Off the Grid, Again

January was a marathon. Once the boat was back in the water on the 9th, it felt like the sprint to the finish line was on. Maybe we’re still in it? Hard to tell at this point.

We’re finally back on the water, off the grid and enjoying life at anchor. Before we get into plans for the future, let’s catch you up on the last few weeks…

After we splashed, we had to get the rewired mast and sails back on the boat. With the help of a very nonchalant crane operator and two awesome riggers, we spent two full days reconnecting the standing and running rigging. When the mast was unstepped in August, all the sails were removed from the deck to be out of the elements. Luckily, reconnecting everything was a great learning experience for us.

Then focus shifted to the remaining electrical matters. We had voltage issues somewhere between our engine alternators and starter batteries. It ended up being a series of relays and fuses but took a while of trial and error to diagnose. And, we needed a new sending unit for our port side fuel tank, which just took a while to arrive.

Over two, very cold (for Florida) days, we went up and down the St. Lucie River and ICW on sea trials, testing all the new instruments, including navigation, wind, underwater transducer, etc. We also had to complete the autotune for our new autopilot. After a few software updates and setting tweaks, we finally got it all figured out.

During all of this, we also moved back onto the boat with the dogs. Living at the dock next to a 150-ton travel lift isn’t ideal but it definitely offered all the conveniences we needed to stock the boat with food and supplies. We also took full advantage of the unlimited water supply to scrub off six months of yard dust.

This is certainly not the end of the refit and we expect things to continue to break. We just hope they’re small things. As everyone who has been through this lightning refit process knows, things that work today may not work tomorrow. Now we have to get out there and run everything to uncover what else needs some love. The biggest remaining question mark is our watermaker, which we can’t run it in the dirty water at the dock.

Today, we pushed off from the dock at first light and found a beautiful anchorage to call home for the next few days. It was truly a pinch me moment after the lightning strike that quite literally changed our lives.

Since that day, we’ve been completely dependent on others. So much has been outside of our control and it’s felt very much like being a passenger in our own lives. I’ve said it before but can’t help but reiterate our gratitude for the family and friends who have given us a place to sleep, words of encouragement or other support during this time.

Our first night at anchor was a dream. Calm and cool, with burgers on the grill and a perfect sunset.

As with all good things, it can’t last forever. We’ve been closely monitoring a low-pressure system approaching our area. Just to be on the safe side, we decided to book a mooring ball to ride out the blow. It’s all part of the adventure!