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I've spent a few winters aboard on Lake Ontario, quite a bit colder than the Chesapeake. Around here shrink wrapping is standard procedure, and helps a lot with heating and comfort. Last time I used 9000w of resistant electric heat on my 50' with a 50a 240v service and was quite comfortable...

Probably the owners believe that sailing performance improves as well. Lots of sailors really care about having perfect bottoms, and spend lots of effort and $$ getting there. They have different concerns than most power boaters.

Right. I have vc-17 on my sailboat, and if I were buying a sailboat I'd be pretty put off by a bottom like you're getting. Most of the older boats did a complete bottom job at some point to go to the thin film. But on old trawlers there's far less of an impetus. Slickness doesn't count for a...

I think seasonal fresh water usage is key. Antifouling requirements are minimal, and blistering has been less prevalent. So there is less of a case for barrier coats etc. Maybe this is less the case in the US, but in Canada the bottom paints and formulations have changed a lot over the last 50...

I was just reading your intro, and then your blog post. Nice to have you. You're clearly an early adopter having that up and running in 2021.

A broker friend advises all sellers to repaint the bottom lickety split after the boat is hauled. It improves overall presentability and largely avoids these sorts of concerns with first-time buyers. It sounds like you're overthinking. Put a complete bottom job on your to-do list, don't make...

I guess everyone has different concerns. A good surveyor should be able to determine bottom condition without removing the paint. It's an extreme solution to address an uncommon concern, in my experience.

If I were the seller I'd reject that offer. There is no need to remove paint to check for blisters. When I walk around the yard where I'm parked on the great lakes, half the bottoms look like that. I fully understand the reluctance of owners to pay five figures to have the bottoms stripped...

That's a long trip, but as others have said, it's really a series of day trips. There are many opportunities to acquire or replenish parts and supplies along the way. At least that's my experience.

I guess timeliness/inconvenience is a factor as well. I travel pretty much continuously, but am always close to a place where I can stop and attempt DIY repairs, and wait for parts if need be. That's part of cruising for me. My spares list is pretty thin compared to many here. But if I had a...

Agreed. Plumbing the top into the vent line may also work. That's how they're done on my boat, and I don't have a top valve. I'd add that the sight gauge doesn't necessarily have to be mounted on the tank, unless convenient. Anywhere close by where you can mount a clear tube and mark...

Show 'em this pic and they'll figure it out. Two hours would be generous to put that together.

Welcome aboard. Maybe in time we'll coax some of those stories out of you. Tobermory is one of my favourite spots. But coastal BC is on my wish list.

Don't try this at home!

Can you fit it in to your onboard power budget? Where are you, btw? And living aboard?

One more alternative is to power it from the boat, but I'm guessing you don't have excess power available there. Still might be worth considering. How big is the motor on the de-icer?

Ask around. There are lots of 30a cords with failed boat ends out there. But otherwise, yes. I built a similar 50a 240v panel and used a brand new shore power cord. I don't think this is a prudent solution to build on your own, but any electrician could build something similar. Parts are...

I've spent quite a bit of time cruising around Louisiana. Katrina took out New Orleans and most of coastal MS, then Rita hit the state hard shortly after. It wasn't a kind year. The change was to fortify the city of New Orleans, and the rest of the state was largely untouched. Coming into NO...

Get that in writing. I don't think you'll find any codes that allow this practice.

Nice find for someone. Good luck with the sale.

Like Ted, I've thought lots about reducing the vulnerability of computer failure. I'd lean more towards periodic preventative replacement of ECM and wiring harness. Say every ten years if you're super conservative. Keep the previous components for spare. That's maybe 3k for parts on our...

It affected mine. Air draft mattered as well, as I was planning lots of river/waterway cruising. I wanted to stay well under 5 ft. I traveled the AICW and Bahamas a lifetime ago in a sailboat with a 6' draft. Found bottom many times. Returning recently with my 4' draft trawler to the...

I chose the boat I have in part because it had a modern(ish) electronically controlled motor. Despite having had serious issues with those electronics I don't feel like it was a mistake. Given that mechanical diesels are now well into mid-age it's hard for me to imagine a compelling case for...

'zactly. I did a little googling on 20a vs 15a. Turns out that 20a duplex receptacles have a different pattern. If a device requires 20a I have no doubt that the manufacturer fits it with a plug that will not fit in a 15a outlet. I'll bet that your unit has a 15a plug rather than a 20a plug.

Quite right. I had forgotten that. But best practice dictates circuit breakers limiting current to the rating of the receptacle and wiring. So installing a 15a rated GFCI outlet on a 20a circuit is generally a bad practice, and putting it on a 30a protected circuit is a very bad practice. My...