January In Numbers

Clockwise from upper left: (1) Our new Caframo fan in the aft cabin; (2) Our alternator; (3) Stubby the Screwdriver; (4) Winches badly in need of servicing; (5) Redoing the hatch lenses; and (6) Scott hard at work on the engine.

It's time for the monthly recap in numbers - an assortment of odd tidbits and random thoughts that popped into my head when I was reflecting back on the month. January was all about boat projects. Endless boat projects. Boat projects without end. Boat projects which take far longer than you think they will. Boat projects that never cease. Boat projects which cause other things to break, requiring more boat projects. You get the idea.

• 0.24 - Number of amps that our new Caframo fan in our aft cabin draws at high speed. We have to monitor our energy usage carefully when we're away from the dock. This fan works great without having a huge energy draw. It will be essential once we're no longer plugged into A/C.

• 2 - Number of exhaust elbows we bought for our Thornycroft engine and had shipped over from England.

• $150 - How much each exhaust elbow costs. 

• 10 - Number of times we changed the oil after we hydrolocked our engine.

• 6 - How many cans of tomatoes we ate. 

• 2 - Number of times we went to Taco Tuesday at JR's Saloon. They raised the price of tostadas from $1.50 to $2.00, but it's still great value and a tasty treat. Theyalso  raised the price of happy hour beer from $1.00 to $1.50. Boo.

• 2 - Number of times we took the wires off of our alternator and put them back on. Once to tighten the belt and once to get access to the impeller. After each time, something went wrong the engine which was completely unrelated to the alternator. It's like a strange little metal harbinger of doom.

• 6 - Number of Beddar with Cheddar brats we ate. I've really fallen off the healthy eating wagon lately. They are better with cheddar, but not as good as I remembered.

• 2+ - Number of weeks Stubby the Screwdriver was trapped inside of a cupboard wall. Scott finally rescued him and we stuck him in some vise grips and put him straight to work on changing out the impeller. 

• 3/8" - The thickness of the plexiglass we bought to replace the old, cracked plexiglass in our hatches. 

• 2018 - The year when our flares expire. Yay, they're still good! One less thing to spend money on.

• 7 - Number of packs of chorizo we bought at Aldi. This stuff doesn't need refrigeration until opened, making it a perfect provisioning choice as we get ready to sail to the Bahamas.

• ? - Number of days until we finish our boat project list and head off to the Bahamas. Your guess is as good as ours. 

• 0 - Number of books I read during January. Considering that I usually read 10+ books a month, this will give you an idea of how busy and exhausting things have been.

In case you missed them, here are some of our favorite posts from last month:

Running Water is for Sissy Babies
Five Frugal Things | The Gorilla Tape Edition
Back from the Brink | Hyrdolocking Our Thornycroft Engine


How was your January? What are you looking forward to in February?

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