Weird…, I’m alone. Sam and Guin went back to Ft. Myers to visit family for the long weekend. It’s so strange with it being quiet around here. I was nice for a few hours but I’m really ready to have them back, funny how that works : )
With all my alone time I’ve really been able to focus on getting the 2 new solar panels wired up (24v), and installing the MPPT charge controller that I bought a few months ago. I had 2 old 30 amp shore power cords onboard that I cut open for the 10 gauge wire inside. I don’t have a shore power cord anymore but I never plug in anyway. I’ll have to find one at some time in case I want to plug in and use a lot of juice but the addition of the 2 new panels was much more important, and I just didn’t have the money for wire. I checked eBay and you can find used 50′ cords for under 20 bucks which relates to 150′ of 10 gauge copper strand wire. It’s a pretty nice way to save a few bucks. I’d like to buy a few for future wiring projects, God only know Splendid can use a lot of new wire. It’s funny the things we throw away without thinking. I’m the first one to admit that I’m a “Dumpster diver”. I’ve come across so many useful things in the dumpster in Fort Myers. It’s funny that I put a good working Television in it. I don’t think anyone needs an extra TV!
I need to go to west marine today to get some fuses and a threw deck fitting (wire), but I should have my project finished today. I’ll be putting out 400 watts of clean solar power at 24 volts, how sweet is that? I have a 500 watt controller and want to find another panel at some point but I’m pretty happy now. The new panel will have to be a 100 watt 24v panel, or I’ll have to find 2 12v 50’s? I’ve only ran the motor 3-4 hours in the past month and I’m hoping with the new panels I can get that down even more. We just had a cloudy 3 days and solar energy has been scarce. I’m really looking forward to a wind generator to fill in the gaps. When it’s not sunny, its usually windy.
A really nice guy came by that I’ve been speaking to through the site for years. It looks like he has a spinnaker he doesn’t, WOOT! It’s funny he mentioned “pay it forward”, what a great concept, like my “operation TRAKS” (Totally Random Acts of Kindness). I know a lot of you think I don’t have much but I’ve given so much away as well. I always help the sailors that have less than I do with equipment, tools, and time. I think it drives Sam a little batty because I save old stuff that we really don’t need. I have a few old VHF radios, GPS’s (all working) and other stuff (hardware/line) on board which are earmarked for give-away. I don’t know if you guys remember but when I was at the Ahi atoll in the Tuamotos I gave one of the local guys a VHF radio and antenna for his small skiff. The squelch didn’t work but he loved it. It turned out that he was a pearl farmer and came by the following day with a weighty handful of black pearls for me. Kindness and generosity are like a boomerang, it always seems to return. Thanks Tom!
Maybe you guys could go out of your way to help someone and post in in the comments below. Perhaps it will inspire other to take the time, think forward, and help someone else? Eventually I’ll have the TRAKS section up on the site and we can all boast about how much we went out of our way to do something kind for someone. It really is something to be proud of.
Anyway, it’s 9:30 and I want to get to work.
Peace everyone.
Sail far and live slowly!
– Alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
It does feel good to help someone.
when your teaching in an urban school and you help a child–that is the greatest feeling of joy- years ago we took in a young student who needed help and when he finally got himself together and got a college scholarship that is happiness.
Hi Alex, I have a friend who is a single mother and has no exrta money for repairs on her car. I, at no charge have installed brakes, an in-tank fuel pump and made verious other repairs. I even traced down a rough idle problem to a falty injector line. Witch ment I would have to remove the inake maifold to make the repair. I have several people in my life I use “my” skills to help. Mostly people who don’t or can’t work on thier own cars. It’s all good for me, I don’t mind doing things for other people. I DO how ever have issus with just GIVING money away. So many people these days want mine and there just isn’t enough to go around. HELP is free, exept for a little time. I have found that many of the people I do things for are good company, A bonus!! Note here , when I recieve help from someone I REALLY appriciate it, since I do most of what I do at work alone. I hope to see you on the water someday, Steve
Steve,
I agree, time and knowledge is an amazing gift. I have given away a few bucks here and there, nothing much but in some countries it can be quite heart breaking. It’s often not about drugs or greed, there are just some really poor people out there that have no way to work. The worst place I’ve been was Colon Panama. After the Americans left after basically building the city, there was not a drop of work to be had, and the city collapsed. I was mugged by a boy there. I didn’t give him anything except a “Don’t F with me look” He got scared and ran away. What got me was the look of shear desperation in his eyes. He was just hungry.
On the up side, after 2 days of work all my Solar panels are up and running with my charge controller. It was late in the day with some clouds but I saw the controller putting out over 14 amps, WOOT! I hope tomorrow is sunny so I can check it about noon. I’m love’n the SOLAR power.
Peace.
Alex
i believe traks and paiyng it forward Brings good Karma and it really feels good too when you can help someone else out:-) so keep on giving it always comes back to you in one way or another.
Hey Alex, this topic brought up something that I’ve been gonna ask you but I keep forgetting. What types of things (if any) to you take for barter or to donate, I’ve often thought of things like tooth brushes, hooks,line, sweets, shirts and such? Some articles in the mags talk about what the villagers don’t get enough of so they (curizers) bring loads of that stuff rather than cash. Do you do something like that? Stocking up on small, cheap stuff they will need or like?
I docked next to a 95′ school ship one time a few years ago, and I took a bunch of my old Lats & Ats magazines over to them, you would have thought it was a mound of cash!! I know that is not really what the post is about but that really made me feel good, something as simple as that.
I felt really good sending you that care package too!!!!!
Happy Solar, Dean
Dean,It depends who we are talking about. If we are talking about the Kuna they need nothing. Cruisers often give them magazines which is like porno to them. The young boys like the magazines. I’ve also seen cruisers give them bibles, old outboards & generators, and other things that are leading to their demise.
If you give a Kuna a generator, you automatically make him poor and dependent on fuel and parts. I know they did it with the best intentions, but not so smart. I have given them line for their small sailing skiffs, fishing gear, and some sweets for the kids on occasion but I noticed the sweets really set the kids off. They were not used to the refined sugar in their diets. The men can not take alcohol either. I gave a kuna a few beers once and OMG, he was stumbling around and TRASHED! It’s best to leave indigenous people alone. I believe this goes for medical attention as well. It is a very pure and beautiful society, and one that will not exist much longer. I actually feel guilty going back, I wish the modern world could just stay out (including me), but it is what it is. They are on their last leg. It’s heart breaking to see indigenous people begging for something they don’t need, possibly something they saw in a magazine. The worst thing I ever saw was a group of tourists (from a cruise ship) paying a kuna couple to show them how they had sex in a hammock. The tourists were appalled that they didn’t have beds in their huts and wanted to know how they “did it”! It really made me sick.
However many of the westernized people in some of the 3rd world countries just need food, sanitation, medical, and most importantly help becoming self sufficient (Farming and irrigation). I’d revert back to Steve’s comment about donating time. It really is the best thing. I come across a lot of doctors & nurses down there donating time, especially to the young and old. t-shirts and fishing gear (hooks and line) are really good for barter just about anywhere. In the S. Pacific they all want .22 shells for hunting. You can get just about anything with .22 LR’s. They also want Alcohol. I don’t feel so bad about giving them Alcohol because most of the Polynesian people are run by the French and they are now a drinking society. I traded rum for a beautiful carving on Namast’s compression post, and some tattoo work.
I guess it just depends where you are? Cruisers must be responsible for their actions. I’m not fond of the cruisers who buy their way around the world. It is very easy for American and European dollars to pollute a society. If anyone has cruised throughout the eastern Caribbean you’ll know what I mean. Cruisers have spoiled many of the small islands by making the people dependent on the income. This leads to poverty and crime.
I hope this helps.
Cheers.
Alex
my brother who is a doctor-retired worked on an indian reservation for two years-then he worked-gratis-with the indigent in the city-gratis–most giving person i know–he makes me proud/
Thank you Alex, that was very informative and pretty much what I had imagined.
Thanks Again, Dean
Lets all “Pay it forward” in one way or another!!!!! It’s something that we can all do and should think about throughout the day.
Man I’m tired, I’ve been stuck in the lazerette and small confined hot spaces wiring for 3 days, I’m whipped! The boat is a total wreck and I need to clean up in the morning before Sam and Guin get home. If she saw this place I think she’d leave me. How did I make such a mess in 4 days?
Peace.
– Alex
I once sent a guy some tools, mainly to get my box cleaned out, he sent my mom a black pearl…and she now likes him more then me..lololol. also a couple of cruisers sent me some stuff for a home warming on PRETTY LUCKY, and I sent them a few trinketts. I have also had folks send me safty hernesses, which I only needed one but a friend needed one so I handed one on down. I had some folks send me a video, and when I was really bummed out, I thought about giving it all up, but that video brought me back to life everytime I looked the cover art. I sent another guy who bought a boat and had no funds left for refitting it, a vhf. well the first trip they lost the fuel pump and the VHF came in very handy to get the folks help..from another cruiser, who ended up towing them for the 2 days. I even had some guys rebuild my bathroom, including suppling the ply wood. it seems they got word I gave their friend $150 for blood preasure meds, gas,and to help with their bills.. and later got them food and some gas money to help them get to work for the week. I never expected it back. I didn’t really mind helping either. right now, I have a vhf antenna to pass along to a guy who just bought a Coronado 27, in hopes that it helps him get the boata little safer for the first time sailor. it’s really neat to watch how the ripple effect works.
I love to barter also. I think I will stock up on hooks and line, and T’s and such and when I see a fella in need of an itam I’ll gratefully hand him something from the stash…just so I can keep the ripple effect going. lol.