[PUP] In praise of paravanes

[Scott E. Bulger]

The only thing I'd add to John's comments is that no news is good news
regarding active fins.  I do believe there are hundreds, perhaps thousands
of boats with active fins that are motoring around just fine.  I had
Alanui's system checked out by the local TRAC representative last week.  He
showed me two areas where some chafing of the hydraulic lines was occurring
and advised installing a simple sheath to prevent further erosion.  I was
prompted to have this inspection by Jeff Merrill of Nordhavn, as a prudent
thing to do prior to leaving for a two year cruise.  The systems review the
rep provided was great, a wealth of information.  Simply put, the system is
in great condition and I'm confident it's as ready for the voyage as any
other component in the boat.  I was considering adding paravanes, but since
I've modified our itinerary to a near coastal route I'm going to forego
them, since I should be able to have parts sent to me in the event we
experience a failure.

In summary, we should realize our sample of experience on the list is very
narrow and doesn't reflect a large enough cross section of the industry to
reach comprehensive conclusions.  It is valuable non the less, as each of
these experiences does provide a great learning environment for all the
participants.

Thanks to all those that share their valued opinions and observations!

Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA