Read about the journey as it unfolds. Paul will post here every day if possible and will include as many pics and the occasional video. You can comment on any blog posts too so sign up and let people know what you think.
This blog includes all the posts into the sub-categories. See the right menu to see what these sub-categories are.
I am delighted to announce that Canland UK (Hot Pack) Ltd have come on board as official main meal supplier!
With 70 - 90 days away it is essential that I can guarantee that I have a meal at the end of each day. Having Hot Pack Self-Heating Meals on board will mean that I will have a nourishing and tasty meal at least once a day guaranteed and I am pleased to welcome Canland UK as one of my partners.
Hot Pack™ Self-Heating Nutritious Meals offer a cost effective solution for instant hot food and is the answer for Non-Magnesium Flameless Ration pack heating, away from home or base.
Hot Pack™ Self-Heating Meals
offer a whole new concept to "instant" hot food and is the answer to having a hot meal, away from home or base, without needing any other heating or cooking equipment! With a heating time of only 10-12 minutes, Hot Pack™ is ideal for using in remote locations, or even to take to outdoor music festivals, sports meetings, motor rally’s etc. Take a Hot Pack™ to work or the office or when working outdoors as a warm alternative to lunchtime sandwiches.
Who can use Hot Pack™ Meals? Answer: Anyone!
What is the shelf-life?Answer: 3 years from production (Best Before Date).
Each Hot Pack™ Self-Heating Meal contains a delicious and wholesome 300g cooked, ready to eat meal in a pouch, with a dish, knife, fork, salt and pepper, serviette, and a 45ml sachet of water to activate the heater. Everything is included to enjoy a satisfying serving of one of seven delicious Hot Pack™ recipes anywhere you like! Each Hot Pack™ weighs only 420g. This, together with the compact outer box, makes it light to carry and easy to store. The box acts as an oven during heating, but is also a useful receptacle for putting the used items inside and carefully disposing of later.
Great news for everyone wanting to follow me as I go Round Britain…
MarineTrack, leading provider of Telematic Systems, is providing me with a tracking device that will allow you to tranck my progress as I travel round. I don’t have all the technical details yet but it will mean that you will be able to view my progress in real time when I am at sea!
Established in 1998 by a group of telematic engineers specialising in remote medical monitoring, MarineTrack responded to the remote monitoring needs of the Super Yacht Industry. Many Super Yacht owners wanted to track their expensive assets and in creating a solution to this industry requirement MarineTrack developed what was widely regarded as the first Ship Security Alert System (SSAS).
MarineTrack continues to lead the market in the manufacturer of high quality reliable Ship Security Alert Systems providing tracking solutions in the commercial shipping market with well known companies including Shell and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
MarineTrack’s systems are versatile and continue to evolve to meet the ever increasing demands of a global industry. Our specially configured web based interface allows our customers to perform real time, fleet wide, tracking of their floating assets, remote engine monitoring/management and simplified Company Security Officer alerting.
Great news! Reeds Nautical have agreed to be an event sponsor. Apart from financial support they have provided me with the data and information necessary to plan such a trip safety in the form of the Reeds Nautical Almanac.
Coming soon is Reeds Nautical Online. A new version of the famous "Yachtman’s Bible" that will allow searching online and the ability to print sections thereby providing an alternative to either the full almanac or the looseleaf version. Pricing will be similar to the current printed copy price and with such capabilities it is sure to be a huge success.
I installed Sea-Me today but didn’t have time to connect it and try it but it just needs connecting to the power and testing. I also installed the safety ladder which will allow me more of a chance at getting back on board should I fall overboard. Such a simple and relatively cheap device yet one that could be a lifesaver.
The boat had a final clean up today also in preparation for the Plymouth Sail & Power Show which is tomorrow Saturday 26-27 April. If you fancy coming down and meeting me and seeing the boat please do… I will be at the RNLI stand or walking around the show. Tell me you saw the web site please!
Sean Friday and his team today installed MOB Guardian.
MOB Guardian is superb. Designed initially for fishermen, especially those single-handing, but it is ideal for a trip such as this because it allows me to carry a tag which "talks" to a base unit on the boat. If I fall overboard then the communication link is broken and the base unit then sends a signal to the control room in Poole raising the alarm and reporting my position - all automatically. It is done via the Iridium satellite so it does not rely on the boat being in mobile phone range of land.
Here are a couple of photos of the fit…
This first one is of the two antenna… the left one is the GPS and the right is the Iridium.
This second one shows the temporary cable routing to the gland. In a permanent installation this would not use cable tie clips but it is being removed after the trip so a temporary installation was necessary.
This is the base station. The tags, or Personal Safety Devices (PSDs) are on the right. I have 2 but a permanent install can have up to 4. These PSDs "talk" to the base station and have an indicator that shows it is being heard. If the device is immersed in water or gets too far away from the base station then the alarm is sent via satellite. There is an emergency button on the PSD too in case I fall and become incapacitated.
I am delighted to be part of this roll-out of MOB Guardian and if anyone, fishermen in particular, would like to see the system installation on my boat when I visit a port near you then please either get in touch with Sean Friday via the RNLI or with me via this site. You would be very welcome and I would be delighted to show you and have a chat about how it is used etc.
Spent all afternoon cleaning and polishing ready for the media invitation day on Monday. The blue hull is just shining in a way I didn’t know it could. Wonderful stuff that elbow grease… brings out the shine on almost everything!
Another coat of the said grease tomorrow and the boat will be properly protected for the trip ahead. I am planning a quick coat of antifoul in a week or two so after that she will be looking all ship-shape and ready to go as far as cleaning and painting is concerned.
Rope! I hate rope… well I do when it wraps itself around my propeller
Yesterday, when out running in the Suzuki DF6 engine all went quiet when a lobster pot rope which didn’t have a marker buoy decided to entangle the prop, stopping the boat dead. I put down the anchor and set about seperating the rope from the prop. It wouldn’t budge and so a sharp knife cut me free and I sorted out the mess when back at base.
Fortunately, I had 2 engines, a good anchor with plenty of rode and a sharp knife. It was a great demonstration of how an event like that can cease to be anything more than an annoyance instead of what could have been a major worry and a potential call for help.
I strongly believe that everyone should carry a sharp knife. It is an essential piece of safety equipment.
I did my first radio interview yesterday… not just the first for this event but my first ever! It was on BBC Radio Devon’s Plymouth Breakfast Show hosted by James Watts.
I wasn’t very good… at least I don’t think so. Listen to it below and make up your own mind. It is all very scary… much more scary than the prospect of taking my little boat Round Britain. I am expecting, well, hoping at least, to be doing many more both before I leave and also on my way round so there should be plenty of chances to improve . If I can get an mp3 of the interview and get permission I will put it on the web site.
With kind permission of BBC Radio Devon
If you use Firefox then you may need the Windows Media Player Plugin… DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Please Give Generously for our effort to raise money for the RNLI.
The RNLI is a charity and receives no money from government - it is funded entirely through donations. Please help train the volunteer crews by giving a donation now.
.gif)
Spam is not and will be deleted!
