Updating 2024-25

 After reviewing my last couple posts, I see that I have not updated some of the work Carter has accomplished since Thanksgiving last year.  As an explanation, I'll tell you that this past January, I (Diane) was diagnosed with cancer and was pre-occupied in Tennessee with surgeries and treatments for the next six months.  Carter made a couple trips down to Florida and accomplished a few projects whenever I was well enough for him to step out for a minute and of course, I joined him when I was able.  I am happy to report that at this point in time, I am cancer free and feeling fine. 

Before all the work got started, Carter and I took the Archimedes out to participate in a Christmas boat parade in early December.  Each year, we try to participate in a boat parade somewhere in the area that we currently happen to be, which we chose Ponte Verde this year.  This cruise up the St. Johns River and down the ICW to Ponte Verde was awesome!.. Super COLD but Awesome.

Jacksonville is always an experience.  The free City Dock was closed due to damage caused by the latest hurricane forcing us to run late into the evening to reach a spot behind an island that is safe for us to anchor, out of the way of cargo ships.

The night lights in Jacksonville are a stunning site to see.

Sunrise means it's time to get on down the road so we can make it to the ICW in time to ride in on the flood tide and follow it on down the ICW for as long as it lasts.

It's nice to be back in the waters where the dolphins play!

Ponte Verde for the Christmas Boat Parade.

Unfortunately, it was SO cold that entire trip that we were unable to stay outdoors long enough to get all our lights out but we feel that we got enough out to make a decent showing.  We normally have all the solar panels outlined.  The forward main array did not get done this year.

Now, for the work that got done ... 

The top deck finally got it's last coat.  I think it looks SO nice!

At the same time, Carter worked on the sun deck.  He finished scraping all the old paint off , I had been working on that for several months last year, and he repainted it with liquid rubber with non-skid.  

We really like it.

Carter also put a fresh coat of polyurethane on the companion way doors to spruce them up a little.

Main Companion Way

Engine Room Entrance

And then it was back to Tennessee for the summer. 

See you in the fall when we will be installing the last of the new solar panels 

and the new electric motor!!

June 1, 2025 - Life Gets Wonky At Times

 It's been a little over a year since I've posted here.  Our summer in Tennessee went well last year completing several projects to the property and a fun project for Carter.  He found a "free to a good home" 27' Buccaneer and decided it would make a great electric boat for the lakes in Tennessee.  So...it came home.  Carter and his son Nick loaded up the boat from Watauga Lake onto Nicks flatbed trailer and it stayed in the yard for quite a while until Carter found a proper trailer for it.  But now they needed a way to transfer the boat from the flatbed onto the trailer.  Nick got hold of some leftover scaffolding and the two of them built a boat lift.  Works great!

On our last trip to Palatka to pump out and fill up water before heading back to Tennessee, we ran into a boat from the days back in LaBelle.  The Amara Zee.

We spent the first night out in Deep Creek after running away from a huge storm front.  We anchored just inside Deep Creek when the storm passed right over top of us.

The next morning we headed down to Palatka and ran into a young couple that has begun their journey to 100% solar power travel.  Their sail boat is Horus and they have a YouTube channel named Sailing Horus.

We returned back to our home port and departed for the summer in Tennessee.

May 24th, 2024 Update - Powering Through May

 May has been HOT, but we knew that it would be.  It's been slow going this season what with travel, cold weather, rain...you name it.  The weather finally turned nice and we dug in our heels as best we could.

After the deck at dockside, we put the remaining decking that came with the property, and laid out decking around the working area of the connex.  It works out well.

Next, I washed the backside and end of the connex, primed rust spots, and then painted the 2 sides hunter green.  I'll do the doors and front side when we return this fall.

From this...to (see below)

While I was outside painting, Carter was inside the connex finishing up the insulation.  We have been trying to clean everything up and put away and decided that there is not better place to store large items than to put them where they belong, so he got to work.

Beginning to cut the strips that go up first.

Gluing them in the 'corrugated' spaces with spray seal. 

He next covered the entire corrugated wall with a full sheet and glued it down.  He cobbled up some boards to hold them in place until they dried.

The last ceiling sheet is next.

He only had a small amount of paint so he used it behind his work bench.

A view of the entrance.

Looking to the back.  The remaining solar panels for the starboard array are behind the plywood.  Once those are installed on the boat this will free up quite a bit of storage space.  He still has a couple of wall boards to put up behind the shelving above the solar panels and directly beside it.  We had to load this thing full before we could actually begin the insulation so there's going to be a small bit of back tracking to completely finish.

May 7, 2024 - Update

 We have been very busy since I last posted.  First, we finally got to call Rich over to help change out the panels.  The two guys changed out the forward arrays and the port side of the sun deck.  Carter and I have removed the port side main array and are now waiting for the metal to create new framing to become available to us.  Our original order was damaged in the warehouse and we have been waiting for 2 weeks now for replacement but no luck as yet.

So, since we are stalled on panel replacement, we moved on to the deck.  On Sunday, the 5th, we began running the strings and beginning digging post holes.

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May 6th - Morning hours only

May 7th - Evening hours only

May 8th  Morning and Evening Hours

We will work on the support structure tomorrow and then on to the sheathing.  

All the support structure is complete and we laid the slates from the finger pier down so we can access the boat safely.

Keep in mind that these are not screwed down yet and the other 1/2 of the lumber is still on the top of the truck.  This is all todays work.  Then we will connect the first of the 2 finger piers as ramps to the stairs and the other to the road down to the canal front.

And here is the final result.  We are so happy with it!!

March 27th, 2024 - Update

  Carter has to install a mini-split today for a couple we met some months ago.  He had to go to Jacksonville yesterday to get aluminum channel for this guy, Rich, an some for himself for the solar panel install.  Rich is going to assist Carter with the install in exchange for the mini-split install.  But, before we left for Jacksonville, we put on a 2nd coat of epoxy on the superstructure and a large portion of the sides. He rolled in on while I tipped it right behind him. He had already sanded all parts of the 1st coat. That made the job go much faster.  This project is going well.

While Carter went over to Rich's to work, I stayed home and worked on my latest embroidery project.  I completed the embroidery before leaving Tennessee (2 16 hour days to complete) so today I fray checked all the ends, dissolved the stabilizer and pre-cut some iron on softy to cover the embroidery on the inside so it doesn't scratch the baby's head.

Update:  Here's the finished baby bonnet and booties for Ezri.

Love it!  And so did Zach and Tera.