Solenoid for Superwinch

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solenoid for superwinch - closeup view

The solenoid for the superwinch, mounted in a waterproof box on the starboard aft railing of our flybridge.

solenoid for superwinch

A wider angle view of the superwinch solenoid mounted on the starboard aft railing of our flybridge.

Another rainy, cold and gloomy day! Heavy rain and gusty wind at times today, but a few breaks allowed Jim an opportunity to get started on the wiring for the electric winch. Today he mounted the solenoid for the Superwinch.

The solenoid is the interface between the battery and the winch. It controls the winch operation. The remote control is connected to the solenoid, allowing the user to operate the winch using the remote.

We found a Pelican-like waterproof box at West Marine for housing the solenoid. The box is made out of polycarbonate and measures 6”x5”x2”. Jim fastened it to the starboard aft railing on our flybridge, near the mast and just above where the dinghy is stored on deck.

The next step will be to run the wiring that will connect to the battery and battery charger.

NEXUS

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nexus logoYesterday’s weather was pretty wet and windy. It was a great day to drive to Blaine to take care of updating our NEXUS cards. We renewed our passports this spring, and we were required to present the new passports to the CBP so that they could update our records with our new passport information.

Once we got to the NEXUS office, the process of updating our records took only about 10 minutes. However, trying to find the correct route to reach the NEXUS parking lot and not end up in the NEXUS lane to cross the border proved too hard for us, and we ended up in the lane to Canada with no way to turn around. So, we had TWO border crossings…first to enter Canada and then to return to the U.S. where the NEXUS office is located. THAT adventure took far longer than the updating of the cards!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with NEXUS, the cards are explained on their website at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/nexus_prog/. We got our NEXUS cards to facilitate the customs process when we take our boat across the border between the U.S. and Canada. The cards are good for five years, so we will have to apply for new cards next year.

New CD player

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Rosie in CD player box

As soon as the old CD player was removed, Rosie had to jump into the empty space.

Rosie and wiring in CD player box

Rosie stayed in the empty space until Jim was ready to insert the new CD player.

When we outfitted Phoenix in 2002, our source for music entertainment was CDs. Don’t think there were any iPods around then. So, we installed a Sony CD player and a 10-disc CD changer, and happily played music from CDs through our stereo speakers.

Well…..since we now have iPods, iTouches, iPhones, and iPads with lots of music on them, it’s about time to upgrade our boat’s music system! We bought a new CD player, which not only will play CDs, but also will play music from our iPods that will connect via USB or audio cable. In addition, the player is Sirius/XM ready, so it easily connects with our satellite radio service.

We bought a Sony FM/AM Compact Disc player, model CDX-GT56UI CD Receiver with USB input. This unit fits in the same cabinet as our previous Sony. Jim disconnected the old player this morning and when he put in the new one, he discovered that the wiring was the same. What an easy installation! The only delay was getting Rosie out of the space…since she jumped into the open cabinet as soon as the old CD player was removed! Cats just love small spaces.

Teak Cleaning

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Teak deck before

Teak on boat deck…before cleaning.

Teak after

Teak on boat deck…after cleaning.

We have a bit of exterior teak decking on our boat that we leave natural…but it has to be cleaned periodically. Even though we have our boat washed monthly over the winter, the exterior teak still accumulates dirt in the wood. By spring the teak is ready for a good cleaning. There are a number of different products that can be used to clean teak, but we like the Star brite brand.

Today was dry, so it was a good day to clean teak. While Jim worked on installing the overflow reservoir for the heating system, I got busy with the teak. I clean the teak in two steps…first by applying Star brite Teak Cleaner and scrubbing it with a stiff brush. This cleans the dirt out from the grain of the teak. After a good wash down, I let the teak dry and then apply Star brite Teak Brightener. This sits on the teak for a few minutes and then is washed off.

It always feels good to see the natural color of the teak!