Food Stuffed Sailboat

Now that all our major projects are done, we have a few smaller projects we'd like completed before we leave. Install a 100 amp alternator, install a remote gas gauge, and install our transducer. So theres plenty to keep me busy over the next month.




I ran one extension cord from our inverter to the galley and one to the v-berth. This way we will be able to easily use 110 volt devices like the rice cooker and our laptops. We know these type of electronics are huge energy suckers so we will keep an eye on their use and try to use them while the engine is running.

I also ran the wires and installed Christines v-berth fan. I know, it's too cold for a fan now but hopefully in 2 months we will need these two babies on full blast.



The top climber finally got put away. After 4 trips up I finally got the new LED masthead/anchor light securly installed and our tv antenae mounted to the mast instead of hanging by ropes.

And here's another view of our sweet solar panels.

We also took our first huge provisioning trip. We redesigned our food storage system and packed it with tons of canned and boxed goods! This is about half of what we have aboard and we plan to make one more big trip. While away our dining will consist of 40% of food we brought, 30% of local food we purchase, and 30% of food we catch! Or something like that....

25 days to go from opposite hair day couple!

Blonde, Joey Blonde

So in the spirit of cruising I decided to bleach my hair.  As the dye date got closer I began to get scared and tried to chicken out but Christine made sure I went through with it. And well here you go!  Cool I know...

I was going for a Zero To Cruising look but owell now I just look ridiculous.  But hey you gotta be able to laugh at yourself. so LOL! :)

28 days to go!

One Month To Go

Hey everyone!!! Exactly one month until our expected leave date!! Wow!




As Joey is planning our route south we are interested in hearing Must-See stops. We are going to head south ASAP and not stop to 'smell the roses' if you will, because well, January in Maryland on the Bay without heat is going to be FREEZING!!!



That being said, there are a few places we want to stop and a lot of place I'm sure that we don't know about. So tell us where we should go. For example: There is a place in NC I believe that Zero to Cruising stopped that had free dockage? Good to know, Oriental NC. Where else if we are able?


The lead pic is a poster of the Bahamas we put at the foot of our bed for inspiration!

And here is Nala pretending to be a squirrel

-Christine

We Are Solar Powered

We are off the grid! The Solar Panels are complete. We have two 80 watt panels for a total of 160 watts of solar power capability! They were not as difficult as I imagined. I drilled them to two sturdy 2x4s and then mounted the whole thing onto the bimini using metal brackets.

The wire runs down the railing and into the engine compartment. Yes I had to drill into the deck but I am getting more confident about it. I used an electrical grommet to keep it water proof.

From there the wires run to a ground and along the hull to a solar controller. It currently shows .5 amp coming in!  It's a gloomy day. The wires then run down to the battery compartment. We decided to hook up the two spare batteries to make one solid 340 amp house battery bank. And then the starter battery will be used as a spare, being turned off when the engine isnt running.

The solar panels look quite nice on top of the bimini. They will get plenty of sun exposure. And they arnt in our way like if we put them on the dinghy davits. We can now go anywhere in the world and provide our own electricity!

Nalas new sleeping spot

-Joey

50 Foot High Boat Work

37 Days to go!

We have put alot of work into this boat so we don't feel too bad about outsourcing the dinghy davit project. In fact it is the first and only project on this boat we didn't do our selves. It turned out pretty good and now we dont have to worry about where to store the dinghy or keeping the water from growing algea on the bottom of the dinghy. Our dinghy, named Sawyer, is now nicely raised off the stern of our boat and we can easily deploy it when needed.

Sawyer will be our main mode of transporation when cruising. Whenever we need to get inland or want to explore Sawyer will be ready to go for us.

About a month ago we replaced all our lights with LED bulbs to conserve electricty. The last light to replace was the masthead/anchor light at the top of our mast. We have been putting it off cuz its a real pain to get up there. We purchased a Top Climber from a friend which is much easier than climbing up with the Bosuns Chair. After spending a a good 20 min figuring out how to use it I was started climbing. The Top Climber works by running one strong line up the mast and then using a squats motion to move the two mechanical parts up one at a time. It is quite the workout and after about 30 min I was at the top.


I have been up there twice before but this time I had to remove the old light and electrically connect the new light. I worked as fast as I could trying not to drop anything. Ofcourse I did drop one tool but luckily after I was done with it. Soon the sun started to set and it got colder. Along with fatuiged muscles it became increasingly difficult to mount the new light. The electrical splicing went well but it took me 20 min to realize that the new light screw holes were about 1cm further apart than the original so I couldnt screw both sides in. I had to come down but will go back up with some 4200 and duct tape. It's pretty secure already with one side bolted down but I want to make sure it's not going anywhere. We tested the lights and they were very bright and worked perfect. The new light is brighter, taller and has clearer glass.

Atleast the view was pretty nice up there.

Currently I am working on installing the solar panels. I drilled each panel to 2x4s and will then connect the 2x4s to the bimini bars on top using U-bolts. Here are some progress pics. I hope to have this done by the end of the week.

Happy Thanksgiving!


-Joey