12/10/2025 Topic: 12V panel replacement Dick	Hi Tim, Are you planning to do the works yourself? Putting in a 12v panel with breakers can be pretty straightforward, but I wonder whether your concern is undoing what sounds like an unusual electrical design that causes regular problems. It is not easy, and probably unwise, to work on a boat’s electrical system without schematics. I would start by developing a schematic for your present DC system and then move on to designing your new 12v system with breakers. Schematics allow you to do the bulk of the thinking work ahead of time and will save many hours in the long run. While doing so read a couple of the excellent books on marine electrical design and work practices. Both are excellent winter projects. But, in particular, get a copy of ABYC’s standards (they have a reduced rate for boat owners) or the EU equivalent. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy Come back with any specific questions.
14/10/2025 Topic: Social Media for nostalgics (SSB) Dick	Hi Simon, A wonderfully written appreciation: thanks for sharing. Alchemy’s passage -making has often been made to feel less isolated by our SSB skeds with other vessels going a similar direction. It should be noted that some of the nets, particularly some of the weather nets, are done on SSB Amateur (Ham) radio frequencies (at least the last time I paid attention) the license for which is very much easier to obtain now that Morse Code proficiency is greatly reduced. My best, Dick Stevenson, KC2HKW, WCZ7717
26/10/2025 Topic: Chesapeake to UK Spring 2026 Dick	Hi Chris and Phillip, A few words on the Northern route below; The route you are contemplating has a wealth of suggestions as it is so commonly done: I believe I used Jimmy Cornell’s World Passage book along with articles on the subject. There is a lot out there. The big question is how early to leave and still ensure (or make least likely) having a hurricane join you. The best advice we received was not to treat the Azores as just a “fuel depot” mid-ocean. So, we spent the season crossing and spent 6 weeks in Bermuda, almost 3 months in the Azores visiting 8 of the 9 islands (just fabulous) before fetching up in Portugal in late September or so. Feel free to come back with questions. My best, Dick Stevenson. s/v Alchemy The Atlantic Canadian Maritimes are, indeed, wonderful cruising. An alternative: a west>east Northern route to Europe (CA, Greenland, Iceland, Faroes, Scotland/Europe) is covered in the new “CCA Essential Passage Guide to the Viking Route” (as is the more commonly accomplished east>west Viking route) along with a wealth of guidance on sailing northern waters. There is also a new edition of the CCA’s cruising guide to Newfoundland as well as updates/new editions in the works or accomplished to CCA guides to the Canadian Maritime waters (Nova Scotia, Labrador, the Gulf of St. Lawrence). Over 3-4 years, I spent 4+ months each season cruising this area and did the Viking route on a return to North America in 2017.
02/11/2025 Topic: Messenger line hack Dick	Hi all, A winter mast-up messenger line hack: Removing one’s running rigging lines and replacing with messenger lines for the winter if your mast is left up is just wise. I looked at my messenger lines waving in the breeze with some trepidation for years wondering how they would fare over a long and windy winter. And then, some random comment, led me to wrap the messenger lines multiple times spiral-like around whatever stay, shroud or rf foil was handy. This kept them well behaved, unlikely to chafe or to jump out of the sheave, etc. and much less likely to break with all the problems that follow from that. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
03/11/2025 Topic: observation on flooding the cockpit Dick	Hi all, an observation: There is always concern about getting pooped. And, one might make a case for canoe sterns being more vulnerable as there is less reserve buoyancy so the stern might not rise to get above a following wave as a wider stern would. In numerous miles in boisterous conditions and large seas from the stern, Alchemy (a Valiant 42) has never taken a drop of water into the cockpit from the stern. But it has happened twice in my memory that we have had substantial (~~70+% filled) water flood the cockpit. Both times we were going fast on a beam-ish reach in moderate winds and swell and things lined up so we rolled into a wave which came sweeping down the leeward deck pretty much filling the cockpit. I now consider this event statistically likely in those sailing conditions. Had we not had a seat-level bridgedeck, significant water would have sluiced below decks making for a big salty mess, but not anything dangerous. With the bridgedeck, the foot well was filled and we received a nice demo of the time it takes for the water to drain out. No water found its way below. As an under-way habit all cockpit lockers are secured with a clip and, the latch being secured also compresses the gasket a bit. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
24 days ago Topic: Chesapeake to UK Spring 2026 Dick	Hi Ken, I suspect you are aware of the newly published CCA Essential Guide to the Viking Route. I was part of the group who wrote it. My wife and I did the VR from Europe to North America in 2017. Had the VR guide existed, it would have saved us well over a hundred hours in preparatory research in the year before we left and answered many of the questions that were difficult to get information on. It was a great way to get across the Atlantic. We were not in “delivery mode” and spent most of the season in the crossing cruising the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland, before fetching up in Newfoundland: and then falling so in love that we stayed in the Canadian Maritimes for the next 3 years. Come back with questions. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
24 days ago Topic: Chesapeake to UK Spring 2026 Dick	Ken, Sorry for the redundancy, I just noticed that I had already replied to this stream. Dick

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