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Subject: TWL: Around the world with Arcturus: Introduction to Fred and Chris Caron and Arcturus
From: Georgs Kolesnikovs (georgs@XXX.XXX)
Date: Tue Jul 03 2001 - 08:05:04 EDT
Here is an introduction to Fred and Chris Caron (and Dusty) aboard the
Nordhavn 46 Arcturus whose reports on their circumnavigation are being
posted periodically on Trawler World List.
--Listmeister
In 1991, we purchased our first boat, a 43-foot express cruiser that we used
on Lake Michigan and parts of Lake Huron. We sold that boat in 1998 after
adding about 700 hours to the engine meter. The boating season in Chicago
is only five or six months long, depending on the year.
During 1997, I attended a four-day captain's licensing course. I took that
course in order to broaden my general boating knowledge, not to apply for
a captain's license.
We have both completed various Red Cross sponsored First Aid classes most
of which were geared to medical emergencies on the water. Those courses
included: CPR training, how to identify the primary medical problem,
checking respiration, treating trauma, treating shock, burns, how to give
mouth-to-mouth ventilation, treating open wounds, poisonings, dealing with
hypothermia, etc.
Over the past ten years, we have attended a myriad of boating and boating
safely classes sponsored by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Trawler Fest, Boat
Shows, and various Yacht Clubs. Some were a few hours long and some a few
days. They included: safety afloat, celestial navigation, knot tying,
abandoning ship drills, emergency use of ground tackle, fire fighting, what
to do in a grounding, safe boat handling in heavy weather, man overboard
and search pattern drills, emergency use of a radio, how to properly ignite
and use signal flares, logs and log-keeping, Federal Water Pollution Laws,
navigating by dead reckoning, etc.
In November, 1999, we purchased Arcturus, a 1990 Nordhavn 46 long-range
trawler. We intend to take Arcturus around the world. We sold our house in
Illinois and moved aboard during December, 1999, and we have been on the
water ever since. We selected the Nordhavn 46 for the adventure because
this model is a proven bluewater vessel with many ocean crossings and
circumnavigations to its credit. We also wanted a boat that the two of us
could safely handle since it is not our intention to invite paid crew into
our home.
During 2000, we took Arcturus down to Mexico and spent several great months
in those waters. Then we took her north all of the way up to Alaska. During
May, Chris and I left Mexico and steamed nonstop to Eureka, California. We
stopped in Eureka to pick up charts of the Seattle area, spent the night
then we continued our journey north arriving in Victoria, B.C., four days
later. That first leg of our trip north took the two of us eight 24-hour
days and we found the going very comfortable and enjoyable.
While we were in the Pacific Northwest, we cruised the Inside Passage and
visited many of the major ports and quiet anchorages in British Columbia
and Southeast Alaska. Skagway, Alaska was the farthest north city we
visited and Sitka was the farthest west.
Early last November, we departed Seattle and began heading south with
stops at Fort Bragg, San Francisco, Dana Point, and San Diego. After
reprovisioning in San Diego, we steamed about a 1,000 miles south along the
Baja Peninsula to Cabo San Lucas and then on to La Paz. After 12 weeks, we
crossed the Sea of Cortez and spent time at El Cid Marina in Mazatlan. By
that time, Chris and I had cruised over 9,000 miles aboard Arcturus and
added about 1,300 hours to the main engine hour meter. We had encountered
all types of sea and weather conditions and were now confident in our
ability, our vessel, our equipment and our safety. Not over confident, just
confident.
Electronics: Arcturus is fully equipped for circumnavigating. Her state-of-
the-art electronic equipment includes: a Furuno 48-mile radar, a Robertson
AP45 Auto Pilot, two VHF radios, a Interphase Twinscope depth sounder, a
Furuno FMV-603 depth sounder, an Icom (IC-746) Ham radio and Pactor II
modem for email and weather faxes, three fixed GPS's and one handheld unit,
and we also carry a sextant. We carry all of the needed paper charts but in
addition, we have two computers, each is running Jeppesen Marine Map, and
Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite navigation software. The computers connect
to our GPS and autopilot systems forming a seamlessly integrated electronic
navigation system.
Mechanical: For main power Arcturus is equipped with a single Lugger L6414D
naturally aspirated diesel engine rated at 143 HP. We also have a 39 HP
diesel Volvo "get-home engine" that has its own drive shaft and a folding
propeller. A 160 AMP Motorola alternator running off the main engine or a
Northern Lights 8kW diesel generator furnishes our electricity. A Heart
Interface-30 inverter disperses the power controller by a Link 2000
inverter controller. We also have a Sea Recovery 600 gallon per day water
making system, a Naiad Hydraulic Stabilizer roll control system, plus a
"flopper stopper" roll control system and a Westmar bow thruster.
Tankage: Arcturus carries 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel in internal tanks.
When cruising we burn between 0.22 and 0.33 gallons of fuel for each mile
traveled with the Lugger turning 1,300 RPM, varying with wind and sea
conditions. That translates into a cruising speed of 5.71 to 6.20 knots.
However, we can make 7.5 to 8.5 knots, at much higher RPMs and
fuel burn. That allows us a cruising range of 4,200 miles perhaps a little
more at even lower RPMs.
We also carry 300 gallons of fresh water in stainless steel tanks and we
have the capacity to make up to 600 gallons of fresh water each day using
our Sea Recovery System.
Safety equipment: We have carry a commercial fishing vessel distress kit,
which includes parachute, handheld, collision, flares and orange floating
smoke signals. We have two RapidFix-406 EPIRBs, a Category I, Class I is
attached to the exterior roof of our pilothouse and a second unit, a
Category II is packed in our ditch bag along with a portable GPS unit and
other items normally found in a well thought-out bag.
Our ground tackle consists of a 60-pound working Delta anchor attached to
400 feet of 3/8 inch proofed chain. We also carry a 40-pound Bruce anchor
attached to 30 feet of 3/8 inch proofed chain and 600 feet of braided nylon
rode plus we have Fortress anchor with 150 feet of nylon rode that we use
off the stern when needed.
In addition, we also carry Galerider storm survival system consisting of
a properly sized sea anchor and 575 feet of 5/8 polypropylene rode. We have
a recently inspected Givens Buoy six-person life raft. We have a High Seas
Rescue Collar with properly sized lifting tackle and a Survival
Technologies Group man overboard rescue kit.
We also carry an inflatable dinghy with an eight horsepower outboard plus a
spare six horsepower outboard and two kayaks.
Fred and Chris Caron (and Dusty)
aboard the Nordhavn 46 Arcturus
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