A Couple of Added Details!

  Sometimes it's the small things that really make a difference.

We purchased bumpers for the dock posts.

This is the decking Carter found floating in the St. Johns River.  

He was able to easily dismantle it and bring it home!  

5'x12'  NICE!

I bought some solar pathway lights for the property.  While sticking them into place I accidently broke the stake part of one so Carter zip tied it to the bow.  Yea!  The Arc now has a bow light.

While I'm talking about lights...Carter and I drove over to St. Augustine a couple weeks ago to search for an anchor light at the Sailors Exchange and we actually found one that would work.

Next small item is new sliders for the shower curtain.  I'm sure that what was in there was original from 'birth'.  These new ones slide great.

April 17, 2023 Update - Actuators

  Carter has dreaded this project and left it for almost last.  It's been true to his expectations and is being quite a challenge.  The new actuators are different lengths, requiring Carter to change the mounting brackets.  I have video of the testing process...mating the speeds of each actuator so that each side runs at the same time...or as close as possible.  It has taken a lot of trial and error to get this project complete but it finally happened yesterday 4/20/23.  I didn't take too many pictures of this process which is unfortunate because it was such an arduous project.  But, it's now complete and we can cruise knowing that we can hike the panels and collect as much energy as we need to continue on.

Next we are going to go out into the river to work on the processes necessary to paint the super structure.  We can't sand here in the canal so Carter has scoped out a secluded section of the river, close by, that we can sand as necessary and then pressure wash.  We'll come back to the dock for the final phase of painting.  

And just because this is such a great picture....the end of the day with steak, taters and wine!

Even Radar was salivating looking forward to the T-bone!

April 12, 2023 Update - Working Towards 100% Zero Discharge System

  Carter has wanted to be zero discharge for a long time and has now started the process with the installation of a pump in a bucket installed under the sink.  He then piped the sinks into the bucket which then pumps out to the water line going up to the french drain on the property which he set up for the shower sump water.  It works great.  But, when we are cruising, the water will be directed  to drain into the black water tank to be pumped out at a proper pump out station.  That project has not been started yet but it will be pretty cool to not be contributing to the pollution in this canal.

Prepping the area for the drain hose.  This bilge area will house the huge bladder tank that will hold the galley waste until time to pump out with black water.

Carter hates cutting new holes in his boat but... this new system required it.

Initially Carter intended to use this black pliable pipe but ended up using regular PVC. 

This picture does show the placement of the piping.

The pump in a bucket with piping going directly to outboard drainage.

(Shows better in next picture.)

Changing the black pipe to PVC.

A filter is installed just inside the mechanical room just beside the water heater.  From here, the water will continue either into the bladder tank to wait for black water pump out, or directly to hose going outside, either directly to water (only if in large salt water setting) or while at the property, up the hill draining into the french drain.

Here is the bladder tank but has not been connected to the system yet.

Piping from shower sump connected to the out take hose which now will either go to the black water tank (that project has not been started yet) or go directly outside up the hill to french drain or into  only if in salt water.

At the galley sink...all piping has been replaced.  No more leaks.

And all the new piping connecting sink to the bucket pump.

Project complete for this session.  Connecting to the black water tank will happen at a later time.

We are not totally 100% zero discharge yet as the bathroom sink is the only drain left that only drains directly outside but it is only hand washing and teeth brushing.  

This system is definitely a huge step in the direction of Zero Discharge!! 

March 21, 2023 Update - Back to Deep Creek and then Progress on the Pair A Docks Marina

 We took the Arc back to Deep Creek on Sunday afternoon and spent the night.  It was a magical experience!  I loved our anchorage and the pork steak/sweet potato/salad meal was delicious.  

Then we came back to the entrance of Palmetto Bluff, anchored and went to the lot to work on the dock.  It turned out the water was too deep to dig so Carter put up the 12"x2" board as a first step in building a deck...however he decides to do it.  His latest decision is to build 2 4" docks connecting to a large deck over the beach.  It will work nicely.

Update:  We went with A Pair A Docks.  We will build the rest of the large dock over the land once the transformation is complete with the back hoe.

March 20, 2023 Update - Salon Mini Split

 We got the mural put on the wall in mid February but had to wait for a good day to install the mini-split.  Thankfully, that day finally arrived and Carter installed it back on the wall with the mural in place.  It looks GREAT!  We are pleased with the results.  We now are stuck until Carter can find the correct wire to connect and run the thing.  Lowes was out of the correct wire and we thought we had found an appropriate replacement but alas, when we got it home and Carter read the fine print, it will not work.  So, back to Lowes or Home Depot.

While I had everything all tore up, it became obvious that it is time to further the salon to the next level.

We need to find a cabinet maker who needs air conditioning.  I would like to make the 2 sofas connect with a corner piece.  I made these cushions and covers about 10 years ago and I just washed them during this installation and noticed a rip in one of the covers.  I'm looking at fabric to match the mural but I also realize that I would like to get the sofas reconfigured before spending a lot of money on fabric.  That won't be fast enough for me as patience is not one of my virtues.

Another addition we made to the salon is the addition of another solar panel as a table in between us.  It's working pretty good.

I am ready to change out the fishing poles on the wall behind me but Carter refuses even thought they are broken.  He hasn't touched them since he put them up there 10 years ago and I never dusted them until last week.  The dust bunnies were unbelievable.  I want to put our pirate hats there.

And I'm still working on the upper wall.  I want to cut a frame for our picture of the Arc in the LaBelle Christmas Parade but I don't have a cutting mat neccessary to cut the wood.  I have a 12x12 but I need the 24x12 one.  It'll have to wait until I    1) find one down here in Palatka or 2) go back to TN and find one the right size.  Also, the Welcome Aboard clock we got in St. Maarten is broke and Carter and I are having a difference of opinion on getting rid of it.

Along with the project of installing the mini-split came the cleaning of the bathroom.  I told Carter I would not clean the bathroom and hang fresh shower curtains until this project was complete and the ceiling was put back up.  He got 1/2 of this complete so I went ahead and cleaned.  I hate to admit just how disgustingly dirty that bathroom had become.  It's clean now by golly!!

I started this process by taking out the teak items and cleaning them, then wiping them with teak oil.

It's really nice to have our shampoo-soap holder back in place.

And the shower & sump floor grates look better too.

I'll take a picture of the bathroom with it all put back together today.

Update - February 23, 2023 - Dock Posts!

  We have been to Tallahassee visiting Tera and the boys and cruised down to Palatka to attend church on a Sunday.  While the Arc was anchored outside the canal in the St. John, we came in by whaler and worked some  more on the waterfront.  Carter cut a few trees and dug the trenches a little deeper.  While riding into the canal we ran across a company installing a sea wall and Carter stopped to talk about possibly doing ours.  {{yeah}}  Fingers crossed.

They said they would squeeze us in!!  And so we waited outside in the St. Johns River so we would not be in the way.  Also, there came an entire week of uber low tide.  We couldn't get back in so we were happy to stay anchored out for a while.

Carter and I rolled the posts down Egyptian style in preparation for the work crew to arrive.

The fruit of our labor.  We cleared a bunch of the Chinese trees out from the canal bank, getting it done before the posts went in and possibly a dock.  Now we will have to burn the stuff.

Two weeks later....

1st post going in.

2nd post going in.

Complete!  Now to go get the Arc and bring him in to his new tie up posts!

We really do enjoy being out hanging off the hook but after 2 weeks of riding the whaler back and forth, we were more than ready to be back at the lot.

Carter has temporarily put the gangway up to one of the posts until we can get a dock built.

Carter got tired of hearing me complain about the mud getting into and out of Ellen.

He built me a dock!  He's awesome!