Boat Work – Pre Season Projects in the Chesapeake

With a couple of idle months until the end of hurricane season, it was time for us to do our annual maintenance-a-palooza on Holiday. We had been watching the usual increase of leaks of various fluids from various sources, and aging parts were glaring at us from the running rigging, to the engine, to the sails, to even a thruhull in the bathroom. There were some upgrades and improvements to make boat life better, and, of course, there was the regular preventative maintenance of the onboard systems to take care of.

Our fourth big refit was to occur at the end of our second year of cruising. Previous big refits were a couple of years before moving aboard when we bought the boat, then just before we moved aboard two years ago, and the third was one year ago after our first year of cruising. So, we knew that everything takes twice as long as we think it will, and the list usually grows faster than it shrinks as new problems are discovered during maintenance. I will say that we are a little more seasoned mechanically now than when we were total rookies.

This year’s list was no different than the other times. It was long, it looked expensive, and staring at it was panic attack inducing. But, boat work is definitely part of the cruising life, and we are wanting to cruise to the islands this year where it is much more difficult to fix broken things. Better fix them now while West Marine is right down the road.

With all that in mind, we set the projects in motion whether it was turning wrenches, firing up the sewing machine, buying stuff online, or hiring out a couple of jobs. It didn’t hurt that we were in Annapolis where all manner of marine services and supply stores are a stones throw away, and we were there through the boat show (discounts!). Here is what we accomplished (or are still in the process of accomplishing):

Upgrades and Improvements:
AIS Transceiver and Splitter – with this upgrade we’ll show up on other ship’s AIS screens the same way we had monitored other ships when we had a receive only AIS.
New CD Player/Radio
New Head Sink/Shower Faucet and Shower Holder – better showers=happier Lindy
New Mainsail Cover – Lindy sewed it perfectly! The old one was literally falling apart
Bimini Rain/Shade Flaps – Lindy strikes again! These will really improve life, allowing us to enjoy the cockpit when it is raining hard.
Bow Shade – We cut up the old mainsail to make this. Haven’t used it yet but should allow us to keep bedroom hatch open during rain
Fortress Anchor and Rail Mount – New secondary anchor in convenient spot for quick and easy deployment
Rode for Fortress – Used some of the old chain and practiced my three strand splicing.
Extra Long Snubber Lines – 50 feet. Will use for side snubbing to turn the boat into swell. More three strand splice practice.
New Dock Lines – Boat show discount!
New Tablet and Laptop – Since we use these for navigation and ours are over a year old, we are going to go with a backup for both. Also will be referred to as Lindy’s tablet and laptop.
New Alternator – One of the older looking things that’s easily changeable on the engine. I’ve got a used backup. Think I’ll buy new and get rid of the one on the engine. They aren’t expensive.

Fixing/Replacing Broken Stuff:
Water Tank Leak – This was a big one. We had suspected a leak for over a year but hadn’t wanted to pull the cabinets apart to fully inspect the area. We finally disassembled what seemed like half the boat, and there it was: a crack with water dripping out. As I type today, 2 months later, we are still waiting on the new tank to be built and shipped. Hopefully it comes in the next few days.
Replace Headliner and Fix Leak – Another big one here. Taking down the headliner (interior ceiling) is no easy task. We found that some thru bolted deck hardware needed rebedding. The headliner was ruined also. So, we had to cut a new piece to fit and reinstall.
Leaking High Pressure Fuel Pump – I seem to always be chasing leaks in the injector lines and fittings. Finally have them all stopped….for now.
Fix BBQ Grill – replaced broken propane regulator
Head Dorade Air Vent Leak – fixed a leak in the air ventilation box in the bathroom ceiling
Fix Bedroom Hatch Leak – Bought new hardware. Didn’t fix leak. The quest continues.
Electrical Problem – Uhhhhhhggggg! We have a ground fault (current leak) in our 12 V system. We are trying desperately to find and fix this ourselves so we don’t have to pay someone to fix it.

Hired Out Jobs:
New sails – Main and 110% Jib – our main was REALLY old and bad, and we were wanting a smaller headsail for cruising into the trades
Recore of Bow – This was the biggest one, and one we couldn’t do ourselves. Basically we found that the entire bow area had pretty bad moisture intrusion from a poor windlass installation by a previous owner. It’s all fixed now, but it cost us a pretty penny.
Replace Head Sink Thruhull – While the boat was out of the water for the recore, we had them replace a thruhull that looked old and bad.

Maintenance:
Change oil, filters, and fluids
Change all zincs – Engine and Shaft
Change On-Engine Fuel Filter – I hadn’t ever changed this one because it is difficult to get to and requires bleeding the engine after. Well, I broke the filter body, replaced it, changed the filter, and then successfully bled the engine on the first try. Harder than it should have been but a success.
Overheating Engine Problem – The engine had been overheating a little at high RPMs more and more often as we motored up the ICW. We rigged a pump to run Barnacle Buster through the raw water system for a day. Problem solved.
Service Outboard
Macerator Pump – Flush the lines so it stops clogging. A crappy job….get it?
Rebed Chainplates – We draw a wet erase marker line inside on the chainplates (steel attachment points for the cables that hold the mast up). Any water intrusion will smear the line and signal us to rebed with caulking/butyl tape.
Clean All Air Vents (Cowl/Dorade) – Got the layers of dust and dirt out of the ventilation screens.
Polish Dodger Windows – Apparently we’re supposed to do this more often than annually. Better get on it!

Replacing Worn/Old Equipment:
Running Rigging and Blocks – Boom Vang and Blocks, Furling Line Blocks, Spare Blocks for Main Sheet (block=pulley)
Backup Fuel Pump – This pump is used to bleed the fuel lines after a filter change and can be used as the main fuel pump if the primary were to fail. The old one was a rusty mess.
New Bow Line Harness for Dinghy – used for towing, lifting onto deck, and lifting on davits.
Replace Anchor Chain – Our fairly new anchor chain didn’t last very long. Hopefully this one does better. I learned to splice 8 Plait rope

Cruising and Safety Prep:
Go through Ditch Bag – This is the bag we’d grab in an “abandon ship” situation. Annually we go through it and make sure supplies are good and not expired.
Go through First Aid Kit – Luckily it’s seen little use. Go through to check for expired items.
Test PLBs – Personal Locator Beacons. We both wear a device that can alert our position to rescue personnel anywhere in the world. They have a test button.
Check Auto Inflate Life Jackets – Make sure inflating air canister shows that it is still charged.
Update Charts – Make sure all electronic charts are of the latest variety.
Buy supplies for Bahamas/Caribbean – Load Holiday up with food and drinks. Oil, oil filters, and fuel filters for six changes. Go through spares.

That’s it. That’s all it takes to keep a liveaboard sailboat safe, comfortable, and prepped for cruising. Doesn’t sound too hard or expensive, right? Ha!