WE PURCHASED OUR BOAT IN JANUARY OF 1993, IN LONG BEACH CA.FOR THE PURPOSE OF SAILING HER ON A SEVEN YEAR CIRCUMNAVIGATION AND BEGAN WORK ON HER TO REFIT FOR THE TRIP. THIS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT: SWITCHING FROM A TILLER TO A WHEEL (SHE CAN BE EASILY REVERTED TO A TILLER IN AN EMERGENCY),AND CONVERTING THE COCKPIT TO EXCEPT A STEERING STATION AT THE REAR LAZARETTE WITHOUT DRASTICALLY MODIFYING THE REAR HOLD AREA ACCESS,RAISING THE REAR SECTION OF COCKPIT TO LAZARETTE LEVEL, INSTALLING ADDITIONAL SCUPPERS, AN ARIES SELF STEERING VANE,AUTO PILOT, RADAR , SOUTHWEST WIND GENERATOR, PROPANE BARBECUE,RAISING THE LIFE LINES STERN PUSH-PIT AND BOW PULL-PIT TO 30 INCHES,LIFE LINE NETTING,MOVING FORWARD RUNNING LIGHTS TO THE BOW,HARD DODGER WITH GARAGE FOR MAIN HATCH COVER AND CANVAS COVER OVER ENTIRE COCKPIT (MY WIFE IS MAKING CANVAS SIDES AND AFT COVER TO ENCLOSE THE ENTIRE COCKPIT),LEE CLOTH FROM GATE TO GATE AROUND STEARN,15 GALLONS OF PROPANE, HARD DINGY, INFLATABLE DINGY,IDEAL ELECTRIC WINDLASS WITH (SIMPSON LAWRENCE 555 MANUAL WINDLASS AS BACK-UP) AND 300' OF 5/16 HIGH TEST ANCHOR CHAIN WITH 100' OF 5/8 3 STRAND NYLON ON INBOARD SIDE. WHEW (LOTTA STUFF HUH),45LB BRUCE AND 45LB CQR ANCHORS,STEARN ANCHOR IS 15LB DANFORTH ATTACHED TO 250' OF 5/16 HIGH TEST CHAIN WITH 150' OF 12 3 STRAND NYLON ON INBOARD SIDE,STAINLESS SAMPSOM POST (3"STAINLESS 10" HIGH AND 12"X 3/4" STAINLESS ROD WELDED COMPLETELY THROUGH STANDING SECTION) ON FOREDECK AND STEARN. GOTTA TAKE A BREATH O.K.---- REWIRING THE MAST WITH #10 TINNED STRANDED WIRE AND ADDING NEW BLOCK BALES TO MASTHEAD, NEW STANDING RIGGING WITH 5/16 FORE AND BACKSTAYS,STAYSAIL STAY WITH PELICAN HOOK, HARKIN ROLLER REEFING FURLER,NEW SET OF SAILS WHICH INCLUDES NEW MAIN (SHORTENED BY 3' AT THE CLEW AND 3REEFS),120%GENNEY,STAYSAIL,TRYSAIL AND STORM JIB,NEW RUNNING RIGGING OF 1/2" 3 STRAND NYLON (IM A FOLLOWER OF LARRY AND LYN PARDEY), MANY NEW BLOCKS AND SHACKLES,BOOM GALLOWS ON TOP OF DODGER, 1000 WATT 120 VOLT GENERATOR,10 GALLONS OF GASOLINE ON AFT DECK, 9' SEA ANCHOR WITH 1200' OF 1" NYLON,SEA SQUID DROGUE WITH OLD CAR TIRE AS BACK-UP. I THINK THAT IS ALL FOR NOW ON DECK SO LETS GO BELOW. GPS,RADAR,HAILER AND VHF RADIO ARE ON A SWIVEL MOUNT THAT SWIVELS INTO MAIN HATCH SO AS TO BE SEEN AND OPERATED FROM THE WHEEL,SSB,CLASS B EPIRB (406 JUST BEFORE I LEAVE),500,000 C/P AND 1,000,000 C/P SEARCH LIGHTS I HAVE LED THE ANCHOR CHAIN TO A COMPARTMENT IN FRONT OF THE MAST AS LOW AS POSSIBLE,12 VOLT LIGHTS IN THE FORWARD BUNK AREA,I HAVE CONVERTED THE FORWARD BUNK AREA TO A FORWARD HOLD AND INSTALLED 38 WATERPROOF BINS AS LONG TERM STOWAGE FOR FOOD & CLOTHES ETC.,I HAVE REWIRED THE ENTIRE BOAT WITH #10 TINNED WIRE AND INSTALLED A NEW CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL USING AIRCRAFT CIRCUIT BREAKERS,INSTALLED 12VOLT QUARTS LIGHTS WITH CLEAR AND RED LENS (I MAKE THE FIXTURES MYSELF), NEW STAINLESS STOVE WITH 3 BURNERS AND OVEN & BROILER,MICROWAVE, COFFEE MAKER,TOASTER,BREAD MAKER,12 VOLT 120 OR PROPANE REFRIGERATOR,I AM IN THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING THE ICE BOX TO REFER/FREEZER,1300 WATT INVERTER, HOUSE BATTERIES ARE 4 T-120 6 VOLT 2 EACH IN SERIES, SHE HAS A 45 GALLON MONEL WATER TANK AND A 38 GALLON FLEXIBLE TANK WITH A PUR-35 WATERMAKER,I HAVE EVEN INSTALLED A SHOWER AND 20 GALLONS OF SUN SHOWER,15 GALLON HOLDING TANK,ENOUGH TOOLS BRING HER WATERLINE UP 3",I HAVE A WORK SHOP,THE DINNING TABLE IS CONVERTIBLE TO COFFEE TABLE OR BUNK SUPPORT HEIGHT,TV/VCR AND 105 MOVIES. POWER PLANT IS A 20 HORSE YANMAR DIESEL WITH 35 GALLON MONEL TANK AND 28 GALLON FLEX TANK, 85 AMP ALTERNATOR, LOW RPM ALTERNATOR ON PROP SHAFT, FORCE 10 PROPANE HEATER AND I THINK MY WIFE PUT IN A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE. SOME OF THE ABOVE ITEMS ARE STILL IN VERIOUS STAGES OF COMPLETION AND SOME WOULD PROBABLY FROWN ON MY WORKMANSHIP BUT I AM LEARNING. AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING IF THIS,IT WAS TO BE A SEVEN YEAR CIRCUMNAVIGATION FOR MY WIFE AND I, BUT IN 1997 IT BECAME A SINGLEHANDED 2-3 YEAR CIRCUMNAVIGATION. IT SEEMS THAT WE WERE ON THE LEE SIDE OF SANTA CRUZ ISLAND WHEN WE WERE HIT WITH A 40 KNOT BREEZE OFF OF THE ISLAND THAT PUT THE PORT RAIL IN THE WATER TO THE CABIN, I WAS HOLLERING "WAHOO" AND WHEN I LOOKED AT MY WIFE, I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK SHE WAS SO WHITE. HER DOG KILLER (A 7LB POMERANIAN) WAS IN THE SPARE TIRE MENTIONED ABOVE. I LET GO THE MAIN SHEET, PUT IN TWO REEFS, AND WE MADE FOR SMUGGLERS ANCHORAGE WHERE THE WIND BLEW UNTIL 0300HRS. THE NEXT MORNING THE ANCHORAGE WAS A MILLPOND. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE SLIP THAT DAY MY WIFE SAID TO ME "JIMMIE, I JUST CAN'T DO THIS". SO I BECAME A SINGLE HANDER. MY PLAN IS TO CAST-OFF AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT 2000 AND SAIL TO SAN DIEGO FOR FINAL PREP AND HOPEFULLY FIND A BUDDY BOAT IN ORDER TO LEAVE SAN DIEGO MARCH 1 FOR THE SOUTH PACIFIC, AFTER THAT WHO KNOWS. AS FAR AS COMMUNICATIONS GO, I AM LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR FOR EITHER E-MAIL OR A SAT HOOK-UP FOR THE NET. I HOPE THIS IS NOT TOO LONG AND IF YOU WISH I WILL CONTINUE THE UPDATE AS IT PROGRESS'.