Pluggin' away

Well, we had a great vacation (see previous post entitled Motorcycle Holiday in March) but we have been working on the boat since last October and have not had time to update. Here's a short summary of what we can remember that we were doing before we left:

• The refrigerator and freezer boxes were rebuilt including the lids and are now ready for our new keel cooled Frig-a-Boat unit, which runs much quieter than the old unit. This is especially important as our master stateroom adjoins the galley wall.

• The now-required holding tank was installed, including the venting and associated plumbing. Much bigger job than originally thought.

• The solar panel wiring and wind generator wiring was done and is now all ready for the panels to be attached to the top of the arch.

• The head was stripped of all appliances (sink, toilet, and upper cabinets), repaired, and rebuilt. After lots of scrubbing, the head has 3 coats of bright white paint. Will include before and after pictures once the new countertops, tile, and cabinets are put in.

• LED lighting was installed in the cockpit - very handy for coming and going after dark.

Since we have been back, Jordan has been working on the engine. Apparently, the oil pressure problem was not solved last year, so he raised the engine up and did a bunch of guy-stuff. It appears to be working now - fingers crossed! Will check it again later in the month.

Accessible engine compartment

He has also built and installed a new cabinet above the settee for storage. The door to the cabinet will be built and installed later. The next planned job is to start working on the stripped ceilings. Jordan will be building wooden panels and I will be painting them white when ready. The new painted ceilings will make the boat appear brighter.