Headed South!

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Jim and I love Mexico. We have spent lots of time there on motorcycles and by car and decided it was time to try it by boat. We were ready for new boating territory! We’ll head to Mexico, spend some time in Yucatan and then head down to Belize and then Guatemala. The current plan being to leave the boat in Guatemala and fly home during the Summer when it is just too hot to want to be in Central America.

Building in Redundancy

Jim has been on a journey to create lots of redundant systems in case one fails and also upgrade lots of things that are original (or there abouts) to the boat so that we can trust them on a trip where parts are not as readily available. This process has been going on since we bought the boat and will continue. However, the boat is definitely better than it’s ever been.

This Years Projects

This list in long and some you will see in pictures now, others will have to wait. The two biggies are a total rework of the fuel system, adding a very nice fuel polishing system (what???), and a new radar.

We did not do the fuel system work. We relied on Chad, someone we knew could do it right! Chad replaced all the fuel lines, installed this crazy contraption for cleaning the fuel and all all the valves to the right of it, plus a bunch of additional vales at each of the 3 fuel tanks. He moved the fuel around and cleaned the tanks and inspected them as well.

Why fuel polishing? In the US, fiel is usually pretty clean. But, it can get all sorts of sediment in it along with water. Diesel engines do NOT like dirty fuel. So, no move the fuel between tanks, or our and back into the same tank through a 2 micron filter to clean out the yuckies. And even after all this, you still filter it twice more before it goes into any of our diesel sources, the propulsion engine, generator and heater for our house heat.

The radar for the boat was original equipment from 2001. It worked well, but technology has moved quite a bit forward. Jim really wanted two radars (for redundancy) and he does have both. But, to use the 2nd, we have to rewire the old display. Just too much clutter on the console otherwise.

Jim and to completely remove the old dash (and instruments) and cut a new panel that fits the old MFD (multi function display) and new radar. Not a trivial task but would have been much easier if we could do it at the big house with all the tools there. Slowly, the boat aquires more tools.
As well as the display, we have to install a new raydome. So, put the dinghy in the water, lower the mast, install the new mount for it, run wires for the new raydome down the mast and into the pilot house (through overhead panels that must be removed)… Did I say there was a lot of work. And it was COLD!
But, we got it all installed and working! new radar on the left and the old MFD on the right. We would have gotten a new MFD as well, but Furuno is on the verge of a new model and the technology will be changing quite a bit. The old one works great.

There have been other projects as well. Jim replaced the toilets with new modern, nicer new ones with less extra equipment. We have lots more storage space now!

And we need that space! I’ve been vacuum sealing spare parts for storage in this and that location. One also needs to try and get rid of cardboard boxes as apparently roaches like to lay eggs in them. We’ve not been in tropical environs enough to experience this and really don’t want to. So, the boxes have to go!

Upgrades

These projects don’t build in redundancy but tackle the upgrades task.

The guest toilet installed. The new ones have all the equipment inside the toilet. The old ones had a big tank and LOTS of piping that moved the waste to the front of the boat to macerator and big pump and then to the tank. The new solution is much tidier and space saving. Jim has wanted new toilets almost since day one. Not a requirement except to make Jim happy. A good thing!

We now (God forbit) have Starlink. I am NOT an Elon fan, but it is by far the best communications when traveling outside of the US to southern environments and offshore.

One would think this was easy and the Starlink part it’s self was not too bad. We did not want to use their router (a long story) but have to as it has the power for the dish. But, you can bi-pass the router and just use the power supply. Done, but ultimately one does not want to use the router at all. Phase two and more complex. The mount? it MUST be sturdy – winds, sea, etc and not be too ugly. Jim always engineers well and this one is. A piece of schedule 80 1 1/2″ aluminum, with standoffs welded on (thank you Roman!) so the dish is inbound on the boat. Jim then fabricated an enclosure using starboard to hold and protect the dish and we attached it with a fishing rod holder grill mount and a could of very nice clamps. Still some things to finish up, but it worked well today. Starlink says the dis is not aligned (as it wants to be angled and is not pointing correctly, but it still works great.

More projects???

I know there are more projects, but my brain is a bit fried. Lots of this and that’s and reorganizing. It turns out splitting our lives and completely closing down the boat each year allows us to go through lots of things and clean the boat house and reorganize. It gets a bit better each year. Oh so nice!

We Have Turned Right

I realized I forgot to mention that we have left! Today at noon. We left Fishing Bay in Deltaville, Virginia and turned right into the Chesapeake. It is possible this will be our last boating trip here. It is sad for us, but we are excited for new adventures. We can’t seem to help ourselves. But, we are headed to Guatemala and I have family there, my Niece and Sister live there full time. So, we’ll be able to visit family closer to home than while on the East Coast of the US. That will be fun!

Rincon with both her radar domes installed anxiously awaiting a trip south.