Missing the Water

There's not much to add since I'm still with family, but man am I missing my boat! I have so many projects swimming around in my head that I want to accomplish and I cant do a one! I did add a whole slew of links that I have collected over the years that I thought were useful, so enjoy.

Sailing into the Future

or Deciding what to do with a 40 year old engine...

For a while now, I have been considering replacing my old Universal Atomic 4 in my boat with a new diesel. Its cantankerous, smelly, and the damn exhaust riser seeps more exhaust into the engine compartment than through the actual exhaust system... plus its a gasoline A4, so I have to constantly be mindful of keeping the engine compartment ventilated to prevent gas fume buildup. Its a great engine when it works, but it and Murphy are best pals apparently.
Of course, an engine repower is a very expensive undertaking, so I like to take my time and research all my options whenever a purchase will make my wallet scream. During my search for a new engine which included Yanmar, Volvo, Betamarine, and a couple of others, I stumbled upon several blogs of sailors who have converted to electrical propulsion. Now being a former Navy Electrician before I was commissioned, that intrigued me greatly so I started to investigate that as an option.  As I read more and more into this new possibility, I also started to look at Solar and Wind power generation for not my house bank, but also a theoretical 48V propulsion bank for an electrical engine.

So with all that said, I'm sure that you can guess my state of mind now. I have decided to take the plunge and go with an electrical propulsion system. I have seen several that have peaked my interest and I will be researching them further. It will be an interesting undertaking to say the least.

I've added several links that I read that lead to community portals as well as individual blogs detailing their experiences with Electric Propulsion. 

A Christmas Song

Sail on the horizons, gotta landfall rendezvous

Captain steers a well known course, he steers straight and true
As he trims the sheets, he sings a song he learned on boats and bars
Sailor spends his Christmas in a harbor 'neath the stars

He's traveled through the doldrums, typhoons and hurricanes
He's logged a million soggy miles with water on his brain
But Christmas is the season better suited for dry land
He'll tell some lies, meet some spies and dance barefoot in the sand

The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbor on the hook
Caye con les, no work today, let's shell the ol' log book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun
The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbor having fun

There's a party down at Le Selecte, music, rum and cheers
Faces in the shadows, God, I haven't seen for years
A mast and shroud fill with lights 'neath the waning of the moon
They're an airy celebration in the realm of King Neptune

The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbor on the hook
Caye con les, no work today, let's shell the ol' log book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun
The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbor having fun

Jesus was a fisherman who walked upon the sea
The North Pole is ocean's remote frozen balcony
The continents keep drifting but the children sing and play
'Cause nothing really matters, after all it's Christmas day

The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour on the hook
Vaye con les, no work today, he read it in a book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun
A sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour having fun
A sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour having fun
Havin' fun, havin' fun, havin' fun

                                             -A Sailor's Christmas
                                              Jimmy Buffet

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

UA and Living Aboard

I have been UA (Unauthorized Absence) from this blog for over a year... what the hell.

Well, to explain, I lost my job in January of 2014 and have been looking for work ever since. Since I was unemployed, a lot of the projects that I wanted to start on Liberty Call were put on hold as I just could not afford them at the time, and honestly, who wants to look at blog posts about being unemployed, that's just depressing.

I used to be a government contractor. It paid very well and I worked for a great company, but they just couldn't keep my job when the Feds closed up everything in 2013-2014. Its ok though, I've realized that I don't need as much money as I used to (Shocker), so taking a job with a smaller paycheck is not as big of a deal anymore.

Now on the job front, thats still a work in progress, but I've decided to take advantage of my Veteran's Benefits and go back to school on the 9/11 GI Bill. That will pay for classes as well as cover my living expenses, so the job front gets a little more flexible.

As for Liberty Call, I'm still working and living on her. I'm in the sun all the time (thanks San Diego!) and I feel better than I have in years...

(UA is a navy term that replaced the older AWOL. It means the same thing. Absent from your duty station without permission.)