Maintenance -- learning the hard way

Doing it yourself can be frugal (or not)

We have spent some time on Froo Gal over the last few weekends. We have a growing list of tasks to do. At the outset some are essential -- repairs to the sail and the engine service; some are advisory -- replacement of sticky sheets (in this case the original traveller sheet); and some are cosmetic, simply good seamanship, or optional -- polishing the topsides to protect against u.v. light, lift and scrub and replacing the anodes, or replacing faded horseshoe safety buoys.  Once you make a start the more 'interesting' jobs begin to appear on the list.

These are the tasks that you find along the way. Some are revealed when you start a job; others we inadvertently create. We found a couple of the latter types this weekend. Two weeks' ago we spend a pleasant evening and night on the boat enjoying the last on the Indian summer and the following day pressure-washing and polishing the topsides. We also started to replace the sail bag -- the zip on the lazy-jack arrangement had failed and it was faded frayed and just about beyond repair (and I owed the boat present). When we removed the old sail bag we noticed that mainsail needed repairing in a few places and could do with a valet. 

Stripped bolt with cut slot (left). Fancy star
fastener (right). Copyright (c) Froo Gal
2014, All rights Reserved

This was our first surprise job but it was pretty predictable, owing to the age of the sail. The decision to repair the sail rather than replace it was an easy one as it still holds a good shape, it is central to sailing, and represent a considerable saving. We asked around in the marina and associated local businesses to see who could do the work and who is recommenced and chose a local small business (and all is well). As we mentioned before, we also stripped a fancy start shape fastener (bolt) when trying to remove it from the traveller -- our second surprise job.

We left the boat buttoned up against the weather, planning to return in a week to refit the sail, sail-bag and complete the cosmetic work. We quickly learned that the sail would take over two weeks as it would need to be sent away for cleaning. This did not worry us as our sailing plans we interrupted by the start of the winter weather (storms and gales).

There followed two weeks of nearly continuous rain and strong winds. However, this weekend just gone afforded spring-like weather for much of Sunday and we set about completed the pressure washing -- this time spray hood, which we treated. We also removed the stripped bolt from the traveller (by applying heat using a propane soldering iron), a larger drill and cutting slot in the bolt head to allow the use of a long strew driver. We were feeling pleased with ourselves (and perhaps a bit smug). But pride comes before a fall...


We convinced ourselves that the hex head bolt we had just used should be matched on the side we had replaced two weeks earlier -- bad move. In the process of refitting it we either got it cross-threated or trapped some swarf in the thread and damaged them. Either way we would need to tap out the threads to clean them up. We had left tap set at home. We learned two lessons there: if it's not broken, don't fix it! And bring the tools that you are likely to need when the boat is over an hour each way from your house. But that was simple engineering/fitting work -- irksome not disastrous (and still quite frugal as we could do the work ourselves and have the tools).

Copyright (c) Froo Gal
2014, All rights Reserved

And then our biggest error of the day was discovered. At the end of the day with fading light, we decided to check the bilges, which are usually dry and dusty.... they weren't. There was litre of water in the bilges... strange. The sea cocks had been closed. We had felt that the boat was a bit damp on arrival a few hours earlier, but put it down to the inclement weather of the previous two weeks. After a quick investigation we found that the starboard quarter cabin upper port light was not properly fastened. It was closed, but two catches were not closed and one was holding it a little open. And we had been pressure-washing dirt and green slimy gunge just outside, not to mention 14 days of stormy weather. Investigating further we found several litres of water soaked up by the quarter berth's foam cushions, pillows, sleeping bags, cushion covers and worst of all some of the fancy veneered laminated wood trim.

A couple of new sponges later found bailing, sponging, dehumidify and heating the boat for a couple of hours. Our house now smells like damp boat. Welcome to boat ownership! And what is the lesson that we learned through our creation of this task? Read and act on those useful laminated check lists that we made to tell us to close and check the hatches before leaving the boat! The lists don't keep the boat dry.


We left the boat having enjoyed a sunny warm day. We enjoyed messing about on the boat. As we left we remarked that after three weeks of work Froo Gal is pretty clean and shiny and nearly back to square one -- nearly all the damage that we have created has been repaired. On the bright side, once we have fitted the sail and sail-bag, only a lift and scrub and new anodes will stand in the way of the next sailing trip. What can go wrong?

Understand the difference between cost, price and value!