June 3, 2015

Meander has a new rear deck 5.30.15

The rear deck needed work. The floor was rotting out. So Jim replaced it and put 3 coats of deck paint on it.

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He tested all the batteries while they were out of the boat. All 4 were holding a charge. 024c

It didn’t seem like they were holding as well as they did in the past…but it might be the fridge. It’s a 110 v  apartment size fridge so not very efficient.

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Once the floor was dry the batteries were installed in their boxes. Three on this side because the swim ladder is on that side and the ladder we use to get on and off while it’s on the trailer is there too.

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another on this side. The boxes become seats.

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The top shelf on the left is where the generator sits. The little wedge is for my cup of coffee.

The lower shelf is for a 2 1/2 gal can of gas for the generator.

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I have 2 nice boat seats that fit these perfectly…

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Jim puts 2  1 1/2’ x 6” strips of diamond plate across the bilge pump area with a piece of carpet and we are able to carry 3  6 gallon cans across the back.

We realized the deck was always damp and that was why it was rotting out. I noticed that condensation (and we have plenty here) was dripping from the roof onto the motor and splashing inside…also when it rained.

Jim keeps an old shower curtain over it now…no more water.

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We are planning to do more boating this summer…it gets pretty hot and muggy.

The bench seat in the front on the port side opens into a bed. Half of it is in front of this door.

Both doors have screens that roll down and had velcro every 2 feet. I sewed velcro on both sides of it so that there is a solid strip from top to bottom. We put some on the walls each side of the door. Now we can seal it to keep the mosquitos out. With both doors and windows open we should get a nice breeze. If it rains we can leave both doors open since the rear deck is covered and we have a bimini over the front.

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We didn’t add any extra to the rear door ….we have a screen enclosure for the rear deck…we’ll drop the screen at the door for extra protection. The enclosure doesn’t  fit tight around the motor …it’s possible for some to get inside so the extra screen should keep them out.

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Now we just have to plan our next week on the water.