June 19, 2010

Well we have been back in the USA for three weeks and dreaming of the "next" trip. Things at the dive business have been booming so not much time for the projects on our list. We have repaired the hot water heater (case was rusted out) and we thought leaking but maybe not. We have replaced hoses in the back (behind the water heater) and a thru hull for the bilge pump that had broken. We have the new inverter/charger in the boat but the hook-up is not complete. Running the electrical wiring proved to be more than I expected - one out, one in - NOT! Different plugs going thru existing holes where smaller connectors had been previously proved to be my nemesis.

If you were to walk on Alibi right now, you would swear that a bomb had gone off below decks. With all these projects going on, we have everything removed from it's normal spot. And we keep having to move things to do every little task - it is CRAZY!! Oh, I almost forgot we have cut a hole and have a door to go in the aft cabin above the cabinets. This new space we created is for storing fishing poles and probably long rolls of fabric when we are aboard full time. We stole the idea from another Island Packet that we looked at when we were shopping. Darrell is about ready to put up some spice racks for me on the back wall of the galley - Dick and Nelda, you know that big empty space next to the EPIRB.

We still have to trouble shoot the wind generator - which quit functioning during our trip home (although not much wind here right now). We have replaced the charge controller for the solar panels and getting some help with battery charging from them. And we have been running the engine for a little while each day to charge but yesterday morning I noticed the engine temp had crept up to almost 200 degrees - yikes! So last night after a long day at the dive shop, we started going through the possible causes and finally located the problem - the impeller was shot. We have learned so much in our years in the keys that it took less than an hour to have the engine purring like a kitten again. You bet, we're patting ourselves on the backs!!

Like I said, we are dreaming of the next trip which could be sometime later this summer after the dive business slows down a little bit. We did get provisions for the next trip - we bought our "liquor" stores from the landlords (restaurant/bar owners). We also got to enjoy a CD sent to us from some dive friends who took a similar trip the the Bahamas last winter - the parallels between us is uncanny! But I can't write like Martha can - we were crying and rolling in the floor laughing at some of her stories. Perhaps we will travel together someday.

Well, divers are showing up to give me money so I guess I'll have to go take it - after all, more cruising $$.

Love and Hugs,
Darrell, Ann, & Roxy