Batteries, Baggage, and Upgrading Ohana, My Love Life, and My Outlook on Humanity

Upgrade Update

Most of the system that manages power between the engine batteries and house batteries is now complete. The next step is sending the high-output alternators out for reworking.

This upgrade ensures that when motoring with the engines, the house batteries will recharge—albeit at a slower rate than the generator, but still effectively replenishing them. Additionally, the system allows the house batteries to help maintain a charge in the engine batteries.

The alternators require modification because the engine batteries are AGM, while the house batteries are now lithium. Since these battery types have different charging requirements, the upgrade involves installing dedicated DC-to-DC chargers and rewiring the alternators accordingly.

First Mate Hunt Update

Navigating the female companion of the seas at my age is like trying to dock in a hurricane—technically possible, but you’re going to take some hits, lose a fender, and maybe spill your drink. But here I am, back at the helm, scanning the horizon for a worthy first mate.

Now, before we break out the champagne once one is found, there’s the matter of baggage. Not the Louis Vuitton kind, but the kind life packs for you when you’ve been sailing these waters for a while. I’ve got mine; she’s going to have hers, and when two well-traveled souls meet in their late 40s and 50s, the luggage carousel can get a little crowded.

Back in the day, meeting someone was easy. I was footloose, fancy-free, and my biggest worry was whether my flip-flops matched. Now? I’m docked in North Carolina, refitting Ohana, and meeting possibilities long-distance is like navigating by GPS with no signal—risky and full of wrong turns. You need that face-to-face, gut-check moment—the one where you lock eyes, read the body language, and know whether you’re setting sail or heading straight for the rocks.

Meanwhile, Match.com is a desert of landlubbers looking to live a very traditional boring life, and the sailing sites? Let’s just say they’re overflowing with crusty, elderly, sun-fried sirens who’ve weathered more storms than my mainsail. Not exactly the co-captain I had in mind.

So, what’s the course of action?

Simple: focus on living the “salt-life.” Captain charters. Work on the boy’s house remodel, take some old friends out on Ohana while at all times getting used to single-handing her. And most importantly, get Ohana seaworthy and ready to sail out of the bay by November.

If a cute first mate worthy of adventure climbs aboard before then? Fantastic. If not? The sea is still calling, and last I checked, she doesn’t ghost or catfish.

Be Generous with Time, Life, and Love

While waiting for the upgrade to be completed, I’ve been spending a lot of time sitting on Ohana’s bow, staring at the horizon, thinking—maybe a little too much for a guy who just wants to sail and avoid unnecessary paperwork.

Today’s revelation? Life isn’t just about being a “nice guy,” as I always thought. It’s about generosity.

And I don’t mean just throwing extra shrimp on the grill for the neighbors (though I’ve done that too). I mean giving the most valuable thing we have: our time. Over the years, I’ve given mine freely—helping Old Lisa with her farm after she lost her husband, making a Sweet-16 special for her daughter who had to celebrate without her dad by building all kinds of furniture for her bedroom, supporting my parents with their home repairs, constantly fixing Betty’s house and helping her with all her computer issues, being there for my boys—repairing their cars, coaching them, and teaching them how to live like humans and not pigs.

And yes, even remodeling my ex’s place—doing a MAJOR renovation of a bathroom, designing and building a window seat, wiring outdoor lighting, painting and installing shiplap in many other rooms, Installing a closet system (where I was given no space to use,) installing an irrigation system, reworking a disgusting basement and water system, and demolishing the kitchen and porch for a renovation I helped design and find a contractor for. (A now questionable decision, but let’s not dwell.)

True wealth isn’t in stuff—it’s in the moments we share and the love we give without expectation.

That’s why, when I head back to Maryland this summer, I’m diving into something new: volunteering with Anne Arundel’s Hospice. Because at the end of the day, our real legacy isn’t measured in dollars, boats, or romantic near-misses—it’s measured in the love we leave behind.

PS - My Weekly Injection Meds:

My meds still haven't made it! Three weeks later, and I’m still waiting on approval to ship them to NC. So, now they're being sent to Nick, who’ll repackage them and send them my way. The plan is to test the system when I get back. I’m going to request a 3-month supply at a time—let’s see how long that takes and if I can just make it my permanent system!