Becoming a Sailor

17 posts

Refits, Haul-Outs and Buying Gear

Refits, Haul-Outs and Buying Gear takes us out of the water and into the dusty world of boatyards, marinas, and anchorages with a twist of cultural differences and communication gaps roped in — all in pursuit of repairs, upgrades, and the endless quest to improve our boat.

  1. Catamaran Haul-Out in Malaysia: 322 Days on the Hard

    At 26'3" wide, our catamaran was too wide for Rebak, so we hauled out at Lunas Shipyard in Langkawi. A six-week woodwork job became 322 days on the hard.

  2. Hypalon Dinghy Repair: Patching Our Tubes in a Boatyard

    Patching our leaking Hypalon dinghy in a Langkawi boatyard: sanding, two-part glue, wrinkled patches I tore off and redid, and why the boat work matters.

  3. Keel Art: Whale Sharks and Scrollwork on Our Catamaran

    Keel art on our catamaran: classical scrollwork and whale sharks with 1,250 spots each, painted by our teenage daughter. The hardest part wasn't the heat.

  4. Boat Interior Painting: Teaching My Teen A Useful Skill

    How Karen and I prepared and painted the underside of our saloon table in two-part epoxy (Nippon EA9), and why a foam roller works for smooth finishes.

  5. Measuring a Boat Countertop and Backsplash on a Curved Hull

    How we measured a new Corian galley countertop against our catamaran's curved hull, and used trigonometry to get the backsplash angle: 98.66 degrees.

  6. Brother Lim Cushion: Marine Upholstery in Kuala Lumpur

    Brother Lim Cushion in Kuala Lumpur reupholstered our St Francis 50: leather saloon seating, UV thread and seams, bench seats, foam and mattresses.

  7. Boat Woodwork Refit in Malaysia: A Full-On Transformation

    Our St Francis 50 woodwork refit in Langkawi, Malaysia: finding a marine carpenter, briefing him with 150 short videos, hauling out, and new floors.

  8. Living with Four Kids in a Trinidad Boatyard

    What living on the hard at Power Boats in Chaguaramas, Trinidad is like with four kids: bathrooms, a laundromat, shore power and 24/7 security.

  9. Our First Boat Haul Out: Living Aboard in a Boatyard

    Living aboard on blocks at a Tampa boatyard during our first haul out: a 24-foot ladder, no toilets or taps aboard, and a refit with new thru-hulls.

  10. Catamaran Haul-Out in Tampa: Lifting Our St Francis 50

    How our St Francis 50 catamaran was hauled out in Tampa, why its tapered keels need care, and the 330-tonne travel lift that moved her.