We’re back in the water!
And since we’re in the water, how about servicing our watermaker and replacing the membranes too?
We’re back in the water! Read Post »
And since we’re in the water, how about servicing our watermaker and replacing the membranes too?
We’re back in the water! Read Post »
In this episode the diesel leak defeats Liz, Jamie’s had enough of trying to get the brand-spanking-new bronze seacocks to fit, and we need your help on the solar panel installation.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Read Post »
We wanted to support the local people by using an untried canvas worker… But no-one was really sure they knew what they were doing. Including the canvas guys themselves!
SAILBOAT DODGER FAIL! Read Post »
So before we went back in the water Jamie checked the seacocks, right? Yeah, but one decided to fail while we were in the water. On the bright side, better it fail here than out at sea…
REPLACING FIVE SEACOCKS & HAULING OUT AGAIN… Read Post »
Moving a sailboat in a gale, is it dangerous? Millie and Jamie didn’t feel safe as SY Esper swung around in her cradle, the hull shuddering with each gust of wind. Sometimes life on the hard is hard!
GALE IN THE BOAT YARD! Read Post »
It is the season for cobras: big ones, little ones and all scary. We’ve seen a few around the marina, and Jai found one in his office. Well, it’s a rigger’s work space, so just imagine those lovely lines coiled up like snakes in there…
RIGGING AND COBRAS, ALL IN A DAY’S WORK! Read Post »
$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?
SHOULD WE RE-RIG THE BOAT? Read Post »
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”?
DIESEL LEAKS – DON’T YOU JUST LOVE JOBS LIKE THESE? Read Post »
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…
SAILBOAT REFIT Pt 5: CONCLUSION & COSTS Read Post »
Do you use Sikaflex or 3M 5200 adhesives for sealing fittings around your sailboat deck? Find out why Jamie believes butyl is best…
HOW TO USE BUTYL TAPE TO SEAL DECK FITTINGS ON A SAILBOAT Read Post »
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.
WOULD YOU BUY AN OLD SAILBOAT AND DO IT UP? Read Post »
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 4: ELECTRICS & ELECTRONICS Read Post »
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 3: HULL & MACHINE SHOP Read Post »
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 2: DECK Read Post »
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 Pt 1: INTERIOR Read Post »