Following a weekend full of exploring the mangroves in a kayak looking for fish and alligators and cracking coconuts on the back deck, we have an ant infestation which we adamantly were pulling up the wood planks on the back deck to find where they were coming from. We discovered a few possible places of entry in the tonnage bulkhead that held the main doorway, that was sealed with 5200 marine adhesive. Upon pulling up the metal from the steps on the interior of the doorway, we discovered the wood was dryrotted and needed to be replaced. I appreciate the great value in how a small problem like ants can lead us down a rabbit hole that discovers a project of a potentially bigger problem such as safety. 

We are still waiting on the arrival of the engines (one of them has shipped) and therefore are continuing working on small projects around the boat, wherever we can be the most help. We got some training on using some more scanners and troubleshooting wires, tracing them throughout the ship, making sure that they were transporting information at the rate they were certified for, and how long they were. Then, we were asked to take out a box that contained all of the electriconic components for the old Dynamic Positioning (DP) system located under the bridge. The system had troubles as the bow thrusters are severely underpowered for the system and size of the boat. Therefore, the box has been sitting there unused and depowered for a long time and the F.G. Walton Smith kept getting hit with not taking it out in their NSF inspections. There is a lot that can be learned from taking things apart like this as each electrical component is attached differently and the connections have to be traced out. It is almost as methodological to remove electrical equipment like this as it is to install it, I feel like. Here is a picture of the box and me in the tight space underneath the wheelhouse control console. 

We have also started projects to to take out some of the old A/C systems left and reinstall some newer (but not marine-grade) A/C systems that are a little more compact and simpler. The new ones we are installing are the same ones we cleaned a couple weeks ago and will update one of the scientist berthings, the dry storage, and the wet lab units. Here is a picture of the old A/C unit removed and a selfie of me on the back deck with it about to throw it away! This was in my room and after seeing the grimy, slimy, thing uncovered I was a bit repulsed! Glad we’re changing it out!