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Thursday, December 10, 2015

The boat floats!



It had been nearly a month since I bought that old Ranger 23. Wednesday I finally drove down to FT. Myers to see what the heck I'd gotten into. Driving over the bridge into the city I risked a quick glance down to the marina and spotted my boat. Nice to see it was still floating.

The boat is located at the very end of the dock. There's a long hike, a 90 degree turn, another long hike, another 90 degree and a short hike later the boat came into sight. Schlepping gear occupied most of the afternoon and well into the evening. It's still not all moved over. Amazing how much stuff can be packed into an economy car, especially with gear piled on the roof racks. The 80+ degree heat didn't make it any easier, especially after coming down from frosty New Hampshire.

The previous owner left an old hose in the boat. He said he never used the sink so had no idea if the faucet pump worked or even if the tank held water. Yes to both, but no way is the water fit to drink. It got a big dose of bleach. The sink will be fine for washing dishes. Everything will be super sterile. That will save my water jugs for drinking and cooking water.

Most of the power plugs at this marina are the big 50 amp connectors. My 30 amp plug was not compatible. However, I've learned a few tricks over the years and also brought a 100' contractor's extension cord and was able to reach a regular 20 amp plug. That's more than enough power for my needs.

The next thing is to find a building supply store. All the materials will have to be at the boat before the end of the day. We'll be leaving the car at my step-mothers place for the duration. The parking is free, and that's a good thing.

I wish I had a chance to take some photos of the marina, but darkness crept up on me. Maybe tonight's post. It feels good to be working on the boat, getting it ready for travel.

-Sixbears

10 comments:

  1. I hope everything goes smoothly, with no surprises.

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  2. How about getting a fold up dolly to haul the gear down to the boat? That might help you out a bit!

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    1. The marina has carts and that helps a lot. It was still a chore.

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  3. They make 30 to 50 amp and 50 to 30 amp adapters. I use an adapter with my motorhome where 50 amp isn't available.

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  4. Oh yes, they also make 30 to 20 amp adapters, to. I don't recommend it but I have used the 50 to 30 and the 39 to 20 adapters together. When doing that, just be careful not to draw too much power.

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    1. The biggest draw I have is a 6 amp marine charger, but I'm only using a 2 amp right now. Not much. As soon as I get my solar panel hooked I probably won't even need that.

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  5. Floating is good, especially for a boat ~

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    1. The key to boating is to keep the water on the outside.

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  6. Good luck with all the work. I hope it goes smoothly and there are no unpleasant surprises. Every time I start a project I open a can of unexpected worms.

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    1. That's very likely with boats, but I've actually had a few pleasant surprises. For example, the previous owner never stayed overnight on it and didn't think the sink/hand pump worked. Once water was in the 6 gallon tank it worked fine.

      Discovered the berth was pretty comfortable too.

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