Your Best Addition / Upgrade Suggestion to a New Build ?

[Kimarah]

Originally Posted by zeehag

wow--hadnt thought of that-- drink holders at the helm--i have just enough room forthat-- i would like to be to be about 6 ft tall, built, the other, could be around same height... we see-- opposites or twins???? they would definitely HAVE to be male.
what--ye thinking htis is a joke post?? i am deadly serious, here.....would be reallly nice if they could stand watch , also, and not look or smell too much like a goat.......

ROFL.

Thanks, Zee.

[roverhi]

Internal reefing boom with double line reefing lines led to cabin top along with main halyard. I can reef in about a minute in the security of the cockpit under the dodger.

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, Mark, I'd like to challenge your decision to build a sem-custom world cruiser in the 1st place, if I may. I have personally witnessed 5 other mates go down this route. Everyone has resulted in at least double the expected build time and at least a 25% and up to 75% increase in the final delivered cost to the owner from when they entered into the contract with the builder. One couple abandoned the project all together and 2 ended up in the court system as well.

My advice, there is a boat on the market right now that will meet 90% of your needs. Buy it, sail it, live on it, and make the refinements you want. You will save heaps of wealth in the long term and you WILL JOIN US OUT HERE A HECK OF A LOT SOONER. All the best with either path you choose to go down, after all, it's your wealth! Cheers.

Disaster stories certainly can happen, however most of it boils down to communication. My custom builder has a very good formalised contract that is explicit as to what is and what isn't included. The price certainly has increased but only because as we go along I want to personalise a thing or two. So far it's been nearly a two year project and it's getting close to completion. When it hits the water it will be unique and nothing that I really wanted has been compromised and the builder and I (and his past customers) remain the best of friends.

Do we all have to drive a Ford?

Greg

[beau]

i hope it is multihull, no point in using old, ancient techology.

[ka4wja]

Mark,
My Nav Station is what many people comment on (envy???), and there's no question that I love it, as I designed and built it.....
Nav Station
But here's some helpful things to consider....

Just by coincidence a friend with a sistership to mine, asked the same question of me, last week, regarding our boats.....
So, I thought I'd paste-in what I wrote to him....(see #6)
But, first some direct answers...

Originally Posted by tulsag

a fan in the head (hard to wire in later)

1) I've got more than a dozen fans on-baord....including in both heads...
Have a look here at some of them....
12 Volt Fans

Originally Posted by tulsag

digital amp and volt meters (practically free if done initially)

2) A Battery System monitor is what you want.....
Also, many digital meters radiate considerable RFI, so a battey system monitor designed for marine use is what you want....
Have a look at mine here (surrounded by the teak bezel)....
4700415
Nav Station

Originally Posted by tulsag

a drop hatch though the Corian into the trash bin so that you don't have to open a doornob each entry

3) My boat came standard with the trash bin hatch in the countertop...and it is a GREAT idea, and is one of those "why doesn't everyone have this" features....
4704501
Also, standard are drink / cup holders in the cockpit/on-deck.....plus many other "cool" items...Not the least of which is the water-tight / crash bulkhead.......and the BIG winches.....and the Lewmar Ocean hatches and ports, that don't leak at all (and that's after almost 12 years, 10's of 1000's miles offshore, multiple Atlantic crossings, three direct Cat 3 hurricanes, etc...)

Originally Posted by tulsag

special plumbing for back flushing the watermaker

4) Most watermakers will have their own proprietary systems, but planning ahead is always a good idea....
Watermaker


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5) I have done so many upgrades/additions that it's hard to say what would be the "best" in someone else's eyes....
These include:
a) Additional handholds...
b) Solar Panels....
c) Lee Cloths / Lee Boards...
d) Upgraded Refrig/Freezer insulation....
e) Windlass remote controls in cockpit....
f) Improved / HD bimini and dodger....
g) Additional Storage....

If you wish to have a look at those, as well as many others, have a look here and see what I've upgraded on "Annie Laurie"....
C470 Projects by Boat Name



6) Here's the answer I gave a friend last week, with this same question....

A) I've got an upgrade that gives me the most personal pleasure....
B) I've got an upgrade that gives me the most freedom....
C) I've got an upgrade that gives me the most reliability / lack of
concern.....


The problem is that those are not the same.....
They are 3 different things.....
Since I'm not sure what your definition of "favorite" is, I'm not sure how
to answer this question....

"A" is my improved refrig/freezer insulation...
http://www.c470.jerodisys.com/470pix/47137.htm
"B" is my solar array.... http://www.c470.jerodisys.com/470pix/47004.htm
"C" is my improved autopilot drive mounting.....
http://www.c470.jerodisys.com/470pix/47087.htm


But, if I need to pick one "favorite".....
That would be "C"....my improved autopilot drive mounting......
http://www.c470.jerodisys.com/470pix/47087.htm
I know it's not flashy, nor expensive...nor does it photograph well,
etc......But, it's my favorite....

7) Something I still wish for:
An easier to use "wet-locker"......which is now my aft shower stall...



8 ) For upgrade/additions that really, really should be done upon the initial build:

a) well-designed and installed refrig / freezer insulation, not the crap that almost every boat manufacturer thinks is "good enough".....
For details, please read a recent post of mine on the SSCA disc board....
SSCA Discussion Board • View topic - Wanted - Fridge & Freezer recommendation - galley reno

Either Glacier Bay's Aerogel-cored Ultra-R Vacuum Insulation Panels and/or 4" - 6" of extruded polystyrene insulating material (which will not degrade over time as the "pour-in" polyurathane does).....


b) Lots of storage space.....

c) Water-tight / crash bulkheads....

d) A good deal of the other stuff you can add later, if you find the need....




Mark, I do hope this helps....

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[North26West80]

Remove stuff from the holding tank via a removable 1.5" PVC standpipe on a flange in the top of the tank instead of a fitting at the bottom of the tank. One day the tank will be full and you will be forced to open up the plumbing for some reason (clog?) and you will be thankful.

(And no macerator pumps--get a real pump that won't choke on little stuff.)

[Captain Bill]

This is a great thread with lots of great ideas. I added a hydronics heater plumbed to the engine. It's great in the cooler months where we live. It sure beats heating the ocean while we're freezing. You can also plumb it to a diesel heater when the engine's not running. The saltwater washdown pump was a good addition. I second the hand holds on the ceiling of the cabin.

Beware the gravity drain holding tank!!! If you go for a long period without using the overboard drain (using pump outs or are just inactive for a bit and haven't been able to use the overboard drain) "solids" tend to find their way to the lowest point in the system and settle there where they can become as hard as concrete. then when you need it most you'll open the drain and nothing will happen. The only way to clear it is to remove the drain hose and clear it manually, with a full holding tank of course. You don't want to know the details. Suffice it to say that I jury rigged a spare macerator to the pump out and emptied most of the tank. Though the overboard drain should draw from the bottom of the tank, the initial direction for the drain hose should be up and continue to at least half the height of the tank. I continued mine to just slightly higher than the top of the tank. Solids collecting at the bottom of the tank have a hard time making "up" the initial loop. If the top of the loop is below the top of the tank it will still gravity feed if the water level in the tank is above the top of the loop and of course the bottom of the tank is above the waterline. It does present a problem if you have an off shore dump opportunity and the tank is not full enough to get the siphon started. If the loop extends above the top of the tank you will need a pump. Of course if you have a pump then you don't have to worry about keeping the tank above the waterline. By the way if you go with the pump and it's below the tank level be sure to put a valve in front of the pump. It makes it a lot easier to service.

I second the suggestion of No macerators. My boat came equipped with them on the shower sumps and the holding tank. They've all clogged because of hair, despite our attempts to keep hair out of them. The hair wraps around the base of the chopper and eventually locks up the works. Much better to go with a diaphram pump of some sort. I'll be replacing mine before I go long term cruising, though last time I had them apart in the shower units I removed the choppers and they've now gone about twice their previous time without clogging. It didn't seem to have any effect on their output either.

I love our hard bimini. It can be easily made into a Pilot house with strataglass side curtains, screened for bug control, left open for ventilation, and it keeps the tropical sun off of my head. We us it in all the ways others use the pilot house, but it's a lot more flexible and lighter weight.

[swagman]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, Mark, I'd like to challenge your decision to build a sem-custom world cruiser in the 1st place, if I may. I have personally witnessed 5 other mates go down this route. Everyone has resulted in at least double the expected build time and at least a 25% and up to 75% increase in the final delivered cost to the owner from when they entered into the contract with the builder. One couple abandoned the project all together and 2 ended up in the court system as well.

My advice, there is a boat on the market right now that will meet 90% of your needs. Buy it, sail it, live on it, and make the refinements you want. You will save heaps of wealth in the long term and you WILL JOIN US OUT HERE A HECK OF A LOT SOONER. All the best with either path you choose to go down, after all, it's your wealth! Cheers.

Wise words and I share the sentiments, but others are likely to feel different than you and I.
I've learnt that lots on CF really enjoy the preparation - the discussion / research / planning / buying / building / launching - all the dreams, perhaps as much if not more than going sailing.
Not that there is anything wrong with that - often times the dreams are better than the reality.........
I build one boat once from the gel coat up and that was good enough for me - as you say much easier today to buy one and get out there.
JOHN

[speciald@ocens.]

I tossed my Fisher Panda gen-set and replaced it with a Northern Lights. I replaced the stinky PHII heads with fresh water Elegance heads.

[David M]

An AIS transceiver lights you up on their electronic chart system. It makes it easier for them to call you out by name to make passing plans.

[Hooked]

My old O'day 322 (of all things) came standard with a hand pump that pumped out the ice box into the sink and with a turn of a valve you could got sea water. Pretty slick.

[Bash]

Fresh-water heads with macerating toilets are way cool.

Were I to work with a marine architect to design my own one-off, I'd tell him to start with the hard dodger, design an aft cockpit to complement it, and then build the boat around that. I'd also spec a self-tacking staysail. The boat would have a walk-thru transom, a dingy garage, and would only sleep two couples.

[MICHAEL K]

Make access to change out hard things such as the holding tank for the toilet waste, the deisel tanks, engine removal, access to water pumps anything that can and will breakdown. Have room in the electrical panel for future additions( there is always more coming).

My best boats are the ones that I can get to things and fix them fast.

[markpierce]

A quality air horn with an authoritative sound.

[atoll]

led lights through out saves tons of power.

refigeration condenser circulates through one of the fresh water tanks works great on metal boats with integral tanks,and no corrosion issues that can wreck the compressor.
large glycol filled holding plates,in the 200liter freezer and smaller one in the 200liter fridge.

also have a 10 liter cold water tank inside the fridge with float valve hooked up to the pressurised water system and pump/spigot above so crew arn't opening the fridge to get cold water all the time.

have run cat 5 cable to all the 6 cabins so lab tops can be hooked up to router.

have mikumi 5kw diesel water boiler and refleks stove heater with back boiler,in series and parallel so can run either or both to heat the radiators and saloon/pilot house, also can shut down and heat individual cabins with bypass valves.

seperate 240 volt sockets for,(shore power/ genset power ) and( inverter power),saves on battery charging.

2 inverters one for house and one for nav station.

also carry 2 dinkys whizzy with 25 hp rib and 7 ft rowing dingy that can take a 2-4 hp,but mostly use it in places where a nice dinghy might get stolen.

hope this helps