Storage on Belle

Here's the latest addition to the storage.  The idea is to have everything easily accessible.  I will store a couple of days supplies of food, coffee and clothes. Karen will help me prioritize and organize.

New Porta-Bote

This is our new 14 foot Porta-Bote.  Notice the convenient attached wheels for easy "portability" even on land.  Here she is "decked out" with the new casting platform, swivel chair, rod holders, trolling motor and of course the necessary 46 amp-hour battery in it's fine carrying case built by fellow ham Paul Kelly, W4KLY.

I mounted a Buddipole antenna for three amateur radio bands on the bow.  Note the lashing with 1/2 inch CPVC tubing for three-point stability.  After hours of frustration, I finally traced the problem with the vhf radio to a bad solder joint at the radio.  Now the SWR is 1.2:1 on channel 16 (156.8 MHz).  Even with the duplexer for the FM broadcast radio it measures 1.5:1.  I wish I could blame that cold joint on someone else:).
My appointment for taxes is 2/6/2013.  If everything is OK I will be shoving off shortly thereafter.

Some of you are aware that during the rainy spell recently, I fell off my boat--ouch! So as promised, I have placed tread-plate in all the important places.  I may add a few more.

Small Victories

I guess you'd call this an unsound method.  But it gets a 120 lb behemoth of a motor up 6 feet and over the rail.  The hernia isn't too much worse for the wear:).
Belle's motor has been at the shop to get the water pump impeller replaced.  I want no nonsense on the trip.  The oil and filter are new as well.

It's hard to imagine how a simple set of plastic shelves like this could be so helpful.  The were a royal pain to install though.

Tomorrow I will install the batteries and check the solar charging system.  In another couple of weeks. The water will go in and the pumps and plumbing will be checked.  We're almost there folks.  Caveat: when the water and food goes in I have to heat the cabin from then on until I go.