December 7th

We have been very busy since we arrived and I have been ill so I've been slow to do anything.  Plus, blogspot is not cooperating.  Evidently they have done something to the site regarding uploading pictures and have not worked out all the bugs.  So this post is being delayed.

First thing we did was to pressure wash the boat.  Topside only for now.  We will be washing the entire boat soon as we prepare to paint.  Carter got to work immediately with the refrigerator.  Yea!  The time has finally come to replace the 40 year old Magic Chef refrigerator.  Since this has never worked while Carter has owned the boat, we have relied upon two dormatory size refrigerators that have been located inside the mechanical room.  The truth be known, Carter's ulterior motive for the new fridge is his need to clear out the mechanical room for batteries.  No matter what the reason...I got a new fridge!

The process for removing the Magic Chef was tedious to say the least.  We figure the boat was built around that thing!  It was no simple task to remove it.  We had to dismantle many parts of the galley, the dinette, and the mechanical room in order to make this happen.

The old Magic Chef

Beginning to dismantle.

We had to take down several panels of the ceiling in order to get to where the old gas water heater was bolted to the boat.

There's a good shot of the fridge and the water heater.  These things were bolted in very tight!

Here Carter has to cut the lines going to the water heater.

Ok, free at last!

Hoisting it out of the main companion way.

Getting the new fridge in was MUCH easier.  Fridgerators are much lighter these days.

Obviously...a HAPPY camper.  But check out the total destruction.  Notice parts of the ceiling hanging down...what a mess.  But you gotta make a mess to clean things up.

And here is the final result...or almost final result.  There will be some finishing touches to bolt it in for good.

While we were taking apart the dinette area, we again discussed the possibility of moving the sleeping quarters into the now dinette area.  We agreed to see if I could figure out how to set up the support for the bed...which I did.  I went back and reread the instructions given by Mr. Henderson last year and finally got it figured out.  We are going to purchase a new mattress later today.  Once the holdiays are over and all company has left, we will begin the demolition and redesign of the existing sleeping area by removing the bunk beds and replace with a "main salon/dinette/office".

The dinette table and benches convert into bed support.

The final result with new mattress and carpet on the floor.  This has created plenty of storage underneath. I am going to sew a skirt to cover the bottom storage area from view.

Another project that has jumped up the "do now" list is the replacement of the bathroom sink faucet.  The old faucet leaks terribly and is making an awful mess.  This will be a tremendous improvement.

I didn't get a before shot but here is the after.  It's great!  Ahhhhh

And last but not least...a purchase that ranks right up there with the refrigerator...we finally upgraded the TV.  We purchased a 32" LED and we absolutely love it!  We are now able to pick up several local stations with the antenna we purchased last season (that was useless with the old tv).  We are now able to keep up with news, weather AND watch a few of our favorite tv shows after dinner.  More on that project later.