Sailor's Wishlist - Pimp my Boat

hiawatha · Post by **hiawatha** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:42 am

I took my very sweet mother sailing yesterday, and as I was rigging up the sails and getting ready, I found myself saying, 'If I had xyz, we could do abc instead.' Simple stuff, mostly. But it got me to wishing......

With my novice sailing skills, what's out there that I don't know about? If you could have everything you wanted for your boat, where would you start?

Wish List:

Spinnaker
New Main and Cover
Sail bags
Longer rails for jib blocks
New halyards and lines
GPS
Working electric panel
New horn and spreader lights
New centerboard crank
Night running lights
Extra arm on the tiller.... What's that called?
Stay for the boom
New everything below decks
Swimming ladder
Some fix so the block from the main sheet doesn't smack the gelcoat all the time

That's a list of mostly repairs and fixes, but you guys who have been at this longer than I have must know of some very cool gadgets and luxuries. So, help me out here..... My birthday is coming up soon!

C

cs3079 · Post by **cs3079** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:26 pm

C!,
Congrats on your maiden cruise with Hiawatha! Ah yes, the never ending wish list that comes with a 'vintage' sailboat, LOL. I'd definitely start with making sure the standing rigging/hardware is all safe and solid and also the keel crank & cable myself (check pin too), especially if they look at all shaky, then move to the running rigging and anything else that'll keep you and mom from coming back safe and sound.
After that, everything else is optional.
BTW, the boom on my 20 attaches to a short line that comes off the back stay (called a topping lift), when it needs to be 'stayed'. If yours isn't set up. it'd take <30 minutes with Home Depot parts. Lemme know if you need measurements.

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:31 pm

Ah yes the wish list. I started that right after buying my boat. I used Excel for my wish list.

It also doubled as the "What I have spent list"

I estimated how much time and how much money I would spend on each wish Item to help me prioritize my budget on the boat.

Once I got an Item for my boat I would "cut" it from the wish side of the list and paste it in the spent side of the list. Thus tracking quite accurately how much I have spent in money and time. I would update the amount spent and the time spent to reflect what it really took.

To Date... $4092.55 and 130.5 hours spent working on my Honu, over a 4 year time frame.

The fun is it's own expense of time and money. I wanted a true cost of my boat and it's stuff. The fun was priceless and therefore not calculable.

The (To Date "spent) + (the remaining Wish List) = $8799.55 and 187.5 Hours. Now that is a big hole in the Ocean... But it's my hole in the Ocean, again "Priceless"

These totals do not include things like moorage, fuel, food, sailing time, Chrysler Sailors forum, i.e. expendables. Only what was spent on the boat, motor and trailer.

Question: What is the Boat, Trailer and Motor worth?

Answer: Whatever the buyer will pay and whatever I would let it go for. (not even up for consideration)

Though it is clear that I am soon passing the point of no return on my investment as far as money is concerned.

Thanks
Alan

hiawatha · Post by **hiawatha** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 6:03 pm

Alan, you've got such a sensible strategy, it's hard not to follow suit. I'll start that list tonight!

And Mr. cs3079.... Bruce, right? I do have some basics that certainly need attending too. I've been out sailing every weekend since I bought my lovely. Stripped down, dirty and plenty to wish for, but she still sails and doesn't take on water from below. I do still need to put in those drains along the toe rail. I was shimmied up under the deck looking around this afternoon, and I can see little sun patches breaking through. First thing, filling in those cracks around the stanchions and rebedding everything above in the proper sealant.

As far as gadgets and fun stuff, do either of you find the tilt-o-meter (proper name?) a necessity?

Thanks,

C

Bhacurly · Post by **Bhacurly** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:32 pm

Hee hee...

I never had a tilt meter in my C-22... But I also don't have a windex

hiawatha · Post by **hiawatha** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:09 pm

Ha ha... What will these novice sailors think of next?

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:04 am

Yes Sir, one antique tilt-o-meter right here. My boat had it installed when I bought her, vintage 1976 I think and it still works Grrrrreat! Never leave port without it!

I've healed her over to 25 degrees with the toe rail under water but I was a little slow on taking the photo. This shot is literally just moment after I hit that 25 degrees. If you look real close you can see some water that has not quite drained off the toe rail yet. Clearly a reef in the main was called for on this occasion but I was pushing it on purpose.

Thanks
Alan

J. Austin · Post by **J. Austin** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:39 pm

Clinometers, or "tilt-o-meters" are truly not a nesessity, however, if you have a first-mate, you will most likely be told your craft is heeling far to much for their liking before the clinometer will tell you.

lecker68 · Post by **lecker68** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 4:25 pm

J. Austin wrote:Clinometers, or "tilt-o-meters" are truly not a nesessity, however, if you have a first-mate, you will most likely be told your craft is heeling far to much for their liking before the clinometer will tell you.

I can agree and the first mate will let you know!!!!

cs3079 · Post by **cs3079** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:31 pm

I disagree about the UN-necessity of clinometers. It's helpful to know the exact degree that certain passengers begin to panic at. Take my father-in-law for instance. 15 degrees. I remind him as he's telling others about how horrible sailing is that I've personally seen him heeling more than that on a bar stool. We laugh about it now and I've actually been out on a boat with him this past Labor Day. Well, it was the Mackinac Island ferry. That's more his speed. LOL

Capt. Bondo · Post by **Capt. Bondo** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:07 am

As the Good Old Boats t-shirt says.
We Ain't Leaning Till Someone's Screamin'!

cs3079 · Post by **cs3079** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 12:09 pm

C,
You may want to think about getting a swim ladder for your boat too after watching this vid. I'm sure this guy wishes he'd added the option:

http://youtu.be/M6gMDlTTN6A

He was wise to get the Tilley hat though.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 1:27 pm

Thats a pretty wild video!
You can bet their Martinis are shaken, not stirred!

Scott

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 12:24 pm

J. Austin wrote:Clinometers, or "tilt-o-meters" are truly not a nesessity, however, if you have a first-mate, you will most likely be told your craft is heeling far to much for their liking before the clinometer will tell you.

Well the "Tilt-o meter" does give me warning before my first mate engages the "Barf-o-matic" and we do not want to go there. No, no we don't.

Now I am "He who must sail alone." for not paying attention to that little detail.

Thanks
Alan