It is the morning following Tropical Storm Laura and we are happy to report that she came and went with only a whimper. We were super overly prepared this time and the entire harbor was a bed of activity yesterday as everyone moved boats, set up anchors, tied down items, etc. Luckily, we only had some high winds and a little rain for a few hours this morning so much less excitement than the last one! We had some excitement earlier in the week when we had gone into town to pick up trash for the launching of the new trashcans. I received a call from one of the other sailors letting me know that Gone Galt had decided to break away from the mooring again and go on a walkabout around the bay. Bill and I were on different blocks collecting trash so by the time I alerted him and we both ran back to the dinghy, Poppo had secured Galt back onto the broken mooring. Since this was the third time we have had issues with the mooring, Poppo assured us he would “fix good” this time. He showed up later with a brown rope instead of a yellow one like we had previously…..evidently the change in color means that we are now secure….hmmmm….we are not as trusting as Poppo is in the color brown so needless to say, Bill dropped and secured the anchor prior to the storm last night! Galt must have been tired after his earlier walkabout because he stayed right where he belonged all night. Maybe the color brown is the answer after all!
The rest of the week, we have been dealing with our solar and wind set up. Here is a very brief synopsis of what is needed to generate power on a boat: diesel generator, solar panels and wind generator, wires, controller unit (so you don’t overcharge and fry the batteries or run too low and drain the batteries beyond saving), batteries and a converter to convert the power from 12V to 120V so that you can run 120V appliances. Our only appliances are the following: refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, 3 fans, a CPAP, 2 computers, 2 cell phones and a tv. Well, you might be thinking, “That doesn’t sound like too much energy needed…how hard can it be?” I am here to tell you….VERY! If I try to make coffee and warm up something in the microwave at the same time, it trips the breaker. If we run the fans and the tv (only about 2 to 3 hours at night), we have to start the generator in order to have enough electricity to get through the night. Generally, we have to shut off the refrigerator for a few hours every day to keep the power charged. So, it is definitely time for upgrades! I have learned more about volts, watts and amps this week than I ever wanted to know. We think the solution is to have 4 solar panels rather than just 2 (they are 77 inches X 40 inches so try to find that space on a boat!!) as well as our wind generator and two smaller flexible panels. We need to change out our charge controllers so that they can handle the extra load. So I am here to say…..any politician or scientist hired by a politician that tells you that the United States can run on wind and solar power given today’s technology is delusional! We can’t even get enough generated for our 46 foot sailboat to be fossil free….and I didn’t even mention that we have had no power generation for the past two days due to no sun and either no wind or wind too strong so the wind generator shuts itself down in protection mode…..I miss Duke Power and just flicking on a switch without giving it a second thought! So, now we are waiting for our new bimini design (bimini is a shade cover that is over the deck area) which will hopefully be able to house at least 2 of the four solar panels. Bill and one of the locals are working diligently to get it completed so that Sally can finally make coffee again in the morning! Until then, I will continue to survive with no first world necessities like a refrigerator and a microwave….ah, the sacrifices that we make to live in paradise!
1 Comment
Meredith Williams
8/26/2020 09:39:57 pm
Love reading your posts. Cant help but think back to when we got our camper and you were not thrilled with camping. I remember telling you like on a boat is the same.....its just a camper on water lol. Hope you get your coffee and microwave together soon. I can remember during my hair while microwaving and it killed the generator. Enjoy your adventures. It sounds amazing.
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AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
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