Preparing for trip South

Barry / HOT
08/11/2010, Grand Rivers KY 37.00624N, 88.22605W

Currently working towards my first retirement and slowly preparing Surprise for the trip down the Tenn-Tom to Mobile Bay and Pensacola. I got the solar panels mounted last summer and I am going to mount the Radar dome and wind generator this summer. I have a Raymarine C80 chart plotter and will link this all up when I get my mounting poles the end of this month. I will try to post pics of the set up when it's completed. I will have an antenna loop on top of the radar dome mount and place a VHF antenna on top for the AIS. I will only be getting the receiver as I want to save money and don't see the need to transmit. If I know who is there I can hail them and let them know I am out there as well change course if needed to avoid them. This will link up nicely with the Radar and help track targets. I am going to mount an Air X 400w wind generator on the opposite side of the transom. That gives me radar on port side and wind on starboard with solar in the middle. The solar does a great job as long as the sun is out, so I will use the wind to supplement and provide at night or on cloudy days.
I am so excited to finally be heading south and look forward to the trip each day. I will be a fun trip and great to share it with friends. I will try to keep this updated as I am able. There will not be a lot of internet on the way down, so will probably post the night before maybe that morning and then whenever I have access to wyfi on the rest of the trip.
Cheers
Barry