We've been working on the boat overhaul for several years, starting with the re-power of the old Volvo MD21B with a Yanmar 4JH3E four years ago. The following year the 10' long carbon steel fuel tank was removed and new aluminum tanks installed. The galley overhaul started in fall of 2004 and completed just before we left. In between we added an arch, Monitor windvane, and other miscellaneous stuff.
On Feb 1, 2005 we pulled the mast in Port Townsend and put the boat inside the Navy Building at Fleet Marine at Point Hudson. A rebuilt navy hangar, it fits two 50' boats with power drops on deck and plenty of workspace. Original plan was for a three month overhaul and then head north in the summer, south in August. The three month overhaul turned into 14 months as we spent 6 weeks working on the decks, a couple of months on the interior teak, and 3-4 times longer than planned on projects like the refrigerator, diesel stove, and nav station. Just about everything ended up taking longer and, like all boat projects, everything we took apart revealed additional work to do. We ended up leaving April 2, 2006 and I still had many things to install along the way!
We found many good businesses and a few bad ones during our refit, both in Port Townsend and Seattle. Some manufacturers stood out, others were a bit difficult to work with. Our Reviews.
Some of the things accomplished :
- Repowering (Summer 2002) - a new Yanmar 4JH3E, Max Prop feathering propeller, PYI Dripless Shaft Seal, Dual Racor 500 series fuel filters.
- Fuel tank replacement (Spring 2003) - Fuel tank page
- Deck recaulking, turtle rebuild, new stanchion bases, etc. (Winter 2006) - Deck page
- Rigging - replace standing rigging, trysail track, spinnaker pole, traveller, preventers - Rigging page
- New jib and staysail tracks (2006) - Jib track page
- Rebuilding the refrigerator (2006) - Refrigerator page
- Relocate the engine panel (2006) - Companionway electronics enclosure
- Rebuilt the nav station (2006) - New nav station
- Miscellaneous interior work - Refinish the teak, new heater, overhead work
- New electronics
- Raised the dodger, added a bimini (Summer 2006)
- Radar arch for solar panels, motor lift (Fall 2005)
- Dorade sheet guards (2006)
- Dinghy tie downs