Refit year 11

 

 11th refit and 4th winter in Marina Coruña, Spain

To me, Regina Laska has finally become the perfect boat where it's beginning to become really hard to find further improvements. Therefore, the main emphasis is on keeping her in mint condition.

These is a sneak preview of what is currently being done to Regina Laska. More pictures and updates to be added next week, when I again re-united with Regina Laska for my eleventh sailing season with her.

 

Polished hull and repairing the mark in the stern

As in every year, Regina Laska's hull is being polished and waxed. 

Also the dent that happened earlier last summer has been completely repaired with the transom receiving a new cover of spray-paint.  Thank you, Robin for your excellent work! 

 

 

Re-activating Coppercoat

The hull has been sanded to a minimum to re-activate the Coppercoat. It had lost is greenish tint during last summer and I had to dive several times to re-activate it under water by scrubbing the hull with a huge "Scotch-Brite". 

All winches serviced 

As in each year, all winches are taken apart and looked at and necessary parts are being exchanged. The new or cleaned parts are being greased and put together for yet another sailing season.

 

Changing Cutlass bearing

After many hours of motoring, the cutlass bearing was changed after 5 years of intense use.

New semi-fixed Bimini 

The desire is the have a rigid Bimini that still easily can fold down and being stowed away in front of the hardtop if not needed. 

Marina Coruña got the request to design and build a new Bimini, but we have to wait and see what they will have come up with. The current Bimini is held in place by thin ribbons, which gives a rather flexible construction. 

 

Changing freezer compressor 

Back in 2015, Regina Laska was refitted with completely new fridge and freezer. The fridge compressor and the evaporator for the freezer were later replaced in 2022 (they didn't have more parts). In 2023, the rest is now also being changed, so we will have new fridges and freezers. After 7-8 years, it feels timely to change since they run 24/7 for 6 months per year. 

New deck wash pump and refurbished strainer 

After 10 years it happened: A misunderstanding in the communication from fore-deck to the navigation station down below while lifting the anchor. The crew under deck switched on the pressure pump to clean the anchor, while it was never necessary on deck and unfortunately soon forgotten that it was still left switched on. The engine noise overturned the sound from the pump and so it was running (dry) for hours and broke. Lesson learnt and time to change. 

 

From 2023 onwards, the deckwash pump will be integrated to the new Czone control system (see below) it it can be switched on and off remotely from the pedestal. This was also a request by the MCA inspector, by the way, namely that the deck-wash pump should be switched on from deck since it double-acts as a fire pump as well. 

 

Changing pneumatic arms 

The arms holding up the deck lockers are being replaced with a more beautifully designed deck fitting and for the sake that the old ones were getting close to 10 years old. 

 

 

New arm for forepeak hatch 

The hatch in the fore-peak has received a new arm that an hold the hatch open at a desired angle. Before it was only held by friction, which was not ideal considering the size and weight of the hatch. 

 

New Main Sheet traveller 

The old Lewmar main sheet traveller will be upgraded to a strong Seldén traveller. The blocks have already been replaced by Seldén a couple of years earlier. 

Picture to follow. 

New Preventer System 

In order to quicker install a preventer and to avoid the necessity to walk all the way to the boat in order to rig it, a new preventer system will be installed, idea with thanks from Gerret & Katrin from Australian HR53 Balena. 

Photo to follow. 

 

Sealed gas compartment 

Rusty Camping-Gaz bottles that are not being accepted after just a couple of weeks in the gas locker has been extremely annoying throughout the years. 

The lid has now been sealed properly and it will be held in place by means of a Roca lock: the more you turn, the tighter it gets.

 

 

Refitting the companionway beam 

Someone (no names...) made some pull-ups hanging on the companionway beam. I never told him that his overdoses of adrenaline resulted in a loose beam. Shit happens, and most things can be repaired, also this beam!

New silicone and refurbishing the fridge 

After some years, it's just time to reseal the worktop in the galley and to replace all silicone. Especially the opening of the fridge needed som love and care.

 

New Melamine Plates 

We use Hallberg-Rassy china produced by Swedish renown Rörstrand when in harbour and enjoy a glass of wine using Regina Laska's Riedel glasses. But under way, we have so far used normal cheap plastic bowels. These under-way, making-way bowls and small plate are now being replaced by Melamine wear by Italian ATEP.   

 

8 new Boatsystem Reading Lights with USB 

Regina Laska is replacing it's current Båtsystem D2 USB to the new LEIA SX1 with a flexible arm for easier reading, built-in dimmer and 2A USB-charger. They will be placed at all berths. The lights in the Salon remain unchanged and have already been upgraded to Leia some years earlier. 

New indirect LED-Tape by Boatsystem 

The old 600-Tape for indirect lighting has been serving well during the last 10 years and were still going strong! Not a single LED diod broken after 10 years and 6 months per year of usage (almost 24/7). Of course, it's a lot thanks to the voltage regulators I have built in.  

The new LED tape is the new Midi-Sleeve by Boatsystem with completely dotless bright dimmable warm-white (3000K) light with an extremely high colour rendering index (CRI > 90). 

 

New Wind Scoop 

For the warm days, Regina Laska will offer three new Wind Scoops called "Cabin Breeze" by Waterline Design (Boatsystem Group). These are considerably better than the conventional type that needs to be tied to the hatch. This one fits under the hatch by means of a smart springloaded ring. It even has built in mosquito nets!

 

All Buttons at the Pedestal replaced 

After 10 years, all buttons on the pedestal are being replaced to guarantee good functionality. They are constantly in a wet environment and to ensure all seals are working properly, it's best to change them after a fixed number of years (here, I chose 10 years). 

Obviously, it also enhances the look of the pedestal with the old buttons having corroded after so many years. 

 

 

New Log Impeller 

After over 35,000 miles of constant turning, it's time to retire my little paddle wheel. It will be replaced by the next generation Airmar DST810 with the new, more modern paddle wheel design. 

A great feature is that you only have to calibrate it once at the source by means of bluetooth and your smartphone. With my current log, I had to change the setting in every display individually, since the log was only supplying raw-data. Having your log calibrated to the 1/10 of a know is important for tidal navigation and gives a great satisfaction when you can see accurate Speed Through Water comparing it to Speed over Ground (SOG derived from your GPS) that your tidal calculations were correct. 

 

I have also been thinking of the electronic Airmar DX900 but I have heard that it is not so easy to have an ultrasound depth sounder so close to an electronic speed log. The electronic speed log makes sense, if you have a separate hole for the echo sounder, but I want two independent sounders, and one of them should be in the built in tri-data-sensor. Hense, the DST810. 

All Cables New in Mast 

All cables inside the mast are being replaced. Most of them after 10 years. Cables corrode and especially for radio signals, it is vital that enough power is being sent to the top of the mast with minimal loss. That's also why Regina Laska has separate antennas, e.g. for AIS and VHR, since they operate on different frequencies (AIS on 161.975 MHz, VHF Ch 16 on 156.8 MHz). yes, they are similar, but still different and should therefore ideally have two antennas with different length, in addition to a Coax-cable with minimal loss and no corrosion. 

In addition, all other cables for horn, decklight and navlights will be replaced, also because all these nav- and deck-lights will be replaced. 

 

All Navlights and Decklights replaced by Lopolight 

Regina Laska is updated with the superior Lights by Lopolight, manufactured in Denmark. Both decklights and Navlights will be replaced. And yes, finally I can show Red-over-Green on the mast for a proper sailing vessel. The lights in questions are:

 

Lopolight	Function
201-005W+012+014G2-B	Windex Light 2nm Tri-Colour (red, green, white) 360° 2nm white anchor light 360° white strobe emergency light 360° 2nm red sailing light for "red-over-green" or "Not-under-Command"
200-016G2+018G2 6M placed 1.5m under mast tip	360° 2nm red: in combination with red on mast top: "Not-under-Command" 360° 2nm green: in combination with red on mast top:  "red-over-green" sailing
301-011DLX 15M placed above lower spreader	5nm range steaming light (for vessels up to 50m for maximum visibility, also in fog) 6W Decklight forward
400-222 placed on both spreaders	white deck-light for side decks  red deck-light for side decks during night
301-001 starboard bow	green 2nm navlight starboard
301-002 port bow	red 2nm navlight port
301-006DLX stern	white 2nm navlight stern aft swimming platform deck light
400-082-26 antenna pole	white 6W aft deck light

 

 

New Czone Control

NewZealand based Czone makes very robust control systems for any type of electric systems. This flexible system grows with demand and as a first step Regina Laska will get 3 connection boxes with 6 channels each for controlling navigation ligths, deck-lights and the deckwash/fire pump. 

It's all being installed by Nauelec in La Coruña in co-operation with Marina Coruña. Czone is supplied by Gotthardt in Germany, who give an excellent service. 

 

 

The three Contact 6PLUS have the big advantage that you can override the bus-system in case it malfunctions. Deep in my heart, I never fully trust bus-systems, and therefore I very much like this feature with the PLUS-units. 

 

Contact / Button	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	Sailing	Tri-Col	Motor	Strobe	Com-pass	Anchor	NuC	Deck Red	Deck Fwd	Deck Aft	Deck Stern	Deck Pump
Windex	x	x	x
Tri-Colour		x
Anchor						x
Red 360°	x						x
Strobe				x
Lower red 360°							x
Lower green 360°	x
Steaming			x
Decklight front & Decklight spreader white									x
Decklight  spreader red								x
Navlight stern & Navlight port & Navlight starboard	x		x
Compass light					x
Bathing Platform light											x
Deck Light Aft										x
Steplights & Underwater light											x
Deckwash / Fire pump												x
Free
Free

 

New Filter System

The water in the tanks should hold chlorine to ensure an antibacterial environment in the tanks. As a last step, just before the water is lead through the outlets, is may go though either a 20 Micron filter with active coal or, at the galley sink in an extra outlet, a sub-Micron filter, e.g. the Seagull IV filter. 

This has been installed since long, but any water led from ashore has been entering the boat completely unfiltered, meaning that also small debris is filling the tanks, and blocking up the filters. 

Using some standard hoses and some quick connectors from Gardena, I will build a simple filter system using either a washable and thus reusable 150 Micron or a 60 Micron filter. Also added is a flow-meter to keep track on how much water I'm filling up.

We will see how it works... 

 

Medical Store now handled by MSOS

After years of dealing with my medical store myself, it has now been outsourced to the leading supplier of medical consultation, stocking and training: MSOS in the UK. A vast majority of superyachts rely on the professionals of MSOS with Dr. Spike Briggs as the owner and CEO. Spike and his crew are also looking after the (Volvo) Ocean Race as well as many round the world rallies such as the Oyster Round the World Rally and countless ordinary cruisers who wish to feel safe and have medical stuff close at hand.  

Spike has also been specially invited to Malta to hold a medical course for some of my sailing guests and since then I have also been joining one of his very good STCW Medical courses in held in Southampton, Palma de Mallorca and Fort Lauderdale, FL/USA. It is no surprise that MSOS was awarded runner-up in ACREW’s Best Superyacht Crew Training Award.  Congratulations, you deserve it! 

 

Spike is also the co-author of the 23rd edition of the Ship Captain's Medical Guide that every commercial ship has to have onboard. This book is has been published for over 150 years and was first published in 1868. Spike is further on the committee deciding which medicines ships and yachts need to carry and is therefore one of the men behind the new rule MSN 1905 for commercial vessels, including Regina Laska. Last, but not least, Spike is crazy enough to have raced around the world - sailing "the wrong way" towards east - against the prevailing winds: the BT Global Challenge!

For me, it's an honour to know Spike!  

And for the rest of the wonderful crew of MSOS, I can only say: it's such a fantastic feeling that all Medicines are now dealt with by professionals. 

Of course, pleasure crafts not crossing oceans don't need as much as Regina Laska carries, and therefore MSOS has a neat little package they call the "Near Ocean Kit". This is what every boat should carry sailing in coastal waters, I think.

 

 

 

New MOB Retrieval Device

At boot Düsseldorf I got in contact with a a very nice Austrian Fellow named Hermann Cisar, who had just invented a very promising new MOB retrieval device called POB-NET. I have been rather carefully observant when it comes to various more or less complicated devices to hoist back onboard.

Hoisting horizontally would be a plus, but the issue has always been how to get the casualty into the device, even unconscious, in order to hoist the MOB back on deck. Finally, how and where to stow the system? 

Maybe, this is the solution? I will give it a try and test it over summer during my sail training weeks. 

It does look rather promising, catching the MOB like a big fish!  

 

Reginasailing Position and Track Data completely redesigned

Our Position and Track Data service has changed its name from Travelmap to now Voyoa. Voyoa has been completely redesigned during last winter and is now ready for beta-testing on Leg 1-2023. It is already looking so much smarter and it's going to be a joy to upload stories, activities and photos to our track! 

The track will continue to be transmitted every 10 Minutes via Satellite (Garmin inReach) but new for 2023 is also the Voyoa SmartPhoneTracking App that will allow the positions derived from the smartphone to automatically upload to the Voyoa-chart. Photos taken in your smatphone will also automatically be positioned to the corresponding position where it was taken. 

 

 

My Voyoa will be available for the public (i.e. anyone), but it is also possible to only allow certain groups to see certain Collections of activity. This allows for private uploading of personal pictures and data, while only certain parts of your family and friends my check out your location and see your photos and activities. 

If you are interested to beta-test it, send me an e-mail and I will put you in contact with the developer of this new exciting software.