Sliding Door Repair For Exterior Door

The repair of the side entrance door has finally come to the top of the to-do list. It has been something that has needed to be done since we bought the boat and every time we come and go it reminds us that we need to get it done. I can't take credit for the idea, it was suggested to me by another member of the Marine Trawler Owners Association. I had ask the members for a source to find the rollers on the bottom of the doors that had worn out some time ago. This made sliding the door difficult and it was noisy when it rattled around when opening and closing it, plus the latches to lock the door open and shut would not line up and was a pain to lock. Another MTOA member suggested that the track and rollers be replaced with UHMW plastic instead of trying to replace or rebuild the rollers. This type of plastic is very durable, easy to cut to shape and most importantly will slide very easily against itself with very little friction. We found the plastic here, and ordered it on line. The product was very inexpensive and arrived only a few days after we ordered it.

WiFi Adapter For The Boat Revisited

Part 2.
For over a year now we have been able to get some hard evidence on the performance of our WiFi adapter and it has surpassed our expectations. We have been able to receive connection from at least three miles away that we can confirm and it has worked in areas where we had no idea of where the signal was coming from and at what distance. So we do declare it to be a complete success. For the original info see our post here .

You activated your EPIRB... now what?

You activated your EPIRB... now what?

Posted by Ryan Erickson |

Have you ever wondered exactly how one actually gets rescued after they pull the trigger on their
406mhz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)? Or what about if you happen to be that unlucky soul who didn't register their EPIRB? Well I thought I would run down the quick and dirty of what happens when the Search and Rescue system is activated by the use of an EPIRB and a little hypotheticalness. Before I do this though I'll let you know that I am not an expert in the ways of being a SAR Controller, I am what's considered a junior as I have just under a year of real experience. That being said, I been down the road plenty of times to discuss how it works and I invite all of you Salty SAR Dawgs out there to fill in the gaps or leave your comments.

Fire Extinguisher Recall

We just came across this recall notice for some Kidde Fire Extinguishers. Please click on the link and check to be sure you do not have one on board

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09151.html

Changes On The ICW

We have now made more than a dozen round trips on the ICW between the Florida Keys and the Chesapeake, the first being almost two decades ago. Since that first trip, we have seen many, many changes. Some are positive and many not so. It was during this last trip that we really had the opportunity to ponder those changes and how they affected our perception of the waterway. We still remember the awe and wonder we enjoyed on that first trip. We also remember the anxiety and anticipation of the unknown. There is almost one article each month in almost every boating publication that covers some part of it. In this article I would like to reflect on those changes we have seen and experienced.

Marine Trader Review

Marine Trader 34 Double Cabin

At the time of the fuel crisis of the 1970s trawler yachts enjoyed a brief period of increased popularity when fast powerboats, with fuel-guzzling engines, fell out of favor among powerboat owners. But, as boaters became more and more used to paying higher prices for fuel and the relative cost of fuel dropped, fewer people seemed to find these slow, plodding vessels attractive and their popularity waned.

However, driven by aging sailors searching for less demanding vessels and retires in search of a slower paced boating lifestyle, the last several years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of this type of vessel to the point that market demand has outstripped the supply of some models.

This style vessel is what is commonly referred to as a trawler yacht due to its resemblance, in appearance, to a commercial fishing trawler. The Marine Trader 34 Double Cabin is 33’-6" in length overall with a 30’-3" waterline length a maximum beam of 11’-9" and draft of 3’-6". The hull has a V-shaped bottom with a sharp entry forward that flattens considerably at the stern. There is an integral keel that runs nearly the entire length of the vessel. The keel fairs into the bottom near the bow and drops more than two feet below the bottom near the stern affording protection for the propeller and rudder.

Our Anchoring Platform Refurbishing

Storm season is only a few months away so consideration needs to be given for what projects take priority. One important one not yet completed is the anchoring system, so that has become number one on our list. Early on. the windlass was mounted on the anchor platform but that was as far as it went and no electrical has been connected nor the new anchor rode and anchor installed. As with other projects, this one needs to start from scratch and get the entire system done right the first time so we won't have to redo it or make any repairs any time in the near future. The platform that holds the windlass and the anchor roller is teak and in the same condition as the rest of the teak on the boat. Under that platform is another that is grated and gives us working space and a stowage area for lines and fenders and whatever. It all needs some serious reconditioning and we gave a lot of thought as to how and what we wanted to use to refinish the whole area. It is really not practical to redo the area with Cetol since it will get a lot of use and abuse raising and lowering the anchor not to mention cleaning the rode constantly with the wash down system. Once again we used what worked on our previous boat and decided that the area would benefit from a good painting. Our paint of choice is AwlGrip.

Some Time On The Water

The temperatures here in South Carolina reached near 80 degrees this past weekend, only a few days after we had seen highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s, so it was just too nice of a day to sit in the slip and work on projects. Every once in a while we have to stop and tell ourselves to enjoy the boat and not work on it all of the time. As we have refitted each boat for cruising. we have worked hard and long getting equipment installed and repairs made so when the time came to head out on a cruise, we untied the docklines and were still doing projects. This time we will spend some time on sea trials and using the boat and new equipment we install before we start our next cruise.

Showers Coming Soon

No not rain showers. Although the boat is now 28 years old, apparently none of the previous owners ever showered aboard. There were no drains or plumbing to allow anyone to shower in either head and since we seldom use marinas when we are cruising, and quite often spend our time in remote areas, the ability to take a daily shower is important to us, and important to morale. We knew from the beginning that we would need to install a shower but since we are tied to the dock with showers close by, other more important items on the to-do list took precedent. But the project finally came to the top of the list and the time is now. One of the things we always stated as a requirement for a boat was a separate shower stall. Our last sailboat did not have one and the new trawler does not either. But this time we did have a good alternative. Beach House has two heads, one in the main stateroom and the other in the forward cabin. We seldom have guests aboard for long periods so having two heads is not important to us. The forward head is also small, having the head, a pull out sink and the beginnings of a shower pan. From the beginning, we planned to convert this smaller head into a dedicated shower.

Batteries and Battery Chargers For The Boat

The charging system on Beach House is coming along and is a major improvement from what we started with. It is also a bit unconventional for a boat charging system. After many years of installing these systems on my own and other boats I am always looking for a better and simpler way. The trend on boats today is to move away from simple into the complex as manufacturers try to integrate more systems and get single pieces of equipment to do more. The results have been more breakdowns and fewer repairs that can be done by owners. More capabilities and information are at your fingertips, but at a cost. In the last year, I have heard more and more reports about the Iota battery chargers and their use on boats. These units are not just chargers but converters as well. This means that the 12 volt system on the boat can be run off these units even if a battery were not connected. Not all marine battery chargers can do this and some can be damaged trying. The units convert the 120 volt AC to 13.6 volts nominal DC. The units are called "smart chargers" because they will deliver maximum current for whatever period of time needed to replace the charge but not stress the batteries. It will cut back to virtually milliamps once full charging has been achieved while still maintaining the proper voltage and will maintain that voltage under whatever demands are placed on it. The units are completely silent and do not run hot like many other chargers. They also use what Iota calls Tight Line Regulation which insures that the output voltage stays steady from no load to full load. This will keeps onboard pumps, lights, and motors operating at the correct voltage and thereby increasing their life. An equalization charge on the batteries on a regular basis goes a long way to prolonging the batteries life. The Iota will sense if an equalization charge has not been done for a week and will equalize without overcharging and gassing the water out of the batteries.

Another Update

The teak master continues making the exterior wood look beautiful as systems continue on the to-do list. The teak work seems never ending and overwhelming sometimes, but with each section that gets done the boat looks better and better. We tried to convince ourselves that when we bought the next boat after our sailboat was sold that we would buy one with no teak on the outside. So what we did was buy one with even more teak than the sailboat had and not in very good shape. The weather this time of year also slows the process and we are expecting a couple of days of rain so the going will be slow. In addition to the refinishing, we have to be careful to not leave holes from the hardware for the rain to leak in. But since we have been doing this for many years we have it down to a science. The holes from the hardware are caulked to keep water out but not so that the hardware can't be re-bedded when it goes back on. With the Sikkens Cetol we use there is no need to sand between each coat, which helps a lot, and the coat that went on in the morning is dry enough by afternoon so that if it rains, it won't hurt the finish. The usual approach is three coats of the base, we now use the "natural teak" coating, and three coats of the gloss. With the new natural color, it does not change the color of the teak and give it that brown or orange coloring as the older bases did. Once the gloss goes on, it is difficult to tell from the usual types of varnish. After these six coats, all that is needed is a yearly maintenance coat afterwards. That is why we switched from traditional varnish several years ago.

Work, Work, Work

That seems to be all we do but we are boat owners. The boat was neglected for about a week while I did some work for another cruiser on their travel trailer. But as soon as that was done it was right back to it. The electrical system will be an ongoing project for a long time. The battery bank is getting expanded so that has been a priority. The batteries were just sitting on a shelf when we bought the boat so a bit more secure system is needed. Building a box to hold them has been on my list for a while. It is now finished and I took the opportunity to clean up and paint a bit more of the bilge area and the adjoining engine area. Eventually the entire engine room will get a fresh coat of paint. The first photo here is the area in front of the engine and where the bilge pumps are as it looked when we took possession of the boat. the second picture is the progress made so far. Not finished, but much better. The additional photos are the process of re-installing the start battery box and a new starting battery. We went from a small 24 to a heavy duty truck starting battery. The engine should like this much better.

Anchoring Regulations

Cities, towns, counties and communities all along the Eastern Seaboard are getting on the anti- anchoring bandwagon. The reasoning for these restriction fall into several categories. First is pollution, citing sewage discharge, contaminates from bilge water, leaking fuel tanks and spills, careless disposal of trash ashore and the associated problems of abandoned vessels. Next comes damage to the seabeds and surrounding shorelines. These generally are from anchors and rode scouring the bottom, damaging seagrass and vessels breaking loose from their anchors and damaging other boats, docks, etc. A biggy is the nuisance factor and here is where pressure from landowners play a large part. Generators running on deck at night, loud music and parties, intoxication, trespassers trying to gain access to shore facilities and crime to name a few. There is also the navigational hazard from boats with no anchor lights, anchored or dragging into channels and blocking access to docks and facilities. I doubt that even the staunchest opponents to anchoring restrictions can argue these points.

A Welcome To The New Year

2009 has arrived and we look forward to what will be a new year and new beginning for us in our boating adventures. With the change over from sail to trawler we are anxious to get the boat ready and get started on a new cruising agenda. 2008 was an interesting year for us and the presidential race that lasted a lifetime was based on change so it was only fitting we made as many changes as possible. We left Houston, Texas and cruised on our sailboat and home for 17 years along the Gulf coast and East coast to Beaufort, South Carolina. A not too small move but one we are glad we made. The trip was not without some excitement that we could have really done without. For anyone interested in that trip you can find all the details and a whole lot more at our other site, http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/ with info on several of our cruises. Almost as soon as we arrived in South Carolina a buyer for our sailboat presented himself. Almost immediately after we sold Sea Trek, we found our current boat also right here in South Carolina. During the selling and buying process we did a one week boat delivery that took over a month. These in and of themselves were some really big changes for us. Our plan was to head out for the Bahamas by early December on the new boat, but once again life had different plans for us. We don't get too upset about these kinds of things because they always prove to be the best for us in the long run.

Still Hard At It

The work on the boat goes on at a steady pace. The old saying that life is what happens to you when you are making plans is all too true. Our original plan when the boat was purchased was to be on our way to the Bahamas by now. Things obviously did not work out that way but maybe that is not such a bad thing. In as great condition as the boat was when we bought her, she is in need of a LOT of work before she is able to comfortably do any long distance cruising. It appears that we will be here in Beaufort until at the very least next year. That might seem like a long time but with the work we need to do and the need to raise enough money to pay for all of the improvements and keep the cruising kitty intact, the time will fly. When we left on our previous boat to cruise from Houston to come here, it might have been the first time the boat was completely equipped and tested and we were not still working on projects as we headed out. It was a nice change from the past and we would very much like for this boat to be in that condition when we next leave the dock for a while.

Simple and Inexpensive WiFi

Part 1.

More and more cruisers, be they just weekenders or long distance travelers, are wrestling with the issues of staying connected and yes, I mean to the internet. My first boat had nothing more than a VHF radio and I was able to sail from the US mainland to Bermuda. Later on as the boats got larger and communications improved, a marine SSB radio was added. Then a famous person, I can’t remember who, invented the internet. With that, the ease of email crept into our lives and grew like a weed along the banks of some of the rivers we have traveled. We were hooked and began the search for the latest and greatest technology. Our first device was a hand held unit that was called Pocketmail and needed to be held up to a phone after calling a special number and it would send and receive your emails. It was a pretty neat device and very popular in the cruising circles. Next we added a Pactor modem to our SSB radio and after acquiring a Ham license, used the Winlink system to send and receive email and get that all important weather information. We still have and use extensively the Winlink system. But the more we were exposed to the internet itself, the more important it became and the more functional we found it to gather information on weather, emails and the areas we were traveling- something the Winlink could not do for us.

And The Beat Goes On

We have just had a couple of days of some pretty steady rains and found out we have not yet resolved all of our water leaks. The good news is that the serious ones have not resurfaced and it appears that right now we have only one to deal with. This one is in the forward cabin coming from the area of the cap rail. We are assuming this is coming from the stanchion bases since that is one area we have not sealed yet, so that is priority since rain is forecast again in a few days. After removing fasteners from the bases we are pretty certain this is our problem. The old screws are loose, rusted and broken and most are the originals. As is our usual deck repair, once the fasteners are removed we fill the holes with a thickened mix of West System epoxy. This seals the wood around the holes and perhaps some of the spaces where the water can pass through. Prior to filling anything the areas are taped well to make a cleaner, neater job when it is finished. A small hardwood dowel is inserted in the holes to give the new fasteners something to grab to. A healthy dose of caulk is injected into the hole and the fasteners are also coated with caulk. I am using stainless steel lag bolts in place of the old slotted screws. This allows me to tighten them more than with a screw driver. One of the little tricks is to not tighten too much and allow the caulk to dry. Then come back and tighten the fasteners later and the dried caulk will actually form a gasket. The tape is also removed after the caulk is dry and the caulk is trimmed to make a finished look. The radical change in fasteners also makes it very apparent which ones still need to be replaced.

One of the more fun projects is completed and that is the installation of the new stereo system and six disc CD changer. We have used Clarion products in the past with good results and performance so stayed with what we know. The hard part was getting the panel cut to flush mount the CD changer since they are not designed for this. The Clarion also allows us to run audio cables to it and connect those from the output of the TV. With four new stereo speakers mounted forward and aft in the main cabin we now have surround sound from the TV and DVD player without the large entertainment systems taking up valuable space. We found marine stereo speakers by Dual at Boaters World at a great price and they sound fantastic. Now the TV, DVD player, CD changer and of course the stereo itself are all together. With the DirectTV satellite system we also have satellite radio which now can be sent through the stereo.

The teak master is also starting on all of the outside teak, and there is lots of it. The former owners put a deck stain on all of the teak and while this did protect it we need to remove it all for the refinishing process. We also had lots of exterior teak on our previous boat and have been down the varnishing and other finishes path for a lot of years. We have recently settled on Sikkens Cetol and don't regret it one bit. It is much, much easier to apply and maintain than varnish, looks great using the Natural Teak and lasts much longer than varnish in the tropics. Adding maintenance coats is a snap. But we are just in the beginning stages.

Battery charging has been on my mind of late and charging the starting battery without overcharging has been a consideration. I have decided to use the Xantrex Echo Charger for the starting battery, rather than try and connect it to the house charger. This is a simple connection from the house bank to the starting battery and it senses when the starting battery needs a charge and borrows it from the house bank charger or alternator. Otherwise the house charger and alternator are connected to and charge the house bank. It solves my charging problems and does a very efficient job.

The windlass is also in the starting phase. It is mounted on the bow platform but I still need to do the wiring and install switches, etc. The water leaks have caused a few things to be put on hold until they are resolved but the windlass will be a pretty straight forward install. We will also need to upgrade our anchor rode and chain but all things will get done eventually.

Cruising on a Working Class Budget

Our Mariner 40 ketch, Sea Trek, had been our home for 17 years until the purchase of our current new to us trawler Beach House. In that time we have lived aboard and cruised her whenever the kitty reached the magic number we had set for our next voyage. Since leaving our previous home base in the Florida Keys for one particular trip, we had put a bit more than 3,000 miles under her keel. We visited four countries and transited the coastline of five states — two with the largest coasts in the United States and two with the shortest. We have put 750 hours on our engine and that means eight oil and filter changes and five changes of our three fuel filters. This does not take into account our trip from Houston Texas to Beaufort, South Carolina. Our unscientific estimate of anchoring is that we have dropped and raised the anchor more than 190 times (and with a manual windlass). We were very fortunate in only having three pieces of equipment break down and we believe this is a result of good preparation and a good maintenance schedule along the way.

We only spent 127 days at a dock out of 20 months. We anchored behind a reef with nothing but ocean on the other side for thousands of miles. We visited remote Mayan villages and dispensed medicine to a people that once ruled the land in a grand civilization. We visited thousand-year-old ruins of that civilization. It was a grand adventure.

We also spent a few hard-earned dollars. Walk any dock or visit any cruisers’ hang-out or surf the Internet and stop in at any boater’s discussion board and the “How much does it cost?” question always pops up. Our expenditures presented here are for one year only and do not include preparation, gear, provisioning purchased prior to leaving or money needed to get by once you return to reality, but before the paychecks start coming in again. It includes actual money spent from the time we left the dock until the end of the 12th month. Our cruise began April 1, 2005 and the figures are through March 31, 2006.

We enjoy eating out occasionally, and love to travel and explore the countries we visit. Boat maintenance and repairs are a fact of life and how much you need to budget for repairs is going to be mostly guesswork based on the condition of the boat and the age of your equipment.

Assuming that you have fully outfitted your boat with all the gear — watermaker, life raft, wind generator, solar panels, dinghy and outboard — that you feel you must have to enjoy cruising and to be comfortable and safe, you will then have to provision the boat with foodstuffs and other non-food items. Again, I am not counting this in our expenses, but mention it because there are some items we generally stock up on prior to leaving U.S. waters because they are often difficult or cumbersome to get in remote places. We buy toilet paper and paper towels in large quantities and store them in our largest hanging locker. (The clothes that resided there are packed away for the duration, off the boat and in storage in a friend’s garage.) We also buy as much soda and beer as we can stow on the boat because it is much cheaper in the United States and it is easier than bringing it by dinghy back to the boat. A year’s supply of vitamins, herbal remedies, prescription meds, over-the-counter remedies, etc., are also placed on board. The over-the-counter medications are generally cheaper in the United States and you might have favorite throat lozenges and if, by chance, you can find them in Belize, they will cost two to three times the amount. Regarding paying the bills: If you have a boat payment to make each month, have those payments automatically deducted from your account. We only use our debit card from that same account when traveling so we don’t have to worry about monthly credit card bills.

We decided to keep our car instead of selling it this time around so we had the insurance automatically deducted from said account every six months. The car was left with friends, who drove it instead of just letting it sit and rot. Any other bills that may be floating around get sent to us periodically through our mail forwarding service. They are great and will even open the mail and tell us how much the bill is if we can’t access it online, or if we don’t want to pay exorbitant postage to have it sent to us outside of the United States.

We also have made the decision not to carry health insurance while cruising outside the United States. If we need healthcare, we have found it to be affordable everywhere we traveled (except the States) and there are competent physicians in most places. Knock on wood — we have not had any serious health problems in all of our years aboard. This is a personal decision that someone with specific health issues may not be able to make. We don’t own a home or any property anywhere that has to be maintained and the kids are grown so when we are ready to go, all of the strings and umbilical cords have been severed.

Breaking it down

Now, after spending $1,000 or so putting canned foods, paper products, snacks, cookies, juices, shelf milk, rice and so forth into every possible nook and cranny aboard Sea Trek, we are ready to go. The budget consists of about nine months spent in the Western Caribbean and three months in the United States. The category for boat fuel consists of both diesel for the boat and gas for the dinghy. Boat repair consists of what we paid others, and parts and materials for repairs and replacements that we did ourselves. We have found this figure to be pretty steady throughout recent years. Remember, the wear and tear you put on your boat while under way is much more than it would be just sitting at the dock, so these repairs are inevitable even for a relatively new boat.

The amount we spent on dining out was a big shock to us, but we have included all trips to the local ice cream shop and stops for sodas and beer as well as lunches and dinners in restaurants. If it didn’t get consumed on the boat, it was considered dining out. Dockage was a fairly large figure for us, but it seemed we spent more time in marinas for various reasons than we usually do. In some places, anchorages just aren’t available due to shoaling or the anchorages have been replaced by mooring fields. In other areas, like Belize City, services can only be accessed by going into a marina. Entertainment included Internet cafes, CDs, museums, concerts, visiting ruins, satellite TV and the like. Travel is taxis, buses, rental cars, etc. Housing was our boat payment. Miscellaneous was haircuts, insect repellent and strange things that didn’t fall into other categories or cash that was spent that we could not account for. Maintenance included any item that was purchased to maintain the boat in her present condition. Most of the other categories are self explanatory and should not require any further explanation.

So here is how it breaks down for the year:

Auto insurance (recreational use only) – $378.20

Gas for borrowed cars and rentals – $130.21

Bank charges – $270

Boat fuel (diesel and gas) – $1,440.06

Boat insurance (covering Caribbean) – $2,631.92

Charity – $13

Clothing – $63.02

Dining – $1,792.05

Dockage – $1,833.07

Entertainment – $654.46

Gifts – $229.02

Groceries/provisions – $3,828.54

Housing (boat payments) – $4,479.36

Laundry – $165.10

Maintenance – $888.97

Medical/doctors – $242.50

Medicine – $233.09

Miscellaneous – $730.39

Port fees – $608.83

Postage – $17.28

Subscriptions – $52.86

Taxes and registration – $45.60

Utilities/electric – $161.99

Phone – $304.40

Hotels – $395.07

Travel – $369.66

Our total expenditures for the year were $25,805.10. If your boat is paid off, you’re down to about $21,500 and the amount can be even less if you only anchor out, don’t eat out, etc. Again, we feel this amount is fairly accurate as other friends of ours whose boat is paid off figure they spend about $20,000 for a year off in the wild blue yonder. Surprisingly enough, as I look at our budget for previous years, the costs have not changed dramatically except in the areas of insurance and fuel.Your cruising destination will also determine the final costs. Cruising the eastern Caribbean is much more expensive that our cruise of the western Caribbean.

Behind the numbers

To give you an idea of what boat repairs we encountered, the depth sounder transducer needed to be replaced and it had to be a special length so it cost more than your standard transducer. We hauled the boat and had the bottom painted, which should probably be in the maintenance category, but we had the depth sounder installed at that time so we considered it a repair. We also had our outboard completely rebuilt when it was becoming sluggish. We decided that our anchor rode was a little tired and should be replaced. Also, we had to buy a new microwave oven in Guatemala when the old one gave up the ghost. If it was on the boat and had to be repaired or replaced, it was counted in the boat repair category. The last thing you have to take into consideration over and beyond the above-mentioned expenditures is the amount you will need when you return to keep you going until you are gainfully employed once again. How much depends on how long it might take to start generating a steady income.

Let your needs and considerations be the determining factors to help you compute your costs, but by all means go and have fun.We expect the numbers to change somewhat with the new boat. Fuel costs most certainly will increase and since our cruising grounds will be more towards inland lakes and rivers of the US we must assume other costs will also change. But the numbers still give you a general idea of our costs for long distance cruising. Individual wants and needs and boat size as well as comfort levels will also dictate expenditures.

Some New Equipment

We have taken a break from caulking and sealing leaks since it appears we may have corrected most of them. We have been doing our part to stimulate the economy and spent a whole bunch of money on new equipment so it is time to install some of it. The original VHF on the boat is an older Standard unit and although it worked, well we needed a VHF at the lower helm as well as the flybridge. Buying a new radio and putting it on the flybridge would only cost slightly less than buying the radio and installing a remote mic and would be a simple install. In addition, the VHF would only need one antenna and no splitter. I like the Standard Horizon equipment because past experience has shown it to be dependable, well built, easy to interface, and very user friendly. It has all of the features we need and not loaded with features we will never use. The Standard Horizon Quest VHF at the lower helm and the remote mic at the bridge make a great solution and will connect to our Standard Horizon Chartplotter at the helm to give us GPS capabilities for the DSC portion of the radio. Running the single cable to the flybridge was a snap and the remote mic gives us full control of the radio from that location. One cool feature is the intercom setting which allows you to speak to the person at the other station.

Preparations Are Under Way

Since we have finally put the boat delivery behind us we have been working on the new boat every day from morning to evening. We only have a few weeks before we need to head south. We have a commitment in the Bahamas so really want to be under way by December 1st and still have lots of work to do. We have ordered new equipment, a VHF radio with remote mic for the flybridge, a wash down pump for the anchor, a new windlass and a whole lot more. But before any of that gets installed we have a few other priorities.