The Plan to Refit the Boat

/ Ben Starling
 

Part 5 of Captain Cat’s Invincible Plan to Get Cruising:

What will need to be done to prepare the boat for blue water sailing? Since we are planning to buy a previously owned boat, chances are – just about everything…


Assuming we decide to buy (or co-purchase) a boat, then the Can Opener will need to get straight to work on preparing the boat for blue water travel. I am allowing for a year of dedicated refit within my Invincible Plan to Get Cruising.

Depending on the needs of the boat, he may need far more (or less?) time, but based on an unscientific survey of others’ experiences, this seems like a conservative estimate to plan around.

If we wind up volunteering as crew on someone else’s boat, it may need to have a refit too, in which case he will gain excellent training and experience. It’s all good.

  1. Make a list from bow to stern of what needs to be done – 
    • refer to marine survey/ discuss with surveyor from purchase
    • emergency preparedness system – life raft, GPS etc
    • research others’ refit lists and compare 
    • review advice of long term cruising ‘pros’
  2. Research solutions for needs above: 
    • Internet 
    • Club members/friends 
    • Forums for owners of similar designs
  3. Research prices
    • special offers eg at boat shows 
    • second hand solutions
    • when to buy new
  4. Purchase materials
  5. Learn to install
  6. Install
  7. Test and review performance
  8. Set up records to track ongoing performance


Any other key refit steps to add?
   


–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

N.B. Part 6 of Captain Cat’s Invincible Plan to Get Cruising is: The Plan to Blast Off.

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