Patron questions part 1

We recently got some questions from a couple that follows us, and they were so good that we decided to use them for a few patron posts as well as an exclusive content video!  Here are the Q&As! Hope you enjoy :)

1. Jeremiah seems to prefer the monohull at least in the early episodes of the Calypso. Is this still true? Which one is easier to maintain?

Might be an unfair question because we went from an older, smaller monohull to a newer, large Catamaran.  That being said, Jeremiah does miss the heeling and racing feeling you get with the monohull. You do still get it sometimes with the Cat but not nearly as much.  After experiencing both, we can both say that we love the Catamaran way better.

On the mono, everything was a chore-- it was small so any maintenance was so annoying.  I had to kick people off just to finish work on it. Everything is so much more open on the Cat and easier to maneuver on it. We can also rely on it more because it has 2 engines. Jeremiah says that he is a recovering monohaulic, haha

1. Are maintenance costs relatively the same? 

A lot of people you talk to will say that a Catamaran will cost you double on maintenance but we wouldn’t agree with that. Our monohull needed oil changes way more often. The Catamaran is more expensive for that but needs it changed way less often. That being said, Calypso is high tech, so when it breaks it’s expensive-- but not all Cats are like that.

Sometimes you will be charged a little more at a Marina for your slip. Some might charge for 2 hulls, some charge for 1.5 and some charge just for 1. It depends where you go. Now, you will have to do some shopping around for the best price and to see if the marina even has room for you with a Catamaran. There is not a huge selection because a cat will take up more space.

Essentially: yes, relatively the same, maybe slightly higher for a catamaran.

1. What tools do ya'll carry onboard? 

Flyswatter! haha, but in all seriousness the main things you will need are a wrench, dremel to cut things, zip ties, battery powered drill. I was told that bolt cutters were a necessity but I have only used them once-- to open a gun safe so not at all necessary for you to bring haha. Definitely recommend having backups of all of the above. you don’t want to be in a situation when something breaks and you have no way to get another.

1. What about emergency medical supplies? 

We go a little overboard when it comes to medical supplies, but we figure it’s better to be overprepared. We just got an AED for adults and children. Jeremiah has a heart condition so we thought this was important, and who knows who else might need one! We have 2 large emergency kits that we bought pre-loaded. We have Epi pens and are looking into getting some IVs as well. 

We also go to the doctor before setting off and get loaded up on meds we may need (antibiotics, etc).  We also get as much of Jeremiah’s meds as we can. We ran into a little issue while in Grenada where we couldn't get his meds shipped there so Jeremiah had to half his pills just to make them last until we could get more.

1. What amenities do you have on Calypso that you wish you had from the beginning? 

Everything! If we had 2 each pick one, Jeremiah would pick the dive compressor and Britt would pick the full shower!

1. Any that you could probably do without if you were to restart your journey on the same budget and reallocate your budget differently? 

Jeremiah says the throttle boxes, he wishes they weren’t there.  Having them simply gives the opportunity for them to fail.  If they weren’t there, then instead would be some cables-- much easier for repairs. Also, bow and stern thrusters, great to have until it malfunctions (like it did for us) can be annoying and dangerous.

Could do without a lot of the high-tech things.

1. Do you actually practice man overboard drills with the boat at sail? 

Jeremiah is trying to get me to let him throw bella overboard to practice--- oh boy! Maybe if we had someone else on board we would practice it more, but no we have not yet done it. We should throw a cushion over to try out.  Even though we have not actually done it, we are constantly talking about different scenarios and how we would deal with situations.

The rest of the questions will be answered next week!