2026 Season Begins - Storage Discussion

 We finally have made it down to Florida to begin the 2026 season.  Hopefully, we can get back on our 6 month here and 6 month in Tennessee schedule now that I (Diane) have been declared cancer free!  Bladder cancer is different than most cancers as it can come back at any time it feels like rearing it's ugly head so I will have to go back incrementally for check ups.  No problem...that's a can do and WILL DO!

We departed Tennessee just before the snow and ice began to fall and we feel fortunate for that but, at the same time it is abnormally COLD here in Florida  making it impossible for Carter to work outdoors.  So we have been focusing on indoor projects. 

For me, I always do a pretty thorough cleaning of the entire boat, top to bottom, upon our return and I thought it might be interesting to some folks to see all the STORAGE we have on the Archimedes.     

 I always start cleaning with the kitchen...oops...the galley.   When we left last time, we knew we wouldn't  be back for approximately a year so I took all our food supplies back to Tennessee, so now we are in the process of re-provisioning the boat for long term habitation.  I started the clean up with the all the pantry areas.

Carter was gifted an unusually large amount of can goods, rice and beans, fruit and vege's and I managed to find spaces for all of it.  I frequently use the cockpit table on top of the bed for extra work space.

I use these Sterlite file storage containers for extra groceries - can goods, and they are stored underneath the bed. 

This space behind where the cockpit table is stored houses juice, oils, and things that just don't fit anywhere else. My baking good (crisco, salt, vanilla, yeast, etc.) stay in these Tupperware bread storage containers you see here on the left.  The wood boxes on the top shelf house cock pit accessories.  The radio and Lowrance (navigation),  flare guns & flares, the bell, horns, etc., emergency candles, sun screen and bug spray.   

And this is what it looks like with the table in place.  The mirror is actually a fold down table with shelving behind holding all the Captains battery chargers.

I have to brag on Tupperware.  They are excellent at keeping their contents moisture free, which is imperative living on a boat. When I first moved onto the boat several years ago, I went on the hunt for all the Tupperware I could find. Ebay, and local thrift stores are where to find them.  I love all the colors too.  

I do not store anything in their original boxes.  Cockroaches love cardboard so ... boxes are not allowed on the boat and also, goods such as sugar, flour, rice and beans stay moisture free inside Tupperware... forever!  I have a label maker to help me find things.

The little bamboo corner cabinet is where I store package things like rice packs, crackers, tortilla wraps, cereal, etc. in Tupperware and Sterlite containers.

Then, I have wire shelving that stores vinegar and oils, honey, coffee, tea, etc.

And spices on opposite wall.

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I guess since I bragged on Tupperware, I should also brag on Sterlite.  I have a couple more drawer units in other parts of the boat from Sterlite that are very useful.  First, I have a small 3 drawer unit that holds all my hair accessories.

Then I just purchased this one, three sets of 3 drawers that stack.  I use this one for all my sewing and embroidery projects.  It makes good use of an unused corner of the settees.  It works.

And then, I found this rolling 12 drawer storage unit on Amazon.  We use it to store cameras and all the gear.  I created a charging center on the top but I do need to organize it better.  We took the wheels off the back side because the floor rises there and that also keeps the unit from rolling around while underway.

The last major storage unit besides 3 hanging lockers, is this entire wall of drawers for clothing, shoes, hats, etc.  These drawers are very deep and can hold 2 seasons (hot and cold) worth of clothing which I think is fantastic for a boat.  The last full length cabinet at the end holds laundry and cleaning supplies. There is a mirror on the wall at the end which at first glance makes it look like the drawers go a really long way.  LOL 

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The drawers under the TV are for office type stuff.

The TV swings out for more space behind.  Right now I am storing my cricut, sewing machine with tool box for accessories, and of course, the printer.  Then the TV swings back to hide them.  

There is also quite a bit of storage area under the settees,

And that is it for general storage on the Archimedes.

Storage for tools and boat parts is another entire post of it's own.

The Archimedes is a large boat at 45' but is really only comfortable for 2 people the way we have it configured.

 

November 15, 2025 - Down to Check on the Arc

 A week ago today, Saturday, we departed for Florida for a boat check.  It's been several months and it's always good to make sure everything is ok with the Arc.  We had plans to bring the Flair RV down to use as a guest house but someone had other plans.

 

It seems everyone was ready to go except for the Flair itself!  Ha!  As we were driving to Elizabethton, we noticed a clicking sound and as we went further along it got worse and we began to smell something burning.  We immediately pulled over in the Auto Zone parking lot and called AAA and back to Stoney Acres we went.  Carter worked all afternoon on this situation and decided that even though the caliper situation was fixed, there was likely something else that he wanted to check out before we took the RV for a long trip.  We unloaded all the cargo going to Florida and loaded it into the Venza and departed the next morning. 

Radar is such a good sport about traveling. He slept on top of that tote for the entire 12 hour trip.

We arrived at Our Little Marina pretty early, way before sunset.  Carter, seeing the boat had turned green, decided that the first order of business was to take the Arc out into the river to give it a good pressure washing.  Yea, it was pretty bad, but looks much better now.

We departed on Sunday and anchored at Masons Creek.  

Florida still has beautiful sunsets.

Our first sunset on this trip.

Monday:  Our first sunrise looking out the kitchen window.  Anchored at Masons Creek.

Both Carter and I are getting anxious to get back into our cruising lifestyle and wake up to this every morning to a gorgeous sunrise and end each day with dinner on the deck with a beautiful sunset.

Monday we cruised down to just past Rice Creek and spent the day pressure washing the boat. 

On Tuesday, we went to Crystal Cove Marina for a potty dump and fill the tanks back up with water.  My bad...I used the marina hose which evidently was not drinking water certified and now we can't drink the water from our water tanks. It has a strong smell of rubber. Then we cruised back to Palmetto Bluff just in time to enter back into the canal to Our Little Marina at high tide.

Next up, Wednesday was to clean up the property.  After months of neglect, it was in need of weed eating.  Unfortunately, the weed eater decided to act up and Carter was not able to do a very good job but he was able to go ahead and cut down a few trees to enlarge the parking space in preparation for the Flair's arrival next trip down.  

Thursday:  After clearing the parking area, we loaded the whaler back onto the trailer so Carter could prepare it for another coat of paint.  

On Friday, we drove over to Silver Springs to check out a small trailer for sell that Carter felt would be good for a flip but nope...had too much rust on the underside.

On Saturday, while Carter sanded on the whaler, I had decided to give our mini washer a work out and wash up dirty clothes before returning to Tennessee.  I decided "The Juice Is Not Worth The Squeeze."  LOL

It wasn't as fun as I remember it.

And where was Radar?  

Sleeping like a baby in the back seat of the Venza.

He's a sweet boy.

We finished off this trip with a run to the dump and hauled off all the stuff I pointed out in the video.  

Feels good to have that done.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we plan to pack the Venza back up and finish any little odd jobs we missed.

We will depart for Tennessee very early Monday morning.  I have another appointment with the Urologist on Wednesday.

All missions accomplished.  Good Trip.

Updating 2024-25

 After reviewing my last couple posts, I see that I have not updated some of the work Carter has accomplished since Thanksgiving last year.  As an explanation, I'll tell you that this past January, I (Diane) was diagnosed with cancer and was pre-occupied in Tennessee with surgeries and treatments for the next six months.  Carter made a couple trips down to Florida and accomplished a few projects whenever I was well enough for him to step out for a minute and of course, I joined him when I was able.  I am happy to report that at this point in time, I am cancer free and feeling fine. 

Before all the work got started, Carter and I took the Archimedes out to participate in a Christmas boat parade in early December.  Each year, we try to participate in a boat parade somewhere in the area that we currently happen to be, which we chose Ponte Verde this year.  This cruise up the St. Johns River and down the ICW to Ponte Verde was awesome!.. Super COLD but Awesome.

Jacksonville is always an experience.  The free City Dock was closed due to damage caused by the latest hurricane forcing us to run late into the evening to reach a spot behind an island that is safe for us to anchor, out of the way of cargo ships.

The night lights in Jacksonville are a stunning site to see.

Sunrise means it's time to get on down the road so we can make it to the ICW in time to ride in on the flood tide and follow it on down the ICW for as long as it lasts.

It's nice to be back in the waters where the dolphins play!

Ponte Verde for the Christmas Boat Parade.

Unfortunately, it was SO cold that entire trip that we were unable to stay outdoors long enough to get all our lights out but we feel that we got enough out to make a decent showing.  We normally have all the solar panels outlined.  The forward main array did not get done this year.

Now, for the work that got done ... 

The top deck finally got it's last coat.  I think it looks SO nice!

At the same time, Carter worked on the sun deck.  He finished scraping all the old paint off , I had been working on that for several months last year, and he repainted it with liquid rubber with non-skid.  

We really like it.

Carter also put a fresh coat of polyurethane on the companion way doors to spruce them up a little.

Main Companion Way

Engine Room Entrance

And then it was back to Tennessee for the summer. 

See you in the fall when we will be installing the last of the new solar panels 

and the new electric motor!!

June 1, 2025 - Life Gets Wonky At Times

 It's been a little over a year since I've posted here.  Our summer in Tennessee went well last year completing several projects to the property and a fun project for Carter.  He found a "free to a good home" 27' Buccaneer and decided it would make a great electric boat for the lakes in Tennessee.  So...it came home.  Carter and his son Nick loaded up the boat from Watauga Lake onto Nicks flatbed trailer and it stayed in the yard for quite a while until Carter found a proper trailer for it.  But now they needed a way to transfer the boat from the flatbed onto the trailer.  Nick got hold of some leftover scaffolding and the two of them built a boat lift.  Works great!

On our last trip to Palatka to pump out and fill up water before heading back to Tennessee, we ran into a boat from the days back in LaBelle.  The Amara Zee.

We spent the first night out in Deep Creek after running away from a huge storm front.  We anchored just inside Deep Creek when the storm passed right over top of us.

The next morning we headed down to Palatka and ran into a young couple that has begun their journey to 100% solar power travel.  Their sail boat is Horus and they have a YouTube channel named Sailing Horus.

We returned back to our home port and departed for the summer in Tennessee.