Spinsheet

Who is going to correct out to first in fleet?

+1 Better off 10 minutes from the start than 1100 miles out for sure.

Yes +1 - Rookie mistake number 1 = tacking in the channel, rookie mistake number 2 = tacking at the west end. Catalina general rule of thumb. Tack close to the front side of the island & north of Parson's landing to take advantage of the a converging breeze and the lift. Stay at least two miles off the backside of the island or you'll have to deal with kelp, a diverging breeze and a header.

Looks like hurricane damage in the slip. The bolts for a tide slide tear up a boat pretty quickly in a big blow.

J/120

Most of the models show it staying well south of the rhumb line

+1 I did the same thing. I used a local title company, had a survey completed and did a shakedown sail. Saved $18k by avoiding the broker(s)

The list look thorough and well thought out. Did you inspect the rudder post and bearings? That was the biggest issue during the last Transpac, 4 boats retired and one sank. When your register the PLB on the US Beacon Registry be sure to notate your boat's information as well. I've never used a PLB. Can recreational boats see a PLB position? Are they notified when it is set off? An MOB1 broadcasts on AIS, allowing nearby boats to quickly respond. A guy brought a pack of Shamwows on my last transocean. They are now on my must have list. Glow in the dark tape ($11 on Amazon

I don't know what kind of boat you have, so this might not be an option. However, a friend recently replaced his hank-on staysail. He deleted the baby stay and went with a wire luff staysail and a Harkin staysail roller furler ($575 US) That configuration makes life so much easier and we use the stay sail much more often.

I appreciate your feedback. I walked the docks for a couple of hours looking at different ideas last weekend. I am still on the fence, but slowly coming to your conclusion. I planned on buying a 11'-12' RIB with a 15-20 hp outboard and custom davits ($11k+) By going to a roll up dinghy and smaller outboard I can save $6.5k+ and eliminate a lot of hobby horsing / improve performance.

I am going to measure the deck this weekend. My concern was that the cabin top goes so far forward. I saw a boat last weekend that had raised forward chocks on a small stainless stand that was removable by pulling two pins. I liked that setup because the dinghy was level and secure and the forward hatch could still be opened in an emergency situation.

I appreciate you sharing pictures of your boat and the davits. I have a garage full of wood working tools. If you give me the diameter of your dinghy tubes I can make you a set of chaulks with pads. Your cost would just be shipping.

I am still coming back to admire your boat, It is beautiful and obviously well cared for. Sorry, but I have so many questions. What is it? How long have you had it. I noticed the wind generator. I've never been on a boat with one. How many watts do you get out of it? I was told they are loud and make the boat vibrate, is that true? I see so many around that I find that hard to believe.

BJ, This setup looks great. I appreciate the detailed pictures, thank you. On a side note, I live in the US. Is there a way to buy a 2 stroke Yamaha Enduro, say in another country or gray market? I saw a few in Florida last year that appeared to be new or newish. The 25 HP Enduro is the same weight as the 15hp 4 stroke.