Outfitting Our Boat to Sail Around the World: the Stuff We Love & Regret

[Cheeky Monkey]

Hey everyone!

I know gear is a hot topic in here and there are a lot of people who are like us a year ago -- spending 40 hours a week on the internet trying to figure out where and how best to spend their money on the dream / boat without wasting time and money.

I know this because it's the #1 request I get from readers -- to outline our purchases for Cheeky Monkey and share the stories of what went right and wrong...which is a long-winded request to meet if you knew everything that's gone wrong!

So, I wrote this almost-comprehensive post about the gear we installed on our catamaran for the purpose of sailing around the world and I'm sharing it here with the hopes that maybe it will save some hard-working sailors a few headaches:

Outfitting a Boat to Sail Around the World: What We Bought, What We Learned & What We'd Do Differently - Turf to Surf

If you have your own stories, as I'm sure you do, about the gear you bought, loved and hated and why, that would also help us and other members in here, I'm sure.

Thanks everyone and happy sailing!

Tasha

[Jd1]

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[tp12]

It works for me.

Thanks Tasha, an interesting read.

[EvilRabbit]

Originally Posted by Cheeky Monkey

Hey everyone!

I know gear is a hot topic in here and there are a lot of people who are like us a year ago -- spending 40 hours a week on the internet trying to figure out where and how best to spend their money on the dream / boat without wasting time and money.

I know this because it's the #1 request I get from readers -- to outline our purchases for Cheeky Monkey and share the stories of what went right and wrong...which is a long-winded request to meet if you knew everything that's gone wrong!

So, I wrote this almost-comprehensive post about the gear we installed on our catamaran for the purpose of sailing around the world and I'm sharing it here with the hopes that maybe it will save some hard-working sailors a few headaches:

Outfitting a Boat to Sail Around the World: What We Bought, What We Learned & What We'd Do Differently - Turf to Surf

If you have your own stories, as I'm sure you do, about the gear you bought, loved and hated and why, that would also help us and other members in here, I'm sure.

Thanks everyone and happy sailing!

Tasha

Thanks guys!

[Tortuga's Lie]

Tasha,
I love your writing style! Your blog of gear choices was very enlightening as well as entertaining
Thanks for submitting your post.
Cheers,
Tom

[DDabs]

Sweet blog! If I ever see you in an anchorage, I can't wait to come up to your boat and ask for the full tour jk jk, i'll just take that cocktail

[robert sailor]

Well written! Outfitting a sailboat sucks up a huge amount of time and money that most newbies always under estimate. I'm sure over time you'll even change your mind on some of your current thoughts.

[exMaggieDrum]

Most excellent blog post. I bookmarked it to reread in the future. I would say it is a rare find in the easy way it is written, with real heart and a sincere authenticity. I love reading about the real world experiences in any case and you have done so in a clear manner giving the salient points that a cruiser needs to know (or should know).

[gamayun]

If you ever do some night dives, those blue lights will come in handy

[WAFI]

Great write up. Listening to some techie sailors can be as bad as listening to triathletes talking about components on their bicycles for an hour.

My wife and I have followed your journey through the youtube channel and wish you guys the best.

If we see ya I'm definitely gonna just roll up, shout out "what's up with the blue lights?".... "cool if we get a tour"?

[mr336]

Holy cow thats a great bunch of info. And you prolly could've kept going and written about all the smaller items.

The read about giving up the BBQ over the washing machine was devastating. I think i'd give up a hull to keep a mans best friend.

[chuckr]

Interesting read -- Beth Leonard did a cost of cruising article and broke it into 3 groups Cheeky Monkey is in the top tier but so what - the issue is they are doing it and if that is what they want so be it and can afford it and have space for it good for them -

[coastalexplorer]

I once heard a saying from Uruguay "It is rude to count money in front of poor people!" Compliments to those who can make real money and actually spend it on enjoying them selves instead of hoarding it.

BUT I think for most of us? & I imagine that would include more of the wanabe boat owning dreamers than Not. Getting it done on a smaller budget with far more scrounging could be the reality. Even a so called MANUFACTURED PRODUCTION boat is hand built, Many more are made from a set of templates hanging on a nail is a small boat yard, and a restoration/re-fit of an older classic becomes a hand built work of art that can be two thirds of the time and expense of building something new.

To those who would embark on this route/method....Of course it would only be right to emphasize the time factor. Which IF you or your accountant put a monetary value on. It would be realized there is no cheap way around boat ownership. At least the owners and crew of 'Cheeky Monkey' are sailing.

(If you have a 2000 series Volvo it is good insurance to fit a Suredrive before the drive spline fails)

[exMaggieDrum]

It is easy to recognize that they have more resources to outfit a brand new boat with all the goodies that many of us will never have or it will take years to do. However, I found the post very useful in that even if you can't budget for an item in the first few years of having your old boat, you still may lust after a bit of kit that they put in and now have a reasoned explanation of why these owners did what they did and how it worked out. We all go through the same process but may not have as many "luxuries". I would love a washer but it isn't going to happen. Still interesting to hear. I have heard that dryers are often not used after installation unless the boat is a dock queen.

A BBQ was the very first thing I added to our new/old boat when I got her two years ago. Can't imagine life without one.

I'm going to have to check out the youtubes on your adventures. Many thanks.

[a64pilot]

Ref the icemaker, you have an inverter and there are many good portable icemakers out there for pennies.
We have this one by a different name https://www.amazon.com/DELLA%C2%A9-D...table+icemaker
$100 and really will make several gallons of ice in a day. It is not a freezer so when it beeps signifying it's full, we store the ice in the freezer in 1 gl zip loc freezer bags.
Not as nice as a real built in icemaker that stores ice, but hundreds or thousands of $$ cheaper.
It pulls 60W, I measured it with a Kill-a-watt meter.