Skip Gundlach wrote in part:

So, we're in Salt Creek Marina, and the only casualties from all the
hurricanes was the awning and some small bimini tears. My shoulder

I've been in correspondence with folks there and at one time the
security wasn't so good, but it may be better now.

operation went well but there was an infection which set me back; I may need
another operation later, but we won't know until this round of therapy is
finished.

Good luck with the therapy. My husband had really good luck with his.

. However, I've learned, over my life, that all things
happen in their own time and pushing them rarely works to do more than
frustrate the pusher! I will, however, this week, list my home.

A wise man.

snip

I'm taking out the AC, and the stern ducting is already gone. I bet I
gained not less than a cubic yard of storage just with the piping. It made
the painting of the interior of the closets a great deal easier, I can tell
you for sure. The forward pipes are next, and I believe I have the stern
unit sold; the forward and the generator will go on consignment with the
yard guy I'm using.

I'm taking out the generator because it takes up so much bloody room, and
everything I read suggests that I should easily be able to get my solar and
wind power to keep up with a very large load (I don't yet have the foggiest

We haven't had AC, but neither have we been in the tropics in the
summer. We do have a couple of fans that run off 12V, and - at
anchor- the boat may swing with the breeze so you won't need much in
the way of AC.

However friends who were in SF and came around through Mexico and the
Caribbean were advised to install a reverse cycle AC so that they
could use it for heat. They were quite glad of the heat in some
places.

We don't have a heater in the boat either, and we usually just bundle
up and sometimes burn oil lamps for a bit more heat. But when it gets
below about 40 deg F, we'd like to be at the dock and plugged in.

As far as the genset goes - we don't have one of those either, but it
has been on our list to get. However the main reason we wanted it was
to be able to refill our scuba bottles without having to take them
ashore and pay to have them filled somewhere. We don't need it to
charge the batteries.

If your solar panels and wind generator do not do the job, I suppose
you can always run the engine a bit to recharge the batteries.

We have two banks of 4 golf cart batteries (instead of a house bank
and a starting bank), with 4 solar panels and a wind generator and we
have no problem of inadequate electrical supply. Bob switches between
the two banks by date (uneven days he uses #1 bank and even days he
uses #2 bank - splitting the difference if the month has 31 days -
that way he doesn't have to remember whether he's switched or not - he
can just look).

In addition to the anchor light, we run my computer, the TV, the
follow me antenna, and reading lights in the aft cabin (where we
sleep) and sometimes fans and radios (like SSB) in the evening or at
anchor. Underway we run the autopilot, radar and radios.

of clues about how much electrical budget I'll need, but if I can generate a
couple hundred amp hours a day, it shouldn't matter!). I'm also doing new
refrigeration, beginning with taking off the counter top and redoing the
insulation, also probably adding insulation *inside* the box, and redoing
the top to include two holes and stout insulation. I've not yet really done
enough research, but it looks like Glacier Bay DC and holding plates, with
"gray board" with foil on both sides, about 4" buildup on all sides (making
about an R60). That should still allow me a usable reefer/freezer
compartment which is bigger than my home box! and if I use small circulating
fans, the usage of the compressor ought to be fairly minimal. If I was
happier about the evaporators, I'd use that, as the load would be spread out
more evenly, but, as above about solar and wind.

We do not have a refrigeration system that runs off the batteries.
Ours is a dual system for 110 and engine driven. So we run the engine
twice a day for not more than 45 minutes to renew the coldness. All
the refrigeration experts say this will not work, and we do have to be
careful with it. The PO had to have it rebuild 3 times before he
discovered the secret to it.

We also have FAR too much space in the refer/freezer - I think it is
17 cubic feet. You don't need that much for two of you or even more
people than that especially if you use non-refrigerated storage
methods for those things that really don't need to be refrigerated.


grandma Rosalie