May 24th, 2024 Update - Powering Through May

 May has been HOT, but we knew that it would be.  It's been slow going this season what with travel, cold weather, rain...you name it.  The weather finally turned nice and we dug in our heels as best we could.

After the deck at dockside, we put the remaining decking that came with the property, and laid out decking around the working area of the connex.  It works out well.

Next, I washed the backside and end of the connex, primed rust spots, and then painted the 2 sides hunter green.  I'll do the doors and front side when we return this fall.

From this...to (see below)

While I was outside painting, Carter was inside the connex finishing up the insulation.  We have been trying to clean everything up and put away and decided that there is not better place to store large items than to put them where they belong, so he got to work.

Beginning to cut the strips that go up first.

Gluing them in the 'corrugated' spaces with spray seal. 

He next covered the entire corrugated wall with a full sheet and glued it down.  He cobbled up some boards to hold them in place until they dried.

The last ceiling sheet is next.

He only had a small amount of paint so he used it behind his work bench.

A view of the entrance.

Looking to the back.  The remaining solar panels for the starboard array are behind the plywood.  Once those are installed on the boat this will free up quite a bit of storage space.  He still has a couple of wall boards to put up behind the shelving above the solar panels and directly beside it.  We had to load this thing full before we could actually begin the insulation so there's going to be a small bit of back tracking to completely finish.

May 7, 2024 - Update

 We have been very busy since I last posted.  First, we finally got to call Rich over to help change out the panels.  The two guys changed out the forward arrays and the port side of the sun deck.  Carter and I have removed the port side main array and are now waiting for the metal to create new framing to become available to us.  Our original order was damaged in the warehouse and we have been waiting for 2 weeks now for replacement but no luck as yet.

So, since we are stalled on panel replacement, we moved on to the deck.  On Sunday, the 5th, we began running the strings and beginning digging post holes.

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May 6th - Morning hours only

May 7th - Evening hours only

May 8th  Morning and Evening Hours

We will work on the support structure tomorrow and then on to the sheathing.  

All the support structure is complete and we laid the slates from the finger pier down so we can access the boat safely.

Keep in mind that these are not screwed down yet and the other 1/2 of the lumber is still on the top of the truck.  This is all todays work.  Then we will connect the first of the 2 finger piers as ramps to the stairs and the other to the road down to the canal front.

And here is the final result.  We are so happy with it!!

March 27th, 2024 - Update

  Carter has to install a mini-split today for a couple we met some months ago.  He had to go to Jacksonville yesterday to get aluminum channel for this guy, Rich, an some for himself for the solar panel install.  Rich is going to assist Carter with the install in exchange for the mini-split install.  But, before we left for Jacksonville, we put on a 2nd coat of epoxy on the superstructure and a large portion of the sides. He rolled in on while I tipped it right behind him. He had already sanded all parts of the 1st coat. That made the job go much faster.  This project is going well.

While Carter went over to Rich's to work, I stayed home and worked on my latest embroidery project.  I completed the embroidery before leaving Tennessee (2 16 hour days to complete) so today I fray checked all the ends, dissolved the stabilizer and pre-cut some iron on softy to cover the embroidery on the inside so it doesn't scratch the baby's head.

Update:  Here's the finished baby bonnet and booties for Ezri.

Love it!  And so did Zach and Tera.

March 22, 2024 Update - Back in Florida

  I worked with elections the entire month of February!  I arrived back in Florida at midnight on the 14th of March.  Carter had singlehanded the Arc down to Palatka City Dock that day so we arrived to the boat at 2:00 am.  Nick, Jackie and the girls were there having been visiting Tera and Carter during spring break.  I arrived just in time to say goodbye, they left for home that day...Friday.  Vivian had a conference game on Saturday and Jackie wanted a day home before going back to work.

After Nick and family left, we got to work.  First on the list was to wash the panels.  They had quite a bit of pollen build up on them.  Here's before and after pics.

Carter and I stayed at the dock for an entire week while I had blood work and a doctors appointment and we would go over to the cove on the other side of the bridge while Carter sanded on the top deck of the boat.  As of yesterday, the entire top deck is sanded and 1 coat of epoxy on the entire top is complete.  There will still be a few more coats and sanding between each.

The first 1/3 toward the bow.

Then the remaining 2/3rds sanded and 1 coat of epoxy with the first 1/3 forward has epoxy but has been sanded again.

How we look on the dock.  Pretty bad!

Carter worked on wiring for the 2nd battery bank located under the settee while it was raining.

He also replaced the fan from the mechanical room into the salon with a much quieter fan.

We will be meeting with Ward and Connie for a meal at Corkey Bell's tomorrow, my birthday.  Sounds good to me!

We will be heading over to Crystal Cove soon after for potty dump but we have found that we can easily fill up our water tanks at the other public dock at Palatka.  Seeing as Crystal Cove had decided to charge for water this is a great find.

Then by the end of next week it will be time to return to Tennessee, make a few adjustments to the house with the addition of Marilyn and Kija, and then we will high tail it out to Arkansas for the Eclipse of the Sun on April 8th.  We will be staying with Mark and Angie for a couple of days.  Can't wait!!

Then back to Tennessee for a little bit more work until May 1st when we will return to Florida to visit Tera and new baby and to complete certain projects (installing some of the new panels), so that we are ready to begin cruising when we return again for the winter season.  Then back to Tennessee for the summer season.

Talk about a crazy season.  

January 20th, 2024 Update - Steps...Complete...Nice

 Carter very often says "Safety First".  It's been raining so much lately making it difficult getting up and down the hill to the boat without slipping/sliding in the mud.  Well, not anymore.  Check out the steps he built.

He's also been working on the insulation project in the conex.

Insulating the conex.

Second coat of primer on the whaler.

More shelving for the conex.

January 17, 2024 Update - Whaler, Steps and Conex

 We both decided that the single slat steps, as they were, was an accident waiting to happen so Carter added a 2nd slat to the steps and a ramp at the top to finish out the project.  We are both very happy with the steps as they are now.  It has also been decided that we will build a full size deck the entire width of the poles we had pounded in last season and take it 13' over to the property which will keep it entirely out of the water even in the extremely high tides we've been experiencing.  We will build a handrail for the steps when the deck is complete as we may have to adjust their final position when the deck comes into play.

I want to insert a quick factoid about the steps...they were made 100% (exception of the screws) from the deck Carter found beached in a very deserted area of the St. Johns River last April while we were out pressure washing the Arc.

100% recycled...that's our style.

Some framing has been done and a few insulation panels in place but not glued down yet.  

We will be working on this again this afternoon and evening.

In between, Carter built a small shelf unit to store small stuff like spray cans.  We continue working on emptying the studio trailer.

I found a dog kennel in the studio trailer and brought it down to the conex so we can have Radar up top with us while we are working/filming and not have to worry about him wandering away.

And then, in between all of this, Carter put a 2nd coat of primer on the whaler.

He said that the final coat will go on tomorrow.  Wow!

Then the new rub rail goes on.