March 8 Update

It's been awhile since I posted!  Things have been a bit hectic lately, included a business trip to Miami last weekend.  My hotel room had a view over Biscayne Bay and it seemed like the boat traffic was non-stop.  I wish I'd had time to get out on the water while I was there.

When we went to Alameda last month we got an estimate from Star Marine on having the inverter installed and getting our electrical system cleaned up so it makes more sense.  For instance the "house" battery is currently not hooked up to the "house" panel.  Little anomalies like that.  We'd been thinking about doing it ourselves but considering how frustrating our electrical issues have been, how long we've had this inverter sitting on the boat, and not to mention that amateurs and electricity can be a dangerous mix, we decided to put this one in professional hands.  We take the boat this weekend to have the work started on Monday.  It is supposed to be in the shop for a week but we know how that goes.  We have been very impressed with Star Marine so far and have high hopes for this project.



One of the things they will do is remove our existing "house" battery and replace it with two banks of golf cart batteries.  One will have four batteries and one will have two.  They idea being to run off the four battery bank and keep the two battery bank in reserve.  We will have to reroute a waste pipe in the engine room bilge to make room for the additional batteries (our project for Saturday).  We actually have room for two more batteries in another section of the bilge but that would require rerouting several more hoses and moving some strainers and the bilge pump float switch, so we are reserving that project for later!  (If we determine we need the power.) 

We are a little bummed at the thought of being boatless again so soon but hopefully it will only be a week.  We have a cruise out to Jack London Square in Oakland the weekend of the 24th-25th so the goal is to have the boat back by then for sure.  The weekend after that we will drive up to the Delta on Sunday (April 1st) to get our slip ready and they April 6th we will take the boat up there!  Can't wait.  We have been counting down the days! 

I hope to post some new pictures soon, now that we have our home computer fixed!