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New Boat Do's and Don't's

Posted: Fri May 07, 2004 1:36 pm
by Steve F
At the Miami Boat show, I put down my deposit for a new Antares 44. I would be really interested in hearing from other PDQ owners, and particularly Antares owners about what they would (or would not) include on their boats if they were buying them all over again. I am interested in hearing opinions on anything and everything, including sails, alternators, batteries, generators, watermakers, electronics, etc., etc. All opinions are appreciated. I am at the point where I have lots of choices and lots of decisions to make, and I need lots of help! Thanks.

Watermakers

Posted: Sat May 08, 2004 11:01 am
by Rich Tanner 36083
Hi Steve
Welcome to the PDQ group.
I have a 36', and can't say enough good about the Spectra water maker. Its low energy consumption is a plus for me, but that is probably not a concern for you.

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 7:40 am
by Stray Cat
Hi Steve,

First, congrats on a great choice of boat and welcome.

Candy and I have an MV34 out in Portland Oregon, and love it dearly.

If you will be cruising far and wide I would suggest a SSB/HF radio for easy and cheap-or-free weatherfax, email and voice communications, particularly with like minded folks on cruising networks. If so, you will want to have the factory fit a dynaplate counterpoise in the bottom of one hull, and perhaps a grid of copper foil on the inside of the hull. Clearly the copper foil is best done at the factory before the hull gets much more than the bulkheads installed. The Icom website offers some printable advice along these lines.

If you will be boating in cold water (mid 40's and below) you will need a diesel heater, as the heat pump systems cannot extract heat from such cold water. Wish we knew that when our boat was fitted out.

Raymarine seems to have a substantial lead in the integration of radar/GPS/chartplotter/fathometer/autohelm/DSC radio and such. I bought everything but the autohelm and tridata from a specialty dealer here at huge discounts over factory installed gear. I wanted the factory to do the autohelm because it is a complex mechanical job, and I wanted them to do all the through-hull transducers before the boat was splashed. I did all the remaining installations (advanced plugging in with some wire and mounting work, quite easy if you don't build your own radar mast as I did....).

Be certain to get every specific detail of all the special things you want done on your boat in writing. We wished that we had gotten written agreements on a couple of things that slipped through the cracks (like the fathometer transducer we thought was installed at the factory, and caused us to haul the boat to complete).

If you are considering long distance cruising and will want to beach the boat from time to time, strongly consider a second anchoring system aft, with a particularly strong windlass, so you can set a kedgeing anchor before you go up on the beach, or to set a second anchor to prevent swinging in a crowded anchorage or to adjust your heading in an anchorage where wind, current and waves conspire to put a short heavy chop on your beam.

Lots of other misc. thoughts, but gotta get going...

Best of luck, and as I said, welcome!

SSB ground plane and windlass

Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 12:37 pm
by Page 83
If its not too late, ask the factory to lay up a ground plane in the hulls. Its relatively easy to do so before assembly, is more secure, less intrusive, and a definate plus even if you don't buy the SSB radio right away. I understand its a copper screen that gets laid in over the glass and under the last coats of resin. The alternative is a pair of ugly, high maintenance ground plates bolted to the outside of the hulls.

Ask that the 12 volt DC ground bus bar be easily accessible to fat old hands, visible to bifocally challenged vision, and have at lease a dozen open poles.

EVERYONE has a definite opinion on where fans should be mounted, whether or not the TV in the Master Stateroom should be AC or DC, and so on, so multiple, generous wiring chases are a blessing.

Wherever possible, keep AC lines away from data lines. Thats what really caused Flight 800's accident, and a little less 60 cycle hum would be nice for the ears, the radar, the instruments, etc.

Make sure your windlass has a rope capstan, so you can use it for duties beyond raising the anchor. Study the layout and see if if can't be used to 1. Raise a dinghy (or a man overboard drill dummy) over the side with a gin pole.
2. Hoist sails, via a snatch block or two.
3. Raise another anchor after chocking the first.
4. Kedge off the beach by leading a stern anchor rode to it.

New Boat Do's and Don't's

Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 6:13 am
by Dan White
Hi Steve, and congratulations. You have made a great choce.
I have a long list of options and changes we made to our boat when we ordered it a year ago. This was the result of years of chartering and keeping note, as well as talking to some other PDQ owners. If you would like a copy of it, as well as some things I'd do differently the next time, send me an email and I'll send it to you. My address is dan.white@comcast.net.

Posted: Tue May 18, 2004 12:34 pm
by Banzai
Good choice Steve..

In fact it was our boat at the Miami show where you sealed the deal :)

We also have a list of customizations done in Whidby as well as a list of things we have done or would like to have done since.

Too much to type.. so better to take some time on a call to review the highlights.

Let me know if you want to set something up

Posted: Tue May 18, 2004 12:35 pm
by Banzai
Good choice Steve..

In fact it was our boat at the Miami show where you sealed the deal :)

We also have a list of customizations done in Whidby as well as a list of things we have done or would like to have done since.

Too much to type.. so better to take some time on a call to review the highlights.

Let me know if you want to set something up

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:38 am
by Guest
Hello Steve,
I am in the same place you are, Just about to sign the deal, Can I ask what you paid for yours?
gdestephanp@comcast.net

Steve feel free to contact me

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 10:53 am
by Banzai
Steve.. I know we were unable to connect a few months ago.. give me a shout some evening or this weekend and I will bring you up to speed.

contact info

chodges@noblesys.com