Do you know your level?

One of the things both power boaters and sail boaters can agree on is that the price of diesel these days is getting outrageous! Alas,every year during the Spring and Summer we see prices climb. It seems to happen just as we are about to start having some fun on our vacations! Knowing just how much fuel in your tank can mean extra money in your pocket for all those cold drinks! When we purchased Felicity we knew we would need to replace our fuel tank sensors and gauges. Coming down to Miami from North Carolina we would just fill her up every chance we got and monitored the tanks the old fashioned way, with a dowel. But not anymore...

Recently, we partnered up with WEMA USA Inc. We saw this company at The Miami International Boat Show and contacted them to begin the selection of products we would need. Their website explains in great detail just how to decide the right fit for you tanks, see here.  Dealing with the company was a breeze, we called and they answered the phone, big plus these days when most phone numbers are answered by a voice recording!

GR was able to do the entire job in about an hour! He removed the old gauge from our control panel and the two senders from the forward and aft tanks. The new WEMA reed type senders were the same bolt pattern so all he had to do was line them up. Reed type senders were a nice choice for our tanks because we have a lot of baffles (walls that keep the fuel from sloshing around too much) where the gauge is installed.

Overall we can say WEMA USA Inc. has exceeded our expectations by:

• Being just a phone call away. Knowing we could speak to a real, knowledgeable person.
• Having quality product. They were finished well, stainless steel welds all look nice.
• Giving us options. The gauge had an option for red or yellow light. (It's the little things!)
• Ease of operation, installation took all of an hour!

SPECIAL DEAL FOR YOU!!!

Because we love our readers so much, we are passing the savings on to YOU! When you place you order with WEMA, you will receive 20% off your online purchase! If you have been looking around and are ready to make the change your fuel tanks have been waiting for, now could be the best time!

Three Organizational Must Haves!

Another one of my favorite past times is keeping things organized. This is so not my nature but somehow boating has changed me from a terribly messy, unorganized slob (ha ha ha) into a slightly-more-together detail-oriented person. Basically the first day we hit a Wal*Mart I purchased a few notebooks, a few binders and an expandable Rolodex file. With these tools I can keep track of our expenditures and the paperwork that accompany them. 

Office Depot carries this version made from recycled materials!

Expandable File – The expanding file is perfect for keeping receipts in order because really you just never know when you might need to return something or refer back to the receipt for a part number. I keep them separated by month; once a month is over I place the bundle in a legal size letter envelope and label it. Typically I don’t have to go too far back into the records but seriously, you just never know.

Notebooks – The notebooks are spread among us; The Captain takes care of the Maintenance Logs and has a personal To-Do book. Here he has lists on various pages, on page is West Marine, next page is Home Depot etc, etc. Then whenever we need to go shopping he has all his lists in one book and we can try to kill all the birds at once. Our daughter has her own notebook for whatever she likes and usually it’s a multi-media adventure book. She draws, writes and pastes photos and clippings from her travels into the book. She's already filled a whole book from our past travels through the Eastern & Western Caribbean. I take care of the Cruising Log and since we have yet to go anywhere, that one is still on the shelf. ;)

Binders – The boat came with the original Owner’s Manual that includes tons of really important information including all the schematics, overviews, and part numbers we could need. I have placed the manuals and information for various systems and electronics like the heads, the generator, the oven and the navigation equipment in one binder. We will continue to add to them as we continue to outfit and re-fit.

There is so much to keep track of when you are involved in a new boat and living on board. I’d love to hear some fresh ideas, am I missing anything? What ways do you stay organized on board? Do tell!