Quick update on a few items. I was on the island weekend before last to address generator issue. Dale found transformer out of ohm spec and replaced. Generator started up. Happy to report, the replacement transformer also alleviated the led light flicker we had begun to experience when running on gen power. Apparently, the transformer had been on its way out for a while. Gen ran about 2 hours and shut itself down again. This time, blink code indicated a faulty temp. sensor. I did have a spare on-hand, so we replaced and had no further problems the remainder of the trip. This past weekend I arrived with the first group of people on Friday about noon. I started the gen Friday night, and it ran a couple hours and shut itself down. We shut off the upstairs AC and had plenty of solar power to get us through the night running only the two bunk room ac’s. Sat morning, I assessed the gen, and discovered it was again throwing code 24, the code indicating a faulty temp sensor. Although possible, I felt it was unlikely that a brand-new sensor had shorted. I read further into the service manual and it recommended checking various terminal connections. I found a connection issue where the main harness plugs into the computer. Cleaned connection, restarted gen and had no further problems. I now suspect the temp sender wasn’t the second issue from the weekend prior. I kept the sensor and will return it to the island for a backup. Hopefully, this will eliminate any other gen issues for the foreseeable future. I also diagnosed and repaired a wiring connection issue with the auto start module, and it is again functioning as intended. Dale states that 99% of the time (although not often), the transformer is the failing component of the AC distribution side. He also brought and left a spare transformer..they are fairly easy to swap. Worth noting…I purchased and installed the diesel genset in June 2022. Since that time, it has had about 2,200 hrs. usage. I finalized solar installation and brought it online June 2023. Since then, the gen has seen usage of 210 hours. So, year one w/ no solar - 1,990 gen hrs. Year two w/ solar = 210 gen hours. Solar was never intended to run the entire place 100% of the time, but it has made a tremendous difference in gen usage. Rough math indicates a fuel cost savings last year of appx. $3k. when compared to the year prior. Per my previous text, I picked up the barge and returned to Port OConnor weekend before last with a temporary fix. Once the needed part arrives, Max will assemble our lower unit and arrangements can be made to swap. I paid him for work completed to date ($931.91) which was less than estimated. I don’t anticipate the cost being significant for the remaining work. Clark’s has been sold, and construction has started on rebuilding their on-water facilities. I met and spoke with the new owner, and he has plans for new bait stand, restaurant, store, etc. First impression, he may be a little hard to deal with. They have begun really enforcing parking. We had several vehicles amongst the group, and they charged $15-20 per day depending on the actual day. Using group funds, I purchased an annual parking / ramp use pass ($200) and will place under the seat of the barge. Another option with multiple vehicles (which we also did this past weekend) is to leave one vehicle in the boat storage unit to avoid parking fees. Regarding trash, I know Brent well and he didn’t have issue with using their dumpster if we asked permission. He is no longer dealing with the bait/parking/etc. and so I would recommend not using the dumpster unless you talk to someone who gives specific permission. The 1,550 gal water tank is about 80% depleted. This leaves us about 3k gallons on-hand. We haven’t had significant rainfall down there in quite a while. There is a chance this week. As everyone is already aware, conservation is key. The septic system has been in operation since 6/13/21 and has functioned well but is going to require some attention perhaps as soon as the next trip. While the boat was being loaded yesterday, I caught a quick shower and heard the toilet gurgling. When I went downstairs, I removed the lid from the 1st drum and it was very full. Unfortunately, with everyone at the boat waiting to leave, there wasn’t much I could do. The lower drum and lateral lines should be fine due to the effluent filter I installed inside the first drum which prevents solids from passing. The first drum needs to be emptied (shovel, perhaps post-hole diggers), and the filter needs to be pulled and rinsed off. Should be a simple (albeit repugnant) fix. Everything else operated as intended. St Augustine grass is still alive, although a bit yellow. The Bermuda that we seeded is also coming up well in the front area. Vegetation in the back yard area is slowly making progress. Unbelievably, we rarely saw a mosquito this past weekend…quite different from the weekend prior when they were as bad as I have seen. Cecil’s spray can be credited along with moderate south winds. I took down two bottles of cutter yard spray that attaches to water hose. Luckily, we didn’t use them, but they are there for future use. Bull red fishing was slow in front of the cabin, but on fire between the neighbors and the jetty point. Between Cecil and his group, and several others probably 20+ were caught and released. Fri and Sat nights were too windy to fish under the lights, but some good trout and slot reds were caught on Sunday night. One added highlight to the trip, I found my first “message in a bottle” close to the dunes on Sunday afternoon. It was a note from a young girl that was tossed in the gulf from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship back in October. I sent text and contacted the family, and they were excited to hear from us. My text msg exchange is attached. I placed the note back in the bottle and it is displayed in the Cantina. Probably my most exciting find aside from the Jamaican money found a few years back. Braydon and I also found a busted “square grouper” last Sunday afternoon. If you don’t know what that is, let Google be your guide. Not terribly uncommon to find along our shoreline. We caught a break in offshore conditions, so last Sunday he and I stayed in town and went offshore on Monday. Fishing was good, and we caught limits of Amberjack, some nice Snapper (although can’t keep them until this weekend) and a few other fish. Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend.