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Tech Talk with SeaBits by Steve Mitchell
“Rendevous” at anchor in Port Ludlow on a glassy evening. With the technology world constantly moving at a break-neck 311, and most recently, an Ocean Alexander 420. There have pace, the challenge for us as sailors is to figure out how to adapt been a lot of smaller stops along the way, but those are the true the speed of that change to the marine world without putting family members that have made a significant impact on my life. safety at risk. My last sailboat, Grace, a Beneteau 311, was a fantastic Technology has given us amazing ways to interact with nautical platform to explore the Salish Sea and beyond. I spent a lot of charts, enhance our safety and communication methods, make time upgrading the technology and electrical systems, with a more accurate weather predictions, and to remain connected focus on making my life simpler and more pleasant while out on wherever we are. the water. One of my favorite trips was to Princess Louisa Inlet When embracing new technologies aboard, I always try to where I was able to be more comfortable and stay at anchor focus on three questions before deciding to move forward with a project: Will it make my time on the water safer or me a more aware captain? Does it provide more comfort and enjoyment for my time on the boat? Does it allow me to spend even more time on the water and away from other commitments? I’ve lived in both the boating and technology worlds my entire life, and find it a constant and exciting challenge. I began sailing Lasers on nearby lakes through Boy Scouts and graduated to larger boats around Gig Harbor and Fox Island. I was fascinated with the melding of complex math and the “gut feeling” in both sailing and technology. Being able to see the math for how they work at the low level, but knowing the other half is a complete art that you could only feel deep within your bones. For most of my professional life, I’ve worked for high tech companies and traveled around the world. I’ve also spent a lot of time as a marine electrician, deep in the bowels of boats, usually working on undoing the previous owner’s “modifications” and learning a lot in the process. My boating journey has included stints with a Catalina 25, Bayliner 4788, US Yachts 295, Hunter 430, Beneteau Grace’s Victron LiFePO4 power system diagram. 48º NORTH
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FEBRUARY 2020