WiFi using Alfa APA-L2414 Panel Antenna with AWUS036H adapter and R36 Router

For our on board WiFi we have, for several years, used the Alfa AWUS036H  1 watt Long Range USB adapter with 9dBi  antenna connected via a 5 to 10 meter long USB2.0 booster cable to our Laptop PC

 Hung in the rigging inside a plastic bag inside a waterproof bag, this has proved to be reasonably good for enhancing weak WiFi signals

 With the acquistion of an IPad, however, another solution had to be found as there is no USB 2 connection on the IPad. As is usual these days, if one Googles the problem, one will find that somebody somewhere will have had the same problem and most likely somebody will have produced a solution. In this case , the solution came in the form of the Alfa R36 3G Mobile Router (white box in below photo).

 The USB cable from the AWUS036H connects to the base of the R36 and the R36 retransmits the received but amplified WiFi signal as one's own WiFi network which can be received by any WiFi device. Instead of connecting the USB AWUS36H , one can connect a 3G modem and also create one's own WiFi network.

Also, one can connect the R36 directly to a PC via an Ethernet cable for quicker data trasnsfer speeds.

The WiFi signal we were receiving in Las Palmas Marina was very weak and unreliable. So I investigated a better WiFi antena and came up with the ALFA  APA-L2414 directional Panel Antenna - shown below hanging in the rigging

 The ALFA  APA-L2414 antenna connects to the AWUS 036H adapter using the same connection as the 9dBi antenna. For weather proofing, I have installed this in a plastic junction box. The AWUS 36H is connected to the R36 as before.

 Below , the ALFA  APA-L2414 antenna / AWUS 36H adapter combination in suspended in the rigging

Suspended in another position when the WiFi transmiter was more from the stern of the boat

 So far, as long as the boat is not swinging eg. at anchor, the ALFA  APA-L2414 antenna / AWUS 36H adapter combination has proved to be far superior to the AWUS 36H adapter with just the 9dBi antenna. In Las Palmas marina we manged to finally have very acceptable WiFi - we managed to pick up the LPGC signal instead of the Marina WiFi , which proved to be very good.

All the above equipment is available in Las Palmas at VIRATEL which is located at Juan Rejón, 49 

Gran Tarajal 23 April 2012 Haulout

At 0900 hrs Monday 16 April we motored from our Gran Tarajal marina berth the short distance to the Travel Lift slot.

 Shortly afterwards Antonio, the lift operator hauled us out of the water

There was a lot of white coral worm growing on the hull

 Manoeuvering us to our alloted space on the hard

 Antonio pushes the concrete blocks into position

 and then steers us towards them

 and sets us down on the blocks. Juan Carlos's men position his supports around us

 Dutch Link with its bottom pressure washed ready to be worked on

 One of the first jobs was to repair a very slow leak on the engine exhaust outlet which, luckily is above the water line except when we are heeled over.Tried to remove the securing bolts

 but several of the bolts proved to be inaccessible

 and finally gave up after trying for several hours  to reach them with the aid of a mirror and various combinations of spanners - very frustrating

 Hopefully solved the leak with the aid of epoxy putty followed by Primacon Primer and sikaflex around the bolts - we keep our fingers crossed

 Next job was to replace the skeg and propshaft anodes - both of which had very little zinc left - a good sign as this means they are doing their job and protecting the boat

 the new skeg anode

 and new propshaft anode

 meanwhile Jeannette is busy preparing the centre board for antifouling

 Antonio lifts the boat once more to allow us to fully lower the centre board and antifoul the hull above the concrete blocks

 J is creating a Picasso priming the bare Aluminium parts of the centreboard - Interprotect Primer on the bare sanded Aluminium parts followed by Primacon Primer before antifouling

 A year or so ago we suffered a bad scratch from a half sunken finger berth at Puerto Castillo. Luckily it had only removed the primer and there was no pitting

 so a bit of sanding and priming was all that was required

 Next the bow thruster is cleaned , primed

 and antifouled

 A job we had not planned was to remove the paint on the sides of the boat which has been blistering in places for some time. We decided to make a start on this exhausting job as we had access to a wonderful wheeled platform

 Meanwhile Juan Carlos's men antifouled the boat with Trilux 33

 Discovered that a normal wood chisel is the best paint scraper

 J repaints depth marks on the anchor chain with interprotect Primer

 Completely removed the paint on the port side except for the bit with our boat name on it

 Log/boatspeed impelor cleaned and vaselined

 and antifouled after reinserting in the through-hull fitting

 We ran out of time on the starboard side - will leave it till next time we are out of the water - we have removed the bad blistered paint parts so we do not expect this to be a problem

 As we have no wifi access on the boat, we have been visiting the Cultural Centre where there is free wifi

 The building is closed at weekends but thed WiFi is accessible from outside the building

 but during the week we can internet from inside

Plan to go back into the water tomorrow 24 April then sail to Punta Jandia (SW tip of Fuerteventura) to anchor overnight. Hopefully sail to Las Palmas on Wednesday