We’ve longed for AGMs or some cheaper sealed batteries quite a lot. But their price and charging requirements finally discouraged us and we opted for 6 volt Trojans T-105. Surely it does not happen everyday and the probability of something like this is perhaps lower than that of spilled electrolyte. On the other hand, on a boat in the middle of nowhere, one could likely handle the electrolyte better than a gel bomb…

Expanded sealed battery

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Charles Aznavour — Take me along (lyrics and chords)

By Petr Šimon

While listening to the song we realized that the lyrics circulating the web are in fact rather wrong in many places. We therefore tried to remedy the situation. The chords are not perfectly aligned, but you find your way around that…
Just a remainder for those, who don’t know the song and tend glance towards the horizon. This song is kind of a sailor’s anthem, in some circles at least. And lets not forget about the original French version. The English one is here.

INTRO: Am  E7  Am   E7

Am                          G                        Am  E7
On the docks where the boredom of life is all that I own
Am                                G                Am E7
I see boats coming in with the fruits of places unknown
F               G              F              G
I watch as they come from the world in the sun
F                       C
That I see, in my mind
F            G              F                G
But then it's farewell to this cold northern hell
C                      E7
They can leave far behind
Am                          G                Am   E7
Let me go where they go, let me fly the winds that they fly
 Am                     G                              Am
For to stay in this place will destroy a man such as I 

R:
Am        E7                  Am
Take me along, a long way from here,
            G7                C
take me along to a far away shore
                  E7          Am
When you're poor it's easy to bare
            F        E7   Am
with sunshine and soft summer air 

At the end of the day in a bar, with sailors I stand
And I talk about girls, about love a glass in my hand
But then in my dreams, I can travel at seas on a boat southern bound
And there I can hold all the magic and gold of the love I have found
When the bars on the Key side are closed  alone I remain
I continue to dream and each night the dream is the same 

R:

Very soon I will take any job or chance, that I can
Though I dream like a child for my dreams I'll work like an ant
Work and with pride for my ticket-to-ride where the sun shines for me
Surviving any storm, to be wild, to be warm, that's the way I must be
I'll be leaving behind no regrets and all of my past
And I'll go to the sea as I sail to freedom at last 

R:

R:

Charles Aznavour — Emmenez Moi

By Petr Šimon

Charles Aznavour — Take me along

By Petr Šimon

Typhoon Megi won’t miss us afterall

By Petr Šimon

Typhoon Megi 22.10.2010

After filling up half of the norther South China Sea, the typhoon Megi turned to the north and is trying to squeeze itself into the Taiwan Strait.

We’ve spent the afternoon on the boat, observing our magnificently broken up pontoon and together with others tying up everything we could get our hands on, including cleats on the pontoons, which are said to be very unreliable. The many whole after relocated cleats stay witness. The worst is probably coming this night. So far we’ve only measured up to 40 knots in gusts, but the wind speed will very likely climb up overnight.

Thus we plan to spend the night on board to be there if anything should happen… we probably won’t get much sleep, but we would sleep well in the flat anyway… one feels kind of unsettled…