As I have previously stated, our lives changed over night when we got jobs. So quickly, my mind is baffled by the fact it is already mid february. We should be in the Bahamas by now right? Like the rest of our Looper friends. But unlike the rest of our Looper friends, we did not leave for this trip with enough money to exit the country un-employed. With goals of saving money, and better outfitting Louise, Katie and I are right on track.
So here we are, at a halt. Somewhere where we don’t need a heater at night, and somewhere we can prepare for further travels. The list is endless, and I must say we have barely gotten started. Several items we are in search of unfortunately fall under the famous boating quote “Bring out another $1000”
- Bimini – Not having shade and being exposed to harsh elements day after day was a struggle. Sunscreen can only help so much. Thank you SunBum for that help.
- Dinghy – Our dinghy (aka Milkdud) is very old. It is an Avon from the 70’s that has taken the “great loop” twice already. It is a story in itself that will be told at a later date. It is important to have a reliable dinghy while cruising the Bahamas. Your dinghy is your best friend.
- Solar panels – Louise lacks power. It is not an issue while plugged in at dock, or while running the engine for hours. This will become an issue when we actually become sailors, and not motor-boaters.
- GO-PRO – yes. Thats right, we take awful video. I know everyone who watches our videos are trying not to get motion sick while looking at the computer. A waterproof, stability controlled camera, could help out you and me both
Anyways, those are some things at the top of the never ending list. Things we can live without, but things that would make life better and a little more fun. New navigation equipment, an autopilot, spinnaker, mainsail, cushions, zinc anodes, 12 volt fridge, and working fuel/temperature gauge would be great to. One day…
If you will still be in Ft Meyers area mid-April you can stop fretting about dinghy replacement. See my email to Louise for details
BILL AND BONNIEEEEE WE MISS YOUUUU! Do you return mid-april? There is a chance we will still be here. I don’t think we got an email to our Louiseloop one? hope you are doing wonderful…
Windvane, you gotta get a windvane! Life is so easy while being steered by the windvane.
That would be so awesome! I figure we will accumulate one somewhere along the way…
Hi–learned about your journey on ExPo…very inspirational! I thought I’d share my strategy for low-cost solar. On my old pop-up camper, I use one of the Chinese panels from Ebay and a $15 charge controller. I just use a single, 10W panel but you’d likely want more, as it’s your full-time home. Just do an Ebay search for “20W solar” or “40W solar”, etc. I saw one 20W panel for around $46 + shipping, or you can bid on the lower-priced ones. I just used some swing set swing brackets to mount the panel on the roof. Good luck! Eric in CO
Well that my friend, is a great idea. Love low-cost living advice. We will look into it. Thank you, and very happy you have found our site.