Packing

We've finally departed Alaska, and are safely ensconced in Oakland for a few days.  As we look back on our other departures pages, we always have a page showing the enormous number of boxes and bags that we haul to French Polynesia, and that obligation will be met here.

.

These two boxes, packed by the manufacturer, have been the cause of a great deal of hand-wringing.  This is our new refrigerator!  The smaller box is the compressor on its tiny platform, and the larger is the coil of tubing that carries coolant to the euctectic fluid-filled cold plate, also in the box.  Technautics, the manufacturer, has been making marine refrigerator units since 1968 or so, so they have a lot of experience in the marine refrigeration field.  For us, they manufactured the unit with inert nitrogen at room pressure (one atmosphere) and no refrigerant under pressure.  Since airline and TSA rules prohibit carrying pressurized gases aboard aircraft, removing that problem will/should allow us to carry the unit to French Polynesia aboard our flight.  We'll see...

This is all that we have carried from Alaska, a tiny load compared to most years.  Each of us has a "blue box", filled with our contribution to boat maintenance, and each has a clothing bag.  My blue box has tools and parts, Conni's has food and items that need cleaning at home or that shouldn't be stored aboard.  Conni's clothing is TINY, so her black duffle bag is tiny, and my "Bill's Bag" is huge! 

Top