Solar Panels

They are installed and working.  Four 65 watt panels.

AIS Install

Professionals were contracted to install the AIS antenna, however they were less than punctual.  So, reaching into our self-reliance bag, Pollie ascended the mizzen mast, removed the old antenna, pulled new coaxial cable through, and completed the install.  The job is probably better than the pros would have done, and much cheaper - I bought her dinner.

The Throne

A Sea/Fresh Marine Elegance by Raritan has been added to Serenity. Pros: Much less water use when using fresh. Macerator at bottom of toilet (less clogs).  Simple to use, i.e., press a button rather than flipping valves and pumping.  Much cleaner installation. Cons: Electrical use, however it is a very short burst of power. More complication added to the boat.  Verdict: We love it!

AIS

A Class B Automated Identification System (AIS) has been added to Serenity's kit.  We gave it a go over the Forth of July weekend and were thoroughly impressed.  On several occasions it alerted us to large ships before we could get a visual.  On one occasion, I would have taken unnecessary evasive action to avoid a tug pulling a barge, if I had not been able to determine the tug was turning using the AIS information displayed on the chart plotter.  Attached is a picture of what it looks like on the chart plotter.  Serenity is represented by the green icon, the tug is passing on the starboard side.

Instrumentation

The upper helm station now has an instrument pod located on the mizzen mast (protection plastic still on).

In The Water

After a long winter of refits, Serenity is back in the water with a new bottom barrier coat, bottom paint (two coats), and barnacle buster on the metal parts.

Weather

Serenity uses Nobeltec software for navigation. One of the options with Nobeltec is a Weather Pack. To utilize weather feature one must have a method to receive weather information. We chose a WxWorx radio that receives XM WX Satellite Weather. The hardware is rather pricey, and the XM “vig” is rather steep, but we decided to go with it for safety. Here are the products we will receive:


Radar Summary

Weather Warnings

City Forecasts

Surface Observations

Radar Coverage

Current Precipitation

High Resolution NEXRAD Radar

High Resolution Radar

Precipitation Type (at surface)

Surface Analysis Weather Maps

Marine Zone Forecast

Surface Wind Speed/Direction

Wave Height

Wave Period