I can’t even begin to explain how intense these last couple of weeks have been. We ended up doing half a over haul of the boat and she is now more than ready for a new intense season. Olivia has transformed her self from being a baby into a full on “walking child”.
We have spent over three weeks inside Opua marina and Bay Dreamer has been worked on the boat like never before. Everything from engines to rigging has been checked, repaired or improved. New wood work and a new floor inside the saloon makes her feel almost like a new boat.
Will from Australia – you know the “Whale-guy” from the last years Tahiti to Fiji trip will be travel with us this whole year. He has helped us out for the last 2 weeks and we wouldn’t have made it without him. Dan that is traveling with us on this years first trip has also been onboard and provided us with good music and 2 helping hands.
Bay Dreamer is ready to leave New Zealand but before we declare out we need to give her a new clutch for the autopilot. We noticed this when we were out on our last sea-trial yesterday. Hopefully we can get hold of this part on Tuesday, when the Easter Holiday has passed.
We have all put in crazy hours (14 hours/day for 3 weeks) and a crazy amount of dollars into this season´s preparations. Both me and Will have lost at least 5 kilos of body weight during these weeks – we hope it will be worth it in the end.
Here is a list of all the things we have done aboard the Bay Dreamer this season:
• Sand back and vanish all woodwork in saloon
• New floor in saloon
• New cupboards and drawer fronts in saloon
• Repair and rewire roof
• Clean the hull of barnicles
• New marine plywood in all storage compartments
• New vinyl in aft cabins
• New sound insulation in engine rooms
• New kitchen spice net
• New escape hatch in cabin
• Check and service all scuba gear
• Installed paddle board racks
• Side netting (kids safety)
• Galvanised anchor and anchor chain
• New anchor bridle
• Service dive compressor
• Serviced both motors, new exhaust elbows, cleaned cooling system, overhaul of alternators
• Serviced and repaired generator
• Installed under lights
• New toilet door
• New shower handle in stb shower
• New bimini roof
• Rewired and installed a new control panel in the navigation console
• New handheld VHF
• Removed and restored all the windows in the saloon
• Brand new oven and stove
• Repainted cabinets in saloon
• New navigation lights
• Upgrade the solar panel rack to 600 watt from 400, big job with new frame and all
• New captains seat
• Upholstered the chart table seat
• New BBQ
• New gas hoses
• Clean, clean & more cleaning
• New cockpit alarm
• Service winches
• New shower handle on outside shower
• Service outboard engine
• New Dingy anchor
• Inspection of life raft
• Restock of tools, screws, bolts, etc.
• Clean and organise every compartment on the boat
• Service toilets
• New cooking gas bottles
• Restock first aid kit
• New flag
• New flush seal under steering
• New anchor control
• New navigation outside (Warranty)
And much more
// Daniel, Anna, Olivia & Will
Hey Danny !!!
So basically you made a new boat!
You didnt buy just one –wayyyy toooo easy…
But you shaped it 😉
Keep it up
Proud of you -and seriously hoping the subwing was not thrown out -on this “clean and restore every compartment on the boat”. …..
And “under lights” are fancy blue and green blinking under-water lights — for the live-laser-boat show-shown every night????
Miss you
Cat
The boat looks great! I am about to publish a post very similar to this one. Soooo much work