Pensacola FL Sailing Blog - sailingnightwatch

I guess one might say I am on the cheep side.  When I hear the A/C running for prolong periods of time during the summer, not only do I think that it is running a compressor on 110 volts, not the most efficient power source. It is running it’s little $3000 heart out.  During the summer our forward unit ran solid from 10 A.M. till around 3 P.M.  Not only is it eating a lot of electricity, it is shortening the life of this 1600 BTU unit.  After the first summer living on board, I decided to design an awning to cover as close to all the boat that was feasible.  During the first summer a neighbor with a schooner gave me his used canvas awning that went between his main and foremast.  It was about 14 foot square and weighed a ton.

 One of the things that bother me about liveaboards is that some seem to bring their trash with them.  Be it a peace of wood that they may find a use for, the laundry that does not look washed, just airing out.  You have seen them.  When they had a home, the old washer and dryer was rusting away on the front porch and the old car was up on blocks in the front lawn.  They are one of the reasons that some of the towns in the south part of Florida try to outlaw liveaboards along with every other cruiser in the world.

 Well the old canvas awning was close to the $10 blue tarps you can get at Wall-Mart.  Fit right in with the wash machine and car on blocks.  My first design was right close to perfect.  Not only was the design right, but a new product was on the market that was going to run SunBrella off the face of the earth.  It was amazingly strong.  Could not tear it with your bear hands.  It was light.  It did not stretch.  It was a laminate.  It was Just what was needed.

My canvas lady was presented a perfect drawing to work from.  Never did figure out why she and her helper spent the better part of the afternoon measuring every possible place the awing would be.  I am sorry; this old half-a engineer was doing excellent drawing before the inventor of Cad Cam was a twinkle in his father eye.  Well she did make some suggestions that a seamstress would know, but not necessarily a sailor.  It was perfect.