November is here and that can only mean one thing in our home……it is time to head south! With the news of Nicole and friends sitting in anchorages awaiting her strike, we are happy not to be on the water at the moment. With that being said, we are also jealous of those that are already on their way. We have all of our dry provisioning done and are currently working on loading that onto Paradigm Shift.
Paradigm Shift has undergone some changes this summer/fall season. First she has received a second high output Balmar alternator. This will allow us to generate more electricity while “underway”. We hauled her out in August to have the bottom painted and our stabilizers serviced. That job morphed into more than we anticipated but all in all I think we are happy with how well she is running and that she is ready for our upcoming trip. Greg has been working with our canvas shop to get some arch work done by bending stainless steel tubing. This is the framework that is being used to support our new solar panel system. We have four 400 watt panels that adorn the top of Paradigm Shift which will allow us to charge our batteries without having to run the generator in the morning and evening. It is our hope to only run the generator while preparing dinner and for a few moments in the morning to prepare coffee and breakfast. We still have an electric oven but maybe we will be able to change that next year reducing that generator usage just a little more. Aesthetically we have changed a few things as well. We have a new bimini top made of Sunbrella with a connecting windshield and additional side curtains that will enclose the fly bridge a bit and allow us to enjoy steering from above or sitting upstairs and not being directly in the wind. Along with the exterior change, we have made a few interior changes. The main change is in the master stateroom. We have recovered the headboard, changed the bedding, made new window coverings and wall art. The last change is that the stair treads are being replaced. That should finish up our projects for the year and we look forward to enjoying them all.
