Yardwork

Last Thursday, we planned to sail to Oriental, NC (about a 4 hour sail/30 min drive) and haul out at Sailcraft Services which would give us an opportunity to replace our cutlass bearing, but when we turned the key to start the engine, nothing happened.  All was not lost thanks to our handy Honda 2000 generator.  We jump started it and cast off.  As we sailed, we left the engine running in neutral just in case it didn't want to start again.  Getting into Whittaker Creek without an engine would be nearly impossible considering the depths outside the narrow channel.  We arrived and tied up at the dock for the night all set for the haul out the next morning.  Little did we know that when we turned the engine off - that was all she wrote for those batteries.

The next morning we pulled the boat to the well (around some pricey new boats which made us slightly nervous) and moved her onto the hard.  Our list of things we needed to do during the haul out increased exponentially each day.

Allen and the whole crew at Sailcraft have been great and tremendously helpful - there have even been times when we have considered hanging out here for a bit.  We love working on boats, as long as ours is working and we aren't spending money.

After a week in the yard, here are the things we have accomplished and at this point we are ready to go back in the water:
* New inverter/charger
* New remote monitoring system
* New AGM batteries, including removing the old ones all weighing in about 70 lbs each.
* Acid washed hull and 2 coats of ablative bottom paint
* Waxed and buffed top sides
* Bleached, rinsed and cleaned fresh water tanks.
* Installed chart plotter
* Installed VHF with AIS and remote cockpit mic
* Integrated the AIS to the chart plotter, including wiring under cockpit
* Removed old radar dome (Yep, Molly can winch Baxter up the mast without a self-tailer)
* Sanded prop and applied treatment and hard-bottom paint
* Removed old radar display
* Removed old Loran and covered insert in Nav station with Lexan
* Added new zincs
* Mounted new radar dome plate (to be installed on mast back at the marina)
* Oh yeah, new cutlass bearing

In the well.

Acid washing the hull.

The prop - before sanding and the shaft without zincs.

Nav station with Loran pulled out.

All put back together.

Ready for new cutlass bearing

Battery compartment on bottom left with sink plumbing pulled out.

Battery compartment from inside hull looking forward.

Wiring comprised of inside binnacle (center left next to white pedestal)

Kala not happy about the rain (picture taken around 11 a.m.)

New chart plotter that works brings big grins!

Baxter taking down the 65lb radar dome (he was cleated off while I took the pic)

Prop ready to get splashed with new zincs and pretty hard bottom paint.