2023-11-26 Projects - success and failures

We spent all Sunday and Monday morning in Cocoa Beach.   Sunday we decided it was time to work on hooking up our Starlink system.   We had to pull a wire from the bimini top down into the boat.  All went well

Starlink dish mounted on top of bimini arch

Once the wires were inside the boat, then came the hard work of converting it over to a 12 volt system (to save power by not using inverter)

We put the components needed behind the TV cabinet.  Tight space to work in.

Dean trying to work inside the cabinet

Several wiring projects needed to be done, and all went well, until Kris started making up some RJ45 connectors.   End of day, frustration, and hunger all added together.   One small tantrum later, and we stopped the project until we could get some different connectors that would be easier to wire.

Kris, right before tantrum stopped work

Monday we headed to town, to get some supplies from the hardware store.  Plus we just like the hardware store in Cocoa.

We liked this sign outside a bar

Nice mural in Cocoa

The Travis hardware store in Cooca is a huge store, and some what a tourist stop as well.  Very old store,  With many additions over time, making wandering the store quite fun.

Dean on an outside bridge that goes from one part of the store to another part.

After our trip to the hardware store, we upped anchor and headed south for about 10 miles, as the winds were changing, and needed better protection for the next few days.  

Our anchorage at Dragon Point had good protection.  We went ashore and went for a nice walk and had lunch out at Wendy's.

Saw this Gopher Tortoise in the park on our walk

Saw a man out herding his chicken away from a busy road

After lunch, headed back to boat, and on our way we say a dinghy drifting along with no one in it.  So we grabbed it and tied it up behind ours at the boat.   Called a local marina that was upwind from us, and let them know.  Luckily the people who lost it called the marina later, and they let them know we had rescued it, so they motored over in their boat and got it.  They were a family of four with two young kids, and very happy to have their dingy back.

Our dink, and one we saved 

Our friends on Sojourn had been heading south steadily, and finally got close to us.  They were heading to Vero the next day, so we did as well.   We met up in Vero Beach, rafted together, and had a nice Thanksgiving meal a day early with them.  Karen did a wonderful meal.  Kris made apple pie, and also had Meriwether - a couple on a smaller monohull join us.  Nice night.   Sojourn headed out the next morning, as they were going to head south, and off to the Bahamas as they wanted to catch the brief weather window that looked like a decent opening for the trip.

Duane and Karen on Sojourn - casting off early morning.

Thanksgiving day, Kris decided that she would work on the Starboard Engine. She had put in new glow plugs and cleaned the injectors on the port engine - and it was working great, so since we needed to put in one more glow plug on starboard, she decided to remove and clean the injectors on that engine as well.    All went well, until a nut was quite sticky.  Called in Deans help, to use two wrenches, and unfortunately - we still broke a piece.   Its Thanksgiving weekend so nothing open, in person or via internet.  So pretty much decided to stay in Vero Beach, on the mooring until we can get a replacement part.

This is supposed to be one part, not three separate pieces.  

With it being Thanksgiving weekend, we would have to wait until Monday to order the part so it time to work on other projects.   We decided to head to town and ride the bus to Home Depot, to get a better wrench for when we install the new part.  Vero Beach has a great free bus system.    We get picked up right at the dinghy dock.    To get to Home Depot, we do have to take a transfer.  

Waiting for next bus at transfer station

We had a nice lunch out - and no - not burgers.  Went for Chipotle this time.

Waiting for bus back.

We had several packages on order to arrive in Vero Beach.  Quite a few came in on Friday, so we started projects.  

Kris got the wiring done for Starlink - much easier with correct parts, and it is up and running now off of 12 volts, versus the 120 volts that Starlink comes with.

We know it looks messy, but behind TV cabinet is our Starlink, two routers, VHF controls, and storage for miscellaneous electronic stuff.

Dean had rewired our old lights for LED, and they worked great, but the switches on the old lights lets a bit of stray current through, so the LED lights would sometimes glow faintly when power was off.

Old light with LED light strips.

We have been looking for new ones, that are about the same dimensions, to hide the mounting holes in the ceiling.  Found some, and Dean hooked them up.

New LED light in bathroom

Dean  also put a water filter under the sink as we noticed some debris in our water after filling up from the dock

We made another bus ride to town - as Kris messed up and got the wrong size wrench - or maybe it was intentional so she could have lunch out again . 😁

We have a few more projects to work on while we wait on parts and packages. Then we will head south and make the Bahamas crossing.