Preping volume production boats for rtw or major ocean crossing

[hoppy]

If you have a volume production boat (Benneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria etc.) and have done or are planning to do rtw or a major ocean crosssíng, what modifications have you done to your boat or what accessories did you feel was necessary for your safety and or comfort?

I have wanting to ask this since seeing the Yachting Monthly article about capsizing their test yacht and talking about securing the floor boards and other stuff.

I have read about delivery skippers taking charter boats straight from the factories in France/Germany to the carib with no mods (skippers taking backup gps, epirb, sat phone etc)

I am especially interest in markj chipping in as his boat sounded pretty standard ex-charter when he setoff on his RTW

[MarkJ]

In Australia before we left we bought a Parachute Anchor and a drogue. Handheld GPS. That took up one suitcase The other one was full of boat crap too, but what I dont remember. So we only had our carry on luggage for our personal stuff.

Between when we put the depost down and paid the final bit the Australian dollar fell by 5% so that wiped out our kitty

I bought:
An EPIRB, the PIRB with GPS $500
One spare sheet/line 12mm to replace anything running that broke
6 or so Hose Clamps.
Second hand dinguy and 3.3hp OB $750

And thats all we could afford.

In Panama we bought 6 extra Gerry cans for diesel.

In Australia we bought 2 solar panels which we put on in Malaysia.
We were given 3 x 90 amp hour batteries that were at least 10 years old.

Malaysia we got new saloon coushions and galley bench tops
in Thailand we got a new Mainsail but didn't put it on till Turkey
New Laptop so we both had one.

When I got back to the Caribbean I bought a new dinghy
Replaced 1 forestay and 2 lower shrouds.
3 new batteries for start and house bank
2 new toilet seats and pumps

All the running rigging, Bimini etc is all still original and neeeds replacing (desperatly!) as does the Genoa.

So we were forced to just have what the boat chartered with.

And that was fine

Now I just want a Spa bath.

[hoppy]

Thanks Mark. Your experience gives me a good base to aim for.

I want to prepare my boat for an eventual delivery to Melbourne but want to try to avoid buying too many unnecessary things, but the spa will be a must


Why replace your toilets, were they both crapped out?

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

When I got back to the Caribbean I bought a new dinghy
Replaced 1 forestay and 2 lower shrouds.
3 new batteries for start and house bank
2 new toilet seats and pumps

Typical production boat mentality. Only one arse on board & needs 2 new toilet seats.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Eleebana

Typical production boat mentality. Only one arse on board & needs 2 new toilet seats.

usefull if you had a dodgy roti the night before........

[MarkJ]

I didn't buy complete new toilets basically because I diddn't need the ceramic part, but also they are difficult to install... a cut needs to be made in the fiberglass.

The best way to freshen up the privvy is to make it nice an new looking. Girls particularly have a thing about putting their butt where someone elses has been. Friends butts are fine, but strangers butts stranger!

As for the pump assemblies, they were original so for a plastic pump I think they had a long life.
Also the price of a overhaul kit is so expensive that its worth it just to buy the whole new pump!!

You must decide exaclty what your plans for the boat are... if you are just delivering it so you can sell it then you'd be mad to over capitalise on junk as you will not get it back. However if you are buying it to keep then upgrading in the USA or St Martin is cheap, chearful and easy.




As for getting a boat back home, an ex-charter one will do it as is... just grab an extra GPS; also a Laptop, Sat phone and sail off. Many, many Aussies over here doing that are payting out $50k or more for usless crap they don't need. Say $5,000 for solar and wind when they would only spend $200 on fuel to generate power... Crazy! But fine if they are off to do a 5 year cruise.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

As for getting a boat back home, an ex-charter one will do it as is... just grab an extra GPS; also a Laptop, Sat phone and sail off. Many, many Aussies over here doing that are payting out $50k or more for usless crap they don't need.

That is something I would like to avoid. Whether i do avoid it is another matter.

Once I am back in Melbourne it is likely my boat will be used mostly for racing around the sticks some dashes across bass strait, so an excessive amount if cruising gear is unnecessary