Rigging and New Frig - Check!

When last we left off, the fellas had relocated one solar panel and installed a new one...we were just waiting to get some wiring and a controller unit to finish the job.  Also in our last episode, Jon had started tackling the new refrigerator installation, and we were hopeful that the riggers would keep us on the schedule for Thursday.

Lest you think that we have suddenly matured, think again.  Some people (but you won't admit it) will get this just from the photo of Jon and Mark, who are clearly cool guys...

But in case you are a grown up (unlike us):  Cool guy Zach Sawyer (aka Stewy Griffin of the always classy and tasteful show, Family Guy).  Just wait until they recreate the taking your guitar to college episode ;-)

 
Ok, so the next day work startted again around the boat with Project Number One being the refrigerator.  There is simply no way to capture the amount of effort and work that Jon put into this project and the results are awesome.  Here are some shots of all his work on Wednesday...

Setting up the GoPro to document their work ;-)

Gotta get the old one out first

Except the cover over the cable conduit was blocking it in, so they had to cut it.  Never fun to have to cut up the boat.

But they did a clean job and out came the old gal...she was a big 'un

That's a lot of space in there and it was pretty nasty

Barf, that's nasty

Took the door off and out it went.

The clean up crew

Prepping reinforcements behind the trim molding...it's going from being cosmetic to functional.  Jon reinforced it with wood and Mark contributed the epoxy and some fiberglass parts so it is now a solid structurally sound piece.

Cutting pieces for the plinth that the frig will sit on (plinth is 'edgamacated' for platform)

Wiring the new unit - a vent fan will be wired in to turn on whenever the frig fan comes on...and that will allow Mark to hear what would otherwise only be a quiet internal fan...cringing and rushing to check how many amps are being used will ensue...even though this is a very efficient unit ;-)

Looking good.

He does quality work and it's a rock solid base!

Fit test, it looks good so far

So dedicated that he worked after dark to get it varnished...varnish and other items were the result of our bike ride to Home Depot after overeating at lunch at guess where?!

Not to be outdone by Burdines, I am learning the wonders of Turkey SPAM and where there's a will there's a way--boat snacks!  And no, I never thought I would be buying and using SPAM so another 'never say never'

Installing the Mark Amp Usage Warning System, aka vent fan for the new frig

In other very exciting news...exciting if you are Mark, Jon and Suzanne at least...Mark took our little Mercury for her last ride and to pick up the new Tohatsu outboard.  The Mercury will be going to a good home where she will be loved and well cared for; and yes, the new outboard is pretty cool and goes faster and there is a snowball's chance now that we may get up on plane.  I am not sure why that is so important but I am sure it is and this time, I will just sit there quietly and look pretty hahaha.

Bye little Merc

Say hello to our little friend

And looks like yesterday was a less than toasty day at home...funny that we were talking about how hot it was here.  Tee hee!!

We are NOT here

Mmmmmm, toasty

So the sun had set on our Wednesday--still no green flash but we'll keep hoping!  

Hey Moon, you're looking nice and slim.  Why thanks Venus, you are as lovely and bright as always.

So today, Thursday, had promised to be a BIG day in Stray Cat Project world.  The frig was going to be installed and wired in and the rigging company was going to be at the boat in the afternoon.  BUT, first we were going to have to move to the inside of the Harbor because no rigging company in their right mind would want to do work in the winds wave and wakes off the shore of Boot Key. (On the outside, the place where boats anchor also happens to be where the power boats, large-small-private-commercial, like to cut over from the channel marker.  Some seem to literally go out of their way to cut through and right up next to the anchored boats--at full throttle of course. Couple that with no protection from winds other than from the East or Northeast and you have some major rocking and rolling.  But it's good holding so we had that going for us.)

We came into the Harbor, took care of some boat housekeeping at, yes--Burdines, and found an "open" spot right past the bridge.  And I do mean "right past the bridge", the bridge that is very close to us, the bridge that is right there...and hopefully will stay right there since we are supposed to get up to 20 knot winds in the next day or so.  Someone (Me, Suzanne) did not do well with anchoring (as usualy) so someone else (Jon) had to give step by step instructions and we were set.  Luckily Jon has patience but perhaps I was not wrong when I said I should stick to cooking and cleaning up since that still seems to be something I can still do right...waaaa, what a baby bratty pants I am.

Good thing we have a nicely set anchor...other than being so close to the bridge in 20 knot winds, it's a good spot.  There's even a nice man on the boat next door who apparently wants to learn about yoga...at least that is what I assumed from him watching me do yoga for 20 minutes today ;-)

At night when you look out, you see at least 300 anchor lights in the Harbor where there are 240-something mooring balls plus a ton of anchored boats.  It's surreal--like hundreds of stars that came down to earth for the night...looking at them is comforting somehow.

Work continued on the frig and Mark got to finally make a phone call using the SSB Radio.  He was thrilled to be able to call our dearest friend Chris and wish him a SSB Happy Birthday!  That was the first time he's used the SSB for calls which is how we'll make phone calls when we are out of cellular range.  It was a nice geeky treat and worked awesome.  Never thought we'd make a phone call over a short wave radio...never say never!

We got the call from the rigging team that they were en route so we all went over to the dock where Jon and I enjoyed lunch and Mark enjoyed picking up the rigging fellows and getting that project started finally.  We had been chasing rigging since Dania Beach before Christmas...Mark found Keys Rigging when we realized that going back to Dania just was not acceptable to us.  Badda bing badda boom and about four hours later as the sun set, they were done and we have replaced out frayed cables and everything is nice and tight now.  Good guys who explained what they did and why and gave Mark information on some things he can do or watch for.  Not going back to Dania = great decision!  Using Keys Rigging instead of the "other guys" = great decision! 

And if that wasn't enough...drum roll please......Jon finished the refrigerator install!!!  It looks awesome and he did a rock star job on it!  What a great day with two major things checked off the list!

That is one fine looking plinth.  Jon knows quality for sure!

Yay!!!!  It's a wonderful fit and secure and sturdy and works!

Best surprise of the day! Pimp Lights!!!!!!

Tomorrow we'll rent a care for the day to do some provisioning--5 cases of vegetables, remember?!  And pay a visit to Sean and Tania's place to pick up six packages we had delivered there.  So nice of them to let us use their address and they keep saying it's no big deal, we cannot thank them enough because they really helped out big time.  We are also driving to Key West for a couple hours to have lunch with Richard Matson who is an artist we like very much and did not have time to lunch with while there.  Then hopefully on Saturday (winds permitting), Sunday latest, we will leave here and make our way back to Dinner Key via Rodriguez Key.  So Island Khaya, if you are reading this, you have three days to hide from us LOL.  But you know we'll find you so don't even try to get away.

By the way, at Dinner Key there will be a couple other projects so if you need a project fix, like you need sunset picture fixes,  or Suzanne musing/rambling fixes, it'll be your lucky day--solar panel wiring and control module install is still to come.  Again, hopefully I can talk Captain Mark and First Mate Jon into doing a post for you to give you a break from me ;-)

From windy Boot Key Harbor, Happy Birthday Chris Brown and Christopher Callender and hope everyone is staying warm at home.  XO Suzanne