Powering a Sailboat While Cruising

Easter is rapidly approaching. Are you a grandparent out during prime time cruising season? Are you going to miss your grandchildren giggling and laughing while scrambling to find those precious colorful eggs? How do you find the balance of family and passion?

The internet has change many things for the better.  It is helping travelers stay connected to family and friends during sentimental times by connecting them through videos and chat.  Now you can even go “Live” to share instant moments on platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat.  Traveling Grandparents can watch special moments that parents caught on their phones.

To share in those precious moments you must stay up with technology. You must power the many devices, which can be a challenge while traveling in your home on the water.  This challenge can be  sore spot in many traveling couple's relationship. The constant management of power can be exhausting.  The constant drain on stored energy these devices take can add up fast. Oh and the components needed to transfer that energy.  What the heck is an inverter and why do we need it?

Since all vessels work on DC power like a car the DC power must be converted to AC power to operate most devices.  Inverters are used to convert the power.  Generators are also used to create AC power.  You may also use solar or wind to fill battery banks up then invert the DC power to AC.  You can also simply run the engine to generate the power. Each Captain has their own preference and pocket book to which process they will use on their vessel.  All this work to operate that laptop or phone to watch those precious videos of your grandchildren's first Easter egg hunt.

I know I am one of these grandparents. I too will be missing a very special boy's first Easter egg hunt. I will make sure my devices are charged and my Wi-Fi connection is strong. So you are not alone.

I asked a few groups of travelers.  Many of them expressed their sadness of missing those special moments but felt traveling was worth it. Others felt their fellow travelers were now their family.  Yet others said they were very content with the videos because it shielded them from the drama that sometimes comes with visits with family.  I admit, I am with those people. I dont mind the videos and pictures.

Maybe I can kidnap my GMan one day. Hehe

Back On The Hook

I am married to a Get ‘er Done kind of man.  He has rushed through his to-do list like a mad man.  I am proud to call him mine.

Let’s see, well we had our 15th year anniversary.  We almost forgot it, but Google Calendar and Facebook reminded us in time to have a bacon cheeseburger over at the Shack.  See I’m a cheap date, sometimes.

We then left Tijax Marina to get back on the hook.  Unfortunately, we discovered we had a stow away.  Yes, a RAT!.  

The next day we hauled out at RAM Marina to have a quick bottom paint job done.  While on the hard we bunked with some friends.  I was hoping that Rat would find his way off the boat or get caught in the trap Steve set for him. But no luck, he actually did get caught once but destroyed the trap escaping.

We were back in the water in a few days and I purchased a cage trap and poison.  It was time for him to be removed off one way or another.  He was getting very brave after destroying the trap.  Our first night back on the hook he ventured out of the engine room across the counter while we were eating dinner.  Let me tell you, that was NOT cool.  I dislike really only a few animals and Rats are one of them. A childhood story thing.  

So got some gloves on, mixed up a combination of refried beans, some chicken off the one I just cooked and poison.  I put it inside the cage and set it.  Went back to eating my own dinner.  Within ten minutes he was in there, except his tail.  UGGG

He ate his dinner then proceeded to attempt to destroy the cage..  

 Sorry had to throw in pics of my GMan

Well I’m sure I will receive an animal cruelty award and I won't get a house sitting job caring for rodents because he was escorted off the boat right then.  Yep into the water.

So he is gone and we have not seen signs of another.  We still are sleeping slightly in fear but it is getting better.

Now we will wait for a nice weather window to sail to the Honduras Bay Islands.  Weather has been pleasant here but wind is coming from the wrong direction.  

Our French kitty is needing our assistance for a few days so that makes it a pleasure to wait for a perfect window.  I am the Boat Diva.. hahahah

Everything is checked off Steve’s list except installing the autopilot. This time waiting will allow him to complete that job. He doesn't seem eager to conquer that job at all.  Maybe reading this will encourage him.

Well that is it for now my friends, remember to please be good to yourself and to Others.

Houston, We have landed

WOW! WOW We are home!!!!!  IT is such an Awesome Feeling!!!!  We are so grateful for EVERYTHING!  We sure have missed our little Saga Sea boat.  She did awesome with the help of the Harbour Master, Oscar, here at Tijax Marina in the Rio Dulce.  This will be her home every Hurricane season for the foreseeable future.  

Well, let's see where did I leave off with the blog…?  Ok, we struggled some with packing and staying within the 50 lb limit for each bag.  Our two huge suitcases went to four for weight reasons and we still had one 3lbs over the limit.  Our two carry on bags were completely full with electronics as well.  But we managed and got everything here with no other issues.  Steve’s carry on bag was searched because he had the boat zincs in his bag and they looked suspicious.  Schooner’s paperwork all passed with NO problems or questions… actually the airlines Never asked for her paperwork which was interesting.  

Our driver, William, with Otto’s Tours met us and whisked us out of the city with very little delay. The rest of the drive was slow and lots of vehicle exhaust.  Vehicle exhaust is always something that takes us some time getting used to in the cities. 

 The road to the Rio is a two lane road that has been under lots of maintenance but we were lucky enough to miss the work because it was suspended for the holidays.  The road has a lot of large truck traffic taking supplies in and out of Guatemala City.  Schooner and I slept for most of the trip down.  

We managed to get the bags in the water taxi across to the marina and had the bags unloaded about 10pm that night.  Score!  Saga Sea looked awesome inside and out and I slept like a rock.  The next day Steve and I got right on our projects, well after some well deserved coffee and a good breakfast at Tijax Marina’s  restaurant.  I unloaded all the lockers (cabinets) and washed them all out with vinegar then a spritz of clove oil and water.  I washed everything in the galley.

Steve stayed busy bringing back all the systems in working order.  DC and AC power, refrigeration, the toilet, the propane and stove, VHF radio, AIS, the Wifi booster, got the dinghy back in the water and outboard running, of course all the covers off, and then he flushed the water tanks.  He has been steadily going down his huge list.  Cleaning all his tools and getting everything back in their place.  

We have also tried to see some of our core group of friends that happen to still be here.  We know a lot of people but we of course have our core friends that we just really click with.  We were so excited that many of them are here… of course others are all over the world.  I can’t tell you how good it is to be with like minded people.  We are no longer the misfits. Now we are with all the other misfits, well misfit boat people.  

So we brought in the new years on top of the bridge here in Fronteres.  It is a pretty popular bridge in Guatemala. We were surprised that more people weren’t on it at midnight. You can see all the fireworks from that spot, a 360 view.  We haven’t celebrated the 1st in many years, it was a nice change but a nap was needed to pull it off.

Other news is that we have beat our supply shipment.  The hurricanes this year really pushed the shipping industry back so everything is being processed very slowly.  They are extremely backed up.  We hope to have it arrive next week, which works out because it is giving us a chance to get the boat ready to receive it and Steve won’t be too overwhelmed with projects.  

Guess that is about it. We will continue to get the boat ready to sail back to the Bay Islands then onto Isla Mujeres.  Remember everything takes a lot of work, even to do simple things, so we are back on “Island Time” …  Time to enjoy Life and all its twists and turns.

Until next time my friends, be good to Yourself and OTHERS..