solutions. I remarked to Gail that it was odd that both lights died at the same time. Come morning David and I tackled the problem. I was Robin to David’s Batman. It was an easy fix: a wire had fallen out of the back of the switch in the big seas. David also replaced the screws as they had were a bit rusty. I really appreciated not having to brush my teeth with my headlamp blinding me in the mirror. Gail’s excellent organization of the spares made the repair easy, and I hate to say it, “fun.” This would not be our last fix of the trip.
For six hours this day we had wind speeds of 1 to 3.7 knots. David took advantage of the light air and announced that it was time for fishing. The seas were flat, and we were motoring with one engine at 5.8 knots. I suppose I did not take these light windspeeds as a good omen. I satellite texted Gail “Please look at delaying your flight to 21 or 22nd. Miss you. Siliconed a squeaky floor board in the port forward cabin to help crew sleep better.”
A decent sized Mahi Mahi came aboard as our master Fisherman (aka Batman of boat repair) caught our dinner. David removed the gill to end the fish’s life quickly. This is much more humane, and neater, than my Joe Pesci style of doling out death with a fish bat. Tim took over and cooked the fish on the bbq with an Indian spice mix and a side order of vegetable pasta salad. 4 star cuisine mid-ocean. After that dinner Tim was crowned king of the kitchen. Tim also frequently prepared cocktail hour snacks, a civilizing break. The boat had become a restaurant, as my messages to Gail focused on spices and filet knives, not wind speeds.
AIS targets are the triangles
Our AIS informed us of the passing ships. During my night watch we had a close approach with Clipper Quito. I called her to say that we would be taking her stern and she politely offered to give us a wider pass by applying port rudder. A minute after the business conversation was over El Faro, a 700 foot ship placed a social call to Two Fish. The night watchman was very friendly. He lives in Puerto Rico and sails his pocket cruiser during his free time. We spoke for about 15 minutes but I cut the conversation short so as not to wake the rest of the sleeping Two Fish crew. What a pleasant way to spend a portion of my watch.
Day 4 – 15 jan
Watch Schedule 2 on:6 off
At 5 am, Tim woke me to inform me that the Genoa was not unfurling. Great move by Tim to not push it and break something. Tim did not ask the question, “should we wait until morning?”. I had a good sense of the problem before I reached the furling drum. While unfurling there had not been enough tension on the drum, thus creating a mess of the furling line. I scanned my mind for the culprit and realized it was myself. We travelled under engine in 10 knots of breeze while we worked to correct my mistake. We furled the genoa and then I eased the furling line to give me slack to fix the mess. It looked like we might not have use of the Genoa until the BVI. But with some patience and Tim’s help, and the sail dropped, we conquered the tangled line by fully unwinding the line. I wound the furling line back around the drum without the sail attached and “voilà” we were back in business. It took an hour, but I always enjoy conquering those types of problems because I become more comfortable at operating the boat.
We flew the Genoa, but not the Main, as the breeze was too aft and caused the the main to shake. The Genoa gently tugged the bow giving us a bit more speed and made us feel less like a motor boat. During Charles’ watch we had a close crossing situation the ship Mole Efficiency. David and Charles navigated Two Fish through the challenge.
The voyage had been hyped as the battle of fishing versus sailing. When I told our mutual friend Ross before the trip that I do not slow the boat down for fish strikes, he rolled his eyes. But after the huge black marlin and the tasty Mahi Mahi I was now a convert. I wanted fish on the boat and if slowing it temporarily increased the chance of good dinner, I was all for it.
However, I never thought I would take my fishing enthusiasms to the next level. We spotted a large sea of weeds. I asked David if he would be interested if we did a circle around the weeds in search of fish. I got a loud YES MAN, so we did rotations of the Sargosso Sea. After our third rotation, Charles caught our appetizer, a medium-sized Pompano. Tim made a simple ceviche with lime, onion and pepper. Best meal of the trip.
With the calm seas I inspected the rig and all looked good. I also checked the lockers, which were mostly bone dry. Impressive after transiting some decent size waves during the previous days.
MOB test
We were far enough from other boats that I decided to test our man over board tracker. I activated the device and took a photo of the message on the Furuno screen. The device is used for finding a crew overboard. They activate the device and then appear on the navigational screen like a ship or AIS target. Very handy for overboards in big waves or night time. I will add this photo to our crew safety briefing.
We started to make real progress, with both the full main and genoa drawing nicely with the wind slightly off our port beam. The boat made a lively 6.8 knots for 3 watches in a row. This speed seemed impossible just 2 nights ago. After sunset, boat speed increased to over 8 knots. This is what passage making should always be.
Cocktail Hour by Tim
Day 4 came to a close with me texting Gail to start looking at crew flights home. This was a sign that I was becoming confident with our arrival time. Flights targeted the 21st of January. 6 days. Full speed ahead. But at the end of the text conversation, I asked her to hold off on booking until the next day. I suppose I was not fully confident yet.
We stayed on the direct route to the BVI. I was disagreeing with the routers and years of maritime history. But you have to be your own Captain? We’ll see what the next days bring.
Log Book
“I did not realize how long a trip this was going to be. I thought it was just a bit farther than the Bahamas.”-Anonymous crew, Two Fish.
We all had a good chuckle at our crew’s comment, but a day earlier our arrival looked much bleaker. The team was carefully chosen for complimentary skills, personality and endurance. As Shackleton said: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.” David is an ocean-going captain with great fix-it skills and a strong passion for fishing. Tim is a former avid sailboat racer and very comfortable in the galley. Charles is Mr. Positive and a true adventurer at heart. He is the owner of the next Antares to splash.
Before a passage making vessel leaves the dock, there are a litany of preparations required. You can get so wrapped up in preparations that you forget to leave the dock. Two Fish and her systems received plenty of maintenance while in Stuart. The engines, water maker, and rigging were all inspected and tuned. Nothing cleans turning blocks better than some soapy water followed by gallons of high pressure water.
Gail was amazing at setting up the boats stores. She started with input from the crew members’ dietary requirements and tastes. She over-bought on everything, so if you see Two Fish feel free to ask for a Cliff Bar. We are thinking of using them as fishing lures. She cooked 5 dishes, each frozen into 2 nights of easy to microwave portions. The fridge also had pasta salad, sandwich meats, pudding, cheese and much more. The meals were:
Beef chili with plenty of vegetables (Got rave reviews), Chick Pea stew with cheese (Was used as a side order), Lentils with salami and vegetables (rated #1), Baked Ziti (Fell short of potential since I over microwaved), and Cous Cous with Tofu (Was never eaten since the crew could never get excited about Tofu)
The crew assembled on the 9th of January and the immediate topic of discussion was the large waves being recorded at the sea buoy just outside Stuart. I had made the decision earlier in the day that Two Fish would stay in harbor for 2 days. The 10th would have been a bumpy crossing of the gulf stream and would have set us up for 2 days of very strong and unusual headwinds. The GRIBs predicted that a 2 day delay would reward us with much kinder conditions but unusual weather.
Casting Off
Getting off the dock is the hardest part of any voyage. When I would travel for work, I would miss Gail more on the car ride to the airport than any other time. Same with boat deliveries. I do not know how the racers in the around the world race (Volvo) can leave home for such long stretches. Technically, I wasn’t leaving home rather our home was leaving without Gail.
I could sense a bit of tension in the crew before the big trip. The usual fears exists hidden under the surface. Will I get sea sick? Will I be comfortable? The crew’s concerns go away quickly when the boat gets underway. The overused analogy is that football players need to get their first hit under the belt for the tension to go away. Since we had no plans for hitting aboard Two Fish, our first sail hoist would have to do for tension removal.
Leaving via St. Lucie River
Our loved ones wished us a last good bye and we cast off. We pivoted on the bow line and spun the boat 180 degrees in 15 knots of breeze. We avoided marina hazards and were off for a true adventure. An ocean passage that many discuss, dream of but never get a chance to undertake. Will our diesel engines behave? Will I choose a good route? Will the waves tower 15 feet when crossing the Gulf Stream? I had to stop with the “will” mentality and let us start sailing. David, a Stuart local, navigated to the inlet avoiding the many shallows. We hoisted the mainsail after 4 miles on the St Lucie River. Charles did a great job holding station and avoiding boat traffic, while Tim and David hoisted the main with one reef. The main would add power and stability for our inlet crossing. Nearing the inlet David asked “I hope it is high tide? The waves are breaking over the breakwater. He went on to say “that is not good if it is low tide.” I sheepishly responded that the tide was one-third off of low as I started to look closer at the breaking waves. But as we approached, we noticed that waves would not be an issue for Two Fish. Her six foot topsides kept us dry as we crossed out into the ocean.
I wrote a long post of the routing plan (click here to read it) for this trip but this is the basic summary.
1) Go directly east for 800 miles, then turn right 90 degrees and head south 600 miles. This route avoids the ugly trade winds from the east that are located south of Stuart. A great blog post was written by the crew of Indigo Moon on this path.
2) Have lots of diesel. We wanted to be able to motor in light air so we loaded the boat with a record 17 jerry cans. The boat’s water line dropped from this weight and the boat was “popping a wheelie” as the stern sunk more than the bow.
This plan would go under many modifications and spawn a new lexicon during the trip.
I thought to myself “I think everyone is a bit green” as we sailed in very confused 5 foot seas. In 18 knots of breeze we were beating to reach the northern tip of the Abacos, the northernmost islands of the Bahamas. We had a reef in the main and the full genoa drawing us across the Gulf Stream. The wind direction prevented us from pointing any more to the east but we were being swept off course. It looked as if we were heading to Norfolk, VA. At one point Gail sent me a satellite text “We are watching your track on the big screen TV. Why are you heading so far north?” The 3 to 4 knots of the Gulf Stream were not a surprise but still frustrating. The objective is to get our latitude from 27 North to 18 North ,but instead the number was climbing. I kept this depressing fact to myself. However, the crew are no dummies and our track was no secret. We encountered few ship crossings and everyone enjoyed tracking the closest point of approach(CPA) and time to CPA(TCPA) of targets. Usually, we like to keep 1 nautical mile away from target. Tim’s watch saw a tanker cross our bow, but we had no need to alter course.
David was eager to get the fishing poles out and within hours, we got a strike. I was at the helm and heard the reel running with a ferocity I had never heard before. I assumed David had set the reel with little tension allowing the fish to pull out much line. I decided to slow the boat to aid in the fishing mission, which I rarely do. Genoa furled and course adjusted the boat was traveling at 2 knots or less. The line was still running. The reel was going to run out of line. What the heck have we hooked? A shark, a submarine? With a bit of line to spare, David stopped the progress of the fish and started reeling in. David, Charles and Tim all worked the reel. This was exciting stuff, what will our bounty from the sea bring us?
The fish was too large for our appetites so we released the fish with a few kind words. Despite the lack of dinner, the excitement lifted everyone’s spirits. But soon that positive emotion would ebb. During the night the sea state progressively got worse and more confused. We rolled up the Genoa to point more towards the East. My rule of thumb for motor sailing is if the angle of the wind to the boat is less than 30 degrees, put away the sails. From 30 to 50 degrees, hoist the Main sail, beyond 50, use the Main and Genoa. We played with our sail combination and angle to the wind to find a more efficient way around the tip of the Abacos. The tug of the Gulf Stream should have abated, but the water temperature and speed indicated that we were still in its grip.
We tried everything to fight our way East/Southeast. We tacked, with the bow pointed almost due South, but the Gulf Stream reduced our speed to less than 3 knots. After an hour, we tacked back. Since you are never supposed to swim against the riptide, I thought, so you should not sail against the Gulf Stream. The boat moved better but we headed too far north. Neither tack gave much satisfaction. The night was spent dodging the predicted thunderstorm cells that showed up nicely on the long range radar. We dodged most of the them and the few that caught Two Fish brought winds in the low 20s and soaking rain, but no lightning. The GRIB (weather) files stated that CAPE (measure of thunderstorm likelihood) was at a high reading. That night I wrote Gail a brief satellite text “Slow run. Magic 8 ball ETA is 15 more days. All asleep. I am in the full enclosure with strong rain giving the boat a good wash. 17 knot headwind. Weather file failed to download.” Gail kindly replied with a brief weather forecast, predicting better conditions were on their way. She also discovered that my GRIB (weather data) provider was suffering from a hacker attack. Of all the weeks! No problem, I used my back up GRIB viewer. I had gotten soaked during one of the squalls, so changed into fresh clothes before going to bed.
We had been at sea for almost 24 hours, travelling at less than half our normal speed. This was the beginning of some tough hours for the navigator. We had planned for a maximum passage of 14 days. The 2 day delay reduced our window to 12 days. While on my first morning watch, the horror of our slow progress sunk in. The navigation computer showed an ETA in 18 days. That is almost February! I started to go through our options. Start a second engine to fight the current. No thanks, as we need to save our diesel. Shorten the trip. Too early to panic? Motor 300 miles at full speed to San Salvador or somewhere else in the Bahamas to refuel? This would mean a late night arrival and a long wait for the fuel dock to open. I decided to press on, knowing that the current could not trap us forever. Patience is key on a long passage.
Settling In
The log book from the second day at sea is littered with speed over ground recordings of 4 knots. The remarks are benign “Saw ship pass”, “Nearest point to the Abacos” “Paddle wheel indicates Gulf Stream is still pulling us North”
On the morning of our departure, I had reattached the fuel hose on our port engine leading from the feed pump to the manual pump. A small amount of diesel was still leaking from the area of the barb. We chose to run the starboard engine exclusively until we could address the leak in calm seas. Diesel fumes and rough seas wobble even the saltiest of sailor’s stomachs.
Two Fish and her crew pressed on in light air with only motors. The crew were great and did not speak of the elephant in the room. Were we ever going to round the Abacos? Can we get an airlift out? As night arrived for the second time on the trip we still had not matched our first day’s goal. But I had a plan! If we took a short cut and traveled on the direct route, rather than due East and the South, we could capture back our lost time. This could be a risky maneuver, since if the traditional trade winds filled in at 20 knots from the east, we might have a 900 mile trip from hell. The GRIBs were encouraging me to take the short cut, as two TROFs were holding a high pressure system across our intended short cut. The waves should die down, the current disappear and we should be able to motor straight to the BVI. The “ifs”, “ands”, or, “buts” in our plan created some apprehension, but I decided to give it a shot. If the Easteries looked likely to appear then I would turn immediately to the East, to stay in the lighter portions. We called this move the stair-step. The reverse stair-step also entered our lexicon.
Depressing arrival time
Tim held a star gazing class while we passed the Abacos. It got rave reviews as he came equipped with a laser pointer that allowed for easy identification. He seemed to know a limitless number of objects in the sky, pointing out stars, galaxies and a passing comet. However, our reality was still a bit bleak-as he came off watch, Tim remarked in the log book that our speed was barely above 3 knots and we were not headed to the BVI.
In my midnight log entry, I make it official: “Pressure is mounting. ETA Jan 25 (11 days). WTF. “ But I later wrote in the same log entry “We have a plan. Motor or motor sail a course of 125 degrees. Do stair-step if strong South-easterlies fill in.” We had access to weather routers on the trip but this unusual weather pattern had them confused. They insisted that going East was key to protect us from strong trade winds we would encounter once we werecloser to the BVI. We respectfully chose to go our own route. I shared this risk with the crew and they were upbeat about taking the shortcut. Our ETA was improving, not because of boat speed rather my shortening of the route to reflect the new plan. I did admit my accounting fraud to the crew but I suspect they figured it out on their own.
Tim noted in the log that we passed Fox Island Radio tower, tallest structure on the Abacos. At night it was only a flashing light. We couldn’t turn yet. David was forced to tack to the north east on his watch as we were headed too close to the Abacos. Good to avoid lee shores in the middle of the night, but depressing to be going the wrong way again. The breeze was now South East as one of the weather reports had predicted. This would be one of the few times the weather gurus got it right. The job of a weather man is not easy. The crew was joking that we should ask for a refund. I was just looking for a chance to try our new strategy, while wondering whether we would be Easting forever.
We are eager to hear from our fans. So please put on your thinking cap and try to guess our arrival time in the BVI from Stuart, FL. We plan on setting sail Monday 8am but, depending on the weather, this could slip to Tuesday. The trip is 1,000 miles as the crow flies but kinder wind and waves might be encountered with the longer 1,400 mile route. Here is a table to help you with your bet. There will be a grand prize winner and runner-ups. Just comment on the blog post or Facebook page with your guess as to date and time and include your name.
When will Two Fish arrive?
Waiting for a semi-custom boat to be built offers plenty of time to consider what features to choose. The Antares comes with just about everything so it is difficult, BUT not impossible to create add-ons. However, the additions you decide on during the build can only be based on inputs from previous owners and brief trips aboard, rather than your own lifestyle. After a year aboard, we have firmer views on what we want from the boat. WARNING. Before you ask Antares to add features to your new boat please follow two rules: 1) Do not tell them it was my idea, and, 2) This boat has a long wait-list so the factory is focused on keeping up with their production and you may have to customize it after splashing. Waiting will help you figure out your own preferences.
I like an organized boat. So some of our upgrades have been about making things more organized for a cleaner look aboard and in the lockers. I think the bilges should be as clean as the cabin.
Permanent Storage boxes in the Genset locker and the Watermaker Locker
It is early days with this new creation but I love it. Now engine oil, coolant, and other fluids have a home aboard Two Fish. The Genset locker box is so huge it can hold a large tub. We store our baja filter, fuel siphon and other oily bits in this space. The box also creates a space in front of the box for holding our oil extractor. No, we are not starting a small fracking operation, this tool is for oil changes. No longer do I have to tie down the oil cans. Also entering and exiting the lockers is much easier now as the boxes make a great place to put your feet. Finally, the boxes can be removed if necessary for some unusual service. Maybe Antares will make them standard in a future boat? Remember rule #1, do not mention my name if you ask for it.
Fridge and Freezer Fans
Marine fridges and freezers are not as powerful as our 110 Volt models onshore. The symptoms that we have seen are excessive condensation, frost and troubles achieving and maintaining a very low temperature. We have improved the fridge seals, ensured the proper compressor coolant pressure and have now added fans. We hope to have the best in marine refrigeration. The fans should address the issue of uneven temperatures. Initial testing is good but serious testing will start when we arrive in warmer weather. In Charleston, we could have kept our stores cold by leaving the door open. We also upgraded the thermostats to a digital model.
Bilges
We had some initial problems with fuel not staying in the fuel tank. There is nothing worse than the smell of diesel, but we eventually sorted out the problem. First, we replaced the gasket in our fuel tank inspection port. The previous material was failing under the assault of diesel with additives. The new material is pricey, but Viton seems to keep the diesel in place and does not degrade. Second, we tested the tank for micro leaks when filling the tank to full. A few bolts were leaking so we re-seated them with a sealant known for is diesel resistant power. We now have a tanks that keep the diesel trapped.
Bullet proof gear shifter
Our next bilge upgrade was preventive. Antares Guru, James, told us about power catamarans that had the shifter connection come off. Murphy’s Law requires this failure to occur next to the fuel dock. Imagine that you are locked in gear headed at pricey boat. For the cost of a few nuts, this seemed to be a worthwhile upgrade. James installed longer bolts, extra nylock nuts and some Loctite to defer a visit from Murphy.
When we first got the boat, the watermaker had a fatal flaw and created a small pool of water in the bilge. This led to fears about the boat flooding in strange compartments without my knowing. We bought a bunch of inexpensive water alarms that run on 12 volt batteries and placed them near possible flood spots. We also added limber holes under the master and guest bed so those areas could empty into the main bilges.
I have avoided storing anything under the master bed because the area contains the lift pump for the watermaker. A year has passed since our initial issues, so I decided to store some rarely used items there. Accessing this area is almost as easy as swimming to shore mid-passage. Our huge collection of watermaker filters was a perfect candidate for remote under bed stowage. I installed 3 gear hammocks that keep the filters, oil blankets and paper towels out of the bilge.
Clock and Barometer
Barigo Clock and Weather
These units were chosen for their looks and not their accuracy as marine instruments. They need to be polished to avoid rusting. The weather device has humidity, temperature and the all-important barometer. We keep track of GRIB files with a high regularity and the barometer is not currently a huge focus.
USB for 12 volt
BlueSea USB
With our iPhone anchor alarms, iPad podcasts and other amp-consuming applications, we have a constant need for charging our Cupertino friends. We had plenty of cigarette lighter style outlets, but the adapters always got warm; this deeply concerned me and curtailed their use. Now we have replaced these fire hazards with a USB outlet from BlueSea. They work great and should be standard on all boats. Check out this post on the charging or take my word for it.
Canvas Customization
“Hello sir. I would like to buy two table cloths. The first is for a table that is sort of oval with a line holding it up at one end. The other one is more complex, has wings and is a pentagon.” said Gail.
“Please leave the store” said the store employee.
That is what would happen at a department store if you asked for the two tablecloths we had custom-built in Charleston. The canvas shop was efficient and made a quality product. It is a joy to have a proper table cloth for outdoor dining and the indoor cloth protects the table during passages.
We never loved the quasibucket style design of our helm seat. It had padding that pitches you forward at an odd angle and a ridge in the middle. Also, a key seam failed on Two Fish and some early boats. I think the seats are now made with a better material so the failure is less likely. The manufacturer sent us a replacement seat but we chose to construct a new design. This design is flat and matches the pattern of the cockpit cushions. So far it has been very good for both of us, especially as we like to sit in the lotus position while on watch.
Preventer system
This creation is over-engineered. Or may be over Jason-ed as the engineering might not pass muster at an MIT inspection. The system has the goal of being an easy to operate preventer. (For non-sailors, it is preventing the boom from violently swinging over to the other side if the wind shifts.)
1) When not in use, only a loop remains attached to the end of the boom. This makes for a cleaner cockpit.
2) When it comes time to use the preventer, it is easy to attach. A simple clip system from the preventer attaches to the end of boom loop.
3) The preventer line uses the mid-ship cleat to turn the line aft.
4) Finally, the system has purchase and is controlled with a repurposed dinghy mainsheet block.
The traveler on the Antares is basically a preventer since the mainsheet is kept short. Remember to cleat BOTH sides of the traveler at all times. The preventer is another layer of protection from accidental jibes and also can be used to shape the main sail. A less obvious usage is to reduce mainsheet slap. The Antares mainsheet passes under the salon and in lumpy seas and light air the mainsheet will slap the bottom of the salon. Nothings gets me on deck faster than hearing the sheet slapping the underside of the salon. My best technique to eliminate this noise is to ease the vang and tighten the preventer. The new system is easier to tension than the old one (a simple line to the cleat).
Other Rigging changes
We disagreed with the design of the mainsail cars on the Antares. Before you take my word as gospel, there are many boats that have sailed 10,000 miles without incident with the factory set-up. The factory set-up uses small harken cars so that when the sail is dropped the head is not too far off the deck. This is a laudable feature but does not give the most robust Harken solution. We installed batten cars at every batten and reef cars at every reef point. The intermediate cars standard on the boat are friction sliders and they were replaced with ball bearing cars. This may be overkill, but it allows for smoother drops and a more robust attachment of the main to the track. We re-cut our sail cover and added a few mast steps to adjust for the higher mainsail stack. Gail can still put on and remove the sail cover. She can also frap the main halyard with a little help from the boat hook.
Organizing the Genset locker
The Genset locker holds long lines which are useful in narrow rivers and tight anchorages. They are also useful when warping or leaving a Med moor. One line is 300 feet, the other 150 feet and the final is 70 feet of propellor avoiding polypropylene used for grabbing mooring balls from the stern steps. The fishing polls are out of the way and there is a custom place for the aft sunshade. Most owners store their sunshade on the dinghy arch. The genset locker is so organized and clean, I am thinking of inviting guests over for drinks in the locker.
Slam Latch left of knob
Shower door lock
In big seas, the master shower door can fly open. Many owners sail blue water with an extra line tied from the door handle to the sink. Effective, but hobo style. Two Fish added a slam latch to the existing latch. The latch can be adjusted via a screw to create the correct pressure to keep the door closed in a big sea. Better yet when the factory makes a new door they need to hang it such that the mechanism goes deeper into the catch.
VHF position
Many boats install their VHF above the bilge pumps. One person can then be at the helm, and the other can operate the VHF. However, the flaw with this installation is that the VHF speaker is facing to port and is hard to hear while helming. The solution is to add another dock for the VHF higher up so it can be heard by all and reached by all. When the trip is over the VHF returns to its old dock where the canvas cover protects it from exposure. Small change but big benefit when transiting the ICW where there are frequent communications.
Entertainment cabinet
Under the salon TV, there is a huge space but the boat builders used this area to run wires. For a year, this has driven me nuts. That created the energy needed to change the set-up. We cleaned up all the wires and moved hardware behind the Fusion stereo. With a large space ready for organization and a quick trip to The Container Store, vital stuff now has a safe place. Binoculars with compass, stabilization binoculars, air horn, rangefinder, camera, VHF chargers and more, all have homes. This change is a huge lifestyle improvement.
Since day one, the Fusion stereo has had a wired remote at the helm. I find it nice to be able to quickly stop the music to hear the VHF or law enforcement. Recently, we connected the Fusion to our 12 volt router and “bingo”, now iStuff can control the stereo with album art. Not necessary but very nice.
Screecher
Screecher
This is a must. Traveling dead down wind with Genoa and Screecher is a joy. Power reaching with Main and Screecher is fast and fun. 100% happy I got this sail and the bowsprit installed. At some point I will change the reefing line to a continuous line and snatch block for winch reefing like sister ship Calypso has already done. However, I have hand-furled the sail in over 20 knots with no issues.
Self tacking Jib
Self-tacking Jib
We have not used this, except for testing. If we sailed a lot in cold weather, or, short handed, the sail might get more use. The furled Genoa works ok in very strong breezes (40knot) when off the wind and does not require the crew to go forward to drop and bend on a new sail. However, having the Jib offers back up if a head sail winch were damaged. I would consider skipping this option and having a cleaner foredeck, one fewer line in the chaseway, and a few more bucks in the wallet.
Underwater Lights
Before I get new owners too excited about adding features to their boats, I would warn that a simple boat is easier to learn and may have fewer initial problems. You can add many systems later as you learn your preferences.
We bought these lights under the advice of Live Wide. The factory did a great job installing the units. Lumishore lights are bright and make any color under the rainbow. We turn them on when we are expecting guests. We do not mimic sport fishers and leave them on during the evening when in the Marina. We do enjoy their ability to attract fish at night, but would rather sharks stayed away.
Glendinning power cord reels
I do not think this option is offered anymore, and I think we are the only boat with this feature. It has worked flawlessy. The job of stowing cords is made shorter as the electric reels spin the cords away. But the biggest benefit is the reels are in a place where you would never store something. This frees up space in the valuable cockpit locker where traditional cord owners store their power cords. Also having the power at the stern rather than mid ships often leads to a cleaner hook-up to the power post. As you can see in the photo we put plugs into the cord exits when in use. If there is large chop, water will not enter the boat (very very rare).
Cords stowed
Single Side Band Radio (SSB)
SSB
We do not use it much. A little over a year since moving aboard, is sometimes too early to know your eventual go to items. For example, we did not use our heat for 9 months, but we would have frozen to death, or at least never gotten up in the morning, on the ICW as an early winter caught the southbound sailors. Likewise, the SSB might come in handy in other parts of the world. Part of our low usage is because we have not mastered using it as a modem. We hope to make some friends in the BVI that will give us tips on controlling it with the MacAir. We know it works well since we have used the radio for long distance communication.
Roller main versus slab reef main
This topic could consume a blog post. One of the joys of cruising for me is working the sail plan. Putting a reef in the Main at night when the breeze is climbing is a skill. Not a tricky skill, but one learned with practice. If you find no sense of accomplishment in that process, then install the Roller Main. The Roller could allow for a more balanced helm in a big blow as you can hoist a tiny Main and tiny head sail. The slab reef can not get smaller than 2 reefs and so one must go Jib alone. In theory, this will create a less balanced helm. However, in strong winds we have not found the helm poorly balanced with our slab reef Main. I know one owner who installed a third reef on his Main. Interesting, but I did not follow his lead because it would force me to leave the cockpit and it would create too many control lines. Having blocks installed on the leech of the main is a must for easy reefing. The Slab Reef Main has a huge amount of extra sail area in the roach. After one reef is installed in the Slab Reef Main, it is the same size as the full Roller Main. This extra sail area can be nice on a light air day or going upwind. It is also very difficult to tension the leech on the Roller Main which limits performance in certain conditions.
I support the purchase of the Slab Reef Main 100%, while Gail partially supports the Roller. She is concerned about the Roller not working one day but is jealous about the Roller Main being push button in and out.
Ice maker
Ice maker
We do not use our air conditioning often, but really enjoy an ice-cold drink. We have hung the ice maker power supply off the inverter so solar power can make ice. Our bit to stop global warming. The factory-installed model works very well but others prefer their plug-in models from Amazon. The plug-in is easy to replace but is slower and requires water to be added by hand. Oh, the rough life of a cruiser. Gentlemen do not cruise without an ice maker?
Printer Shelf
Two Fish is not just a sailboat but also our home. No home office can survive without a printer/scanner to fill out entry forms, file taxes and other pedestrian paper work. Many cruisers place the 110 volt printer in a locker. Gail was not excited about diving into a locker every time she needed to print. Instead, Two Fish has a printer located behind a custom wood door in the settee. The carefully sized printer slides out effortlessly, making that quick print job painless and curse-free unless Jason left the printer without paper. We have straps to keep the printer in place during passages, but this may be excess.
Woodwork
The factory is great on woodwork details. We added shelves to the bottom of our closets. We also added a grommet in the Nav Station so that power cords pass nicely to the laptop. We copied Live Wide and added a handle for safe passage from the galley to the salon. I will add more shelves in the master hull cabinets, but they will not be as beautiful as the Argentine cherry.
Chain counter
We were the first boat to ask for a chain counter and a remote at the helm. This was new technology for Antares and we had some initial glitches. But after we cleaned up the wiring, in the junction box the gremlins fled and it has been a joy. Most folks have a coloring scheme on their anchor chain to tell how much chain has been released. I found this system difficult because the zip ties fell off and I could never remember our color code system. With this system, both anchor person and helmperson can see how much chain is down. Often the diligent person weighing anchor (Gail) is working terribly hard on cleaning the anchor as it is being raised and may on occasion forget to tell the helmsman (Jason) that the boat is adrift. With the remote located at the helm, this problem goes away. In rare occasions this remote is useful for Med-Mooring or single handed anchoring.
Solar power
New solar controller
Nothing beats solar power on a boat. Silent and great at top-up charges. Our boat was ordered with the two extra large panels on the dinghy arch. I may add more some day as solar requires no effort. We recently replaced our defective solar controller. The symptom was the need to be rebooted by removing the fuse with some regularity. Victron sent a new unit ASAP so it might be a known glitch. The new unit is a small upgrade to our unit (more amps and includes their new communication protocol). So far I am just happy not to be yanking the fuse all the time.
Chart storage
Chart storage
We always have paper charts on board (Gail rule) so this is a must to keep the cabin organized. I will skip the debate about their need in the modern world. Gail likes them, so they are aboard. We also tend to buy every cruising guide we can find. Bluewater Books is a great store for buying guides. However, sometimes I avoid reading the guides so I can be surprised by what is onshore. I do always read their navigational tips so as not to be surprised by a rock. Remember the old sailing adage, surprised by a beach bar is a good thing – surprised by a rock is a bad thing. Told you sailing is not a complex activity.
Nav station input strip
Plug central
This was Gail’s discovery and has worked well. Older boats just had wires coming out of the hutch. Ugly and leads to broken wires. This strip cleans up the mess. Which inputs do we use? KVH web frequently in passage for our internet. In order to not use data by accident we do not serve up the expensive satellite internet wirelessly. HDMI is used when we watches movies from the laptop on the big TV. KVH phone is only a back-up since the Iridium is a quicker phone solution. Rogue Web is only used if there are debugging issues with our wifi extender. Furuno allows MaxSea navigational software to get the data from the network. I keep forgetting what settings are required to make this work and Gail has to keep fixing it for me. Audio allows any audio source to go into the Fusion stereo.
Fish Finder
Fish Finder display
This one missed the mark. A simple depth sounder is enough. Our fish finder consumes power and only offers a graph of what you have passed over. The fish finder helps in understanding the contour of the bottom when anchoring. I turn it on when anchoring, gunk-holing or passing through a tight passage. I am too hopeless a fisherman to use it to increase our catch. One advantage of the fish finder is that it is a back up for the depth sounder and my starboard hull is wired for a transducer upgrade in the future if my mood changes.
Port forward cabin selection
We have the storage option instead of a small pipe berth or an office. An office seems excessive since when we need to work we use the nav station or the salon table. Computer work inside a hull could be stifling. The pipe berth has merits but we prefer convenient access to our tools on nice shelves. Boat work is never a picnic so you do not want to be lifting cushions every time you need a different tool. The second shower option was not available when they built our boat. I can see the advantage but guests typically shower outdoors when the weather is warm enough. The sail locker has been convenient for storing the chute, canvas covers, and extra cleaning supplies.
Factory sold Canvas covers
The helm cover is a must. Protects the expensive navigational equipment in no time. The dinghy cover has limited usage since we are full time live-aboards. If we left the boat for an extended period of time, this would be used. Winch covers were a bit too small and need to be replaced. Helm seat cover is not used as the enclosure is often up, thereby protecting the helm. We enjoy the convenience and protection of the canvas rear winch cover.
Dive compressor
Dive compressor
So far it has been underused, but we expect that to change as the next 6 months as we will be in perfect waters for diving. I will report more on this feature later. It was installed in a very clever location so you end up losing almost no space. However, there are dive shops that can fill your tanks. 2 x 62 liter tanks fit nicely in our stern line lockers and a rack in the locker can hold 2 x 80 liter tanks. The compressor takes less than 30 mins per tank and can fill up to 4 tanks at a time. We have a 110 volt fan to keep the compressor cool during fills and a nice cover to protect the compressor from accidental splashes.
KVH V3
This is an expensive option at start up but costs only $50 a month to keep running. In the right parts of the world, it is fast and is a very convenient way to access the internet for weather, email or web surfing. The KVH has come through for us in dealing with mundane finances and last year’s retirement.
Nav Station Set-up
Iridium Extreme phone
The Iridium’s primary purpose is to go into our ditch bag in case of emergency. It works just like a cell phone so any crew member can operate the phone in case of emergency. For our upcoming trip I have the 6 different Coast Guard numbers pre-programmed. I wonder if I should also include Domino’s pizza? Do they deliver mid-ocean? The Iridium can also download data but we use it for GRIBs and text emails only, as the speed is only 4kbs. Your home network work is probably 40,000 kbs. We have an antenna for the Iridium on the dinghy arch.
Vesper Vision AIS
The Vesper has been a great AIS. It seamlessly sends the AIS data to our Furuno system. The feature we were happily surprised by was the ability of the unit to broadcast data from the NMEA network. If that mumbo jumbo makes no sense to you, what it is saying is that wind speed, depth and other data are sent out wirelessly anytime the unit is turned on. A few bucks at the app store and you can buy slick applications that will show this data. Now in the middle of the night if you want to know the wind speed you can check it with out getting out of bed. My current project is to get iRegatta to calculate VMC. (That is another post!)
Furuno RD33 data display
This data repeater is a workhorse for Two Fish. Location makes log book updates easy. Also, while at anchor the windspeed alarm is a nice safety feature. The compass is a convenient way to detect wind shifts.
Flexiteek
Flexiteek
I would get the fake teak again. It hides dirt, reduces glare from the deck, and adds charm to the boat (subjective). The short coming is that it can get very hot, so we wear flip flops. Footwear is never a bad thing for a boat. Your feet thank you by the end of the day. Stains can be sanded out and as it ages it looks more real. The black caulking lines need some maintenance over time.
Bigger Water Maker
I have passed through the valley of broken watermakers and emerged a stronger man. Let me tell you the long story. I am assuming that since you made it this far into the post, you must be a glutton for punishment. We foolishly left the factory with an untested watermaker. When we turned it on the hoses blew off. For those not into watermakers, this is not a good sign. We had three issues.
1) Our watermaker has a lift pump and an energy recovery unit. The latter takes place of the high pressure pump. It is called an ETD. The ETD, now a swear word on Two Fish, was milled incorrectly. The two pistons inside the ETD would get stuck and become a blockade for the incoming water. As the pressure built, the weakest link would fail and a hose would go flying. We did develop the ability to remove the ETD and unlock the pistons. This would take about 6 hours and only give you one usage of the device. After a comedy of errors, we finally connected with a new ETD sent by the factory and replaced the unit in Trinidad. It turns out the watermaker manufacturer had done a recall on this part but never got around to telling Two Fish or the factory. Since replacement, the unit has been flawless.
2) Our water maker has a electronic valve that opens after the 1 minute priming period has passed. Our first 2 Danfoss valves were duds. We have had perfect performance from our third valve but we also carry a spare. I bet the early valves may have been damaged by the misbehaving ETD.
3) Original installation had a few poor hose connections. Pikin was a hero in Brazil; after four attempts, he found a guy who could crimp a high pressure hose that was forgotten in the install process.
After all my complaining what do I think of the watermaker. It is now set and forget. It makes water just fine and the speed is appreciated. During passages I will run the Genset for 2 hours to charge the batteries and can make 50 gallon of water at the same time. I apologize to the crew who were aboard during the drought. They were such great sports.
Chaise lounge / Dual Genoa tracks
I thought I would be on the chaise all day long and I am surprised I use it less that expected. Every time I use it for a reading perch I appreciate how cool a spot Antares has created. The cost for this is not having the extra helm seat, which I find a bit out of place anyway. So it is a double winner. Gail created her own co-pilot seat by buying a huge matching Sunbrella cube which we use both outdoors and indoors for extra seating. Another double winner for the price of one. By having the chaise we also got a very nice storage box on deck.
Dual genoa track
We had two genoa tracks installed on Two Fish to get better sail trim and accommodate more of the enclosure. I would not consider this a must have item. It is a nice to have for back up and fun for sail trim but not a must. We are cruising after all!
Final small stuff
I can not believe you have made it this far into the post. Congrats on the epic job of reading through mud. Our final customization has been adding hooks to the master head. You can not have enough when you go swimming 3 times a day. We also added an anti-siphon loop to the genset bilge pump. This may be a small risk but a reverse siphon could occur on the bilge output for the genset as it is close to the water line. We added a vented loop to stay extra safe. In the South Atlantic we did notice water was entering via the bilge pump system. We followed Golden Glow’s lead and installed new cool toilet seats. They should be standard. Easy to clean and no slamming. We also added fiddles above the microwave and above the cooktop.
Future projects
Most important project is not to do any projects for a while and enjoy swimming, diving and exploring ashore. But I have some thoughts:
1) Copy Field Trip and hang the watermaker power off the inverter.
2) Copy Live Wide and add an AC vent to cool dive compressor
3) Add shelves to cabinets
4) Add adjustable genoa cars. Add bow block to fly chute from windward bow.
Remember do not ask Anatares for all these features or no one else will get a boat before 2030. Enjoy your boat, your favorite upgrades will most likely be different than mine.
© 2025 s/v two fish. All Rights Reserved.
Designed by Team Twofish. Powered by Wordpress