New Refrigeration

This will be a long post detailing a long project.

If you want to replace your refrigeration I would recommend you first empty all the galley lockers, put tape over all the seams in the floor so gunk doesn't fall into the bilge, protect the floor with towels or rugs, get a Sawzall, a pry bar, lots of big garbage bags.....and get at least a case of beer, or, better yet, a big bottle of vodka. Next take everything else out of all the other lockers and throw it on the floor because that's where it will end up eventually. Then pour yourself a drink and start sawing.

This is how the galley looked before we started. We are hoping it looks this good again soon. The two doors on either side of the stove access the original boxes; freezer on the left, refrigerator on the right.

First we removed the stove and the refrigerator doors. Then the Captain started sawing chunks of wood and fiberglass out like this:

It took us two days to cut all that stuff out and pry out all the insulation. Tillotson Pearson did a great job on these boxes. There was 4" of insulation on the sides, front, and bottom. There was 8" of insulation against the hull, and 6" on top.

The old Grunert cold plate system had a remote compressor under the cockpit, so there were several copper tubes running back and forth through lockers. We used cable cutters to cut those, then pulled all the pieces out.

Somewhere along the way we decided that the counter tops had to come out too, so we carefully removed the fiddle rails and saved them, then removed the countertops. About here is where I was reminded of that time we Sawzalled 2/3 of our house down for the big remodel. Through the haze of sawdust, you just have to keep the faith, baby!

By the third day we had cleaned out both holes, and gotten the new freezer box up onto the boat. Because the doors in our boat are only 16" wide and the galley is not in the aft cabin, the new freezer had to come down the large overhead hatch in the main cabin.

To make the freezer smaller and lighter, we removed the drawer and mounting flange, and taped the remote compressor to the side. With it arranged this way, we were able to lower it all down into the galley area through the large hatch that you see beneath the Captain's feet.

After figuring out the height of each unit, we installed shelves for them to sit on and started working on the new cabinetry. Our boat's interior is all cherry, so after calling several places we found Florida Southern Plywood in Jacksonville. They sell not only plywood, but solid cherry, walnut, oak, and maple for cabinet makers. We selected two small pieces of cherry and a sheet of 1/4" cherry plywood and got out the door for about $120.00.

Now the Captain cut the cherry to make the faceframes and doors, and I started staining and varnishing. Today, after almost two weeks of solid work, we set the two units in place to see how it will all look. The freezer, on the left, is a little smaller than the refrigerator. That gave us room for a garbage bin underneath. We've cruised all this time with the bin wedged in the corner. Yes, sometimes it tips over or slides around; this will be so much better!

Of course, the compressors will be installed below the refrigerator units, there will be cabinets doors below, and there will be new Corian countertops, but it's actually moving along!

It's Official!

We have a legally registered car!

Yesterday our license plates arrived from South Dakota. This might seem like a simple thing, but it's actually been a long and complicated project.

We first thought we could register our car in California since we technically "live" in California, but no, we couldn't do that because California wants all cars to be tested for emissions, and we will be in Georgia for a couple more months, and can't get the smog certificate here.

Then we thought perhaps we could register a car in Georgia, but to do that you need a Georgia drivers license, and to get one you need proof of residency; as in a lease agreement, a power bill, or mortgage papers.

Then we considered using a popular mail forwarding service in Florida to get Florida residency and a Florida Drivers license, but we would have had to register our boat there even though we have federal documentation. That's because Florida actually just wants their sales/use tax which would be a lot of money in our case. If our boat was 30 years old it would qualify for the annual antique boat fee of  $6.25, but it was built in 1990.

Then our smart cruising buddies, Steve and Debbie, came to our rescue and suggested the mail forwarding service they use in South Dakota. Very popular with RVers, this service will register your vehicle without you having a South Dakota drivers license or even being there.

So we sent in our information and got an address in a couple of days. Then we bought the car and got a temporary Florida tag. Then we scanned and mailed all our documents to the mail forwarding service, they ran it all to the proper authorities, and Voila! we received our plates yesterday.

Admittedly, it took a while because we had to send lots of forms and documents to them, but it was all done rather painlessly and I would highly recommend Americas Mailbox in Box Elder, South Dakota as the best option for cruising sailors and RVers.

Thank you SOOOO much Debbie!

House Sitting

Some of our boat projects are messy interior things which would have made living aboard difficult, so we asked around (through Women Who Sail and the St. Marys Yacht Club) and found a house sitting gig.

So about two weeks ago we removed all the cushions and clothes from the boat and moved into a palace. We have a remote to access the huge garage. There are three bedrooms, four baths, a huge living/dining area, two decks facing the ICW, and a big modern kitchen. It's pretty cushie.

From what we can see, it's a typical Georgia tidewater home: garages on the bottom level, living areas on the second level, and bedrooms on the third level. It's a beautiful plan, but this flatlander is having trouble adjusting to the stairs! I'm forever wanting something that's on a different level. However, if I get really lazy, I can use the elevator! Yes, it has an elevator.

Not our house, but typical for this area.

Meanwhile, back at the boat, I continue to sand and varnish interior bits, and the Captain is cleaning the engine compartment and removing the old refrigeration components. We bought new drawer refrigeration units because the old Grunert system was getting tired, and required daily generator use. Also, we couldn't run it on the hard because it uses salt water for cooling.

BTW, this cup holder for the cockpit table is making me crazy. I'm on the fourth coat of varnish now, but seriously, who designed this thing?! It's almost impossible to sand.

Georgia On My Mind

Georgia is really starting to grow on us. The people are so nice and friendly, and the weather is pretty nice too. Everywhere we go folks smile and wave, and tell us to have a blessed day.

We usually play tourist on Sundays, and recently we drove over to St. Simons  Lighthouse. We went up to the top and toured the nice little museum in the old light keeper's house.

Then we wandered over to the public pier and found this character sitting on the railing waiting for a handout from any cooperative fisherman. He was quite tame and lots of tourists were taking selfies with him. Georgia is friendly like that.

It's azalea season here in Georgia. They grow like weeds, often reaching 10' tall! They are planted everywhere and often thrive in the woods with no obvious care. Huge clumps of them create spectacular displays along the roads.

We also visited Fort Frederica which was established in 1736, and saw a decisive battle between the British and the Spanish forces which came from Castillo de San Marco in St. Augustine, Florida.

The shallow marshes of Georgia, that make running aground on the ICW so easy, create some beautiful views in the early morning. This is the view from our deck this morning.

Georgia is really starting to grow on us. Y'all have a blessed day now, hear?

Boat Yard Blues

We've got the boat yard blues....

You may wonder what we've been doing in the three weeks since we've been back to the boat. Above is a clue. It looks sort of like worms, but it's actually little ground out spots where there were cracks in the gelcoat.

If we'd just painted over them, they would have merely reappeared in the new paint so the Captain is grinding them out with a Dremel tool. Then he's filling them and sanding, sanding, sanding.

Here's how the starboard side looks; it's almost ready for primer. Thank goodness our boat is only 44' long. A project like this makes you wish you had a smaller boat!

While the Captain works on the hull, I've been sanding, sanding, sanding too, and applying varnish to various parts. Here are the Dorade  boxes and cockpit table parts.

Aside from the relentless bugs, the conditions are pretty nice here. We have a great view out across the marsh, the temperatures are moderate, it doesn't rain much, and we have a car for quick runs to the grocery store and Home Depot.

So maybe the only boat yard blues are Malcolm's pants!