Progress, Diversions and Plan B

April 5, 2016

One of our major motivations for coming to Boot Key Harbor was Alex at Sea Tek.  His company is based here and he did some great work for us last year.  This year's project was adding power.  To do that he determined that exchanging our older less powerful solar panels (120 watts each) for new ones (250 watts each) would make a significant improvement in our independence.  Enter Darren, his fabricator, who designed a new structure to mount the panels above the bimini.  He had to bend the stainless steel and in the process added grab bars which we had really wanted.  

new 250 watt solar panels

solar structure with grab rails

The second project was to fix the auto pilot which worked just fine when motoring but showed low power when we were under sail. New electrical cable had to be run from the steering quadrant underneath our aft bed to the circuit breaker in the salon via an amazingly circuitous route!  Jim managed to solve that maze and Alex finished the electrical hook up.  If we ever have a chance to sail, we will have the chance to confirm that it now works!

Jim running cable for the auto pilot 

Trying a different angle

In the meantime, before the new solar panels were up, but after the old ones were disconnected, our generator died!  Spectacular timing.  Running the engine accomplishes pretty much the same recharging of batteries so it was not crisis time, just irritating. Mike, a friend from Regatta Pointe very quickly diagnosed the problem - a dead fresh water pump.  We ordered a replacement and he and Jim installed it one afternoon.  Pretty straight forward except that they had to fashion their own gasket.  

Mike making the gasket for the water pump

It always amazes me when Jim seems to have stashed away whatever materials he needs and the gasket material was one of those things!  A drinking glass to make a circular pattern, scissors to cut it out, a hole punch and voila..a gasket!  And the generator was fixed!

The installation of the SSB is still a work in progress.  Again, running cables has been an exercise in flexibility, determination and scraped knuckles!  (See pictures above!)  The antenna has been installed onto the back stay and the ground plane is now in place. Much more to do: more cables, wiring, and equipment installation.  

Marg installing the antenna onto the rear stay

Another work in progress is hand stitching the ripping seams in our bimini.  All of the sudden many of the threads have decided that life in the sun is too hard and they are giving it up  en masse.  The effect of that is that we can no longer zip up our cockpit enclosures - neither the isinglass nor the netting - because the zippers are no longer attached to the bimini.  So in a fit of enthusiasm I bought a sewing awl which enables one to sew thick thread into thick material, one stitch at a time.  I admit to procrastinating and in the meantime more seams have ripped.  So I finally got started after watching a You Tube description of how to use the awl (there were no instructions that came with the awl) and although it seems very awkward at first, it gets easier and I got better.  It took me about 2 hours to stitch 2 1/2 feet!! This project will keep me busy for awhile!

A small example of the problem

First attempt, stitches at the left

The awl and some extra thick waxed thread

In between these projects we have made room for a variety of diversions.  First, Easter. An inviolate tradition in the Blanchard/Nelson household has been to make carmel nuts rolls at Christmas and Easter...no matter what!! This year was no exception.  I have no conventional oven on the boat but I do have an Omnia Stovetop Oven.  Thanks to it and Pillsbury instead of homemade yeast rolls we had a minimally modified traditional Easter breakfast. 

We joined friends for a real Easter dinner:  A multi course meal with the pre dinner Polish competitive entertainment of cracking hard boiled eggs.  It was a lovely time.

Starting the competition of egg cracking

Jim trying his best

with Mike and Betty

The Budweiser Clydesdales came to town last week.  It was quite the event!  They drove an 8 horse hitch around the parking lot of Publix and gave rides to a few lucky folks.

Unloading the wagon from the semi

What a way to travel!

And now for Plan B.  Between projects and iffy weather, time has run out for going to the Bahamas. We, along with many others have had to make other plans.  When the weather looks right for SAILING and not motoring we will head back north and do some "gunkholing" around the ten thousand islands and then head up to Save Cove where we plan to put the boat on the hard.  Then ... back to Minnesota.