The Cruising Life At Yacht Haven Marina

The Admiral Is An Expert Painter

After four months of cruising we berthed at Yacht Haven Marina two weeks ago and immediately started preparations for our next voyage.  One big job was the removal of the old generator, but (as always) there are many on the work list.

We've cleaned and refreshed the hull paint where the old generator was, and we're now working on the support base and fuel tank for the new generator.


Also on the job list :

- Modify, refinish and reinstall the genset fuel tank
- Relocate water pressure vessels
- Repair HF radio Pactor modem
- Refinish staysail chainplate below decks
- Repair dinghy leak(s)
- Valve lash adjustment on the Cummins engine
- Add a soft-start module to the refrigeration system
- Re-install the engine bay lights
- Install new blades on the Air-X wind turbine (old blades are ten years old)
- Sort and catalogue our remaining charts
- Update all our navigation and PC software
- Re-galvanise the Bruce anchor
- Re-galvanise the anchor chain
- Service and repack the life raft
- Service the fire extinguishers
- Re-finish the galley spotlight
- Complete the new fuel delivery line from the main tank to the genset tank
- Clean and oil the teak seats and flooring in the cockpit

But its the dirty jobs we tackled first.

In the photo above I'm using our air-powered needle gun to take the scale and old paint off the hull surface.  After wire brushing we apply four coats of Jotun Jotamastic 87 epoxy primer, before top coating with Jotun Hardtop AS in shiny white.

The old stainless frame has been modified to suit the new genset. A new plywood top panel has been cut and painted, to support the base of the unit.

By Tuesday morning the machinery space will be ready for the new unit, including the plumbing and wiring.

On Wednesday I travel to England for a Langford family reunion (my father Dean, brother Peter and sister Julie will also be there).  Ley is staying with Crystal Blues, preparing for our voyage to Cocos Keeling, Mauritius and South Africa later this year.