Broken Battery?

I managed to fix my battery charger by attaching new crocodile clips, wrapping the ends with insulating tape, and I installed new fuses.

Got the DART to Dún Laoghaire, and charged the battery in my boat.

Battery on boat

My voltmeter is not accurate enough to give a precise voltage reading, but I charged the battery for two hours today.

This is the first time that I had the battery out of its holder, so I checked the labels.

The description is:

UNIPART SAMSON Heavy Duty Battery

Heavy Duty Type 678 12 Volts

Keep Upright

Check Polarity Before Fitting

Leisure 75

Recharge after use.”

I know that it is 12 volts and 75 amps, and it is a marine battery. But what else can I find out?

The closest description that I could find on the Web is the “Leisure Unipart Samson Battery 678″:

Battery with integrated carry handle, Magic Eye feature and Kamina lid vent.

208mm (l) x 175mm (h) x 255mm (h)
Weight: 16.2Kg

Reserve capacity:100 minutes
Cold start: 480 amp

But is this the same battery?

Leisure Unipart Samson Battery 678

Compass

Just bought this bearing compass (the yellow one) from Viking Marine in Dún Laoghaire @ €65.95.

Not cheap, but useful at sea. Could prevent a collision!

Battery Charger

This Absaar 5 Amp 12 Volt charger came with my boat. Used for charging the boat’s battery. The battery clips have rusted away. Hard to find new ones.

Navigation Course

I order to improve my sailing / navigation skills, I enrolled in the Navigation (I.S.A. Costal Certificate) course in Ringsend Technical Institute. 

The course cost €330 (including examination fee) and they take credit cards. Classes take place over 22 weeks, from 22 September 2008,  on Mondays from 19.00 – 21.15.

The classes take place in an engineering lab, with a nice view over the Liffey.

Coffee and a biscuit costs €2. Tea is €1.50.

I already hold:

• the National Powerboat Certificate (Level 2) (2005), 
  • having attended a course in the Irish Youth Sailing Club / School and Oceandivers in Dún Laoghaire, and 
• the ISA Start Sailing (Level 1) and Basic Skills (Level 2) certificates (2006)
  • having attended Glenans Irish Sailing Club Baltimore Bay course in Baltimore, West Cork, and
• Radio Operator’s Short Range Certificate of Competency (2008)
  • having attended the course run by Sea-Craft in the Motor Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire.

More information about training is available on the Irish Sailing Association Web site.

Radio Operator!

I received a nice letter from the Department of Transport advising me that I had passed the written examination / practical /oral test and I am now the holder of a “Radio Operator’s Short Range Certificate of Competency Granted by the Minister for Transport”.

The Department added that I can now apply for a Ships Radio Licence for my boat.

The Ships Radio Licence Application form is available on-line in PDF and Word formats .

The cost is:

• new licence: €100
• transfer of licence: €30

In the case of a transfer of a ships radio licence, the existing licence holder must compete the Ships Radio Licence Transfer form (available on-line as PDF and Word).

VHF Short Range Radio Course

I attended the VHF course run by Sea-Craft in the Motor Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire on Thursday 27 November 7.30 pm – 10.00 pm and Sunday 30 November 2008 9.00 am – 4.30 pm. This was followed by exam on SOLAS (Safety of Live at Sea) amd an exam on Regulations and Procedure, followed by practical test / interview.

Finished at 8.30 pm.

The cost was €204

• €204
  • Course fee and notes €125
  • Examiners fee €35
  • Department of Transport charge €44

Coffee and tea were supplied on Sunday, and there was a bar.

Certificate

On successful completion of the course, the Department issues a “Radio Operators Short Range Certificate of Competance”.

This means that the holder may use VHF DSC equipment on a ship entitled to fly the flag of the country which issues the certificate, in my case Ireland.

Licence

Once you have the certificate you may apply for a Ship Station Licence from Comreg, and if you have bought a second hand boat, the licence can be transferred for €30.

The licence will include:

• Name of boat
• Date of Issue
• The boat’s call sign e.g. EI 9999
• If you have DSC, a MMSI number is included, e.g. 250 123 456
• Name of Licensee
• The Accounting Authority Indicator Code

If a vessel is sold, the call sign and MMSI are cancelled.

The licence lasts for the lifetime of the . If a boat is sold, you can transfer a licence for €30 using this form, and previous owner also have to send a form to the Department of Transport.

How to transfer a ships radio licence

You can transfer a boat’s radio licence by filling in the form on this page:

http://www.transport.ie/viewitem.asp?id=10775&lang=ENG&loc=2058 

It costs €30. Your boat must have a licence. You must have a certificate of competency.

I am doing a course for a short range certificate of competency from the Department of Transport run by Seacraft in the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club right now.

Next class is all day Sunday, and there are no DARTs north of Connolly because of engineering works at Howth Junction. A few railcars will stop, though.

Oireachtas – Flash Webcasting

A new broadband Flash Webcasting service is now available on the Houses of the Oireachtas Web site.

This is in addition to the Oireachtas Live Windows Media Player, MPEG2 and MPEG4 services already available.

Dry Bag

Sealine Dry Bags

I bought a See Bag 10 (dry bag) from Viking Marine, Dún Laoghaire for €22.00.

Its capacity 10l and it weight is 280g. I hope that it will keep my stuff dry!

The address on the package is Middleton, County Cork, Ireland. By the way, the railway from Glounthaune to Midleton will be restored soon.

Yachtmaster Coastal Shorebased Course Attendance Certificate (Sail)

The Yachtmaster Coastal Shorebased Course page on the Irish Sailing Association site gives details of courses run by various providers in Ireland.