That phrase is in regard to our weather, but it is also in reference to the progress on our boat project. Today we are enjoying sunshine with 13C/55F temps. There are still some flowers hanging on in my garden and this year I have decided not to cut everything down but to provide the bugs and crawly creatures some shelter in my flower beds and habitat in the accumulated leaf litter around our property.
The boat is still uncovered, although we had booked the shrink-wrap guys at the beginning of October. There must be a lot of business for them as they have had no time for us yet. But time is running out soon. This year we have made a reservation in Lakeport (Okeechobee), Florida to stay for the winter months. It is further south than our previous stays, but will give us the opportunity to explore marine related businesses and perhaps even snoop around at some boat salvage yards and marinas. Benno has a list of items he wants to explore further, we still need a propeller and we want to drive to Miami in February for the boat show. It will be shorter drive time.
Only people with boat building experience will know how much technical stuff is involved before furniture will be made and installed. I’m so glad Benno is doing that kind of work and challenge and turned into a cabinet maker. But he tells me that he is not hot on woodwork and cabinetry is not his dream job, however I’m happy with the outcome. We are working on the galley (kitchen) and space is at a premium, so we try to make the best of it.
The three burner propane gas cooktop will be sitting incorporated in the “Corian” countertop. The new gas line and hose are already hooked up to the new Composite Propane Tank that is stored outside in a vented locker. Benno made a “King StarBoard” panel onto where he mounted the propane regulator, shut off solenoid, pressure manometer and it can be lifted out of the locker when the propane bottle needs refilling. Underneath the cooktop sits the 12 Volt electrical refrigerator that is also wired up. To the left of the cooktop sits a sink that has a foldable tap inside and comes with a Shapiri cutting board to cover it up and to provide extra workspace. There is lots of room in the cabinets underneath and behind to take advantage of every possible space for me to store whatever I will figure out. Of course we will not be able to finish the galley before we leave for our winter vacation, but I’m looking already forward to next spring!
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| There are 2 propane lockers and each will have a tank |
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| The left cabinet side from the fridge and stovetop |
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| the right side of the fridge and stovetop, all work in progress |
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| varnishing the shelfs |
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| A view of the sink with the swivel tap raised |
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| View of the tap lowered |
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| photo from Wayfair of the sink with cover |
So that is what happened in a nutshell. Lots of small things were going on but not worth mentioning. You may have heard about the Canadian Postal Workers strike at the moment and that is another thing we have to deal with if we want to have our mail forwarded while being away. On the positive side, Elsa and Reggie got their rabies shots and health certificates done. All I have to do now is to log onto the website for the Dog Import Form and fill it out before we cross the border. Just one more requirement no one wants or needs.
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| Elsa and Reggie at the veterinarian |
I pray and hope we will have no frosty nights or days before we leave so Benno doesn’t have to winterize the travel trailer, as I don’t care for the taste or smell of the pink Antifreeze solution in our tanks that seems to linger for days even after flushing them with fresh water.
Before we say goodbye to Canada I will probably squeeze in another update. Thanks for dropping by!
