The Refit Plan

Here’s my plan for upgrades and repairs. I see three “types” of projects. Projects I can do at home, projects I can do while in the water, and projects I have to do on “the hard”, up in Port Townsend. I have 3 weeks of vacation each year, so that’s when I’d tackle those big projects. One marina has a 2 year waitlist for a live aboard. The one I want, has a 5 year waitlist. I’m hoping the first one opens up, I can move aboard, save money, and then move to the other one when it’s ready. I’m basing this on priority, as well as season. For instance, a project I can do at home, can be done in the winter. A project that needs to be done in Port Townsend would be a summer project. Since we are already in winter, I can’t do the main project I wanted to do, which is fix the sides of the cabin. These prices are based on now. Who knows what the prices will be when I actually buy them? For instance, I think I’ve found a way to save thousands on electronics, and I might go a different route for the electric motor.

Fall 2020
I’d like to do some simple upgrades. Replace most of the rope, and color code it. Rope technology has improved quite a bit, so I can get thinner rope, that’s actually stronger. That’s a rope for the head sail ($250), rope for the reefing of the main sail ($250), 5 pulleys ($200), 2 line grips ($40), splicing tools ($25), aluminum threading tool ($25) and Misc. hardware ($30). I’d also like to get a wetsuit, so I can clean the bottom of the boat instead of paying $150 each time. The wetsuit is $170. That’s $990

Winter 2020
I’d like to do some canvas work. I want to make a sail pack. Instead of having to put the sail cover over the sail, it’s mounted to the boom, and the sail falls into it, and there’s a zipper along the top. Ideally, I’d get a ton of fabric, so I have extra for the bimini and cushions and stuff. The fabric is like $1500. But that would cover everything. I’d need some zippers ($21) for the sail pack, some webbing straps for strength ($15), some thread ($7), and some mounting hardware ($50) That’s a total of $1593, but once I get to the bimini and cushions, I’d have most of the supplies already. I’d just need zippers and snaps.

Spring 2021
Finally work on the cabin sides. I’d need a new type of saw, which is $80. I’d need something for the core. Probably marine plywood. ($150) I’d need fiberglass, which you should get by the roll, because if you get the folded kind, it can break the fibers. Plus I can use the roll later. ($150) I’d need a lot of epoxy. I’d get 4 gallons, because even if I didn’t use it all, I’ll need it for the next step. ($615) plus filler to turn the epoxy into a structural glue ($25), but I’d also use this in the next step. I’d need some primer (to protect the fiberglass from the sun until I can paint it) ($90). Plus rollers and stuff. $50. I already have the sander, and the rest of the stuff I’d need. That is $1160.

Summer 2021
Here’s the big one. The goal here is to paint the boat from the waterline up. That’s going to take a lot of work and time. So here’s how I want to spend my vacation. First, we need to pull the mast. That requires a crane, and I’m not sure how much that will be. Let’s say $500. Next, while the mast is down, and since I don’t want to pull it again if I don’t have to, let’s redo the wiring. That’s three lights (anchor light and 2 mast lights) that need to be converted to LED. ($60) Next we need wires. I’m going to need a lot of wire in general, so a spool of 250 feet is $50. While I’m at it, I should add a wind speed sensor, even if I don’t have anything to read it yet. These are stupid expensive. ($600). Lastly, I’d like to add a wind direction thing. That’s $50. Total for the mast work $1265.

Now that the mast is down, it’s time to prep the boat for paint. We need to remove all of the deck hardware, which shouldn’t be hard. I’ll have to fill those holes with thickened epoxy, which will prevent leaks in the future. I’ll also remove the chainplates to clean them and reseal them after the paint is done. All of this is free. I have everything. Maybe not the sealant, but that’s like $20 for the rest of my life. I have to reshape, so to speak, the toerail towards the front of the boat, so I can fit the bowroller when I get one. Next, is some sanding. A lot of sanding. A serious amount of sanding. Once that’s done, I can add some foam to the edge of the toerail to make it flush with the hull. ($150) That will need the rest of the filler from before. I hope to have enough epoxy left to fiberglass this part. I should have enough fiberglass from the cabin walls. Then more sanding, to smooth it all out. Lastly, it’s more primer ($180) and paint. The paint is hard to price, because it depends on how many coats I need. Worst case scenario, it would be $900. Then there’s the non skid paint on the deck which is $90. I’ll need rollers and stuff like that, so let’s add $100. Total $1350.

Fall 2021
I can do this part in the water. I need to gut and redesign the aft cabin to fit a queen sized bed. There’s a toilet in there that I’ll try to reuse later. I need to cut out some cabinets, add a new wall, and replace the wood “base” on which the bed sits. ($75) Then paint everything. ($90, but I hope this will be enough paint for the forward cabin as well) I need to insulate the cabin. ($300) I might need better adhesive, so let’s add $15 for that. I’m going to use PVC vinyl tiles/strips for the ceiling and flooring because they are cheap, and easy to clean. ($240) I’ll need to upgrade the wiring including some more LEDs, moving (and adding electrical outlets) so I’ll add $100 but the conduit, electrical outlets, and LEDs will be enough for the entire boat. For a total of $820.

Winter 2021
The galley is going to take a lot of planning. Luckily, besides the new refrigerator ($1000), most of what I need, is cheap. A new sink ($200, but I haven’t decided one which one, so it could be cheaper) I need a new faucet. ($200) A water filter. ($130) I really should upgrade the plumbing. Since it comes in rolls, I’ll get enough to do the head also. ($150) I will need two tools specific for the pipe, which is $40, and fittings and stuff for $50. The rest is construction. I should be able to reuse most of the structure. I’m removing the old ice box, so that will give me plenty of storage underneath. I’ll have to move shelves around and make new drawers. I’ll also need to make a removable “false wall” for electrical upgrades later. So let’s say $150 in wood, and another $60 in PVC tile. Drawer tracks are super cheap, as are handles, so maybe $40 for accessories. Total for the kitchen $1920.

It’s at this point that the boat will be livable. The head still doesn’t have a shower, but marina’s do. If a live aboard slip opens up, I’m ready to go.

Spring 2022
Sail

Summer 2022
Here’s where I spend a crazy amount of money in a very short amount of time. The power system upgrade. There are three parts of it: solar panels, batteries, engine.

I can install the solar panels, really, whenever I want. Originally, I had planned on getting 4x 100 watt panels. Those were like $1200 EACH. But then I found a company that makes 440 watt panels for only $250 each. So I can get twice as much power for an eighth of the price. In any case, I do need to build an arch to hold them. Luckily, I have a friend who is a welder, so I’m sure he can help. Let’s say that would be $700 (probably a lot less). Also, I’ll need a special control unit. ($500) and battery monitor. ($210) Total $1910

Batteries are 12 volt, 100 amp. There are two options with battery layouts one increases the volts, and the other increases the amps. You can have multiple batteries running at 12v, which increases your amps (4 batteries would give you 400 amps), or you can make them act like one big battery. (48v at 100 amps). In my case, the engine will run at 48 volts. That means, no matter how many batteries I use, it has to be a multiple of 4. 100 amps won’t last long. At a minimum I need 8 batteries (200 amps). Ideally, 12 (300 amps). But each battery is almost $1000. So let’s start with 8, and go from there. ($8000). I need to install the batteries at the same time as the engine because the new engine needs the batteries, but there isn’t space to put the batteries until the engine has been removed.

The engine is $8500. But, I can sell the diesel engine I have now, for 3-4000. But to do that, I need to get a crane. ($500) It’s probably easier to do it while on the hard, so that’s going to need another trip to Port Townsend. So I pull the engine, clean clean clean that area. Repaint. ($90). The new engine is the size of three Roombas stacked on top of each other. I’ll also be removing the diesel tanks, which will open up that entire bay. I’ll now have an insane amount of storage. ($9000)

Total for this “season” (not including selling stuff) $18910. Luckily, this would be the last time I need to haul out until I have to repaint below the water line. Washington doesn’t allow people to DIY bottom paint, so I might hold off on that until I get to Mexico.

Fall 2022
Now that the engine bay is virtually empty, there’s one last thing to remove, which is the water heater. I’m not sure if it works, but it’s heavy and takes up space. And if it does work, it’s slow. A tankless water heater is only $350. They are energy efficient, fast, and take up little space. Perfect for a boat.

Now I’m ready to tackle the head. There are two problems. One, there’s no shower. Two, the electrical wiring is in the bathroom. I’ll have moved the inverter and charger into the engine bay already, at this point. But the wiring still goes to the electrical panel next to the steps. It’s time to move that to the false wall in the kitchen. It will be way above the sink, so no worries there. The fuse panels I want are sold out, but I think the price was $240, heavy duty wire ($155), power distribution blocks. ($30) I’ll have conduit left over from before. Total to move the electrical area $775.

Now that the electrical is moved, I can expand the head. There’s a shelf under the current electrical panel I don’t need it. So let’s remove it. There’s also a corner cabinet where the previous owner put dry goods. Let’s block that off, and move the opening to those shelves into the bathroom. Then I can move the wall a few inches to make the bathroom a little larger. The toilet will be switched out for the one that used to be in the aft cabin. I do need to add a holding tank, and run the hose for that. ($75) One issue I won’t be able to solve until I have started taking stuff apart is the floor situation. In the head, the toilet is elevated, but the rest of the bathroom isn’t. Is that because of the curve of the hull? Is it trying to increase the height of the toilet? I don’t know. I do know that taking a shower with one leg 6 inches higher than the other one isn’t a great idea. The sink and faucet in here work, but I’ll upgrade the pipe anyway. I have a shower head in my apartment I can reuse, so no cost there. I’ll need temperature controls for the shower ($150). I need a wrap around shower curtain track $20. The rest is paint and PVC tile ($240) Total $485.

Winter 2022
Time to finish the forward cabin. There’s not much to do. Insulation, PVC flooring and ceiling. Maybe make the shelves and storage areas easier to use and maximize the space. A lot of it depends on where I put the new refrigerator. Most likely, I’ll convert one half of the v-berth into an office, and have the desk lift up, revealing the refrigerator underneath. Hopefully by this point I’ll have most of the supplies I already need. Let’s say this stage will cost $100, but I won’t really know until I get closer to that point.

2023
I’m mostly done. All that’s left is safety stuff. I need a life raft, which is insanely expensive. ($1850) An EPRIB (GPS tracker that notifies the local coast guard no matter where in the world I am) ($800) I can also start to get stuff needed for longterm sailing. I need a bow roller ($300, but I’m hoping my friend can weld me a custom one for cheaper), an anchor ($420), anchor chain ($1000), Windlass (lifts the anchor out of the water) ($800 but they are often available on Craig’s List cheaper), and a storm anchor ($650) I might need to replace the standing rigging. Up here, that costs like $7000. One of the sailing channels I watch based out of Denmark paid $2000. So there are options here. Copper coat (the paint under the water) is $2000. I can either pay someone to do it, and I don’t know how much that would be, or I can make it to somewhere with less… regulation… and do it myself. I’d still have to buy the paint. The great thing about this paint is that it lasts 15+ years. Let’s say this section total is $10000.

That’s a grand total (not including selling stuff, and unexpected costs) of… $39718. This is also not including “luxury” items. Like a water maker, or a windvane, or even new sails. I’d love to have those, but they aren’t necessary to get me out on the ocean.