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Melissa & Dave - Adventures at Sea

She needs a little work

Today was all about getting the list of parts we need to do minor repairs.  So we measured, looked up part numbers, and generally tried to make sure we knew the full list of what needs to be done aboard the boat this summer.  Jim went to try and refill the propane only to find that the tank needs re-certification.  At one point we tried to refill the bumpers with air.  Where is the bike pump anyway?  After a scramble around the boat looking for it, it finally dawns on Melissa that its got to be in the dingy since we would have included it in the spares kit in case the dingy wheels went flat.  Sure enough, there it was, but so corroded as to be useless.  Ok, gonna need a new one of those.

After three years out, she needs a bit of work, though in truth she has come through the venture with relatively little in the way of deferred maintenance – at least as far as boats go.  Melissa got a kick out of using Smartsheet on her phone to record everything we found as we went through the boat.  Here is the list of things that needs attention:

The dingy need a fair bit of repairs.  Poor thing is looking pretty sad.  The handles are coming off, the tubes are popped and need repair.

The dock lines all need to be cleaned.  Dave was super happy that he chose the expensive Dacron sheets when we re-rigged the boat because they have held up and are still in really good condition.  Whereas some of the other lines were just shredded and useless having been destroyed in the UV.  A few of the fenders need to be replaced as they are beaten to death.

The WiFi extender antenna is dead.  Dave suspects that it’s the same failure it usually is with the Ethernet board.  He just needs to replace it with the spare we already have aboard.

There will be some decisions we need to make about the electronics aboard.  The main map at the console in the cockpit is dying – the LCD screen is damaged.  No surprise as the electronics are the original installation from 1998.  The VHF radio speaker is dead.  And there are some AIS system issues that Dave needs to troubleshoot.  Oh, and the stop button melted completely.  The batteries are probably dead.  Dave thinks they just aren’t holding a charge the way they used to.  That’s going to be a pain since they weigh 120 lbs each.  And of course, the generator still needs to be replaced.

The clear plastic windows on the bimini all need to be replaced.  We realize now that it is highly likely that when we had them re-stitched in El Salvador they stole our good Strataglass and replaced it with some kind of non-marine grade glass as the windows are all completely ruined and that just should not have happened – even in the heavy UV in Central America.

The deck needs to be waxed again, and all the stainless needs to be polished – it’s a mess.  But we are again surprised how well she did.  No aging of the fiberglass.  And we never did put a dent in her anywhere on the decks.  The lifelines are about dead though – they really should all be replaced.  And the speaker covers in the cockpit were totally destroyed by the sun.

The aft head needs a replacement of its duckbills in the toilet pump, but then when is that a marine head doesn’t need work?  Dave needs new fittings so he can reinstall the UV water treatment box.  Just couldn’t find them in Panama.

And a new coat of paint on her bottom and she will be like new!

 

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