Fred's Friendly Blog

Motors

2011-12-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

Well both of the engines are thrashed. Found out they aren't 1994's but 1984's. They did last us 2 seasons but aren't worth repairing. So it sounds like 2 new Evinrude 60 HP E-TEC Motors. Starting January 1 they are offering a 5 year warranty so that will be nice. So after the first of the year it looks like we will be purchasing new engines!!

Pontoons Tested!

2011-12-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well with the engines and the swim platform off I was able to remove both of the transoms and inspect the pontoons under them. Had leaks in both areas. Chad, my son in law came over and we pumped out the water that had gotten into the pontoons and pressure tested all of them. Wasn't surprised to find the leaks at the transom area but also found a small leak on the front of the right one, a very small hole and it seems to be solid around it. Phone our friend Wes, he is the welder that worked on them last time, he is going to stop by this week and scope it out. He will do the welding sometime soon. Larry our neighbor is working on a solution for the swim platform to make it lighter and I need to get him over to look at doing the third pontoon at the rear of the boat.

Stay tuned!!

Engines Are Off!!

2011-11-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well we have been so busy we haven't had much time to work on the boat. New job requires travel and we just got home from to weeks in Mexico. Had a great time with two of our daughters and their families and our friends from Canada.

On Thanksgiving morning I was able to remove both of the outboards and took them to the mechanic on Friday. He will let me know what the repair bill looks like and we will go from there. In addition the Transom board on the left engine is cracked and will need a new one made. It is made out of wood and appears to be fiber-glassed over the top. I pulled the swim deck to get to the motors and removed all of the Trex Dec, my friend and neighbor Larry is going to put aluminum treads on the deck to save some weight. I am also going to have him look at building a third pontoon to go in the middle and to the rear of the boat. I am hoping this will help level the boat. I also could use it as a grey water tank if I needed to. We have been able to just let the grey water go into the lake, but they may change.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

The "List"

2011-09-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is the list we have compilied for the winter. Includes our wish list items, really not as big as it looks but we have a full winter!!

Paint decks
Touch up all paint
Install Slide on top
Slide water pump
Repair pontoons
Paint pontoons
Outlets top deck (120 & 12volt)
120 V outlet in back bedroom and on back and front decks
Repair bracket by Water tank
Move battery's to front
Install auto transfer switch fpr generator / solar / shore power
Repair steering linkage
Sound system, speakers etc
Train horn
Fix gate latch on side gate
Bolt back rail down
Electric Plug for refrigerator
Out board Motors repaired / replaced
Repair back heater
Repair screen doors
Doors above and below fridge installed
Fix all latches on doors
Fix oven
Fix rollers on gang plank
Clean & org. tools
Pictures in frames
Larry build third pontoon
New lights outside for night drive
Lights on front / back deck
Boat tow bars on sides
Install Fish finder installed
Replace board on swim deck with aluminum decking
Cover for propane tanks
Move generator to top
Replace wood on ladder or build spiral staircase
Fix toilet leak
Replace washers in all water faucets
New tie down points in front
Patch h/w heater vent hole
Shelf and lights at our bed
Winch for anchor

In preperation.......

2011-09-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

So Chad, Wyatt, Blake and I went out yesterday and pulled down the shade roof, the railings and took everything off of her top to prepare for the move on the 6th. She looks naked with her top off!!

You can see she is listing to the rear and it is more that she did in the begining. One of the things I want to do is have my friend Larry Kost build a third pontoon to put in the middle and to the rear so she will ride level. We are also going to move the solar batteries to the front and the generator to the front on the top. This should help also.

One of my favorite places

2011-09-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

This is at the river inlet almost as far as we can go upriver. It is absolutely beautiful here. It is evening and the sun is reflecting off of the foliage into the calm water. It is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been.

Paddle Boat

2011-09-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

We purchased the paddle boat like two weeks after we put the boat in the water from our new Houseboat friends Dave and Millisa Smith. It has been a hit!!

2011-09-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

A sandy beach on a warm summer day. Fun Fun Fun!!!

Good Morning Wyatt!

2011-09-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

Our Grandson Wyatt waking from a restful night sleep!!! And me in the background.

On the Rocks

2011-09-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention in addition to the other issues last fall just before we left for our annual trip to Cancun the boat broke loose and ended up on the rocks. I can feel some rust on the bottom of the pontoon where she hit the rocks so we want to check this out and recoat the pontoons. Here is a picture of the late fall day we went up and pulled her back to her buoy.

Out she Comes!

2011-09-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Well we have had two summers of fun on the houseboat but we need to bring her home for the winter! When we put the boat in the water in June 2010, she wasn't really done. We had some things to do and we did a bubble gum patch on one of the pontoons. The week before she was to go in we found a place by the port side engine that was cracked. It was caused by an old accident that had pushed the engine down and was rubbing on the top of the pontoon. We used some JB weld patched and put it in the water. It has worked for two years but now is time for a more permanent fix!

In addition the port engine has low compression and needs to be rebuilt or I need to repower the boat. Not sure what we are going to do until I pull the motors and take them to the shop. We have a laundry list of little items we want to change, update or finish after being out for two years. Plus I never got a survey so this will give us a chance to do so. Then I can get more than just liability insurance on her.

I will be adding some pictures today so stay tuned.

Solar etc.

2010-07-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

The solar works awesome!! We have 6 six volt golf cart batteries and never run out of juice!!! We installed a gray water tank and then found out it isn't necessary so we pulled the plug. Fresh water is a challenge, with all of the people we usually have on the boat we are running out every weekend. We have 150 gallons but it just isn't enough. So I have found a filter system I am purchasing and will install in the next few weeks. So as long as you want in the shower!!!

Had a problem with the fridge the first weekend on the water, the control board crapped out and I had to purchase a new one $150!! Has been working great since.

We installed a shade structure on the roof.

Here is the battery bank. Six 6 volts for the solar/house system and 2 12 volts, one for each outboard engine.

Sarah taking a picture of me working on the boat taking a picture of me!!!

Let the fun begin!! Our first weekend on the boat. The kids are still in their pajamas!!! Now this is livin!!!

Michelle and Sarah.... And of course Michelle is texting!! You can see in the background the door above the fridge still isn't on!!! I need to re cut it and install it. Also the door isn't on the closet. I have since put those on.

Ricky enjoying the boat!! I think the first weekend we had like 15 people on the boat!! And it never felt crowded.

Getting fuel and provisions!!

Wes (the welder) his girlfriend Ashley and Michelle. Way at the back of the lake, in the background is an old gold mine.

Peaceful morning on the front deck looking out at the Buena Vista bridge. Life is good!!

Pictures Pictures Pictures

2010-07-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

These tell the tale... We are in the water for nearly a month, have been on the boat every weekend since!!

Here we go!!! To the lake!

Yikes!! Low branches on Liberty road, I had to stand on top of the boat and move them up to prevent the top rail from being torn off.

If you look to the left behind the boat you can see the lake with a houseboat on the water. Winding road to the lake.

At the launch!!

Yikes!! We are going to put it in the water for real!!! I am on the deck and Chad is on the ramp holding the lines.

By golly she floats!!!

Let the good times roll!! We had our hands full for the past few weeks getting the bugs worked out. When she went in the water both engines were submerged and filled with water. We finally got them running good and I think for the most part the bugs are worked out.

Today is the DAY!!!

2010-06-24T05:36:00.000-07:00

Well we go in the water today, I will post some pics of the transport and launch in the next few days. Here are some pics of progress the past few days. We have been working like crazy the past few weeks to meet today's deadline. Our kids and their families have really pitched in to make this happen. It has been a great family project for sure!!

The solar got installed!! THANKS CHAD!!

The rails for the top got painted!! Thanks Sarah, Blake and whoever I missed!!

The structure for shade on the roof got built and installed!! Thanks Blake and Ricky!! And there is Sarah with a paintbrush in her hand, doing touch up touch up touch up!!!

Boy she does look good!! We have decided on a name I think.... Compound Effort..... : )

And the grandkids helped.. Well sort of..... (the drove me nust some of the time!!!)

The rails got installed! Thanks to Chad, Blake and Donovan!!

So today is the day, we owe many thanks to all of those who helped, Michelle for her late nights cleaning, painting, organizing and keeping us on track. Sarah for her countless hours of painting, I am sure she is sick of it!! Chad was there for me whenever I needed him to do anything solar, fuel lines, fuel tanks, engine repairs, sandblasting (oops include a trip to the Dr over this one!!) and on and on. Donovan for his help with the painting and backsplash. Ricky the go to guy for anything, running errands, painting, building the shade structure and just general pitching in. Jim and Becky Gann for our CF numbers and the help with painting the exterior. Wes.... can't say enough we could have never done it without you!! He welded up the problem pontoons!! Quinn and Brian for there welding of the extra rail on all of the deck railings to make it safer for the little kids. Larry for the swim deck, it is awesome!! And Linda for all of her late nights keeping things on track. Also she made the patterns for all of the flooring, carpet and lino and installed!! What a Gal!!! I did nothing but supervise and watch....... LOL If I missed you I apoligize we really have appreciated everyones help and look forward to seeing you on board!!

Every Day progress!!

2010-06-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Ok so today Wes came and installed the crash / beach bars.

And you can also see the rub rail on the side of the boat. It is Trex deck material, really cleaned up the dented side of the boat!!

And we installed the swim platform that Larry Kost built for us!! It still needs to have the rest of the bolts and the Trex decking put on.

I didn't take pictures of it, but Linda made the pattern and cut and installed the carpet in for the back of the boat. She also painted the bed frames and has them at the boat ready for me to install. We need to finish the coal tar painting in the next couple of days so it can cure prior to it going in the water on the 24th!

What a Weekend!

2010-06-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

Well we have been working our fanny's off to get this thing done by the 24th. And it looks like we may make it!! Here are some of the latest pics.

This is the back bedroom, I finished installing the last of the 3 50 gallon water tanks. So we now have 150 gallons of fresh water. The rails on the wall are for our bed.

This is the Bathroom. I floated the old wood paneling with hot mud and textured the walls. Linda painted and installed the lino on the floor.

The kitchen cabinet doors are installed! Steve did this over the weekend.

Not the greatest pic, but Linda put down the lino in the kitchen also. She is pretty Handy!! She is out cutting the carpet right now!!

Counting Down The Days!!

2010-06-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

My gosh is it windy today!! I got a couple of things done on the boat, minor but it all helps!! Last night Chad and I put the fuel tanks back in. Tonight I tried to put the deck back but couldn't do it by myself so it will have to wait until the weekend. Ricky came over and installed new basket strainers in the kitchen sink and hooked up the drain, I hooked up the sink in the bathroom and hooked up the gas to the cook stove. Like I said not much, but every little bit helps!!

Wes is suppose to come over this weekend and install the beach bars. Then we can complete the pontoon coatings. I am going to pickup gas tomorrow and get the fuel tanks hooked up and start the engines. Quinn Bamert is welding the middle rail piece all around the boat, he should finish in a few days and then we can finish painting the railing.

I am hoping to have time this weekend to install the solar and finish a ton of little stuff!!

Stay tuned.......

Problem Solved!!

2010-06-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is the bottom of one of the tanks. You can't see in this picture but we already fixed two of the seams buy welding angle iron on them. The tanks are aluminum.

So after Larry removed the bottom of this tank Chad polished it up in preparation for a new bottom!

Larry welding up the angle iron patch.

So tanks are good as new, we patched both, one was way worse and the other just had a split seam.

Houston We Have a Problem!

2010-06-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well I discovered last week that both of the fuel tanks where leaking. So this weekend I pulled both of the fuel tanks, they are aluminum. My friend Larry Kost is a welder extrodinare and he has offered to fix. So they will go to him this week for repairs. Chad's friend Wes worked all weekend welding up the pontoons, they are done!! Well sort of. We still need to add the beaching bars on the front. He will be over in the next week to do that. We still have a lot to accomplish to get it ready for the 24th, I hope we can make it!! I think the fuel tanks and beach bars are the last two big things to do.

Our friends son Quinn Bamert is adding the rail on the decking and should be done this week. And Donovan is going to finish the touch up painting this week. So we may make it yet!! Wish us luck!!

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

Well we water blasted, sand blasted and coated the pontoons today with Coal Tar Epoxy.

Chad I think he is putting on the coating.

My Sis Charlotte. She is painting the trim color.

Oops, another bad spot in the pontoons!! This will need to be repaired.

Memorial Day Weekend!

2010-05-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ok I know, I have done a terrible job of updating this blog but hey I am back now!! We have been very busy on the boat since we got back from Hawaii. We have met some really nice folks via email and in person that have their boats at Comanche. Went to Comanche last weekend and looked at a boat one of one of our new friends. They are doing a major rebuild and moving along nicely. We where invited to a meet and greet today, but no way we are going to make it.

I have installed a new A/C and D/C distribution panels.

The ceiling is complete with trim lights and all the D/C wiring is complete.

I've installed all of the fresh water tanks and the releated plumbing, we now have 150 gallons of on board fresh water. There was just one tank under the master bed, in the front room there where to gaucho beds with nothing under them. We installed a 50 gallon tank under each and created access for storage

Originally we where going to take the boat to the delta. But it is now going just 25 minuted from our house to Comanche Lake. So I had to install a gray water tank. It is under the boat and all of the plumbing has been attached and ran to the sinks and shower.

Check out the backsplash!! Donovan and Michelle installed the natural rock, isn't it awesome! New doors for the cabinets are all made and have the finish on them. They just need to be rehung.

Remember this picture!! The day we bought it, it isn't even in our yard yet.

Pressure washed and taping is started!!!

Primed and ready for the base coat!!!

What a difference a day makes!!!!

Off To Hawaii!!

2010-02-19T19:26:00.001-08:00

Well it is February 19th and I still haven't posted updated pics!!!! We are off to Hawaii in the am so I probably won't get to it until we return. But stay tuned!!

Catch Up Time

2010-02-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

Well we had some deversions the last few months.... We went to Cancun for two weeks in November and then in December we had a tragedy. We lost our 20 year old Grandson. You can read about that event here http://ourboydave.blogspot.com/ . And we are leaving for Hawaii Feb 20 for two weeks. But between all of the events of our life we have made progress. I will post some more pictures in the next few days.

We completed the interior paneling and sprayed two coats of clear over all of the walls and cabinetry. Linda sanded all of the interior doors and all of the new doors for the kitchen cabinets, she has stained everything and it is ready for clear coat. The weather hasn't cooperated so we will have to wait for a warm dry day. Steve helped me and we installed 7/16 OSB on all of the ceiling area and then installed white FRP panel for all of the ceiling. We picked up the fridge, massaged the space where it goes and set it in the opening. We picked up the refurbished oven/stove and it is sitting where it goes. All of the windows are re-installed and the new windows are installed. They look great!!!

I went to Modesto today and picked up a trash compactor and put it in the boat. I also hung the tankless water heater where it goes. I started finishing the walls in the bathroom. It will be textured and painted so it can be cleaned and I was afraid the steam and wet would damage the knotty pine. Our friend Wes has been working on repairing all of the damaged places in the pontoons. There where several small areas and a couple of big ones. He probably won't be back until the weather gets a tad nicer.

Last week I had a mechanic out and he tuned up both engines. One had a bad fuel pump so he didn't start it, but will be back in the next week or so to install the fuel pump and fire it up. The one he did start runs like a kitten! Both have good compression and appear to be in fine shape. He replaced the water pump impellers on both and the thermostats and cleaned/adjusted the carbs.

I had the main steering valve at the helm rebuilt. I sent it to a place in Florida, Southern Charm. I am going to sent the steering ram to them today or tomorrow so the steering will be done.

We are trying to get a mooring buoy at Lake Comanche, if we do this would really be close to home! The price is right so we are keeping our fingers crossed. The biggest thing left to do is painting the outside and the pontoons. And of course we can't do that until the weather clears. But I am feeling like we are on the home stretch! We have plenty left to do, but I think we will be in the water by May or June.

I think that catches us up to date, and I will take some pics in the next day or two and post them. If I see something else we did and I didn't mention I will ad it with the pictures.

2009-09-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

I ordered the windows today for the living area, we should have them in about three weeks!! We are leaving for Cancun on Halloween day so want to get them installed before we leave!! Also boxed up and sent the inside window trim pieces for the rest of the windows and a screen frame sample to have made. Due to us adding 1/4 of real knotty pine the inside trim pieces are not the right size. I was going to caulk the center but decided to go for broke (lol) and buy new ones. Also the window company said they thought they could make new screen frames. Luckily we had one for a sample!!

We have a couple of people following our blog one is Chad. I don't know who he is but would like to talk to him!! He sent us a link here http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z114/healing33/?start=200 to access pics of his Houseboat refurb! Looks like they did an AWESOME job!! I was looking at his pics and came accross a Tankless Water Heater. It is exactly what we want so I ordered one!! Thanks Chad...

Sprayed.....

2009-09-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well it took two weekends to finish all of the wood install and spray the interior with clearcoat. We finished it yesterday but still have all the new cabinet doors to spray, we are going to sand the existing interior doors and restain/spray them. The doors will be done in the shop, I am hoping to do this during the week in the evenings. I also removed the steering hydraulic pump and shipped it to Florida for a rebuild last week. I found an online houseboating forum that has provided me with tons of information. It was were I got the link for rebuilding the steering and found the place that builds rv / houseboat windows!!!

Here is the link for the houseboat forums if anyone is interested to check it out. http://www.houseboatmagazine.com/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=1

We are going to order windows for the 4 largest in the living room. They really needed to be replaced and the new ones will be tinted dark so should help with the sun and heat. The same place we are getting the windows can provide new screen frames for the rest of the windows, this will be a must!!

We ordered and picked up the rock for the backsplash on the kitchen sink this week. It is a 12 x 12 square with mesh back that has different colored river rocks. I will take a pic and post in the next few days. I think it is going to look very cool!! I cut out a bunch of dry rot that was below the water heater. I need to reframe it and repair prior to doing the backsplash.

We also ordered a new kitchen window, it should be in this week, it is in the same area as the dry rot so will need to complete that repair and reframe the window before I can install.

Still haven't decided what to do in the bathroom. Any suggestions speak up!! The fellow that we bought the boat from had primed all of the walls in the bathroom, they are paneling. So..... not sure weather to just try and paint over the top or what... I think that is the plan right now. We shall see.

We are having second thoughts about putting the boat in the Delta. The cost is pretty high and we aren't sure that is what we want. So I checked with Lake Comanche and New Melonies. The price is much more reasonable and Comanche is so close we may decide to try it for a year or two there. I contacted the mover to get some pricing from our place to the lake. And then a price from the lake to the Delta if we change our mind later. We will have to take all of this into consideration and decide.

Well that is all for now!!! Thanks for following along with us!!!

2009-09-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Ahhh it's Friday!! I had a big week, working everyday and coming home every afternoon and working on the boat!! Chad (one of my son in laws) brought over two of his friends last night. One is a welder and one is a painter!! I need to buy some 10 ga metal and the welder friend is going to weld up a big patch for the front of the left pontoon. He is also going to weld up the small holes we have. So problem solved!!!

The painter friend is going to help us pains, actually we have several painters. Donovan (another son in law) and Poop are willing and experinced. So painting shouldn't be an issue. I need to purchase a sandblaster so we can remove all of the rust on the deck steel and the pontoons.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get the interior wood sprayed, at least a portion of it and start reinstalling windows.

Houston We Have A Problem!!!

2009-09-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well I finished pressure testing the Pontoons today. There are 10 compartments and 3 are leakers!! The front one on the left side (port?) and the front and rear on the right side (starboard?) . The left one is really bad, I cut a hole big enough for my head to look in. The rust was about an inch deep and the metal is very very thin. I am going to have my friend redo the entire bottom of this one. The right side doesn't seem near as bad, the front is a couple of cracks which we will weld up. I need to cut a piece out of the rear one and we will see how the metal looks. The rest all held 4 PSI no problem and when you hit them on the bottom with a hammer they sound solid and nothing loose.

So hopefully not too big of deal!!!

I will take some pics and post them of the damage in the next day or two!!

2009-09-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Michelle cutting!! She was a HUGE help also. She has been a great helper and is with me almost every time I am working!!!

2009-09-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

Another picture of the wall in the back bed room. We reinstalled one window to see how it was going to look. We need to spray a clear coat on all of the wood before we put the FRP on the ceiling. Hopefully we can get that done this week.

2009-09-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Before and after pics looking from the back bedroom down the hall towards the helm.

2009-09-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Linda was a HUGE help. She cut while I put the wood on the walls.

Labor Day Weekend Progress

2009-09-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

The top pic is Steve and I relaxing after a long weekends work!! you can see we have all the windows removed and finished the walls except for the kitchen and bathroom. I think we are going to do a natural rock backsplash in the kitchen, and I am unsure what we will do in the bathroom....

The Bottom pic is Michelle and I, I am practicing my Captains pose!!!

2009-09-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my To Do list!! It is huge!! LOL!! In the Living room area there are two couches that pull out into beds. If you are familar with an RV you know this is a common place for fresh water tanks. There was nothing under the couches. I found a RV junkyard in Sacramento www.rvdoctor.com and purchased two 47 gallon tanks. I need to finish the plumbing but if I utilize the tank that was existing we will have about 150 gallons of fresh water!! I am going to install a seperate water pump just for the head that draws river water to flush. In the delta here you are not required to hold grey water. So our shower, and sinks will dump to the river. I am thinking of installing a small grey water tank so we can hold the water until we are in an are where we feel comfortable dumping. Of course the sewage has it's own tank and will have to be pumped out occasionally.

Electrical
1 Remove old Generator
2 Install new ends on all battery cables and update
3 Repair control wiring on engines (needs wraped taped)
4 Redo insulation on main wiring from below deck to batteries
5 Cut deck and install battery box
6 Make battery box
7 ID where additional lights go and wire for them
8 Wiring for pump for head
9 Wiring for Nav lights
10 Wiring for speakers ID where speakers should go
11 Wiring for lights on top deck (rope lites??)

Plumbing
1 Install new water tanks
2 Connect water tanks to pump
3 Install pump for head
4 Check all plumbing fixtures
5 Remove old water heater
6 Install new water heater
7 Install accumalator at pump
8 Install second water pump for back up

Propane
1 Install Propane tank
2 Install Cook Stove
3 Test all gas lines for leaks
4 Hook up heaters and check
5 Install aux line for BBQ
6
Engines
1 Drain old fuel and freshen with new fuel
2 Check Compression Done
3 Try to start engines Done
4 Remove Calcium from bottom units
5 Repair seals in bottom units
6
Misc
1 Remove steering ram and repair seals
2 Fill steering system with oil and test

Hull
Sandblast and prime all rusted areas
Pressure check pontoon compartments DONE
Weld up steps on rear
Build swim platform on rear
Sandblast and paint pontoons

Living area
Pressure wash and paint exterior
R/R Windows Removed now have to replace!!
Repair replace paneling About 90% Done
Paint Bathroom
Install Kitchen stove
Install Fridge
Repair Kitchen Cabinets New doors made
Install Cabinet doors under couch
Install bed and bunk beds in rear bedroom
Repair cushions for bunk beds

2009-09-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

In our yard!! It made it in one piece, this was August 19th. Since then we have removed all of the windows in preparation to reseal, we have installed 7/16 OSB on the ceiling to give us a good base to glue and install white textured FRP. We started in the rear bedroom installing 1/4 natural pine T&G over all the old wood paneling. We completed the back bedroom, the bunk area and are working on the living area. We started both of the Johnson 60 HP engines and checked compression, all is good there. We need to rebuild the carbs and I am going to take the lower drive apart for new seals, inspection and new water pump impellers. Hopefully we can finish the interior in the next couple of weeks and start on the exterior. We are planning a complete new paint job. Back to the original Blue over white and we will sandblast all of the rusted areas and recoat the pontoons with Coal Tar paint. We also need to pressure test each of the pontoon compartments and repair any leaks. My neighbor is a welder / fabricator and is going to build us a 4' x 14' swim platform off of the rear that swings up. I will post more as I have time. Thanks for looking!!!

2009-09-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Coming down our drive!!

2009-09-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

A great Pic my of the boat going over the overpass headed to our place!!

2009-09-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the boat on the freeway off ramp headed to our house!!! The fellow we purchased it from owns a trucking company so part of the purchase was the move to our property.

Back Bedroom

2009-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is at the back door looking through the bedroom towards the hall and to the front. I will post the newest pics in the next couple of days. These walls are already covered with the Knotty Pine T & G. It is really looking sharp!!

Kitchen

2009-09-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

This is a picture standing in the Living room area looking towards the kitchen. Yep it needs some work!! A very good "before" pic. It is already changing!! I removed all of the doors today and started cutting the new ones out of laminated knotty pine.

HouseBoat!!!

2009-09-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Early August 2009 we bought a Houseboat. We used to own a Pontoon boat and really enjoyed it. We decided it would be a ton of fun to have a Houseboat that the family could enjoy. I began looking and found a 1978 Kayot 14 x 55 boat. It is a fixer for sure, but nothing beyond our abilities. Here are some pics of it at the place where we bought it.

2009-03-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

We fell very blessed to have this happen and Ricky not to be hurt!!!

2009-03-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

He hit a cow!!! He is fine, cow is dead, new car with only 3,200 miles is a total loss.

We are so thankful he was not injured, not a scratch.

Febuary 3, 2009

2009-02-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Well I am on track!! Another day and another entry!! Well a usual day, work is interesting with our company being purchased by PetersenDean Roofing / Solar.

I had worked for OCR Solar and Roofing for a couple of years and then found out a couple of weeks ago we had been acquired by PetersenDean. It looks like we will be forming a new company PD Solar. Not sure exactly what my job will entail, I have been the Electrical Superintendent up to this point. PD has 20 offices in 5 states, so I may be involved in projects throughout the 5 States. We currently are in Florida, Texas, Nevada, Arizona and of course California.

Since the aqusition I have been to southern Calif to meet the folks at our office in Corona. Real nice people. I have turned in my security clearance with the Department of Defense. We have a job that I will probably be the Project Manager for. It is located on Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas.

Hopefully I will get my clearance so I can go check the job out before we leave for Hawaii. Did I metion we are going to Hawaii?? Our annual trek there. We are going to Kauai for 4 days to spend time with our good friends Lyle and Vivian Succucci. Then they are coming back to our place on Oahu. They will stay with us until around the 24th of Feb. Linda and I will stay on Oahu until the 1st of March.

Check out Dave's page to see how he is doing. He is on the list for a transplant, couild happen within a few days or a few weeks. Crazy!! I think I am still in shock..... We love ya Dave!!!

Monday Feb 2, 2009

2009-02-02T19:50:00.001-08:00

Well today was a bit uneventful until I got a call from my daughter Bronwyn. Apparently David (check out his site to get caught up http://ourboydave.blogspot.com/ ) was having a rough morning so I scurried over to the hospital to visit with him for a couple of hours. I can't hardly believe my 19 year old grandson is going to have a heart transplant!!

On the way home I phoned our Ward Missionary Leader, Steve Hurst. I asked him if he could help me in getting the Missionaries over to see Dave and give him a blessing. He phoned me back and said it was taken care of and they would do it.

Dave really is a faithful Christian boy and believes God's will is at work and he is ready for whatever happens. I can't hardly believe his strength. I was with him today when the Dr announced that he would go on the "list" tomorrow to receive his new heart. Dave didn't miss a beat!! No pun intended!!! LOL

Please if you are reading this pray for him, his Mom, Dad and his brother and sister.

Sarah and Chad are nearing the end of purchasing their house!! Over the weekend we had a new door installed on the back of the garage. This was the last thing before the appraisal could be completed. Their close date is Feb 9. I don't know if they will make that but it should be close!

Sarah is stressed with all that is going to be involved in moving, painting, new carpet etc etc etc. Their first house, I as so excited for them. Only now we will have a rental vacant!! So if you know someone that needs a place let us know.

Over the weekend we installed a new underground electric service to our rental that is next door to us. Chad dug the trench, Ruben and Javier finished doing the hand work and installed the conduit last week. Then on Saturday, Steve, Chad, Ruben and Javier helped me pulling new wire, installing a new sub panel and making all the terminations. And surprise!! It works!! LOL

TTFN

Join me in supporting this site http://www.tcunation.com/profiles/blogs/action-alert-tell-sen Tell your elected officials you DO NOT support the Economic Stimulus Package!!

Sacramento Temple

2009-02-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

This is the Sacramento Temple, it opened September 3, 2006. Prior to being dedicated there was an open house. Linda and I participated in the open house as volunteers. It was great fun. I was there for the first couple of days when VIP tours were done and got to do a tour with a General Authority of or Church. It was very fun and informative.

My First Entry

2009-02-01T19:44:00.002-08:00

Well, this whole blog thing is new to me. We have a friend that taught a class at church about blogging. Sounded like a decent way for me to keep a journal and share what is going on with us also.