We have been looking to add to our boating options

[zipper]

Season end update:

The Bene has been hauled out for the 2020 season. Sitting in her cradle, winterized and covered. The buildings and the ferry in drydock should provide a good Southern wind break.



We chose to use heavy duty tarps over a wooden frame this year since the $700+ shrinkwrap job last year sucked.



Hung the dinghy.



And laid out everything inside our sail loft...aka spare bedrooms.





Just waiting for Spring to do it all over again. Fare well.

Here is a short list of the refit projects completed this year.

New cherry/holly cabin sole panels
Custom S.S. windlass anchor roller installed on bow
Installed 220w flexible solar panels on the bimini w/ mppt controller.
Installed stern perch seats.
Installed new companionway doors.
Made/installed snap on cabin portlight sun/privacy shades.
Made/installed cockpit sun/privacy shades
Made cushions for stern perch seats.
Made cushions for cockpit seating.
Rebuilt the pump out head.
Installed wi-fi security camera on boat.
I am sure there are more I cannot think of...

Add all that to this https://jetboaters.net/threads/we-have-been-looking-to-add-to-our-boating-options.15561/page-13 and we have done a lot of refit since purchase May 2018.

 

[Scottintexas]

so what's your guess for this season,
how many hours at sail ?
how many hours at anchor hanging out ?



.

 

[zipper]

so what's your guess for this season,
how many hours at sail ?
how many hours at anchor hanging out ?



.

Guessing, based on outings. 25 hours sailing, 5 hours motoring and only 4 hours at the beach on the hook. Hanging out on the boat, cooking on the boat, eating from the food truck at the marina, sleeping at the dock with the dogs in training...130+ hours easily, I can't sum all that up when we go there 3-4 times a week.

I am pretty sure that will increase next season. Willow has added a Ninja Foodie Grill to the Galley appliances. Lov'in what comes out of that thing.

 

[zipper]

The projects continue while the boat is on the hard until May. Willow is making new cushions for the V-berth and the Aft Cabin. This is new 4" foam to replace the 30 yo existing that is compressed, stained and stinky. We laid out the foam in the master bath floor. Makes it nicer to work on when the sewing room is set up in the master bedroom. The dogs like it too. New foam and vinyl Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969



The first cushion is done. With zipper plaque installed.



Zipper plaque for the next cushion is on the sewing table. The one above the finished one in the picture. This first cushion is over the access for the valve for the raw water intake for the engine which gets used every time we go out. Always closed when not in use.



Chipping away at them. A lot more sewing to go.

 

[tdonoughue]

Sew far, sew good...

Hope the dogs are as comfy on the covered versions.

 

[Betik]

@zipper I assume the plan is still to sale her 5 to 7 years from purchase right ??

 

[zipper]

@zipper I assume the plan is still to sale her 5 to 7 years from purchase right ??

@Betik Yes, If everything goes well, we will be done on the interior refit this Summer. We are seriously considering being livaboard snowbirds. That would take a big lifestyle change. We know this boat, she is a great weekend warrior. however too small to livaboard for months. So, while she is still "new" we will sell her and buy a 45'ish monohull or 40' cat to live on/work on up here. Of course, being a livaboard means selling our 478 acre farm property. Which means our Southern port boat, most likely another Cat will be a little bigger than the one up here as we will most likely spend more time on it down there, where ever. We have done a lot of work on this boat, as all the pages of this thread show, so we are not ready to sell quite yet. We would like to "reep the fruits of our labor" for a couple of years first. But life is a crap shoot, who knows.

Thanks for responding...I have had this picture in my head, having never met you, of you. But every time I see your "handle" here, my mind is flooded with this...lol



Thanks for your input on the renaming ceremony. So far he tolerates us.

 

[zipper]

Making progress on the cushions for the aft cabin. Number 2 is finished. Old foam seen on left.



Number 2 & 3 are not simple rectangles. There is a lot of cutting and carving where these come into contact with the contour of the hull. This is the carving I did on #3 to get it to resemble the old original cushion, this morning.









The old foam is grungy after 30 years. My carving is close enough. The bottom material is underlayment, not vinyl, so it will not show minor cutting imperfections. Using the old to compare to the new. It's bigger because we changed the layout.

 

[tdonoughue]

I guess now you can add 'foam sculptor' to your resume, too...

Nicely done.

 

[zipper]

Thanks, It took some work carving on the acute angle at the stern of the cushion. The blade was not long enough to do it in one pass. It's ugly, but I will never see it once covered.

 

[Betik]

@Betik Yes, If everything goes well, we will be done on the interior refit this Summer. We are seriously considering being livaboard snowbirds. That would take a big lifestyle change. We know this boat, she is a great weekend warrior. however too small to livaboard for months. So, while she is still "new" we will sell her and buy a 45'ish monohull or 40' cat to live on/work on up here. Of course, being a livaboard means selling our 478 acre farm property. Which means our Southern port boat, most likely another Cat will be a little bigger than the one up here as we will most likely spend more time on it down there, where ever. We have done a lot of work on this boat, as all the pages of this thread show, so we are not ready to sell quite yet. We would like to "reep the fruits of our labor" for a couple of years first. But life is a crap shoot, who knows.
Thanks for responding...I have had this picture in my head, having never met you, of you. But every time I see your "handle" here, my mind is flooded with this...lol

Thanks for your input on the renaming ceremony. So far he tolerates us.

That was like 20 years ago in the Aegean sea, now I look a lot more like George Constanza.

Selling the farm will be a big decisions and the way the economy is going these days, I personally would be very hesitant to sale such asset. Speaking of assets thought I am very much looking forward when your other asset goes for sale. Which I am sure you will first post in this forum right !!!!!

My secret plan is to take the family to the 2022 Miami boatshow so they can fall in love with sailboats. In spring of 2023 when you are done with first snowbird winter in Florida and are ready to buy a cat, we buy her, so we learn how to sale. And who knows by 2025 or 2026 and after of couple of Bahama trips, she might relocate permanently in the Aegean Sea. My wife will never be live aboard, buy she will definitely play weekend warrior.

So you keep on on improving her and I will be offering sacrifices to Poseidon to make all the starts align ?

 

[zipper]

That was like 20 years ago in the Aegean sea, now I look a lot more like George Constanza.

Selling the farm will be a big decisions and the way the economy is going these days, I personally would be very hesitant to sale such asset. Speaking of assets thought I am very much looking forward when your other asset goes for sale. Which I am sure you will first post in this forum right !!!!!

My secret plan is to take the family to the 2022 Miami boatshow so they can fall in love with sailboats. In spring of 2023 when you are done with first snowbird winter in Florida and are ready to buy a cat, we buy her, so we learn how to sale. And who knows by 2025 or 2026 and after of couple of Bahama trips, she might relocate permanently in the Aegean Sea. My wife will never be live aboard, buy she will definitely play weekend warrior.

So you keep on on improving her and I will be offering sacrifices to Poseidon to make all the starts align ?

Well, if you get some of your boating buddies here, under the guise of "do a section of the Great Loop", you can see and sail on her ahead of that timeline. I will be posting the new, finished aft cabin cushions later today I hope. We took a video on the Osmo of using a shop vac to shrink the foam so we could get the last odd shaped foam thru the opened zipper and in the new vinyl. These are the most difficult cushions on the boat with all of the compound angles to deal with. Aside from the V-berth cushions, everything else is just a rectangle. She will be using UltraLeather, very soft and $$ in the Salon, main cabin. Just so you know we are not skimping on the cushions on this boat. Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

 

[rad1026]

What kind of sewing machine are you using?

 

[zipper]

What kind of sewing machine are you using?

She uses a Sailrite LSZ-1, but would like a Juki of Pfaff.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/sailrite-ultrafeed-model-lsz-1-premium.20397/

 

[ourlee]

She uses a Sailrite LSZ-1, but would like a Juki of Pfaff.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/sailrite-ultrafeed-model-lsz-1-premium.20397/

Ya know Zipper, is there anything you can’t do or don’t know? In all my years of cars, shotguns, college football and boat forums, it’s obvious to me you have the most skills. Respect yo.

 

[zipper]

Ya know Zipper, is there anything you can’t do or don’t know? In all my years of cars, shotguns, college football and boat forums, it’s obvious to me you have the most skills. Respect yo.

Funny, there is plenty I don't know, yet. Learning every day. I am really good at some things and not so in others, like Calculus or the answer to life, universe and everything. After 60 years, if one pays attention along the way, they will pick things up. I guess it boils down to being "A jack of all trades, Master of none". Lol, But thanks for the compliment.

Edit: I grew up with a Father who built cars from scratch, racing vw's, restoring totaled Porshes and now he restores model A's using a rotisserie. Hence my love for GTI's. I remember him casting fiberglass moulds from boats in the early 60's. I grew up being his 2nd right arm. I learned along the way. I know just enough to be dangerous.





He sold the top one , Matilda, to a guy in Conn. two years ago. It took 1st place in the N.E. regionals last year. Made him smile. Elenor (Elle Mae) is the one above. Here is the one he will not sell. We have many, many hours in this one, in the 70's. 1966 912, purchased in 74 from a junk yard with a crushed RR quarter.



I had a pretty smart role model, my dad holds several patents for thin films evaporation technology thru IBM in the 60's and 70's.

 

[ourlee]

Funny, there is plenty I don't know, yet. Learning every day. I am really good at some things and not so in others, like Calculus or the answer to life, universe and everything. After 60 years, if one pays attention along the way, they will pick things up. I guess it boils down to being "A jack of all trades, Master of none". Lol, But thanks for the compliment.

You know this is entirely based on the fact that you opinionated you on a specific sewing machine. I think if you, Willow Kate and Dr. Swatski got together, you could put Amazon out of business in 5 years. Happy weekend bro!

 

[tdonoughue]

Funny, there is plenty I don't know, yet. Learning every day. I am really good at some things and not so in others, like Calculus or the answer to life, universe and everything.

Hint: 42

 

[zipper]

Hint: 42

That is what I have read and seen on Star Trek, but like I said above, I was not that good in Calculus. I am more of a Geometry guy.

 

[tdonoughue]

<SMH>

Amazon.com

It will teach you more about geometry...