Over Capacity and other adjustments…

Yesterday morning I went to fix Kristi and I breakfast and discovered the Refrigerator was working well – very well in fact.  From the back to about the middle of the refrigerator everything was frozen.  Bacon frozen on the left, not so on the right.  Dozen eggs – 4 frozen solid.  Ketchup!  Well, it did not freeze much.   Refrigerator was turned to 7.  So, turned it back some.

This got me to thinking a bit about the changes we are having to adjust to.  Overall have tried to fit Viking Star with the amenities one comes to expect:  Sleeping areas, heater,  toilet, shower, hot and cold running water, refrigerators, stoves, etc.  All the trappings good Americans come to expect.

However we do have to make some adjustments.  When is the last time  you remember your household refrigerator half freezing everything? On the boat, there is just not the room for a large sophisticated refrigerator.  (small insight, many of the larger home refrigerators have fans and some even heaters inside to make sure the overall temp is nice and consistent!)  Even though the refrigerator has the capacity to freeze, it does not have the refinement to not.  So we need to adjust – ala thaw the eggs and turn the knob down to 5.

This got me to thinking about other areas of adjustment.  Stuff (another entry), Energy (also another entry).    Elsewhere: we have a small water tank – 225 gallons, which lasts us about 2 weeks.  The hot water tank is 5 gal, and Kristi and I need to take turns taking showers – about 20 minutes apart. 

Heating is not consistent.  Though we keep nice and warm through the cold winters, it is the main cabin that is very warm.  The lower sleeping areas are quite a bit cooler.

Toilet is a bit different as well, with its pump handle and knobs and ‘procedure’ one needs to use.  No just Push the Button here!  And the tank needs to be emptied about every 4 weeks.  Refrigerator is small, we need to purchase small things – no more Costco bottles of ketchup!  In fact, condiments in general have to be trimmed, lest they grow to consume the vast majority of space.

Watching TV involves a process of setting up the receiver, plugging in the speakers,  and then the Move the Antenna dance to try and get some level of reception.

Yes, adjustments.  And I am sure there will be many more to come.  However it is not a bad tradeoff.  Nature and sleep as mentioned below in Life on a Boat I guess are worth giving up small heaters inside the refrigerator.  Even if it means the bacon at times gets half frozen.