List of Projects on JonNe'

As we are heading toward departure, the projects have been slowly being put away.  Some have had loose strings attached that couldn't be finished  for several weeks.  For a long time, we have not been able to broadcast on the VHF for any real distance.  On Sunday, Ed Davis sent me up the mast using the Lighthouse 1501 Windlass to haul my butt 65 feet in the air.  It took three trips up the mast, but I was able to change the VHF antenna - a major problem, and changed out the blocks and shackles that are used for the Spinnaker Halyard, and the spare Main Halyard, which acts as my safety line when I am up the mast.  The picture below is my view from the top of the mast!  Here I am a Navy Pilot, and I have discovered I just don't like being up here much!!



This next picture is the view to the Southeast , looking directly to Havana, Cuba.  An interesting note, from where I am looking, Havana is 94 miles out at this direction.  It is closer to Havana than it is to the nearest Walmart!

 

This picture is looking West.  Where the color changes is reef.  Actually, at low tide, that is about 18".  One of the things you have to remember is:  you don't go where the birds walk!!



The below view is looking East.   If you remember the movie "TopGun" with Tom Cruise, that was based on the TopGun school in Las Vegas.  He was based at NAS Miramar, in San Diego, but the school was at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas.  NAS Boca Chica here in the Keys is the TopGun school on the East Coast.  It actually is more useful and less expensive to train here than Nellis.  The reason is that winter in Las Vegas and the surrounding training area is subject to below freezing and snow.  Here the weather is more stable during the winter and the total sun days (or the amount of sun visible daily) is as high as the west coast.  So squadrons from California come here to train during the winter.  The scene you are looking at below are the facilities used for training.

 

 

We have visitors this year with us - actually they are family members - two dachshunds!  They are Shannon's, but we will have them for the next 8 or so months.  So we are getting them used to being on the boat and dinghy. Fortunately, I have lost a bit of weight since this pic was taken.  Don't judge, we all like beer and Jack and Diet Coke!!  Besides, I am retired!

 



I thought I would give you some pics of our friends: 

Doug and Susan

Ed clowning around, but Claudia looks great

 

 



Then there was US!!

I do love to take this lady out - she is so much better looking than I - it really lifts up my image!!

Renne' asked me a while back to make a list of the major items we have added to JonNe' since we purchased her, so I spent this afternoon going through the boat from stem to stern, then compared my list to Renne's.  Quite honestly, I was very impressed with what Renne' came up independently!  Actually we both had items the other hadn't added.  At our age, it really does take two minds to make a whole mind!  So here it is:

Lighthouse Electric Anchor Windlass with Remote - 1501

Raritan PHEII Electric Head and floor buildup

Jabsco Compact Head and floor buildup

V-Berth Fan

Raymarine ST-60 Speed, Depth, and Wind System

Raymarine E-80 Chartplotter and 18" 2KW Radar Scanner

Navpod for Raymarine E80 + four ST60  instruments - GP1171

Interior Settee Cushions - 8 cushions

V-Berth Cushions - 3 Cushions

New Overhead Panels - Main Cabin

Dome Lights x 8 with complete rewiring to breaker panel

Aquamarine Electric Drive R.O. WaterMaker Kit

Icom IC-m504A VHF Radio

Standard Horizon GX-2150 VHF Radio with AIS

Air Breeze Wind Generator

Air Breeze Wind Generator Carbon Fiber Blades

AquaAlarm Bilge Switch

AquaAlarm Bilge Monitor

Rule Bilge Pump, 2000gph, pump switch tree, 2 switches

ICOM IC-M802 Single Sideband Radio

ICOM AT-140 Automatic Tuner

Waeco Alder-Barber Refrigeration Unit

Dometic Marine Air Turbo Vector 16,000BTU 115V

Installation of AC with all hoses, vents, controllers

Groco Stainer, Thru-hull, Haul-out, water pump

Engle Freezer MT17F and permanent mounting

Yanmar 4JH5E 53hp Engine with Trans w Installation

JABSCO Aqua King II Fresh Water pump, 5GPM

Sureflow ProBlaster bilge pump 5gpm

Next Generation 5.5 generator

Support platform and stainless legs

Prop Shaft, 1-1/2 x 12', Stainless Steel and Cutlass Bearing

Prop 21 x 17 with haulout

Mastervolt 100 amp battery charger

new battery wiring, terminals

mastervolt 360ah batteries x 4

Solar Panel, Kkyocera, 250w and frame

Davit Tower plus installation

AIS Transponder

LED Lighting Main Cabin, V-Berth, Main Stateroom

Full Enclosure Full eisenglass and mosquito netting

Raymarine  X-10 Sport Autopilot with Linear Actuator

Rudder plate for Linear Actuator

Seaward Hotwater Heater, 11 gal, stainless steel

Seaward Princess 3-burner Propane Stove, Stainless Steel

Gulf Coast Fuel Filter, fuel polishing valves and hoses

Life Raft

Main Sail Stack Pack

Saftey Netting for Saftey Lines

Saftey Lines

Custom Mattress for Master Stateroom

Laminate Countertops and 2 heads various repairs

Rebuild of entire engine room and shower Master Stateroom

AMAC Water Filtration System

Almost Ready To Leave

Thanks to our friends, Ed and Claudia Davis, for the inspiration, I am sitting here this morning drinking coffee and McCormicks Irish Cream while I am writing this.  They didn't give me the bottle - no, I had to go buy it, but everytime I have gone over to their boat for breakfast, Claudia is always asking me if I want a "treat" with my coffee.  How can I turn down an offer like that!!!  Hehheh!! 

Today, I will complete all of the urgent list of things we had to get done prior to leaving again.  The list is long. 

Yesterday, I installed 25' of antenna wire for the new AIS transponder from Em-Trak, and I am heading to West Marine to pick up the AIS-VHF Antenna to complete the project.  Now you neophites, who have never run wire on a boat, will be thinking that is not a big deal!  Nay Nay I say, in the words of the great and late Jon Pinette.  I had to drill a new hole in the deck (ARRRRGGGGHHHH) to run the cable, take apart the aft stateroom bed to get under it, run the cable up from the bed, behind the aft bulkhead, through the deck, and up to the davit tower.  Then using the second most helpfulThen I had to seal the hole, and all the other holes I had disrupted, with silicon, and solder a new connector on to that end for the actual antenna. I then ran the rest of the cable around the base of the bed, down under the flooring into the engine room, up through the tool closet.  For both of those episodes, I had to run a fishing tool through and around all of the obstructions and bulkheads into the ceiling of the main cabin.  Then I had to remove the overhead ceiling panel in the main stateroom, and it remains down until I can complete the job today.  I now have to program the Em-Track AIS Transponder with the computer prior to putting the ceiling panel up.  That takes two people!!

Inhale and take a deep breath!!

Additionally, I had purchased an oil evacuation pump from WM, however, their only selection was one with a 3 gallon bucket.  It is not like the V-Berth isn't already packed and stacked already.  I don't need something THAT MESSY up forward.  So my other project Wednesday, was to install the pump in the engine compartment so I can electrically evacuate the oil from the engine and genset and into smaller 1 gallon containers I keep in the bilge.  Ed, we will get yours installed before you need to change the oil again!! 

Today, besides picking up the antenna, I have a switch for the VHF radios I am going to install.  Now I have a splitter on it so I can run two VHF radios off of one antenna, but my next door dock buddy, Johnnie Poole measured the interference and HIGHLY recommended changing that out to a switch.  Doggone!  It has been a very long time since I have done any soldering at all, but Johnnie took a while out of his busy schedule getting their boat ready to go, to show me how to solder these plugs properly.  Thanks Johnnie, I sure did a poor job prior to your instruction!!

I am also going to fill my new fiberglass 17lb propane tank to store on the deck.  Saturday, our friends, Doug and Susan are assisting me in moving the boat over to another marina to fill the fuel tanks, and then do a bit of sailing.

Sunday morning, I leave, by car, for Miami, to pick up my lovely wife at the airport, and then celebrate 12 glorious years with the absolute love of my life!!  Honey, welcome back, Darlin' and Happy Anniversary, a few days early!!

In the meantime, if you are in Columbia, SC, call Renne' and stop over for a drink - or if you are in Key West, call me, and stop by at sunset for a sundowner!  I will keep a few beers, a bottle of wine, and some hard stuff cold for you!  In the meantime, we will see you on the water!!

Jon and Renne'
abrd S/V Jonne'