Introduction
I received a list of questions from Steve and Lisa Heidenthal (Hull #13, Sla'inte) about how we set up our boat, where we purchased things in SA and instead of just answering them for Steve, I thought I might as well make a blog article to also help others.
All of these answers will be from the following perspective:
- sailing the boat over from SA to where-ever
- having the boat built with strictly 230V/50Hz power
If the boat is being shipped, I wouldn't suggest buying much in SA, as you will have an easier time finding more options (and usually at a better value) in the US.
One other heads-up about in-store shopping in South Africa. You will find a lot of staff walking around asking you if you need help. Based on our experience in the US, we said "We're fine, just looking." Eventually, we ended up having some questions we couldn't figure out on our own and starting asking questions of the retail staff. In general, they are very knowledgeable and helpful; much different than a lot of stores in the US. Don't hesitate to ask them questions and let them help you!
Also, sorry for the random order. These are in the order that the questions Steve posed to me came in. I think the headings will help you find information you are looking for. Also, I've found that Steve somehow asks more questions than even I normally ask! ;-)
Outfitting Equipment and Shopping
Household goods and storage
- Kloppers in George and Knysna were great for good quality products. Visit Andreas in Knysna; even if just to say hi, he is awesome. Tell him Mike and Sue from Mira say hi.
- There is also a new store in Knysna called Mega Home which carries a lot of Chinese import things. Some are crap, but some are pretty decent. Definitely worth a walk through.
- Mambo in George is great for any kind of plastic storage bins. We have found those to be very helpful to keep us organized. Here are some of the highlights of what to find here.
- By-the-meter shelf liner. Back right corner of the store. Works great in the galley. We probably got 2 or 3 meters which has been plenty.
- They sell collapsible, reinforced rubber hose by the meter, also in the back right corner of the store. Get a couple meters of this and cut into 0.5 meter lengths and they make great chafe protection for dock lines.
- Large flat plastic storage bin with blue dividers. They are kind of pricey ($20 each), but we have two. One holds all of our engine spares, the other all of our water maker spares. These fit perfectly into the aft starboard stowage right in front of the tender davits.
- Plastic food storage containers with sealing lids. You can find these in a lot of places in SA and they all seem pricey, but they are invaluable on the boat. We used them for most things in the pantry and for leftovers in the fridge and ice cubs in the freezer.
Bedding and Linens
Throw Pillows
James' wife has a friend, Alex, that works at The Bedroom Shop in Knysna. She is great at helping coordinate a color scheme for decorating your boat and will help in getting throw cushions custom made. We ended up with 10 ranging in size from 20" x 12" (great for the Nav) to 24" x 24". They are all made from all-weather fabric and are nice to use outside to make lounging in the cockpit more comfortable and for making the corners of the salon seating more comfortable. We recently moved some of the middle sized ones to be used behind our pillows in the bunk and that has been really nice. I know that David ("Jubilee") feels he over-bought what he calls his "catastrophe" of throw pillow, but we are pretty happy with our ten.
Linens
You can also get very nice linens from her as well. We opted for bamboo/cotton blend, which are known to be very comfortable in tropical climates. They are very nice and very comfortable. We ordered 10 Queen flat sheets, and then Bev at the factory turned 5 of them into fitted sheets. The port forward bed shape is slightly different than the aft beds, so we have 3 fitted sheets for the aft beds and 2 fitted sheets for port forward. This gives us the ability to change out any bed at all times.
You can also get sheets at @Home and Mr. Price Home in the Knysna Mall, as well as some nicer things at White House in George.
Getting nice looking, high quality duvet covers in Knysna is basically limited to The Bedroom Shop.
We got thin comforters and duvet covers from The Bedroom Shop and they are very nice.
We also ordered some bamboo covered mattress protectors from Take-A-Lot (SA Amazon), but there are also some nice ones at Mr. Price Home. If a hatch is left open, it will only be the bedding that gets wet!
Lessons Learned
All that being said, if you are going to be crossing, you will not need the comforters for very much of the trip and the sheets are going to be abused; you're going to be salty and/or sweaty more than normal.
If doing it over again, I would get very inexpensive sheets to be used for the crossing, and also higher quality ones that Bev can turn into custom-fitted sheets. You honestly could probably wait on the comforter until you get back to the US and just get a nice throw blanket.
Tip: we just found that if we roll the comforter along its long dimension, we can just keep it on the side of the bed and it takes up very little space and can be moved easily when having to get to the engines.
Tools
Everything we purchased in SA was 230V as we have no 110V onboard.
Here is a really important tip.
If you are going with 230V, have Aletta install all Universal outlets. They will not fit the ridiculously oversized SA power plug, but that's okay. Just cut off the ends on any appliances you buy and replace them with the UK three prong cord end. Aletta can help you source, or you can get from Take-A-Lot. We figured this out too late and I still have to make the swap over of all the outlets and cord ends. That's a project for the Caribbean.
Electric Tools
Here is a list of what we bought
- Handheld drill (I would have gotten a cordless, but we have a nice one waiting for us in the US)
- Cordless Dremel - I have used this more than anything else; it is very versatile.
- Hand Held, rechargeable spotlight - There is a GREAT one you can get from Agri in Knysna. It is on the shelves on the opposite side as the coffee beans. (Also, look at some of the stainless drinkware they have - the insulated coffee mug have been great!)
- Handheld VHF - We brought one with us from the US. The power adapter is Universal (110-230V, 50/60HZ)
- Soldering Gun - Also bought a soldering iron as that is all I could find in Knysna. It was garbage and I gave it away when I found a Weller soldering gun at TopFast in Paarden Island, Cape Town.
- I was asked about an oscillating multi-tool. We did not get one and so far that has been okay. I used to have one in the US and it was great.
- Extension cord - This is supremely important, but if you buy this in SA and have only universal type outlets, you are going to have some challenges. I bought a nice reel extension cord that has 2 RSA outlets and 2 two pin outlets built into the case. It has worked for now as I have not done the swap over to all universal, however, what I would suggest is:
Ideally, buy a basic 10 or 15 meter extension cord and replace both ends with UK versions (or a universal socket, if you can find that). I'll update this when I come up with a good solution, as we'll need this too.
Hand Tools
Finding quality hand tools in SA is very hit or miss. Here are the main items we purchased.
- Plastic case, full tool set. Fixman 72 piece 1/4" and 1/2" drive tool set - This was a tough one to find, but the one I found is just about perfect! It fits in the top middle opening in the workshop and has just about every hand tool you need. I got it from Kloppers in Knysna - If it is not in stock, they can order it for you, but make sure to give yourself plenty of time. James includes a basic tool set, but I actually chose to forgo it and just use this much better one. It was expensive (~$300), but I haven't regretted it one bit.
- Small 4 pack of pliers - Builders Express in Knysna - Orange and black handles
- File set - Builders Express in Knysna
- Aluminum frame metal saw and blades of varying pitch - Builders Express or Stander Hydraulics in Knysna.
- Little Screwdriver set with interchangeable bits. I keep under the seat at the Nav station and am constantly using this - Builders, Knysna.
- Adjustable spanner - Builders, Knysna
- #1 straight and #1 Philips screwdrivers regular and stubby, as they are not in the tool set - Builders, Knysna
- Circlip Tool - Internal and External - Builders Knysna
- High Quality metric drill bit set - 1mm up to 12mm, by 0.5mm. - Builders, Knysna
- Hole Saw set - Got a terrible one at Builder's. The pilot bit is forever getting dull and requiring sharpening with my Dremel. If you get one, get a higher quality one. You hopefully won't need one much - I needed it as one of the first SeaSUV owners to drill holes for the hardware fittings for attaching to the davits and for mounting Railblaza ports for navigation lights. I've passed these dimensions onto Ido, so hopefully those are standard now.
Tool Storage
We keep most loose tools in a nice soft bag we got from Builders Express in Knysna. The Builders in George is much larger and well stocked. One thing that has been great from that Builders are the small segmented tool boxes they have in the back right of the store. They fit very, very well in the workroom. I would have gotten more if I could do it over. We have two different sizes and they work well. I also use the double level version behind the helm seat and have it kitted out with everything needed to splice lines.
Starlink
What's the status?
It is working great and allowing internet connectivity as good as being on land with very occasional, short-lived outages.
How'd we purchase?
We purchased the High Performance Flat Mount RV unit online and had it sent to Ken Hall's Mom's address. She shipped them to our crew Reynold's house and he brought it over with him direct to Cape Town, where we met up with him prior to our final crossing (He was in SA previously, but we sent him back to see his wife and pick up some items since there were extra delays in delivery)
You will not be able to have it shipped to SA easily. It is easier and about the same net cost to fly someone round trip to bring it for you.
One important tip, the hardware is tied to your account!!! Ken also purchased one that our crew Reynold brought over with him. Ours got swapped, so at some point, we need to meet up and swap them back, as he has control of my service and I of his!
Who Installed It?
Aletta had pre-run an ethernet cable down the port forward vertical support for the helm roof, which went all the way to the "network area". This ended up having to be replaced by the proprietary waterproof cable that comes with the Starlink. If you are going the same path, I would just make sure that there is an extra exit hole drilled through the stainless steel support tube. It needs to be about 19mm, I think? I had a grommet from Builders in Knysna that I slit, snapped over the cable and pushed into the hole and that protects the cable from chaffing on the side of the hole. Then, when you have the cable, you can remove the winch cover above the Nav and remove the breaker panel and snake the cable pretty easily. Make sure you start all the way on the roof and snake through the roof, through the tube, etc.; that will result in the smallest holes through the roof and stainless post.
Since the Starlink showed up in Cape Town, I installed it myself. I created a template for the four mounting holes, taped this to the helm roof and after verifying everything a bunch of times, drilled through the roof for the mounting bolts. I was only able to find 1/4"-20 screws in 304 Stainless at TopFast in Cape Town (no 316 available), and then added some SikaFlex and screwed the Starlink with pan head philips screws from the bottom. I used a fender washer on the bottom to distribute the compressive force. I think I needed about 1-3/8" long screws and I could only get 1-1/2", so out came the Dremel!. I centered the Starlink left-to-right with the skylight and with the aft holes 215mm forward of the glass skylight (measured from under the roof!). I got a cable cover from the Builders in Cape Town, stuck that to the helm roof and drilled a 19mm hole through the roof for the cable to fit through, then used a rubber plug with a hole drilled in the middle that is sized for the cable and slit it so it could be snapped around the cable. I Sikaflex-ed it and forced it into the hole.
Worries on geofencing Caribbean/ coastal?
Yes, it is a constantly moving target and the pricing seems to keep going up. Given the price of the hardware, I really hope SpaceX doesn't decide to price us out of it's use. It has just been re-branded as Starlink Roam (was RV) and there are rumors that it will shortly be geo-fenced to be on land / coastal only. There are also rumors of different price points for using it at sea, etc., etc., etc. It's frustrating because of the upfront investment and holes we now have in the boat, but there is little we can do but react. For those that are getting boats shortly, I would delay as much as you can so you know what you are going to end up with.
Ceiling Mounted Projector
It is a Optoma ZH-506e. We purchased this in South Africa, but there is a very similar model available in the US with a slightly different part number. I'm pretty sure both are universal voltage.
We bought this model for several reasons.
- We wanted something very bright so we have the chance to use it not just at night.
- We wanted something with adjustable zoom, so we can display to an internal roll-down screen and also a cloth hanging screen in the cockpit. The throw ratio needs to be right about 2:1 to be able to accomplish this. There are very few projectors that cover this throw ratio, at least in SA.
- It actually has some amount of dust sealing, which we are hoping will help keep some humidity out and make it last longer. The unit is targeted for commercial/large space use, so it is a little better built.
- We wanted laser if possible, as it should be less susceptible to vibration killing a bulb early.
Why not a small, short throw projector
The main reason for this is we wanted something permanently affixed AND wanted to be able to project to both of the screens I mentioned. This is not possible with a short throw. I'm also not sure how bright those get. If you only want to project inside, I think the short throw could be a great solution, however, I would still permanently mount to the center ceiling panel.
Screen
We found a NOBO pull down screen in South Africa for about $100. It is a 1500mm x 1138mm screen that we have mounted above the slider door. We needed to add shim washers under the bottom screws so that the screen was hanging perpendicular, otherwise the ratchet mechanism was very hard to use. (There must be a small cant to that bulkhead that kicks out the top.)
Ethernet Router
We have a Wave WiFi MNC-1250 router and overall it has been working great. I say overall , because after about 4-20 days, the router needs a power cycle because the 2.4Ghz SSID disappears and the connectivity on the 5GHZ SSID becomes problematic. I am working with their tech support to try to resolve this and even added a spare 12V cooling fan in case it was related to heat, since I have it mounted upside-down. I'll follow up on this as I learn more. If it weren't for having to reboot it, it would be the perfect router. It is just configurable enough and is made to be very easy to setup, even for someone not technical. The product is expensive, but the support is absolutely top-notch.
Overall, I think that location is fine, or I should say, I can't imagine finding a better one since it kind of uses wasted space anyways. Aletta did a good job of placing a 12V fuse block in there to power all the network devices, which I made sure all ran off of 12V. It also turns out to be an easy place to route ethernet cables to!
We tried out the cellular SIM and it worked most of the time. I think that when it didn't it was because of load-shedding or network issues, not issues related to our side. If Starlink continues to be viable, it's unlikely we will use the cellular connection or the WiFi repeater, but it is still nice to have them mounted as backups, plus those were both helpful when we were living in Knysna.
VPN Service
We do use a VPN service and it has been super, super helpful bordering on a necessity. Some US websites just will not allow you to access them if you are outside the US. Important sites, like banking or local government.
We have been using SurfShark and it has been great and cheap! There is even an Amazon Firestick app for SurfShark, so it automatically connects to a US server whenever the FireStick is powered on.
If you want to sign up, please consider using this link and we will both get some amount of free service.
Cooking
Induction Cooking
We bought two single burner induction tops at Kloppers. They are a Snappy Chef Model and they have been working great. Power draw is not insignificant, but in theory should be better than any other type of electric cooking, as there is very little waste of energy.
Instant Pot with Air Fryer
These are great because of how efficient they are and because of how little they heat up the galley. They can cook most meals in way less time too. The air fryer is okay, but doesn't have a ton of capacity. They are expensive in South Africa, but we needed a 230V model, so it is what it is.
Cockpit Propane for Grill
The Weber grill works great and we bought a bunch of disposable cans (4?) for the crossing, but then when we were in Cape Town, we bought a pre-filled fiberglass propane tank at Seaport Supply and then fittings to attach it at Premier Gas Supply. We also purchased some adapters that should make it possible to refill in the Caribbean/US. We haven't actually used it yet, as we are using up the disposable units, but the tank just barely fits in the aft storage behind the cockpit table. I don't think we will do any permanent hosing solution, but we'll see.
We went without the two tank holders in the forward stowage area. I'm glad we did that, because we need that space for our 25L diesel cans, of which we have 11 for the crossing. Between those, fenders, sails, lines, folding bikes, and paddle boards, we needed the space that provided.
Vacuum sealer
We bought a vacuum sealer and an assortment of bag-making rolls in SA and it has worked great! If you fish, cut the fish into meal-size portions and vacuum seal the same number of pieces as you have in crew per bag and freeze whatever you aren't going to use in a day or two.
We also used it to seal up a volume buy of bacon into one or two meal quantities.
It also works great to seal up a huge block of cheese that you cut a smaller piece off of to use for the week; which keeps the rest of the block fresh.
Lastly, if you have anything you want to keep free of moisture electronics, etc. you can seal it in a bag without vacuuming first.
We have used this A LOT and will continue to do so after the crossing.
Microwave/Oven
We opted for a countertop combo microwave/oven/grill/steamer rather than a built in oven. This will allow us to replace it at a later date more easily, especially if the replacement is a different size. This also allowed us to have six drawers on that side of the galley. We purchased an LG oven at Kloppers in George.
Water
Dockside Water Filtration
We purchased a blue filter housing and some fittings so that we could run any city water through a 10 micron filter to remove sediment before it gets into our tanks. We were able to get everything needed for this at Agri in Knysna and they use standard 10" spun polyester filters, which should be available everywhere. The setup consists of:
- a quick connect fitting (that matches what is on the boat and used everywhere in SA; why doesn't the US have this as a standard?)
- a large grey with red handle 90-degree turn ball valve - plastic, 3/4" threads I think
- a 3/4" threaded nipple
- the filter housing
- a 3/4" threaded hose barb
- a 2 meter or so length of reinforced clear hose to go into the tank fill fitting.
Galley Sink Faucet Location
It was noticed that our sink tap is moved off to the corner of the sink. Since we were in country, Vision was all too happy to work with us on mounting location. Because we went with the very large undermount sink, which by the way, we absolutely LOVE (Black Franke from Italtile in George), the faucet would not have room to fit behind the sink. This is fine, as it would block the beautiful pass-through opening the slider affords. The setup of the sink is perfect, except the filter water faucet; more on that below.
Drinking Water Filtration
We purchased an Acuva 5 liter per minute UV water filter and had it shipped to Vision and they installed it. We really wanted to have the filtered water tap behind the sink, but the spigot that came with the Acuva was way too large for the space remaining, It might be possible, if the sink was installed as far forward as possible in the countertop, but that was already in when we discovered this, so we had to get a very small spigot locally. Vision also had to notch the countertop backsplash, as it was still not big enough to fit. Not a prefect solution as grime collects in that tight area; but it works and is nothing big enough to worry about.
Better Tasting (and healthier) RO Water
When we got to Cape Town, I added a mineral "filter" just before the drinking water spigot, which actually adds minerals (so shouldn't be called a filter) to otherwise very sterile water. They are about $15 and last about 6 months and just dissolve natural minerals into the water as it passes through. The water tastes so much better now and the RO water is now not actually drawing minerals out of our bodies. It has two 1/4" quick connect fittings and I have it velcroed to the black plastic straps Vision uses for wiring glued to the bulkhead so it will be easy to replace.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
SeaSUV 360 Tender
General Thoughts
There are a ton of questions on this, and to be honest, we haven't really used it a ton yet. We have some initial thoughts but will refine these as we travel through the Caribbean.
- It is very dry and there is an absolute ton of area, especially for the weight.
- It is very fast, especially with a 30 HP. A 25 is probably more than adequate for most sane people.
- It can be a very bumpy ride, especially for those sitting more forward. Unlike a RIB, which has cushioning built in, on the SeaSUV you are basically sitting directly on rigid carbon fiber.
- We plan on adding some cushions (4?) that we will keep in the boat, tucked under the gunwale. I think they will need to be 4-6" thick to be effective.
- I should mention that this can be moderated by altering the speed to change the angle of the hull to the water, but this isn't always ideal.
Must have options
Sue and I were fortunate to be able to give a lot of input into the SeaSUV. Of course, there are now more options than were available when we got ours.
- We feel that the island deck is a must for the typical Vision owner. It keeps you and your belongings dry and gives you a much flatter surface on which to place things.
- The swim ladder is great if you or guests think you would have trouble getting back into the boat. The aft "steps" actually make it pretty easy to get in for someone that is fit.
- The anchor locker is great and a must-have for us.
- Adjustable Carbon Fiber seat. This is probably vey worthwhile if you have kids, or if you will want the side-mount steering console that is to be coming later. For us, not really needed.
- Railblaza mounted navigation lights. We added these ourselves and personally wouldn't want to travel at night without them. They were not an option for us, but we would have had Ido install them if they were.
- Wheels - If you are ever going to beach the tender with less than 4 people, you will need these. Depending on the sand, this can still be difficult with the wheels.
Fit on the Davits
We are honestly still working on this and will update when we have what we believe is the "right" solution. Securing the tender to the davits can range from very easy to quite difficult depending on the sea state. The tender wants to swing from the port to starboard of Mira, which risks contact between several very rigid objects.
The objective is to get the tender up and secured as quickly as possible, while preventing swinging from causing damage. Also, being able to do this with two people and easily enough that we don't hesitate to do it. Leaving the tender "in the water and un-locked" is how just about every theft article starts on CSSN, so we need to make sure it is not a burden to do.
Several pieces of EVA or other protective foam are a must on the underside of the davits and also as a protective piece on the side of the davit where the outboard is located.
One other item, the tender needs to be mounted with the outboard on the same side as the fish fillet table/grill, otherwise they become all but unusable.
Security
Making sure that your tender and outboard are where you left them are of paramount concern, especially in quite a few areas in the Caribbean.
Here are the steps we took:
- Our outboard is through-bolted to the transom with 4 security bit bolts. I even used my Dremel to grind the pan head SS bolts so that a pair of pliers could not possibly be used to grip and loosen them. (We go these bolts and threaded posts in SS at TopFast in Cape Town)
- Thieves could have these security bits (an allen head with a post in the middle), but it's unlikely and the best approach in my mind is to make me look like the harder target.
- Whenever we are tied up to a dock, we will take the first section of our anchor rode, which is chain and use a ring lock to secure the tender chain to the dock. The other end will use the same kind of lock to secure the chain to the chain links that are within the anchor locker.
- We have thought about putting decals on the outboard that reads something like "Protected by GPS lockout". It won't be, but enough to hopefully make a would be thief move on.
- I'm also thinking of ways to lock the motor in gear (which prevents it from being pull started), or adding an additional interlock switch, just like the red lanyard, but only I know about it.
- We'll create a video when we have a good solution figured out.
Diving and Diving and Snorkeling Gear
We moved to South Africa having never dived, but planned on learning in Plettenburg Bay at Pro Dive Plett. We did that, loved it and then knew we wanted to outfit the boat so we could dive on our own.
ProDive Plett
ProDive Plett was great. They are a PADI Gold Star location. We did Open Water Certification one week, loved it and then did Advanced Open Water Certification the following week. We both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Diving in Plett is challenging for a number of reasons, but the instructors were fabulous (Kabs and Chanel, especially) and we feel that learning a new skill in less than ideal conditions results in better learning and more confidence.
Scuba/Snorkeling Gear
Pro Dive Plett is a ScubaPro retailer and we ended up getting their high end Hydros BCD and a very good regulator and octo set. They are very, very nice! We also got a mask, snorkel and fin set from them. We do have sets back in the US, but when we retrieve those, we'll keep those on-board as spares/ for guests.
Wetsuits
If you buy nothing else in South Africa, you HAVE TO GET CUSTOM WETSUITS FROM CORAL!!
Go to their website (www.coralwetsuits.co.za) and fill out their very elaborate measurement sheet. About a week later, they will have a custom suit, glued together enough for your fitting. You try it on, they mark it up and then tell you to come back in 2-3 days (great excuse to go to Franschhoek!). When done, you end up with a custom tailored wetsuit that costs about HALF of what one from ScubaPro would have cost. We ended up getting a 3mm shorty and 5mm full length. They are so amazing and I can't recommend them enough!
Security System
What do we have, what are our thoughts
We want to do something. Nothing installed at the moment as there are limited good options for boats in SA. We just have a battery powered motion sensor alarm mounted in the cockpit that has a remote control On/Off FOB. Currently, it needs to be adjusted as when we last tried it, it could see waves behind the boat and went off as soon as we left on the tender.
Personally, I don't think there is much more value than just a noise maker, since authorities would not arrive ever/in-time and we just want an un-invited guest to leave. Still a work in progress, so watch for updates on this.
Boat Commissioning
General Thoughts
We used a list created by Peter and Kiki (Lazy Lightning) as a starting point and went through items ourself. Their list is a great starting point and they have put a lot of time into it and ask for a small donation if you choose to use it.
We slowly completed it over two weeks or so. You can do it faster, but we had the time, so we took it!
In general, there is nothing better than time and trips on the boat. Living in the lagoon for about a month was invaluable, as was the trip to Plettenburg Bay. When in the lagoon, we used a mooring that James found for us. Anchoring is a bit restricted, as the only really good option is out at Featherbed (the restaurant you may have seen pictures of us visiting), but it is out of the way, and the restaurant is only open for 8 weeks around the Christmas Holidays (?)
Other than finding things on your own, Hamish at Vision is a God send and really wants to deliver as anear to perfect a boat as possible. He will try to find and fix everything brought to his attention.
Manuals and Documentation
Vision provides drawings and schematics for all major aspects of the boat, as well as a folio containing the manuals for everything installed on the boat. You will also get this digitally from Aletta for most items. We found that there were a lot of paper documents that were duplicated, as there were multiple rule bilge pumps, for example. We went through and pared this down, organized it to our liking and filled in the little folio tabs. This had made finding documentation much, much quicker. That folio is about 12 x 12 x 10 and we keep it in the storage area behind the sliding door to our cabin.
Maintenance worksheets
There were no maintenance worksheets provided to us by Vision, however, we created this on our NAS as a Wiki article that we can easily update as we complete them. All the actual maintenance information is in the documentation you receive, aside from the Nanni's as I think you have to download that manual. When 100% complete, I'll share all those tables.
On-Boat Training
Nothing formal was in place for us, but I know James is trying to work something out. I'd pester him until he gives in and makes time! There is no better way of learning the boat than sailing with James. Also, Brett Gething has delivered quite a few Visions and loves to be out on the water. He offered to take us out for the overnight to Plett. Get to know him and he might be willing to do the same for a small cost. He is an incredible resource and a great delivery skipper. We committed to someone else prior to meeting Brett, but would have otherwise hired him in a heart-beat.
In general, use the boat within what you know and expand your knowledge slowly over time. The boat is actually set up to be very easy to sail and live on. If something is difficult or seems hard, you're probably doing it wrong. Everything is set up to be very easy, as long as you don't forget any of the important steps. There aren't that many, but the ones that do exist are important to get right. Sue and I will work on some videos showing us going through the different motions once we are done with the crossing.
Living in Knysna
Knysna Yacht Club
If you spend any amount of time in Knysna, you will find yourself here. It is wonderful and if you don't join, you're crazy! First, you are supposed to join if you visit more than twice in a 1 or 2 month period, but this was not enforced that I saw. Second, as a part year member that lives out of town and out of South Africa (which reduces or removes some fees) the cost is very low.
You will get a membership card, to which money can be added via cash or credit card. If you then pay with this card, you get 20% off drinks. Need I say more?
Also, Commodore Jakes, Unati, Sly, Martin and Poppy felt like family by the time we left. If you go and visit, please let them know Mike and Sue said Hi and if it's Unati, tell him Mike is still tired of his shit (but does miss him).
Also, if you are a member and get to know Jakes and want to come and tie up on the dock and there is room, he'll work something out. In general, if you take care of these people, they take care of you!
Wednesday night is a big night as there is dingy racing, which can be watched from the Club. Also, if you are a member, you can bring food to braii and just use the club's braii facility; firewood is provided, they just ask that you buy drinks from them.
Boat Options
Sails
We opted to go with the following sails, all North Sails, except the Oxley:
- NPL Tour Mainsail - Through Vision
- NPL Tour Jib - Through Vision
- NPL Tour Code 65 - Through Vision
- NPL Tour Code 55 - Through Vision
- North G0 Asymmetrical Spinnaker - Through Vision
- Oxley Levante Wing Sail - From Oxley, shipped to Vision, attention Wilbur
In short, we have used every sail on the crossing and I can see us using them all as we continue our "regular" sailing.
Oxley Wing Sail
This seems to be best sailed with 4 control lines (a guy and sheet on each clew). Most boats, the Vision 444 included, are not set up to have that many lines run at once. It currently makes adjusting the Oxley harder than it needs to be. We have some blocks on order that we will pick up in Grenada that should greatly simplify this and also make it easier to move the Asymm from the longeron to a bow and back without dousing, Stay tuned for more details as we figure out if our plan works.
Cockpit Cooler
Once the seal was adjusted by Vision on the hatch opening, the cockpit cooler has been working great! It was filled almost to capacity when we left and we have only used it in Freezer-Mode, which it achieves easily. It does not seem to be a very large power draw, but the drain plug must be in and the latches must always be clasped. Note: The cushion above the cockpit cooler gets wet when sitting on it from condensation through the top of the cooler. If you choose this option, it might be a good idea to ask if they have an idea for improving this.
Fuel Polishing and Tank Valving
We had Vision install fuel valves we had shipped from the US. If you like this idea, bring them over with you! They allow us to select which engine is fed from which tank. Here is the diagram of our Diesel Fuel System.
 |
| Diesel Fuel System with Fuel Selection Valving and Redundant Primary Filters |
This gives us a lot of flexibility. For example, one tank could be known-good/clean diesel, the other suspect diesel. Or, for this crossing, we have been running both engines out of one tank so it is easier by only having to refill one of the tanks from jerry cans. (Oh, that reminds me, get a shaker siphon from the Boat Parts places up in Knysna Industrial)
The valves you want are these: Order 2 of these
and you will need these fittings:
We don't have a fuel polishing system in place yet, but are considering this. Again, much easier to put in place in the US or even Caribbean.
Preparing for Crossing
Chandlery Items
The only decent chandleries are in Cape Town. Central Boating and Seaport Supply, in that order. There are two boat shops in Knysna (Knysna Yamaha and Tait Marine). They have very basic supplies mainly aimed at the trailer boat market. You should visit, and check them out, but most of what they have is not good enough for Blue Water use.
Jerry Cans
As mentioned earlier, we purchased eleven 25-liter jerry cans for our crossing. We found these at Agri. If they don't have enough in stock, they will order for you.
You can coordinate getting these and your tanks filled from the Caltex right on Waterfront Drive (there is no on-water Diesel in Knysna).
11 cans on top of full primary tanks gave us 875 liters of diesel in total.
We topped up in St Helena, but not in Fernando because we knew we had enough to motor the whole way and that is an expensive place to buy diesel.
We ended up with 11 because that seemed like it would be enough if topping off at each stop and 11 was the most we could fit with keeping them all in storage lockers. We will likely sell most of these in Grenade, only keeping a few to ferry diesel to and from our boat.
We have about 375 liters left in total and about 1200 miles to go.
With one engine at 1600 RPM and the prop in over-drive mode, we are consuming about 1.3 liters per hour with a boat speed of 5.1 knots and 6.4 knots speed over ground from current. That means we have enough diesel to run for 288 hours or 12 days. At 5.1 knots, we still have 1470 NM range and at 6.4, the range is 1843 NM if we motored the whole way. We have had very difficult wind the 6 days out of Fernando de Noronha, but it is forecasted to pick up later today and hopefully be steady through our arrival in Grenada and we can give the diesels a break!
Med Kit
Sue and I purchased an "Intermediate Medical Kit", which was really aimed at first responders and has some pieces that I hope I never have to use (including a child birth kit!). We then supplemented this by going to the Central Pharmacy in Knysna and asking their nurse for suggestions on what medicines to bring given what we would be doing. She may or may not have given us things that normally may have required a doctor's prescription.
We looked for a med kit locally and found nothing more than very basic first aid kits (which we purchased to keep in the cockpit and in the tender. We decided to order the above mentioned kit from FirstAider.co.za and would do that differently if we had to do it again. Maybe we would have reached out to that same nurse to see if she had any suggestions.
We did order two emergency/rescue oxygen cylinders from that same site, mainly because they are great to have on-board if you will be diving and they were delivered no problem.
Boat Insurance
We used RBS Insurance from Cape Town. There were no good options from the US that didn't require TWO people with prior ocean crossing experience; which was a no go for us.
They can cover a US boat until the boat arrives at its final US destination. For example, we will first visit US soil in Puerto Rico, where we will do our importation paperwork, but our final US destination is Oriental, North Carolina. They will cover us until we arrive in Oriental.
The process was very simple, however they can not cover you during your boat shakedown. Ask James Turner for options.
I felt their pricing was very, very fair, considering it covered the crossing and our general cover for 6 months.
Reach out to Singeon Green at RBS at singeon@rbs.co.za.
Crossing Captain
We ended up going rogue and finding our own captain. No back story hear except that we are planners and wanted to get something figured out early. We basically found our own person before we heard back from Vision/Sail Away on options.
Brett Gething, mentioned earlier, is a James Turner "approved" delivery skipper and I really think he is a great guy and would be a fantastic option. My personal opinion of why James wants to use a known entity is so that the boat doesn't get f#s@ up by someone unfamiliar with the systems. That is honestly a valid concern.
You will have to check with James for the latest list of approved captains, but I know that at least one other owner is using the skipper we are, Garon Ruger from Gypsy Yacht Deliveries. He is very competent, a great cook and is now very well versed on the boat and seems to thoroughly enjoy sailing on it. They have other delivery skippers and I can't give a recommendation on any of them, mainly because they have yet to sail a Vision 444. His brother Jason is the owner of the company and is the main point of contact. He can be reached on WhatsApp (South African Number) 79 079-3815.
Staying in the V&A Marina
If you will be leaving from Cape Town, you will be staying in the V&A Marina visiting and/or waiting for a weather window. It is a great location to be! The Marina staff are a little difficult at times (well, one of the two; you'll figure out which is which)
It is exceptionally convenient to just about everything. There is a ton of shopping, restaurants, tours, etc. You could stay here a month and not get bored (if not for the fact that you will be so excited to start your crossing). In reality, you can stay as short or long as you want. We were there for two weeks, waiting for several last pieces of documentation. If I had to do it over again, I'd aim for 1 week and see what the weather allowed.
Before I forget, one of the must-dos is to to go the Bascule Bar (almost in the Marina) and make sure you take a walk to the bathroom. One of the nicest walks to the bathroom anywhere!
Other Miscellaneous Questions/Answers
Here are some other random questions or topics that didn't seem to fit well into any of the above sections.
Looking back, things we would have asked for from the factory
Being in Knysna for as long as we were, we asked for and got most of the things we could think of, or were told why that was not a great idea. Nothing comes to mind, but I'll update that if I think of anything.
Edit: Thoughts added by Sue
- We chose the hardness of our mattresses. I personally wish we chose a little softer since it sits on the hard lift up hatch for the engine (thus no 'box spring'). We may try swapping the aft cabins and flipping them over since the bottom layer was softer. Or we may add a foam top.
- Possibly the block system for the Oxley and Asymmetrical Spinnaker mentioned above?
- Guidance on Vision's intended set up for the dingy davit?
- In general, if there are any systems you don't fully understand how they work, get an explanation/demonstration from someone at Vision until you are comfortable with it.
Added safety features
ACR Guardian MOB System
We brought over and added an ACR Guardian MOB system. It uses wrist worn bracelets that basically Bluetooth pair with the base station (mounted behind the helm). If one of the bracelets go out of range, the alarm goes off and hopefully alerts someone to the event. The built-in alarm is very quiet when mounted there, so we added a loud piezo buzzer (Builders) that is much louder. I still think it should be louder and this is on our to-do list.
This has added a level of piece of mind when only one person is up at night. We also plan to use it for our cat, Chuck and also when we have friends or family with young children (or older dumb children) join us.
Composite vs Teak Trim
I'm pretty sure that composite trim is the standard going forward and unless you expect to be bored and want to mask and oil teak every three weeks, it doesn't look good enough to warrant the work required to keep it looking good.
Any changes to the cockpit enclosures?
We requested and got a few tweaks. One was little velcro flaps to cover the area where three zippers meet on the sides. Without them, there is a small hole, but enough area that water likes to come through it and soak the cushions with heavy rain.
Another change that would be worth discussing is a way to have the aft port enclosure panel be used if the cutting board is mounted or not.
Sun Shades
We went with the standard sun shades, but in a charcoal color. This seems to make it much easier to see out of when they are in place as it does not create a large contrast like white does. White is also really hard to keep clean. Since these are on the outside of the windows, we don't believe the darker color is increasing the heat in the salon.
We also had them made in two pieces per side, so that the front-most window panes with the vent hatches could be left un covered so that vents could actually be used. I think this may be standard now.
Note, there is a cost for these sunshades and while not trivial, I can't imagine not having them.
Make sure to get an extra adhesive backed snap base or two. We had one detach from the glass when we removed the screen.
We also ordered a shade for the front of the boat directly from Eleco. They have the measurements so reach out to them if you are interested and they will provide pricing and color options. We have not used it too much but feel it will be useful in the Caribbean or when you are going to be anchored in one location for a while.
Shades in the Staterooms
I am pretty sure these have been and still are standard. Options, etc. have changed as pricing and costs have changed, so please verify this on your own. They are Dometic shades installed by Vision and are mostly great. The ones that are privacy/sun shade, open or insect screen, mounted to the underside of deck mounted hatches seem to have a manufacturing short-coming. The recoil mechanism has a part that is cut too short and some of our recoiler mechanisms have un-spun. This is fixable and, believe it or not, is better than requesting a replacement, since it is likely the replacement will have the same issue. Vision has tried to feed this back to the deaf ears of the manufacturer. Just find out the steps to repair; they are not that hard and they are super great when working.
Spare Parts
We left Cape Town with service parts for the engines and water maker as well as for the outboard. We neglected to get any service kits for any of the pumps and should have gotten some spare rigging hardware. Here is the list of what I think makes sense and will be kitting out when we get to Grenada:
- at least 1 service/repair kit for each pump
- bilge
- shower drain
- fresh water
- seawater
- Possibly a spare Rule bilge pump (not sure how serviceable they are)
- about 5 meters of a few sizes of marine wire - ask Aletta for gauge suggestions
- Replacement strainer elements for each strainer, especially the one for the seawater, which rusts quickly.
- A spare block that matches those used on the rigging.
- A full splicing kit
- Fids
- Puller
- Torch for melting the cut ends of rope
- 2mm white cord for making release pulls on soft shackles
- Whipping twine and appropriate needle(s)
- The larger knife that uses snap-off blades and a case of extra blades. (Builders) You will not snap them off, you will replace them when they dull. It's just a cheap way, since hi-tech fibers dulls knives fast.
- Download the Rope Splicing phone/tablet app from Premium Ropes
- Sail repair kit from North Sails - David Rae from North can facilitate
- Spare ropes - Go to Southern Ropes in Cape Town and get various diameters from their "offcut bin"
- 4mm - 10mm unjacketed Dynema - 10-30 meters of each
- Various diameter shock cords - 10-20 meters of each of 3-4 sizes
- Rope as a spare for any running rigging. (jacketed Dynema) - 10mm covers just about everything
- Dynema Cover - a couple of 4-5 meter pieces in two sizes (don't remember how they are sold)
- 2 Antel (Low friction) rings in probably three sizes each. You will be shocked at the price of a small piece of highly polished aluminum. These can be found at Manex or Seaport Supply, both in Parden Island, Cape Town.
Provisioning
What was our process?
Our process was not nearly as formal as it should have been. We basically bought enough to fill all the fridges and the pantry and the cabinets in the galley. We started some of the provisioning in Knysna and finished in Cape Town. Either or both seem to work well. We knew Knysna stores better, but there are obviously more options in Cape Town.
We did not meal plan, and I probably wouldn't meal plan the next time. It's a lot of work that I'm not sure planning out 3 meals a day X 4 people X 40 days is easy to get right. We got a combination of things for the four of us:
- pre-made, ready-to-heat meals - these are great when seas are rough and/or no one wants to (or safely can cook)
- Sarie's in Knynsa
- Pot pies from So-Ca in Knysna
- Lasagna meals from So-Ca in Knysna
- Frozen pizzas
- Staple items
- (2) 30 packs of eggs (got more in Fernando de Noronha)
- 3 lbs of potatoes (got more in St Helena, should have gotten more)
- 2 bags of rice (maybe 3 would be better)
- 4 or 5 bags of pasta and sauce
- Fruits
- Your favorites, but only what you can consume in their limited life span.
- Apples and oranges last longer
- The bananas on St Helena are delicious (Sue says they had a strawberry flavor to them)
- You can go without bananas if you are in the camp that doing so will somehow bring the anger of the Gods upon you, or whatever.
- Vegetables
- As many fresh vegetables as you can consume in their limited life span. Think:
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Cucumbers
- Carrots (last long)
- Celery
- Onions (last long)
- Squashes (butternut, acorn, etc. - Do they even go bad?)
- Frozen vegetables, as much as you have room for.
- Canned vegetables, good to have as a backup, etc.
- Meats
- Bacon
- A couple meals worth of steak/pork (should have gotten more)
- Some large packs of frozen chicken
- Mince meat
- Biltong/Droewors for snacking
- Note: Local farms in Knysna will vacuum seal portions for you and the prices are very reasonable.
- Sides for fish (if you are going to fish)
- Could be just the rice and some fresh or frozen or canned vegetables
- Bread
- A few loafs, some of which we froze
- Ingredients to make bread (don't forget a bread pan)
- We should have had more packets of yeast.
- Drinks
- Nothing but plain water gets very boring, so we mixed it up with juices (boxed) and powdered drink flavoring (basically Kool-aid), which takes very little space.
- Lots of boxed milk (low and full fat) for cereal and coffee.
- Note: Boxed milk and juice can be stored unrefrigerated until opened which really helps keep needed refrigerator space open.
- Coffee. We mostly got beans, but also some ground and decaffeinated. Obviously how much depends on how much you and your crew drink. Ours drank a LOT.
- Spices
- You will go through a good amount, so probably about 6 grinder/shakers worth of each salt and pepper. We just got refill bags of salt and pepper.
- Grab a bunch of your favorites; they can make a big difference.
- Garlic - We brought a bag of cloves and a plastic container of crushed.
- Vegetable or chicken stock - Can be found in powered form; just add water.
- Hot Sauces
- Oil
- Vinegar
- Snacks
- We absolutely did not bring enough snacks. If you are used to snacking, make sure you bring these as they will keep your spirits high. We found we tended to snack more during the day and then sit down for a dinner together... Think:
- Crackers (Salti-crax in South Africa are a national treasure)
- Cheese, lots of it. And then double that.
- Chips. BTW, you will not find anything close to a US "Family Size" bag in SA.
- Cereal (there are great containers at Mambo for cereal to keep it fresh longer)
- Breakfast Bars (we brought six boxes and still went through them all)
- Mixed Nuts
- Peanut Butter & Jelly
- Treats
- You also need treats to keep your spirits high when you have a tough day.
Think chocolate bars, ice cream, candy, etc.
We thought we would have plenty and Sue and I would use the extra/leftover in the Caribbean, but we will have to do a pretty major grocery run when we arrive. Probably not the best financially because food in the Caribbean is more expensive, but I think we better know now what we like to eat on the boat, so I'm good with how it ended up.
Can you re-provision on the way?
In St Helena you can get most non-perishable or less perishable items pretty easily. Vegetables are limited, fruit is very limited and meat is expensive, and if you are looking for something specific you may not find it.
Fernando de Noronha is better, but the grocery stores (3 that we found) are still pretty limited. Vegetables and fruits are easier to come by than St Helena.
Get whatever fruit/vegetable you can find anywhere once departed or pivot to frozen after ~ 2 weeks?
Living in South Africa
First, living in South Africa, especially Knysna, was a great experience. Everyone is so friendly and helpful in this town. We have made what will surely be life-long friends.
What to do in South Africa
There is honestly too much to do in South Africa.
Things we would recommend:
- Knysna Elephant Park
- Birds of Eden and Monkeyland (can do both in one day with a combo ticket)
- Learn to Kite Board
- Go Blo-karting (wind and tide must be right)
- Go on Safari - Kruger is the big animal park you hear of that is by Johannesburg, but it is hard to get to. We went to Gorah Elephant Camp in Addo Elephant Park, which is very drivable. It is an expensive, all-inclusive resort with game drives, game walks, unbelievable rooms and unbelievable food and service. We never really splurge for lodging like this, but it was one of the highlights of our time in South Africa.
- Go to the Zinzi restaurant between Knysna and Plettenburg Bay.
- SCUBA diving in Plett at Pro Dive Plett. Whether to learn, refresh or just go on an AMAZING seal dive. Tell them we sent you!
- It's worth mentioning again, get a custom wetsuit at Coral in Cape Town
- Wine country
- We've been to both Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. We prefer Franschhoek but our recommendation is to try (and remember) both! The wine train in Franschhoek is NOT TO BE MISSED!!
- Eat at O'Pescador and tell them you are a Vision 444 owner. Kind of a tradition started by Thomas and Terri Sand. They are family owned and have some of the best food on the waterfront. They have the best Kingklip (South African deep water fish) in Knysna.
- Eat at Bell Tavern - Order a bobotie
- Eat at Butterfly Blue for sunset.
- Eat at Cafe Mario's Italian and try to be served by Fundi, the best waitress we've ever had anywhere.
- Eat at Chatter's for the best pizza in Knysna! (Says Mike)
- Eat at Malliard for the best pizza in Knysna! (Says Sue)... Situated right next to Knysna Gin (they will even bring your pizza to your table at the Gin bar).
- Order a Charro Negro from Unati at Knysna Yacht Club (I introduced him to the drink)
- Buy Unati a drink from Mike and I'll PayPal you!
- Hiking - There are many great hikes around Knysna. One example is Robberg Nature Preserve near Plett.
- Saturday Market in Sedgefield is a must. (Friday and Sunday Markets in Knysna are fun also.)
Banking in South Africa
We lived in South Africa for over 5 months and that was still not enough time to make it worthwhile to try to get banking set up. We use WISE and it worked incredibly well and will continue to work well as we use different currencies all over the world. There are some monthly transaction limits, but we went into the app to increase them as much as possible and maybe had to wait for a new month to reset a limit once during our stay. Wait for a favorable exchange rate and move a bunch of money to your Wise Rand Account and then it just acts like a debit card. We were able to withdraw a certain amount of cash each month for no fee, so we tried to use the card as much as possible.
Check it out and if you decide to sign up, use this link to get a free transfer and we get a referral fee. Just make sure to get setup before leaving the US, as they can not ship the credit card overseas!
Healthcare / Insurance while in South Africa
There is a good chance that your US based policy will provide all the coverage you will need while in South Africa, however, you will basically need travel health insurance (with emergency expatriation evacuation coverage) if you want to visit St Helena or Ascension Island. Our health care coverage in the US was terrible and basically covered the lollipops in the waiting room, so getting something with less than a $12k deductible seemed the way to go. We found ING insurance, sold through Patriot International and it covered our needs and since it only covers you OUTSIDE of the US, it's cheap. You can get short cover insurance from Solomon's on St Helena to cover their requirements for very cheap, but we wanted something better because we were going to be in South Africa for so long.
We did not need much in terms of healthcare while there except for when I absolutely destroyed my shin while learning to kite board. (thankfully no stitches). Their pharmacies have nurses with extensive abilities and there are two hospitals in Knysna (one of which is Private and the suggested option).
Phone and mobile internet in South Africa
We switched our carrier to Google Fi before we left the US. They allow you unlimited calling and internet for the first 3 months you are out of the country, then the data stops, but phone calls still work.
When you return to the US, the international data resumes. They have three different plans and you can change them at will. Coverage while we were in the US was 95% as good as the very good AT&T service we left. Again, use this link to give us a small referral fee if you sign up.
When our mobile data got turned off, we moved to FlexiRoamX, which again will work for us through the Caribbean for data only. We have pretty much moved 100% to WhatsApp for phone calls at this point, so we are strictly using data, no "phone" service. FlexiRoamX is a phone app that allows you to buy regional or global data plans. You can also buy one plan and share data to another user for no charge. If you have a recent smartphone, you can download an eSIM, to make the whole process very easy. This has allowed us to get one larger plan at a better $/GB price point and share it between the two of us. Very, very happy with it. Once more, use this link to try it out and we both get free data!
Where to Live in Knysna
There are a lot of options on this front, with December being the only bad month to try to get a place to stay, as it will be at least twice as expensive as any other time of the year.
We stayed at an apartment in the Quays (pronounces keys). It was uber convenient and we would return there again in a heart beat. Olwen Wagner was our landloard and she and her husband were great and very helpful. They accepted (so many) deliveries for us, since getting something shipped to the Quays can be a challenge.
They have multiple properties and I highly recommend them.
Olwen Wagner - WhatsApp (South Africa number - 73 337 2150) or olwenauret@gmail.com
Another option for staying in the Quays is to rent from Pierre and Kris (Hull #10 - Umbono)! Reach out to them on the Facebook group and see if the place they bought there is ready for renting. It is in the same complex, just a larger unit than we stayed in.
Leaving South Africa
The process is relatively straight-forward, just involves a number of steps.
- Go to the V&A Marina Office, pay for your stay and have them give you a certificate that you and your boat are paid up for any expenses.
- Take an Uber to the Marina office at the Royal Cape Yacht Club and do the same thing. It is part of their process, and there would be no reason for you to have any expenses there.
- Go to the Immigration and Customs office in the Port Area, which is a short walk from the V&A Marina and make sure you have USCG documentation, all crew passports and they will check you out of the country. You have 48 hours, I think to leave.
- When we checked out the Customs Office was closed and accepted paperwork by email.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that on the form you have to fill out for them, where it asks for your destinations, make sure the last one is United States. You will need this to be able to import your boat duty free, so it's kind of important. Again, in order to qualify for duty free importation, the US must be listed as the final destination.
Getting VAT back
If you keep your receipts you can get VAT back on any of your large purchases. The application for a refund must be lodged with the VAT Refund Administrator's office. You have to then take that form and the receipts to the Customs office and it must be done before going to Immigration. Also, you can only get VAT back for purchases up to three months in the past and technically, the receipt/Tax Invoice, has to list you and your boat name to qualify. You will be asked by a lot of places what you want it to say on your receipt. I didn't know why until later. Also, Customs was closed the day we went to check out and we had to leave the next day, so we got none of what could have been a lot of money back, but we choose to forget that ever happened.
The End
PHEW, that was crazy. Sorry that is so much information, but it is at least a one stop shop for just about everything we learned along the way.
Please leave any comments you may have!
