Update

Uh-oh! Another post titled "Update", you know this means nothing is happening.

Well, not quite, but the weather has been crappy and work continues to interfere with my boating, so progress has been patchy. Here's what I've done in the last few weeks.

• Half way through installing a smart regulator for the big house battery alternator.
• Half way through installing a dock-side water hookup that directly feeds the house water system, so we don't have to keep filling the tanks.
• Done a little more deck caulking (the weather's making that impossible).
• The starboard side shower always had this annoying habit of turning itself on, so we shut it off. I was going through some boxes of bits the other day and found a replacement cartridge for the mixer, which has fixed it up nicely.

Lot's of half-done jobs. Sigh, winter sucks.

The galley oven is playing up, and I have to accept it is probably nearing the end of it's serviceable life. As we have two monster generators which get run for everything else I'm thinking of replacing it with an electric oven, but keeping gas for the stove. Happy to hear the thoughts of anyone who has done this on their boat...

Danger, Will Robinson!

Kamalii can now communicate with me. Or rather, she can spit out a panic if she starts to fill with water.

I have installed a GSM telemetry unit that I have hooked up to the existing bilge alarm system so that if any of the three bilge alarm zones (Forward, Engine, Aft) should activate then Sharon and I will get a text message telling us which alarm is going off, and also when the alarm ceases. If either of us do not acknowledge the alarm within 5 minutes it will then send a text to my father as back-up.

I should say that Kamalii's bilges are dry to the point that a fibreglass boat would be envious, but better safe than sorry (and of course I can never resist the opportunity to be a geek.)

Bilge alarm junction box (left) hooked up to isolation relays that signal the telemetry unit.

Telemetry unit.

All assembled. The extra cable glands are for cabling for a Low Battery alarm input, and for an output from the telemetry unit that will trigger the bilge alarm so I can remotely send a text message and confirm that everything is working. Will finish installing those this week.