How to spend a month aboard a boat to prepare for a long passage…

It was an exhausting, at times overwhelming, grind, but from July 7th until August 1st I buckled down and cranked out a lot of work. The days were long often starting before 6:00am and not knocking off until after 8:00pm. I skipped a bunch of meals and made daily trips to the marine store, Home Depot, and Target (some times multiple times a day…).

Here is the punch list that was completed during the month of July:

  • Buy coolant, heat exchanger o-rings, and mixing elbow gaskets
  • Buy/install jaw slides bolts and secure solar arch supports
  • Change engine oil and oil filters
  • Change primary and secondary fuel filters
  • Clean and lubricate Main sail track
  • Clean BBQ valve
  • Clean coolant hoses and air valves
  • Clean engines, engine compartments, and bildges
  • Clean jib sail
  • Clean main sail
  • Clean screecher sail
  • Clean up/label electronics cabling
  • Crimp MC4 solar connectors
  • Cut out damaged Outhaul line, flip line, splice ends, and install
  • Determine crimps, heatshrink, wire sizes, and crimp tool for battery cables
  • Disassemble/clean/install head exchangers
  • Drain and clean dingy
  • Empty all lockers and storage, organize, and document all items on board
  • Generate electronics wiring diagram/schematic
  • Generate wiring diagram for DC and AC circuits (excluding electronics)
  • Inspect rigging
  • Install Batteries – House
  • Install Batteries – Starter
  • Install SeaTalk2 to SeaTalk ng converter
  • Install Starboard head joker valve
  • Install/wire BMS – House
  • Install/wire BMS – Starter
  • Install/wire Solar panels
  • Machine holes and slot into GPS mount
  • Mount new terminal strips to isolate SeaTalk power, ground, and data
  • Mount GPS antennas mount
  • Mount/wire InterVolt programmable voltage relay
  • Mount/wire Victron solar controller
  • Order Delrin for GPS antennas
  • Program BEP battery monitor
  • Program Victron Inverter for Lithium batteries
  • Rebuild engine raw water pump (spare)
  • Rebuilt head macerator pump (spare)
  • Repair head of Main sail
  • Repair loose freezer hinge screw
  • Replace Jib halyard line
  • Replace Lazy jack lines
  • Replace Traveler line
  • Replace UV strip on Jib
  • Replace UV strip on Screecher sail
  • Reprogram Victron inverter
  • Reseat port berth hatch
  • Run wire/install GS130 GPS antenna
  • Service four winches
  • Stern light mounting and wiring
  • Test bilge pumps (manual and electric)
  • Test run dingy motor, flush with fresh water, and drain carb fuel bowl
  • Treat engine corrosion (sand to bare metal, prime, and paint)
  • Troubleshoot AIS-650 installation
  • Uninstall InterVolt PVR and install Contactors
  • Wash all lines

All told the solar upgrade, battery upgrade, parts, materials, boat stuff, and other related purchases came to $8,588.10. I still need to replace the Main Sheet line and Main Halyard and the Jib and Screecher are having their UV fabric replaced, and a new membrane for the water maker. These will add another couple thousand to the refit cost.

Man, I can’t imagine how expensive it would be to take on a boat that wasn’t in good condition…

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