I posted this a few months ago on a different forum and got some great feedback, so I thought I'd post it again on CF as it tends to be a different crowd here.
Two years ago I bought a
boat, having never set foot on one before. Since then I've been
learning to sail on it and upgrading it like crazy. As I get closer to my leave date in 2 years, I am wondering what else I need to do to get my
boat up to scratch to safely go around the world. Am I missing anything? I'd really like some input.
I'm trying to plan my upgrade schedule this year and I was wondering if anyone had any input into priorities etc. I am also trying to get out sailing as much as possible, and plan to take a month off
work and circumnavigate
Vancouver island in August. My previous longest trip was a two week trip around the
san juan islands and the juan de fuca strait. I've sailed (deliberately) through a few gales with winds up to 40 knots as a test - though the seas have all been small. No real swells.
The boat is a
Hunter 1980 36'
sloop from the Cherubini era, with a fin
keel, and a spade
rudder protected by a small skeg. It's pretty heavily built, and the
keel bolts seem sound - no
water ingress from the
bilge while underway or egress from the
bilge when hauled out.
Really, I think I'm looking for reassurance that I can safely take this boat
offshore and be comfortable. I am wary of it being an OAB (Old Ass Boat) and hope I have mitigated that
Currently I've
- replaced standing
rigging (inc a brand new furler)
- replaced running
rigging (aside from halyards which I will do later)
- added a
spinnaker pole for DDW sailing
- checked the bulkhead tabbing
- added radar/AIS transponder
- redone all exterior/interior lights with LEDs
- ripped out entire AC/DC
wiring system, redone with heat shrink crimps, tinned
marine wire and a new panel
- redone entire
plumbing system
- in the middle of building a
windvane
- in the middle of installing an
autopilot
- added a
diesel heater
- redid all
mast wiring from scratch
- replaced
VHF antenna and added a
DSC VHF radio
- replaced all portholes with
stainless steel NFM ones
- new chain and a 45lb
mantus
- replaced rotten
compression post
- new prop shaft/prop
- replaced
steering cables/rudder stuffing box
I plan to
- replace all chainplates
- replace
lifelines
- add
jacklines
- add
solar panels (and maybe a
wind genny)
- add
lithium battery system
- rewire
engine electrical harness
- recore
deck in soft areas
- redo non-skid (kiwigrip?) and
gelcoat
- add a
marine SSB (probably a icom802)
- replace
sails
- add liftraft
- add
EPIRB
- add jordon series
drogue
- add trysail somehow/maybe just a heavy 3rd reef
Is there anything I'm missing?