Safety gear

Arrived last safety gear piece Viking Life 4 UKL RescYou, equipped with ISO Pack I. Not small, not light. It weights 36 kg. Fitting it will take some thinking. If not fitting into the car, I will set it on the roof on land. For better accessibility it will go on top of pontoon on sea.

Now all needed safety gear is here and I have more piece of mind. Last safety services topic was insurance. While traveling, travel insurance is most needed. But in remote places this does not help much. For remote places there is nice budget option.  Membership of GEOS SEARCH & RESCUE PROGRAM at http://www.geosalliance.com/sar/index.html gives you some serious promises. They promise to bring you out of wilderness within 72h on you emergency message (only very few exceptions). And coverage of 50 000 USD costs by case. It has some fine letter in agreement also. Let us hope, that neither big promises nor fine letter will be needed.

Protection from corrosion

After two and half days crawling under the car the underside is finally covered with corrosion protection vax Terotex HV 400. Years ago Offroad Service did the same job. And in a lot of places the vax layer was visible and of course no corrosion under it. Car has got some water and frame has some spots or stripes of rust. Still quite OK. Now I have shiny underside (of the car) to first gravel road.

Shiny frame and vax Terotex HV 400

As side result I had to throw away some clothes and ground cover sheets. As dried vax is resistant to washing or cleaning attempts, it was easiest solution.

This does not protect the car from corrosion totally. There are inaccessible places and vax will also wash off over time. But as all bolts and nuts and visible places are now covered, then there should be a lot less corrosion and easier access for a while.

Thank you for donations

I am delighted to thank first donors of Amphibear Around the World project: Urmas Lilleorg, Mihkel Ambre, Cristo Pajust, Laur Kelder, Anneli Alekand, Riina Einberg, Tiit Nilson and Jaan Kelder (in sequence of donation date). Names will be printed to Amphibear and driven around the World.

There are helpful and kind people in the world!  Your belief makes it true.

Bucket of chain

First chain on Amphibear hydraulic pump lasted two hours. It was my mistake. I was counting on crease applied in factory. But chain is behind car radiator. It has working temperature about 80 Celsius. Crease melts and flies away from chain. Especially, as industrial chains do not have o-rings to keep grease in place. Chain without lubrication is really matter of hours.

Next chains are prepared differently. First all factory crease is flushed away, chain dried, drylube applied, chain dried, high viscosity and temperature chain oil applied. Drylube keeps lubrication cycle longer and withstands higher loads. Chain oil distributes better and keeps corrosion away. This way chains last. Preparation of course is dirty and not quick job, but if you do bunch of chains together then there is some efficiency.

Bucket 10 litre almost full of chains with applied lubricants Loctite MoS2 drylube (8191) and high temperature chain oil (8011).

I have prepared 10 chains for the start of journey. More I never need on first stage and less I do not dare to take as mistake in lubrication or Scottoiler malfunction can end some chains rather quickly.

Tasklist

Preparations have lasted more than year for now. Every week I write to paper tasks for the week, in total about 20 tasks. Half of these will be fulfilled during the week, half need some more work in next. And 10 are added to the list every week.

As sample, Week 35 list of tasks:

• Get offers for car insurance
• Configure social media for the blog
• Post new blog entry
• Make a list for media press release 
• Get final conditions for Carnet
• Time for dentist
• Sign sponsor agreements 
• Apply for Senegal via
• Find out Russian special permission areas in my way 
• Go to Hydroscand for hydraulics service
• Order car spare parts
• Connect additional fuel filter
• Move position of FineVu camera
• Replace main rope
• Get sponsor logos for car design
• Car oil change
• Make fender for case of chain breakage 
• Renew application for boat radio devices
• Clean spare chains from factory oil and oil with Henkel oils
• Make computer attachment to car
• Calibrate car magnetic compass

This is not the only list. Somewhere in computer there is list for needed equipment. Somewhere there is list for budget and accounting tasks. Table is covered with cables, to check video and computer compatibility for travel, make USB hub to work with external hard drive, test computer with AIS and position NMEA sentences.

It seems the base of evil is equipment. The more you have it the more you need to test, connect and pack. But Amphibear is piece of equipment also. And it is the modern equipment that makes near real time blogging, tweeting and even navigation possible. There is no way out of this circle!

Simple algebra says that with 52 weeks and 10 tasks performed every week journey preparations take about 520 task to fulfill. As preparations started much earlier we can double or triple this number.

Sometimes I wish to be on trip already. But this is wrong attitude. Happy you can be in every single moment and happiness can not be planned ahead. So, let's be happy now with my task lists.

Laminating

I have worked as marketing manager, but I have never supervised laminating process of vehicle. Amphibear was laminated by Hardwic. Two, sometimes three men worked on it 11 hours. For me it is like painting. I hate painting. You have to make it correct at once. I commonly make small defects, then start to improve these and then ruin the result. I prefer to trust these jobs to professionals.

First stage is cleaning. Even on totally clean surface they find dirt with right chemicals. After that design is aligned and attached temporarily.

Next stage is laminating process itself. Most important is to keep position, so thin ribbon of protective film is removed on one side and pressed to surface as base for position. Then carefully the rest of image is glued.
The most beautiful moment is removing of protective outer layer.

Hardwic team laminated Amphibear.

Instructions for owner of freshly laminated car were simple. Do not move tinted windows and wait for two weeks, before you trim edges you want to trim..

Designed by Division. I like the car outlook much more now.

Radio equipment

Received travel equipment from Tehnoturg. Cool stuff! The most important items are pair of Alinco DJ G7E radio transmitters as short range walkie-talkie solution for all over the world. Tehnoturg preprogrammed licence free frequencies: for Europe PMR, for America FRS and Marine VHF channels also. In all frequencies Alinco can transmit and listen, btw it can listen two frequencies simultaneously. Of course, as Amphibear has marine plotter in the place of radio, now I can listen to normal radio channels also. These are HAM devices, but with my restricted radio operator licence and no HAM call sign I can not use this functionality. Additionally I will program in (receive, not transmit) AIS channels for additional audio warning on ocean and CB channels for highway information. Plotter has AIS receiver installed, but double warning is better.

Especially glad I am about waterproofness of the devices. Otherwise dangerous salty sea-air should not damage these, as they are IPX7 certified. As no free place for device in dashboard, the dock was installed on passenger seat shoulder. Small metal console from headrest keeps dock on place. Of course there are cheaper devices for walkie-talkie, but as with regions I need to switch frequencies. Cheaper ones would be useless soon.

Alinco DJ G7E in doc at passenger seat shoulder

They provided clever external antenna also. Wire is protected in the middle of the frame. So you can close the window and it is sealed. No hole drilling or cable sleeves needed.

Clever external antenna holder

Now I am equipped with communication devices. I have: marine VHF with DSC, pair of Alinco multifunctional devices, two GSM phones, Iridium DeLorme messenger, and EPIRB transmitter for emergency signal. All devices are waterproof to some extent. Should be enough for all regions and situations.

Võrtsjärv 2013

Test concluded in 11-12 June 2013

This time there were four main reasons for the test. First, filming of the car on water and road. Second, have two persons overnight sleep in the car. Third, test extra inflatable pontoons attached to car for more stability of heavy loaded vehicle. Fourth, launch kitesurf kite and test how it would be sailing the amphib. As a lot of time was spent on filming (look at video sections for some of it) then almost no pictures.

Wind was again over 20 knots, so driving required attention. It is easy to lose your focus, when cameraman on passenger seat and makes interview with you. As usual for me, I trusted navigation devices instead of common sense. So we ended up on some gravel roads and road renovations. Film crew was happy and car dusty.

At arrival local boaters announced that due to heavy storm they can not come with small boat they planned for film crew. Were seriously doubting to come with bigger one also. After lengthy preparations for water I finally saw what they meant. Their boat did turn the nose up to the sky several time in severe angle. Amphibear was more stable as waves were quite short compared to Amphibear full length. But I imagine how it will bounce around in raising storm on any sea as this 15 foot boat did on the lake.

After film crew left we started to install and inflate the pontoons. In theory these should help. In practise there are needed solutions for two problems. Supporting and attaching the pontoons, as if these provide buoyancy then there are serious forces involved and a lot of attachments needed. Sharp metal edges can be problem also, as inflatable pontoons are flexible and move around then they can be quickly worn by any small sharp metal object. And there is a lot of  kind at the car of stainless steel frame and aluminium pontoons. Made my remarks for homework.

Inflatable pontoons form also some more deck area. Must be secured seriously. This is just shape test.

Kite we started to test at dawn and we discovered two things. It can be launched from Amphibear. We could lay it over the car and have wind to form the right shape of kite for flying. We can not do it any more, as there was left only about 6 knots of wind. We packed it again and drove to river mouth anchorage for sleeping test. 

To have idea of this sleeping conditions take your grandmothers old clothes closet, lay it down on the floor. Drop in some mattresses, sleeping bags and two persons, close the doors and start preparing your bed for the sleep. First you need a lot of patience as all things can be done one person at a time. Second you need acrobatic skills, as setting up, reaching up and changing place requires to take positions good for posters in some niche magazines. But sleeping itself was uneventful. Ventilation from mosquito netted rear windows was sufficient. As usual, all windows got steamed (I was too lazy to set up all nice curtains for all windows, what my wife sewed for the car). In the morning it was easier, as no mosquitos we could open all doors and clean the mess we created. 

I am happy with the test results, as usual long list of needed improvements, but nothing too dramatic.

Series of short test drives

Some pictures of test drives in Baltic Sea, Ihasalu bay in 30 July and 9 September 2012. Purpose was to test some modifications in July and load bearing with waves in September.

In July with companion again, so some more outside pictures.

Preparing the chain for hydraulic pump.

Setting up pontoons.

Experienced seaman Borge from Norway - first time with the car on the sea.

Set up for shallow water, sterndrives in middle position.

Ancoring is important even in shallowest water - with river flow and wind drag you can easily lose your position.

What happens to ball bearing in winch block. I did know, it is weaker than needed. Still wanted to give a try. Here you see the outcome. Slide bearings stand more force, restored as was.

Second test was war hitting the storm and testing Amphibear with 600kg additional load. Storm we almost missed. When we exited the bay, the waves were about 1m high with wind about 20 knots. As you would expect, rolling with the waves in normal manner. Nothing special. Wave statistics of the period.

The extra load was water on top of pontoons in boxes for cement mixture. Load did not change behavior or stability of Amphibear. However, if I want more load to add, I need to use some additional inflatable pontoons for increased stability. For pontoon boat one pontoon should be able to carry full load of the boat plus some extra. Otherwize it is easy to find yourself upside down as result of small decline.

Lake Peipsi

On Lake Peipsi 29-30 September 2011. My goal was to test Amphibear for longer trip and some waves. As electric system was malfunctioning the trip became shorter than needed. Due to strong wind I got some 0,5m waves to test at least.

Already last year, I made extra trip to the shore for finding the entrance place. There is nice hotel on Northern side of the lake, and host Sergei was happy to let me into hotel territory. Before the trip I called to Sergei, but without response. On hotel site, old lady was gardening, and she explained to me sad story. Sergey had affair with two women. One of women found out about other relation and stacked Sergei with knife. Sergei died, one of his loved one went to prison...

But the old lady kindly opened the gate and I got to hotel territory. What a luxurious entry place, asphalt to 5m of the water and later nice sandy beach. Prepared the car. It takes about one to two hours, because of all these safety ropes I attach for road. Entered the water. But there were underwater sand dunes. So I had to propel the boat to the next dune, over deeper waters just rope holding the car, then drive the car and so several times. Everything went well. When on the lake already, it is nice place to be. Started my cruise to the southern part of the lake.

Even with cloud cover the lake is beautiful

Wanted to do some trolling, but my lures were not meant for the speed of 5 knots. And at much lower speeds autopilot does not hold course.

Small waves sometimes splashed rear wheels

And sometimes even the cook bridge

As it was September, day was short and 19:25 I set for anchorage close to shore. This time more peaceful sleep, as I had one anchor, was close to the windward shore and used to car more. In morning front winch did not work, just spliced the rope and left the problem for later. Started the way back, and had visitors. Local fisherman took pictures with their mobile phones and shouted for explanation "Nobody believes us"

The car started to malfunction. First, it almost shut down the engine several times. I thought that some wiring is loose, but did not find the fault. Then engine shut down several times. But started again. When I finally smelled - something is burning. Immediately started running around like chicken without head. First to distinguish the fire, then disconnect the car batteries. Anchorage quickly, not to cross Russian border as wind wanted to carry me. Then finding several, some glowing red, some just hot places to cool down. Then took my time, thinking how stupid one can be. Had the warning, but misinterpreted it. Started to restore wiring to get car running and some winches to work again. As I have several long wires for winches, the restoration was not too difficult, but to be honest, my hands were little shaking. Planned closest exit point, nice one. As later discovered, it was some farm private backyard.

Drove home and figured out sequence of the events. First the front winch relay has had some water long time ago and rust built bridge to short circuit main wires. When it got wet again, and i tried to winch, is was short circuited.

Then winch wires heated main switchboard for winch disconnection to the level, that bolt melted through the plastic to short circuit the car batteries directly to body.

Then the real damage only started, as main ground wire from car to frame was thinner, it melted and the the engine was the main grounding point. All connections from the engine started to act like wires and all items touching hot wires were melting also. 

Finally I had to restore/rebuild front winch controls, all main ground wires, several winch wires, engine starting wires, some light wires, fix air conditioning system as one pipe had melted hole in it. As result, I got little bit better car now. For positive surprise, batteries survived, all the rest of electronics survived, engine had no other fault. Sturdy car - gives some confidence for difficult situations.

In total covered 377 km on land and 65 km in water. Learned a lot about car electrical system. Found out that wind drag and influence to speed is really minimal.