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'
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