Marine Air Conditioner Removal

The 75lb beast is out of the boat!! We removed the King-Air Marine Air Conditioner.

The removal took about 2 1/2 hours. The electrical connection was the easiest part. Fortunately, the unit was plugged into a dedicated, grounded outlet that the previous owner had installed and all we had to do was unplug it. This made disconnecting the power extremely easy and now we have a 20 amp electrical outlet, if we need it. After disconnecting the power and hoses from the unit, Bill had to remove some teak molding to pull the unit out. The unit might only weigh 75lbs, but those 75lbs were awkward and hard to hold, then add being on a floating boat. After Bill finally got the unit off the boat, our water line went down an inch! Well maybe not an inch, but at least a 1/8 of an inch. In any case, we could tell the difference.

To complete the job we had to remove the plumbing hoses. Good thing that we had a wet-dry vacuum, because there was almost 2 gallons of water in the hoses.

Another task off the list!! Only 90 to go (we're still adding to the list weekly).

Next Year At This Time ....

.... what will we be doing? If certain stars align, a year from now Val will have just completed her Coastal Cruising and Offshore sailing school; we will be on Thanksgiving holiday; Dy/KJ/Val/Aunt Jenny/Aunt Iris and I will be down in Orlando to have one final blow out as an extended family in Disney World; we will not own more stuff than will fit on the boat; the boat will be in a boat yard with all of its repairs done and just about to be put into the ocean; Dy will be potty trained and have completed her drown proofing class; KJ will be reading books with ease; and I will have contacted Guinness World Records to take of photo of me as I will be the proud owner of the biggest smile on a human face.

Thinking through the feelings and emotions that will come with accomplishing phase 1 of this bigger goal, transforming our lives to set sail, I wonder if there will be some sadness around completing the challenge. I assume there will be some. Fortunately, there will be another huge task looming, the setting of the sails to see the world.

I'm also struck by the sadness I will feel when I leave my friends. In general, I am not a social type and have only a few friends at any one time. It will be sad to leave them since I enjoy their companionship so very much. Because of how selective I am with friends, the friends I have all support this journey and that will make it much easier when it is time to go.

With the exception of the friend sadness, all the other stuff brings so much excitement that I'm getting physically pumped up about the trip as I type this! Let's go!

Lunch for 3 at $6.27 and gets us ready for the boat

This past weekend, the girls and I had the pleasure of a daddy daughters day; just KJ, Dy, and I for a few hours (and mommy gets some well deserved Val time). Off we went to have lunch, and when we showed up at our lunch location, there were 2 other families eating away ... each with kids the same age as KJ and Dy. We ordered our food and sat down.

I order a normal portion for me, and asked for 2 empty plates plus a cup of water. When my order arrived, I portioned out enough food for each girl, and we had a great lunch. As we ate, I looked around at what the others were eating.

It was very interesting that each of the other families ordered a meal for each of their children! One had given their kids full sized portions, the other one got kids meals. Of course, each adult had their own plate full too. While we were eating, a 4th family showed up and when their food was delivered, they too got a full portion for each kid and each adult!

I was sure to watch as the first 2 families finished off, and yep ... there was left over food that went right into the trash.

It is their business how they spend their money and dispense food however they see fit. Alas, those families could have easily saved $5-$10 each by simply sharing the food.

There is a reason why many cultures have communal plates that you take some food from for your own plate .... and it has to do with being efficient with your money and your food.

Another communal example for us is when Val and I go out for a dinner together. One of us will get a full portion, and the other will just order a side. Between the full portion and the 1 side, we always have plenty.

Next time you go out, see if you can go communal. The savings really do add up. Each of these dollars saved goes right to the trip, plus helps us prepare for the lifestyle on our boat.

Insecurity is Your Fault

"

Insecurity comes from vulnerability. The insecure person relies upon protectors— institutions and people who will guarantee results for him. Because he knows intuitively that his interests can’t possibly be the paramount interest in someone else’s life, he’s vulnerable and he knows it.

...

But security is always possible — financial, intellectual, and emotional security. However, it can come only from the willingness to handle whatever comes and the knowledge that you can do so.

The knowledge and willingness aren’t hard to come by when you form the habit of thinking in terms of the areas that you control. When you realize how much you can do that doesn’t depend upon the agreement of others, you know there’s nothing you can’t handle.

When situations are wrong for you, you can find better situations.

"

-Harry Browne from How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

Wow. Good stuff from Harry Browne that nails it. Insecurity is a self-imposed and self-correctable situation. Our security grows with every piece of knowledge we gain. The knowledge allows for us to become more and more self reliant.

No Air Conditioner on the Boat

Because of power consumption and one of our operating principles (spending as little time, as possible, at marinas), we decided to remove our existing air conditioning unit. From what we have read (on various forums), there always seems to be a nice breeze at anchor. It's the marinas that are stifling hot!

The unit is King-Air Marine Air Conditioner ( http://www.king-air.net ). From what I can tell, the it was purchased in 1995 and cost $2,000. The previous owners had it professionally installed into the boat, which probably cost them another $1,000. This unit probably weighs 75lbs. That is 75lbs we could be using for more important things, like food.

So if anyone needs a marine water cooled air conditioner really cheap, write us via comment to this post.