New Friends and a Floridian Solstice

We came to Jacksonville looking for an affordable marina where we could install an arch and solar panels, as well as perform some other routine maintenance on the boat. A trip to Disney was also part of the plan while in Jacksonville. The right marina wasn't difficult to find, the trip to Disney was a blast, and the projects got underway as soon as the right materials were delivered. What we didn't imagine or plan for was the number of friends we would make.

The Ortega Yacht Club Marina proved to be a great community. We were especially fortunate to meet and befriend Dena, Shari, Myron, Fred, and Paul. This great group of people not only gave us a warm social context for the last 6 weeks, but also helped quite a bit with the most complex project we've done on the boat.

The arch was delivered as a collection of aluminum tubes shaped and cut to roughly fit. It didn't take much effort to assemble it and park it in its planned position. Enter the Devil to take care of the details and make the experience interesting... the job took 6 days.

The captain hanging from the newly-installed arch. Those bolts can take a lot tension!

Then came the solar panels. Myron answered a few questions that helped me understand the electrical connections between panels, charge controller, and batteries; the connections themselves were easy. I'd always known the more complex part of the project would be to mount the modules on the arch.

Lucky me, I had 3 experienced engineers watching over my shoulder. Fred, Myron, and Paul were constantly ready to answer questions and lend a hand. One afternoon, when the design I had in my head didn't quite agree with the real measurements I was taking, Paul came around shrouded in a halo of kindness. He offered to drive me to his place and help me drill a few holes using his drill press. That made the job of bolting panels, mounts, and arch much easier.

Natalia unpacking the 2 solar panels. 270 Watts each!

Ernesto (left, squatting) working under Myron's (centre) and Fred's supervision.

Lining up the mounting structure on the arch.

Hurry up! The Sun is blasting those panels and their cables remain unconnected; wasted amps...

One morning Paul, who is the marina's resident diver, was cleaning the bottom of a 17-foot sailboat. Peter, the boat's owner, was standing on the dock while Paul worked. I happened to walk by on my way to I-don't-remember-where-so-it-must-have-been-of-utmost-importance, when Peter started the typical boater conversation. Much like parents in a playground, boaters stand around on the docks and talk about their babies. Within minutes, Peter had offered to drive us around if we needed supplies, and invited us to a meal in his place.

Peter's casual invitation turned out to be a full day affair. He picked us up at the dock in his power boat, whence we went to his house on the Ortega River. Peter's wife, Laura, and his son, Zac, were equally welcoming and interesting. After a few burgers and some excellent Casillero del Diablo cabernet sauvignon, we piled up on Peter's power boat again, this time to go tubing. Fun, fun, fun.

Tubing in the Ortega River.

Matias at the helm on Peter's boat.

The winter solstice is now past. The solar panels are quietly and tirelessly producing most of the electricity we consume. We are thankful to Ra for exciting the electrons in just the right manner. And we are thankful to our new friends for their company, their kindness, their humanity.