Projects, Projects, Projects!

So remember that vow to not make any major changes for the first 6 months???  Well…..we actually made it for the most part!  That first summer and fall (of 2008) we just enjoyed the boat and got to know her.  But if you know us at all, you won’t be surprised to hear we were soon creating our list of what we would need to upgrade and/or change to meet our cruising needs.  Considering how well outfitted the boat already was, we sure came up with a long list!

Here’s a short list of the biggest projects we decided needed to be done prior to our departure:

·         Replace aging water lines

·         Install a DC fridge (current one was only engine driven)

·         Replace aging battery charger/inverter

·         Add a generator

·         Add a diesel heater

·         Add solor panels

·         Add a wind generator

·         Add an arch for the solar panels, wind power and various lights and antennas

·         Replace worn inner cushions (starting to disintegrate in areas)

·         Replace worn exterior canvas

·         Create a new bimini with a dodger for shade

·         Replace radar/chartplotter with newer version that could repeat at helm/nav

·         Add a more robust autohelm – preferably hydraulic

·         Convert the aft water tank to fuel (bringing us to 108 gallons fuel/155 water)

·         Reroute watermaker fittings (so we don’t have to pull up the bed to run it)

·         Install new batteries prior to departure

·         Buy life raft and mount to stern pulpit

·         Find a way to add more exterior storage

And that’s just the BIG stuff!  There were so many small projects along the way that there just isn’t enough time to recount it all.  But in the following posts we’ll cover some of the changes we’ve made and why we made them….