Our friend Ben, from MorseAlpha, made a quip the other day on an Instagram post about the quaterberth. “I’m looking forward to seeing this new boat you’re building.” Given that we’re touching almost every single space on the boat, it’s a comment that’s apt and at the same time eye-opening. What on earth are we thinking?

I’ve written a few times about exactly WHY we are doing all of this to our small-by-many-standards boat. By the time we’re done with this current refit, we’ll have put probably almost twice Calypso’s original purchase price in. What is that getting us? All installation done DIY; most fabrication done DIY.

Systems:

• (New engine, installed July 2012. Yanmar 3YM30. Currently has 100 hours on it.) In italics because this was done 9 years ago and isn’t part of the current refit.)

• New Selden mast and boom, to be installed April 2021

• New standing and running rigging, April 2021

• New Cruising Code Zero from Zoom sails. 2020; so far not been sailed

• New 100% genoa from Zoom sails, to be ordered once the mast is in! 2021

• (new main from Latell Sails bought in 2011; very few miles on it)

• New Raymarine tridata wind/speed/depth 2020

• New Maxwell 1000 electric windlass 2020; installed 2021

• New Mantus M2 anchor, 45 lbs. 2021

• New Lithium Iron batteries, plus assorted accompanying supporting gear. 2021

• New solar panels, plus assorted accompanying supporting gear. To be installed 2021

• New Freehand wind vane, in construction 2021

• New LED lighting throughout 2021

• New interior cushions from Yacht Canvas (2021)

Spaces:

• Galley redone. New counters and outboard sliders, sink, plumbing, propane lines and tanks. Fridge relocation.

• Chart table redesigned, from sit down to stand up

• Quarterberth separated off from lazarette, with storage bin added. Storage and shelving added

• Port side redesigned from settee seat/bookshelf and storage behind to pull out pilot berth

• (Starboard side was done in 2009)

• Forepeak redesigned from v-berth with head under to head/shower/work bench

• Head to be relocated from cramped off center facing aft to less cramped, less off-center, facing starboard. To be decided: electric head?

• New bulkhead installed for fuel tank in lazarette

On deck:

• Forward hatch rebuilt

• Spinnaker pole track on mast

• New canvas

• Stainless work to build supports for solar panels

• Stainless stanchion posts with lifelines

To be determined/done (or purchased) within the next year:

• Strip bottom paint and redo barrier coat before applying hard bottom paint?

• Repaint hull?

• Rebuild taffrail?

• Rebuild companionway hatch?

• New dinghy and outboard

So much of this would have had to be done to almost any boat we purchased, only we might not have known it was required. I guess, Ben, it’s really going to be a new boat? Hah.