Macerator Pump and other Projects

So Phil has the macerator pump in, wired with the switch covered with red electrical tape so no one uses it. Why?  Because you can't use this pump on any inland water ways - have to wait until 3 miles off shore before it can be used.  This is in preparation for where there are no pump out stations or where we are off shore, we'll be able to pump out our holding tank.

Another project Phil has been working on is the ham radio installation (ICom 735 radio).  He has the IC-735 radio screwed onto the shelf close to the chart table and also has the antenna turner attached under the quarter berth shelf so that it doesn't take up valuable shelf space.  Next he has to wire it with coax 2 to the insulated back stay for us to be able to get a better signal.

Katie will be leaving Sunday to return to Dayton.  I'll be taking her and picking up my nephew, Desmond, from my Dad and meeting my sister Cheryl in Columbus.  She has been trying to get her fill of reading, but don't get me wrong, she does more than read.  She's made friends with many of the members and she's has been doing a great job of making sour cherry pies for Friday potluck at Grand River Yacht Club and then make a sweet cherry pies Sunday - which were both great hits with all involved.  She wants to make a strawberry pie just for us - and then I'm hoping that she'll make zucchini crisp - which is suppose to taste like apple crisp, for this Friday's potluck.  But before she can do cooking, she'll be going to the post office to apply for a passport - so if she wants to visit us between Thanksgiving and New Years she can come with us to the Bahamas.

My project has been making a V-berth quilt for when we are still in the States on our way down.  Last year it was cold and when the Port Stanley Sailing Squadron group went, it was also cold for them.  I want to be prepared so at least we're warm sleeping (I hope).  This past weekend, Katie and I layed out the 3 layers and spent the afternoon basting the quilt. Since we have so much to do to get ready, my plan is to tie the quilt and bind it.  Then if I do have the time, I plan to machine quilt it and worry about removing the ties later.  This quilt is layed out on 5 picnic tables on the enclosed patio.  It seems huge, but then when I laid out the current V-berth quilt and decided how much to cut it down, I wasted only about 5" all around.  Lucky for me I'm still flexible to do this, with moving around enough so as not to get stiff.  It's hard to see but the bottom is a maroon flat sheet and the top is the cream colored flannel fabric that I bought a long time ago at Erie Street Fabrics, which has since closed.  This isn't fancy - just something to get the job done.  I have been spending time the last few evenings tieing the quilt, as you can see in the picture above listening to my book on tape while Phil was taking a shower.

The next big project that Phil and I will be working on together is sewing the Bimini cover.  We got the fabric shipped to us this week.   We want to start it on Saturday and hope to get it finished by the next weekend, if not before.  That's one item that is a must to complete on the to do list to complete as it will be too much sun if we don't have shade in the tropics.

To end this post, my parents were up in Cleveland area showing Desmond the sights - so they visited on Sunday.  We took Desmond sailing and here is a picture of them at our dock. We enjoyed having them see our new home and had a nice dinner at the club house.