Deeper I Get, the More I Like It

[JRM]

I finally got a string of days off work, and I've spent the last three of them neck deep in new to me boat. I bought it as a project, but the deeper I get, the less project it seems to be. Not to say that it doesn't need tons of work, but what I thought were all going to be tear out and replace systems are coming back together with nothing more than catch-up maintenance and elbow grease.

It's been commented often here that there a group of folks who never leave because they're in a constant state of trying to get the boat perfect. I'm going the other route, trying to do the bare minimum required to get out to the islands for a few days. Got the engine overheating issue sorted (I think), figured out the head (that'll be another thread or two), and got the windlass and anchor gear sorted. Oh, and I replaced the engine start battery.

We're taking our camping stove and a propane BBQ rather than deal with the diesel stove, bottled water for drinking rather than deal with the tanks, two little handheld GPS units and my paper charts for nav, the dink and electric outboard from the old boat rather than deal with the outboard and new dink, and my little Honda genny for insurance against the 10 year old batteries in the house bank. And we took home all the dishes and galley ware and washed them.

As I dig around trying to get ready, I find myself liking the boat more and more, and really liking the guy who did the refit and outfitting. He made a lot of choices differently than I would, but I'm going to live with most of them for a while and see how it goes. He seemed to know what he was about, which makes me hesitant to start changing things until I know more.

We leave tomorrow for Santa Cruz Island at 9: am. I hope to have a much better idea of how to proceed on any changes when we get back.

JRM

[gjordan]

JRM, your second to last paragraph concerning living with things for a while before making changes is one of the wisest statments I have seen on this forum. Too many people buy a boat and start changing things before they find out if the boat was set up in a particular manner for a reason. You sound like a good practical sailor. Have a good time at the Islands._____Grant.