A Sailomat 601 windvane was installed in the spring of
2000. This windvane is very powerful and precise. You can see
pictures of the vane and read about technical details at
SAILOMAT WINDVANES.
OTHER INTERESTING FEATURES
Sailomat Windvane
A Sailomat 601 windvane was installed in the spring of
2000. This windvane is very powerful and precise. You can see
pictures of the vane and read about technical details at
SAILOMAT WINDVANES.
We chose the Sailomat because it can be easily and quickly removed from the transom, thus allowing full use of the swim step. You can see a picture of the transom, with the windvane removed by clicking on Transom Picture. The vane can be re-installed in less than five minutes. Jerry has re-installed the windvane while underway, single handed.
The Autohelm ST1000 tillerpilot can be attached to the Sailomat Windvane steering system. When sailing on a magnetic course, e.g. with very steady but light following winds, the tiller pilot is used in place of the wind vane. The ST-1000 is very precise and uses less than 1/2 amp of current. The picture to the left shows how the tiller pilot attaches to the windvane.
The windvane/tillerpilot can also be used in place of the ST6000 autopilot when motoring. This provides a strong backup to the electronic autopilot.
Sun & Weather Protection
A sunbrella awning was custom built for Mirador in May 2002. This awning covers the entire boat from the middle of the foredeck all the way aft to the solar panels. The awning is about 5' 6" off the deck so even Jerry at 6' can easily move around with the awning up. When not in use the awning is rolled onto it's central batten and stowed in a tidy package along one one of the life lines.
Here is a link to a WEB page with photos and details about the awning: SUN AWNING
The aft part of the cockpit is protected from rain and sun
by the solar panels mounted on the arch. The arch is tall enough that a 6'
tall person can stand on the aft seat, behind the wheel, without bumping the
arch or panels.
The aft-center section of the cockpit is protected by a bimini top with it's own foldable support structure. That forward-center portion of the cockpit is protected by a removable bimini that can be attached, via sturdy nylon zippers to the foldable bimini and the dodger.
The forward most part of the cockpit, the cabin top, and the companionway are protected by a dodger and removable side curtains. The heavy duty stainless frame for the dodger has hand rails mounted on the exterior of the frame to provide additional security for someone walking along the side decks.
A new dodger and bimini was installed in July '06. The windows are scratch resistant with a 2 mm layer of glass on both sides of the clear plastic. Sunbrella and UV resistant thread was used in all locations.
There is a 12V fluorescent light attached to the inner bow of the bimini. This light illuminates the entire cockpit at a cost of only one-amp of current. The light can be easily removed when you want to fold back the bimini.
OUTBOARD HOIST
The Nisan 9.8 HP 2-cycle outboard is stowed on the starboard aft part of the cockpit railing. There is a removable stainless hoist mounted on the arch that supports the solar panels. A heavy duty 4:1 block and tackle can be hung from the hoist to allow effortless hoisting or lowering of the outboard to the Portebote. The system works so well that one person can very easily install or remove the outboard in about three minutes.
A 2 HP Suzuki outboard is also mounted on the stern rail and is used in smaller anchorages where it is not necessary to have planning speed when traveling in the dinghy.
You can see pictures of the hoist in Transom Picture referenced above