VicTrawler
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2015
- Messages
- 234
- Location
- Canada
- Vessel Name
- Halcyon I
- Vessel Make
- 1984 36' Universal Europa Sedan
Well, it's time to get ready for another adventure! Though not quite as big as the last one - you might remember us from the Victoria, BC to the Sea of Cortez thread - there are plenty of projects in the works to get the boat ready for this summer's circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. With less than four months to go, it already feels like we're behind the eight ball!
The plan is to take three months to loop counter-clockwise around the island, starting June 1st from the North Saanich area (planning to get the boat hauled there to complete the final jobs before we cast off) and returning by the end of August. Major projects include:
- Complete electronics upgrade. The fish finder and radar were 1980's vintage (think big CRT screens) and have already been removed and sold off. I'm currently pricing out a complete SimRad package (2 x 12" MFDs, 4G radar, ForwardScan sonar, autopilot (finally! - we hand-steered all the way to Mexico), and AIS transceiver to upgrade from the current ICOM receive-only device.
- The old wooden mast and support wires were removed, which will open up a huge amount of space on the fly bridge. I'm looking for quotes for a stainless steel arch based on this Beneteau design.
- The fly bridge deck will be re-surfaced (the non skid is cracked and peeling) and the seating will be removed and upgraded. We'll finally have a proper captain's chair instead of a bench, and we're looking at some nice teak furniture for lounging around.
- The Ford Lehman's injectors have already been removed and are currently being serviced. Also going to do the valve clearances which I've never done before (shame)!
- I've already purchased and received an RS11 from Noland Engineering to digitize all engine data and feed it to the NMEA 2000 network (inspired by this thread). I'm looking forward to being able to set warning and alarm parameters at whichever values I please, which will reduce some of the stress of cruising.
- The old, crappy, moldy foam mattress in our main cabin is finally going in the dumpster. It was actually made up of three separate layers of foam which I can only imagine were added incrementally by the PO(s) to try to make it more comfortable on the cheap. A brand new, custom fitted, latex foam mattress (if you're in the Victoria area, talk to these guys at Fawcett Mattress) should be ready by the end of this week. The Froli System box spring has already been installed and fitted in an effort to reduce condensation in the winter.
- Our original 1980's fridge/freezer is also gone, with a new stainless drawer-type on the way. It's about half the height so some cabinetry work will be required. Unfortunately it looks like the old cabinets were screwed AND glued so it's going to be a big job to rip everything out. Still not sure if I'm going to try to DIY or bring in a professional. Probably a professional.
There are numerous other projects on the list that are a slightly lower priority but those are the big ones. We haven't fired up the watermaker in nearly two years so hopefully that still runs alright. I'm also hoping to get my HAM license knocked off so we can use the HF radio during the trip (didn't need the license to use marine bands in Mexico).
Stay tuned for updates...
The plan is to take three months to loop counter-clockwise around the island, starting June 1st from the North Saanich area (planning to get the boat hauled there to complete the final jobs before we cast off) and returning by the end of August. Major projects include:
- Complete electronics upgrade. The fish finder and radar were 1980's vintage (think big CRT screens) and have already been removed and sold off. I'm currently pricing out a complete SimRad package (2 x 12" MFDs, 4G radar, ForwardScan sonar, autopilot (finally! - we hand-steered all the way to Mexico), and AIS transceiver to upgrade from the current ICOM receive-only device.
- The old wooden mast and support wires were removed, which will open up a huge amount of space on the fly bridge. I'm looking for quotes for a stainless steel arch based on this Beneteau design.
- The fly bridge deck will be re-surfaced (the non skid is cracked and peeling) and the seating will be removed and upgraded. We'll finally have a proper captain's chair instead of a bench, and we're looking at some nice teak furniture for lounging around.
- The Ford Lehman's injectors have already been removed and are currently being serviced. Also going to do the valve clearances which I've never done before (shame)!
- I've already purchased and received an RS11 from Noland Engineering to digitize all engine data and feed it to the NMEA 2000 network (inspired by this thread). I'm looking forward to being able to set warning and alarm parameters at whichever values I please, which will reduce some of the stress of cruising.
- The old, crappy, moldy foam mattress in our main cabin is finally going in the dumpster. It was actually made up of three separate layers of foam which I can only imagine were added incrementally by the PO(s) to try to make it more comfortable on the cheap. A brand new, custom fitted, latex foam mattress (if you're in the Victoria area, talk to these guys at Fawcett Mattress) should be ready by the end of this week. The Froli System box spring has already been installed and fitted in an effort to reduce condensation in the winter.
- Our original 1980's fridge/freezer is also gone, with a new stainless drawer-type on the way. It's about half the height so some cabinetry work will be required. Unfortunately it looks like the old cabinets were screwed AND glued so it's going to be a big job to rip everything out. Still not sure if I'm going to try to DIY or bring in a professional. Probably a professional.
There are numerous other projects on the list that are a slightly lower priority but those are the big ones. We haven't fired up the watermaker in nearly two years so hopefully that still runs alright. I'm also hoping to get my HAM license knocked off so we can use the HF radio during the trip (didn't need the license to use marine bands in Mexico).
Stay tuned for updates...