$10,000 to re-rig our boat?! The rigging’s ten years old, so our insurers insist we change it, but what do the professional riggers think?
DIESEL LEAKS – DON’T YOU JUST LOVE JOBS LIKE THESE?
The week started well, with the painters making giant strides with the dodger…but life’s never easy when you haul out to do some maintenance, maybe that’s why it’s called “The Hard”?
SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 5: CONCLUSION & COSTS
In the conclusion to our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today, we set out the costs for the whole project. Was it worth it? When we limped into Malaysia, SY Esper was in pretty bad shape. Equipment needed replacing and she leaked like a sieve. We had three options…
HOW TO USE BUTYL TAPE TO SEAL DECK FITTINGS ON A SAILBOAT
Do you use Sikaflex or 3M 5200 adhesives for sealing fittings around your sailboat deck? Find out why Jamie believes butyl is best…
WOULD YOU BUY AN OLD SAILBOAT AND DO IT UP?
If you’re looking for a boat project and are not shy about boat maintenance, you will enjoy our tour. A “do-er upper”, for sure, which could be the perfect sailboat for someone looking to become a liveaboard cruiser.
SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 4: ELECTRICS & ELECTRONICS
The refit of SY Esper in Satun, Thailand, was extensive but perhaps the most complex aspect was the rewiring, which included the installation of a new navigation system, new lighting and additional circuits.
SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 3: HULL & MACHINE SHOP
One of the reasons for our visit to PSS boatyard in Satun, Thailand, was to determine what course of action we needed to take to tackle osmosis in our Oyster 435. We had dealt with the biggest blisters in the Maldives, but knew there was more work to do…
SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 2: DECK
While waiting two months for a place in the boatyard, we began to question whether we were making the right decision to replace the wooden deck. No-one we met regretted getting rid of their teak, and the marinas were full of gleaming teak-less yachts. We watched owners make short work of scrubbing their decks without worrying about damaging the grain.
SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 1: INTERIOR
This is the second in our series of articles about SY Esper’s complete refit in Thailand for Sailing Today magazine. The interior of SY Esper, our Oyster 435, took a beating when the saloon hatch broke open during a storm in the Indian Ocean, but the veneer had been steadily deteriorating for some time before that.
SAILBOAT REFIT: INTRODUCTION
The first in a series of articles on Esper’s complete refit in Thailand, originally written for Sailing Today magazine. We are reproducing the original articles on FTB complete with new photographs… Remaining on a pontoon in India for two years, despite basic servicing and upkeep, had led to some general deterioration of our boat. But for SY Esper to stand a chance of completing a passage to South Africa, she needed to be in the best possible shape. So we spent a full season planning, servicing and preparing.
Boat Maintenance: Problems In Paradise
Just when we thought we were beginning a new chapter, sailing around Thailand’s remotest islands, disaster struck. And struck again. And continued to strike. I mean, after more than a year in a boatyard, wouldn’t you think we were due a little adventuring?
A Messy New Year!
Why haven’t you heard from us recently? Indeed we could ask why we haven’t heard from you too! Well, here’s our excuse:
Having made the decision to get off our asses and go for a sail, which will be our first in TWO YEARS (!), we are having to work our way through a stupid amount of jobs that should have been done before now. What with our land-based travels poor old Esper has been neglected somewhat, so now it’s time to attend to her needs and get cracking with those all important boat maintenance jobs.
I’m not going to bore you with a list of these jobs but I will entertain you with a quick guided tour of Esper and what she looks like after her guts have been ripped open. For those with no idea about living on a boat this is a little insight into what we get up to when preparing a boat for a sail.
Liz’s Top Ten Kit For Liveaboards
Having commissioned followtheboat to write a four part series for the magazine, Sailing Today decided to take advantage of Liz’s presence at the Southampton Boat Show. She was asked to come up with her Top 10 items for a liveaboard…
