Monday, May 31, 2010

Looking at them side by side


New Position N59deg 28' E10deg 39'

We moved back out to the buoy today, after three nights of shore power, unlimited fresh water and all the other luxuries that land has to offer. Lisette freely admits that she prefers being able to step right off the boat onto the hard, but I find a sense of peace and quiet out here that only the most isolated spots on land can match. I don't think a short boat ride is a lot to ask for such privacy.







The helm on Oscilia must have been designed by a very short person, and even at that it is an ergonomic disaster. The steering wheel, with its 25 lumpy turns lock-to-lock, is so close to the bench seat that I have to stand beside the helm to operate it. Also note the positioning of the radar monitor. I've hit my head on that thing so many times, I'm concerned I'll end up breaking it. The VHF is equally obtrusively placed, and to gain some access to the forward companionway I've had to temporarily remove it. The seat itself is designed so that only a small child could make itself somewhat comfortable, and then only while sitting ramrod straight. To my surprise, Lisette managed to find something of a comfortable driving position, by putting her feet up on the dash and wrapping her toes around the four-way switch that controls the propeller pitch and power steering.






When the boats are moored up together, it's easy to spot the difference in size. Looking at the pictures, it is kind of hard to imagine how we managed to take all of the stuff out of the big one and cram it into the small one. It was hard, and to be honest, we didn't quite manage. I've long since lost count of the garbage bags I've taken to the dumpster, each of them containing things that weren't quite useful and valuable enough to be granted some of the precious stowage on board Oscilia.

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