About 15 months ago, when I was still unsure as to whether I wanted to buy a sailboat, I remember someone telling me the old joke about how boats are holes in the water into which you pour money. A lot of people told me I'd be throwing money away. Maybe so. But I've loved working on my boat and in preparing for this trip I've learned a great deal. And all I had to do was watch some dumb number on some dumb website get smaller. It's true though- while the live-aboard life can be pretty damn cheap, making a 41 year old sailboat seaworthy requires some investment. Perversely, I've tried hard to keep that cost in more blood, sweat and tears, and less deductions from the aforementioned number. In the process I've become a bit of a principled do-it-yourselfer; I say principled because it doesn't take a whole lot of arithmetic to understand that taking time off from work to work on the boat doesn't always equal a financial victory. But knowledge.
Anyway, with the exception of swage labor for new standing rigging, I've managed to do all the labor so far. Though many of my machinations aren't the prettiest, they've all been functional. Over the next few months I'll post some of the projects completed on Ardea over the last year. It would be great if this might help other folks avoid some of the extraneous costs and labors I have expended, but even if it saves you no time or money, I hope my fellow boat-owners can feel some solace in imagining me cussing while contorted in the confines of Ardeas engine compartment or dangling at the top of the mast. Feel free to chuckle as I ploddingly traverse the learning curve.
I've been fortunate to have a knowledgeable and supportive sailing community in Berkeley and the Bay Area. There are a lot of wonderful people around that have provided such valuable guidance- I truly appreciate the help.
Anyway, with the exception of swage labor for new standing rigging, I've managed to do all the labor so far. Though many of my machinations aren't the prettiest, they've all been functional. Over the next few months I'll post some of the projects completed on Ardea over the last year. It would be great if this might help other folks avoid some of the extraneous costs and labors I have expended, but even if it saves you no time or money, I hope my fellow boat-owners can feel some solace in imagining me cussing while contorted in the confines of Ardeas engine compartment or dangling at the top of the mast. Feel free to chuckle as I ploddingly traverse the learning curve.
I've been fortunate to have a knowledgeable and supportive sailing community in Berkeley and the Bay Area. There are a lot of wonderful people around that have provided such valuable guidance- I truly appreciate the help.
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