Casa de Tortugas - Stories
English
Living remote and off-grid requires many hats
We aren't rich, so we have to wear many hats. But we would do it even if we were rich. There is a special joy that comes from knowing that the things we see as we look around are things we had a hand in creating. Of course we hired a construction crew for the major portion of the house build. We don't have the tools, skills or strength to do the concrete work or the heavy wood work. But once the foundation and main portion of the house were finished, we took over.
Electrician Hat: We wired all of the electrical once the solar crew brought in the panels, controllers and batteries. We wired into the circuit breaker box then wired up all of our lighting and power outlets. The nice thing is that we can decide where we want things before putting in a plug or switch. And as we have additional needs, we simply add more plugs and switches. We left room in the breaker box for a few more circuits. The wiring isn't complex, but because most of it is visible, we take our time to route things and secure them so they look nice.
Plumber Hat: Our crew installed the septic tanks out in the yard and the rain gutters on the roof. We had a plumber connect the water pump and pressure tank since we have never used those devices before. All of the rest of the plumbing has been run by us. We had to run the water line up to the gas water heater and from there to the bathrooms, kitchen, utility room and water catchment supply tanks as well as connecting all the drains to the septic system. The water catchment system has been designed with more shut-off valves than most people would use, but we have the ability to remove any tank from the system without losing access to our water. This lets us clean them on a schedule or replace one if it ever breaks.
Carpenter Hat: We have created some temporary furniture as we try to figure out what we need and want. We have installed safety railings around our deck and build several small shelves and some window trimming. After having a table built for us, we are thinking that we may just build the rest of the furniture ourselves. Having someone else build it for us is expensive, but it also takes a long time. After seeing what we have already done and the way things are built, we are feeling pretty confident that we can do the remainder of the work on our own.
Boat Captain Hat: We live on a remote island with no roads or even walking paths. The closest store is in the main town, about 12 miles away, and the only way to get there is by boat. We purchased our boat back in January and have been improving our skills over the past 7 months. We've figured out the best routes to Bocas Town and Almirante where we get our supplies and maintenance on our boat done. The 12 mile trip to Bocas Town takes about 35 minutes on average. Almirante is closer to 20 miles and takes 50 minutes. We have also been out near our property just to throw out the anchor and jump in the water. Sadly, with all the work we are doing we haven't gotten to do too much relaxing or recreational boating. Soon enough though.
Arborist Hat: We have a chainsaw and we aren't afraid to use it! We needed to remove a couple trees during the building of the house but we have also removed a few more over the past few months. We don't want to remove anything that we really don't need to, but a couple trees were sickly and a couple others were just causing problems. Removing the trees opened up the canopy allowing more light to get in and we are seeing more growth down on the ground as plants enjoy the new patches of sun light. We have also been learning how to trim back various trees to keep them healthy and keep the area around the house and paths clear.
Medic Hat: Thankfully we haven't had to use this one much. Being so far from the hospital in Bocas Town, we have to be ready for most things that could come up. So far we've had to administer first aid on a limited scale as workers (and us) have gotten minor cuts while working. We have a decent first aid kit but we will be expanding it a bit more over time just in case something more serious happens. We've read up on the proper use of the radio in case we need to call for help as we rush into town. Let's just hope that day never comes though.
Farmer Hat: We haven't had the opportunity to try this one on yet. We do plan on growing some of our own food. We have so many projects going right now that time simply doesn't allow for us to learn how to grow things. But it is on the list for the near future. We already know some of the fruits and vegetables that we want to grow. So we will be building our knowledge base soon.
Those are a lot of hats and there may be some others we just aren't thinking of right now. We still ask for help and hire workers when needed, but it's nice to know that we can deal with most issues as they come up.
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