Review: Attwood Float Switch

Any cruiser knows the only way to survive in places where no help, parts, and materials are available is to be self-sufficient. When lacking the conveniences of major hardware stores and chandleries broken equipment must often be jury-rigged using whatever is at hand. A cruising boat is filled with all sorts of equipment being put to use in a harsh marine environment, making failures and breakages of equipment not at all uncommon. It is, however, unfortunate when an item unnecessarily fails due to a poor quality of construction.

I could almost forgive a bit of gear that is poorly constructed if it is able to be repaired with common and available parts. Unfortunately that is not the case with the Attwood Float Switch, model 4202A.

These float switches are often used to activate extremely important bilge pumps, keeping a vessel dry and afloat. Fortunately for me, it was only being used in a sink sump box when it failed, but the situation could have been much worse.

The float switch was merely a month and a half old when it failed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. One day I noticed that the bilge pump inside of the sink sump box turned on and ran continuously. Upon further inspection it was clear that the float switch had flooded, causing an electrical short within the unit. While this was only a headache for me, it could have possibly burned up an integral bilge pump if that is what it was wired to. Nevertheless, it had to be fixed before the sink would drain properly.

Rather than manufacture a quality product
they just tell you where to buy more!

For an item to be worthwhile on a cruising boat, it must be able to be repaired. Attwood, the maker of the float switch, obviously was not clued in to this important aspect. The molded plastic housing encasing the electrical switch mechanism was pressed and glued together, making disassembly and repair nearly impossible. Clearly this float switch was not designed to be repaired, the company’s solution was simply to put a sticker on the sump box detailing the exact phone number that could be called to replace it! They’d rather you spent more money, and gave them more business purchasing another flawed product to replace the previous one. Even if I could call and have them deliver one to the middle of the ocean, I would rather opt for a quality product.

With the float switch opened up the low cost materials used
in the manufacture of the float switch can be seen

I eventually fixed it using a combination of rice (don’t ask), a fine toothed hacksaw, marine adhesive/sealant, and liquid electrical tape. I would however, advise anyone sailing a long distance from replacing this flawed unit. The seal is of a poor design, it’s difficult if not impossible to fix, and it is awfully expensive for two bits of plastic and a lightweight switch. As a replacement I would highly recommend a Rule float switch. I have always had good luck with Rule products and all of the ones I have on my boat are going strong.

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Food and Drink in Ensenada

My absolute favorite thing about Ensenada is the amazing food and drink available here. The markets give a new meaning to the word fresh, and the restaurants and street food prepare food to a high standard. Eating here is less about simply filling up and more about a taste experience.

It's easy to laugh at the "organic" stickers on crummy fruit and vegetables available in most westernized supermarkets when you have shopped in a place like Ensenada. There is no need for a sticker here, it's all organic and locally grown. Small craft farms and local fisheries fill the shelves here, not massive corporations trucking vegetables cross country to sit on a supermarket shelf under altered lighting. Mexican people place a much higher priority on the quality of their produce, demanding much more than tasteless tomatoes or under-ripened fruit. One can walk right outside of the fish market to see the boats unload their day's catch, there is no question about the age of the fish. The available ingredients are of the highest quality, and are always fresh no matter where it is you shop or eat. Even the dirtiest little taco stand on the corner of the street uses high quality ingredients, but that's just because it's the norm around here.

Speaking of taco stands, some of the best food in Ensenada can be found by the side of the street. The best street food can be found using the following steps:

1. Wear some good walking shoes, there aren't any seats at most street food stands.
2. Walk as far away from the cruise ship docks as possible.
3. Use your nose and follow the smell, sometimes a good barbecue stand can be smelt from blocks away.
4. Choose a stand with lots of locals, they know what's good. If it's hard to get to because of the crowd then it's a good spot to eat.
5. If there is no menu, then it's probably good. If there is a menu in English, then move on.

That's basically it. Tine and I sampled a dozen different stands serving a wide variety of food. Taco stands are great, we judge them by the types of salsas we can see displayed. We haven't had a bad ceviche here yet. The ceviche in Ensenada is ridiculously good, probably because of the fishing industry here. 

Ceviche de la Casa @ Muelle Tres

Of course, sometimes it's nice to sit down and when we want to sit down we head over to our favorite restaurant in Ensenada, Muelle Tres. The food there is absolutely out of this world. We  like to order something new every time we go, and have never been disappointed. However, one item that we always get is the Ceviche de la Casa. I've sampled ceviche all over the world, and their's is by far the best. It's fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The wines are hand-picked by the owner, who obviously cares a great deal about the food in his restaurant as he serves it himself. He personally waits on every table, making sure that the food is satisfying and delicious. 

It's not just the food that is delicious here though. Just outside of town is Valle De Guadalupe hosting some fantastic little vineyards and wineries. We got scooped up by some friendly cruisers from the yacht Desire to have a little tour around the valley. They brought us to a few great little vineyards, but our favorites were Tres Mujeres and Sol y Barro. 

Tres Mujeres, meaning three women, is a small artisan winery producing roughly 300 cases of wine a year. Only recently have they decided to get labels for their bottles, with most bottles still being hand signed and labeled by one of the proprietors themselves. Their wine is an art for them. They focus upon making small batches of delicious wines rather than growing the business or attempting to distribute to a wider range of shops. When I asked if the wine was available in any stores the owner had to think for a moment before telling me that she thought it was in two different shops now. Our tasting was held in their old wine cellar, converted to a tasting room and filled with the arts and crafts done by the women that run the winery. During our tasting fruits from the trees and cheeses from her home were brought out by Ivette, one of the owners of the winery. Their wine was delicious, and it was the best I have had since visiting some different wineries in Northland, New Zealand.

Sol y Barro, meaning sun and clay, was our other favorite winery in the area. It's a one man show over at Sol y Barro, and the wine is merely a hobby, as is the rest of the ranch. Aime built the place with his own two hands, starting with nothing more than a piece of dirt. He taught himself how to build clay adobe structures, and spent years building the entire ranch out of clay. When we were there tasting his wine I spent most of the time asking him about his buildings, and he was more than happy to tell me. He was so happy to share his work, and it was easy to see that he had found happiness in his ranch and gained a great deal of satisfaction from doing it all on his own. His wine was fantastic, but I was most impressed by his work ethic and his own personal satisfaction in completing a project. I think I saw a bit of myself in him, and I could really relate to the joy he found in creating something from nothing, using his own two hands.

There are some photos of the wineries in my Ensenada album, and they are definitely worth having a look at. The food and drink here is what I will miss the most when I go. I know I'll be thinking of those delicious wines and shelves full of fresh vegetables when I am in the Tuamotus with nothing more than coconuts and fish.

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Review: Svendsen's Boat Works

Svendsen's Boat Works is a great establishment offering a range of services in Alameda Marina, located in Alameda, California. When I bought Echo, I didn't realize how lucky I was to have had my boat docked in the vicinity of Svendsen's.

More than anything else, I used their chandlery the most. It's a great little chandlery with knowledgeable and helpful staff. It's not the kind of place that has ridiculous t-shirts strung up next to over-priced gear, but instead the sort of place that can help you find the most obscure little part. If they don't have it (they probably do), they can find it for you or are happy to refer you to a place that can help. One of the greatest benefits of shopping for all my marine gear at Svendsen's is their new boat account. New boat owners can bring in their freshly signed bill of sale and get a special account that affords them deep discounts. My new boat account got me anywhere between 20% and 50% off of their already lower retail prices, depending on the item. 

The metal working shop is also a credit to Svendsen's name. Chris, the manager of the metal working shop, was more than helpful and never tried to sell me unnecessary upgrades. He is a boater himself and understands cruisers trying to work on a budget. I would simply go in there with an idea and he would help me along the way, turning it into a reality in a cost effective and quality manner. It was great to work with him because he knew what I wanted right away, and even had some great suggestions. They do great work there as well. The quality of their stainless work is of a superyacht standard.

Svendsen's rig shop made me a new set of standing rigging as well. Their labor prices are competitive, and all the new hardware qualified for a discount with my new boat account at the chandlery. I don't think I could have gotten new standing rigging cheaper. Not only that, they worked with the obscure fittings on my antique boat, and really guided me as to the best way to order and install the rigging myself. 

I also hauled the boat out in their boatyard for a few weeks. They put up stands that fit properly, treated my varnished topsides with care, and did their best to make sure I had a good environment to work in. Their helpful and friendly staff are a real credit and the staff is the whole reason I stuck around there.

Originally, I was planning on hauling the boat out and doing a large majority of the work in Mexico. Why? It's cheaper of course. Much cheaper. However, I just couldn't leave behind the chandlery where I was getting deep discounts. I couldn't leave behind the friendly staff around the boatyard. It was a one minute walk from my boat to any of their services offered, I didn't even have to get in a car to go and grab the odd nut or bolt. I knew I was going to get quality service at Svendsen's, so why would I go? In the end, after considering the discounts at the chandlery and the money saved by working with their metal working shop I probably spent the same amount of money as if I were to have done all the work here in Ensenada. For a do-it-yourselfer Svendsen's Boatworks is a great asset to have on your side, and I would fully recommend it to anyone that is doing the smallest little job or fully outfitting a boat to do ocean crossings.

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