Friday, December 3, 2010

USE THE TIME

St. Augustine, FL 29º53.153N | 81º18.319W



Okay, the weather and water have been rough this week. For two days now, we haven't even left the boat. With the freezing cold, high wind and choppy water, a one-mile dinghy ride was about as attractive as a cold shower. On second thought, staying on the boat with the wind groaning in the rigging was not so appealing either -- especially since the only shower the boat offers right now is a cold one.

The good news is that the wind finally overcame the current, so the old mooring ball didn't torture us with the usual banging on the hull.

In addition to prowling around restlessly, we tried to use the time productively. When we're not at a marina plugged into shore power (almost never), we have to produce our own electricity. Right now we have two means for doing that: the diesel engine and 350 watts of solar panels. Both charge our house batteries, which then feed our electrical needs: lights, refrigeration, electronics, water pressure, etc.

The LED bulbs I ordered were waiting for us in St. Augustine, so we swapped out our bulbs -- all 22 of them. As we hoped, the amp savings was huge, anywhere from .5 to 1.5 amps per light. The LEDs cost a hefty $9 each, but they sure give us a hefty step towards independence.


Meanwhile, Chip's working on recording a CD. He recorded his first original song, Missing Somebody, in The Aft Studio (the working name of his studio in Cara Mia's aft cabin -- we're taking name suggestions).

Incredible that today's technology allows him to record high quality tracks onboard with a tiny Mac, some instruments and a set of headphones. Lucky for me, the studio is not soundproof.

St. Augustine, FL 29º53.153N | 81º18.319W



1 comment:

  1. Tammy, where did you find LED bulbs for $9 each....I want some. Diane & Barney.

    ReplyDelete