We just finished the install of our second water tank and we are in the process of cleaning up the boat and making the main cabin liveable. As unexpected boat projects go, this was as typical, quite expensive and very time consuming, but I am sure those memories will fade as we enjoy running water on the boat.
So here is the story from beginning to end, I will try to keep it as brief as I can.
A few weeks ago we had a visit from Mark and Liz on Saving Grace, a Saga 43 based in Toronto. Mark and Liz have been living aboard for a few years and at long last are head out on their adventure. The plan to spend the summer in the Maritimes and then head out to the Bahamas for the winter. Mark, Liz and their crew Sam arrived in Kingston for a couple of days of sightseeing and relaxing before heading off down the St Lawrence. Saving Grace and Kinship were docked next to each other and it was great to see 2 Sagas together.
It was a great reminder for Kathleen and I that eventually you get through the to-do list, or at least the important things on the list and then you can leave. Mark and Liz are going to have a great time and you can follow along on their great blog by clicking the screenshot below.
First the good news, the arch part of the refit is going really well, we are getting down to details and most of the hard work is done. Dave from Quinte Canvas finished the enclosure, I got the solar panels mounted with help from my friend Brian, a retired design Prof who is a dab hand with a trim router. The solar panels where originally mounted on the bimini with zips, I made panels from Starboard to support the solar panels on the arch and this frees the binini to allow it to fold. The system I used allows for the solar panels to be removed for the winter or if we are worried about storms. As we had moved back to Loyalist Cove Marina for work on the tanks project, we had Dave P and Dixson do the heavy lifting of installing a new set of house batteries, we are now running 4 SMS AGM-400 batteries replacing NSB M12-210 units that have gotten weak with age. The new batteries are the same package with 185Ah vs 210Ah of the old batteries, the new batteries are designed for longer life so hopefully the small difference in capacity will not be an issue over time.
With the new batteries and the solar panels reinstalled, we can put a big tick in the “Done” column for the electrical system.
With the major work finished some details can be attended to, the MOM 8a Man Overboard Module has been reinstalled on the port quarter and the new Transport Canada life ring is on the starboard side. Kathleen spent a hour or two on the arts and crafts required to get the lettering on and she did a great job.
Now to the not-so-good news, our project to replace the water tanks is still going on. We discovered that the starboard tank vent which drains to the bilge was initially draining in to a pocket between the bulkhead for the end of the berth and a cross member. This pocket had no drain to the bilge and when I noticed some damage and poked my finger right through the 3/8 ply bulkhead. Rude words were said. I am not going to go into all the details here, I will save that for a long form post on the tanks project. After looking at the large hole left when I cut out the rot we decided that we wanted Loyalist to help with the glass work. A quick call to Dave Hinton and we were on our way to Bath.
Dixson was able to repair the bulkhead and make a drain for the pocket. With the repair done we got the first tank installed and we now have running water for the first time in several weeks. We ran out of time to finish the second tank but Kathleen was very happy with progress so far.
Our progress has been slower than planned and the to-do list is still long and as a result our plan to sail the Lake Ontario 300 race has been dropped and we will be doing a shake down cruise instead on the same weekend. This will avoid the delivery to and from Port Credit and allow us some breathing room.
