The Secret to Starting a Refit

[waterdog]

I have discovered the secret.

There are any number of ways to begin to spend a few tens of thousands of dollars on your boat.

The first inclination might be to go buy the new life raft, epirb, and lay in a series drogue. But I think this might just be frightening. Where exactly are we going that we need all this stuff? (The Pefect Storm already set me back five years - what the hell was I thinking when we went to watch that movie?).

One might be tempted to lay in the new electronics. Fresh set of ST-60s with a 4208 plotter and HD radar antenna along with an 802 and auto tuner. But she would probably conclude that the budget is all about me spending money on new toys.

Fresh standing rigging and a new rudder are undoubtedly highly necessary bits for the structural integrity of the vessel, but they win no brownie points.

I have discovered the secret.

Buy a new sewing machine. Whip up a set of cockpit cushions. A proper job with nice piping and correctly done zippers. She will be amazed. Throw in some canvas covers for the outboard and barbeque along with some mesh pockets for sunscreen and a couple of vertical toolboxes for all the bits.

Then when all that is done, you ask if she has time to go to the fabric store to pick out new fabrics for the interior cushions.

Now the refit is started on the right foot. So I'm free to go to the boat show on Wednesday and do stupid things with impunity. It's all about getting the sequencing right. A little attention to the aesthetic of the venture goes a long way.

[GordMay]

You may have just qualified for genius certification, waterdog!

[S/V Antares]

You ever think about running for office? Brilliant concept.

I used to work with the big Sport Fish boat builders a lot. They always hired a female interior decorator for the inside. Same logic I think.

[bobfnbw]

Nice idea, but I prefered to start with the odor control first. Ripped out the head and holding tank. Cleaned out the bilge, then found that the fuel tank was leaking, so now in the process of removing that and getting a new one. The new sailrite LSZ1 is siting unused in my study waiting for the day when I can put new cushions on without them smelling like sewage or diesel fuel.

I figured spend my boat bucks first on systems that are necessary to staying aboard safely first, then go for the perks.
But man it gets expensive fast.

[waterdog]

Getting rid of odors ought to win you some points. You're right about how quickly the costs can add up. I have to keep reminding myself that all that really matters is new standing rigging, new rudder, and killer ground tackle. Everything else is nice to have.