Boat refit rule #1, which we came up with when dealing with Calypso’s recent stint in the boatyard, is “Anything you put on will eventually have to come off.” This is to remind us to be careful with sealant selection. To think long and hard about hiding access to important fasteners that should be maintained regularly. To take the time to tape off parts you don’t want to splatter with paint . . . Who wants to spend a lot of time wrestling off excess unneeded stuff?

Recently, this rule has spawned a corollary. “Any boat part you take off will have to be reinstalled.” What does this mean?

1. Label everything. Used ziplocs come in very handy as you’re compartmentalizing which fasteners came off of which part in what section of the boat. Even if you are planning to replace all those fasteners, having the set gives you immediate information on size, kind, and number. No need to keep test fitting to make sure what you’re buying will fit!

2. Clean everything. This is easiest done on the front end of the project; by the time you’re ready to reinstall, if you have to pause progress to spend three days scraping or sanding or however you clean whatever part, it will feel like a major setback. Yes, I know that removing old Dolphinite or 5200 or Cetol is most decidedly not sexy. Removing it when you were all psyched to start putting the boat back together is even less sexy. Trust me.

3. Plan everything. Spend time planning the timeline. Think about what parts of the project you’re outsourcing and what any lead time might be for others. Think about what parts of the project you’re doing yourself and the logical order to make them happen.The time to clean and paint the anchor locker is NOT after you reinstall the bitts. The time to order new chainplates is NOT when you’re ready to reinstall the rig.

A very, very concrete example of number 3 from very, very current life for us is the stem chainplate fitting. This is a robust fitting that sits right at the waterline at the bow and serves as the attachment point for the bobstay. On Calypso, this is a bronze piece that’s bolted through the hull. On Mischief, it’s a stainless y-shaped piece that is shoved through the hull, then glassed over on the inside to provide the support. (For a piece that does need occasional inspection, the fact that it’s hidden behind fiberglass is an affront to rule #1. Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to redo how it’s attached and so are doing a direct replacement. Ugh. At least it should be good for at least 15 years, if not longer.)

The fitting is way up in the bow of the boat, forward of both the chain pipe and the bitts. We’ve removed the bitts for easy love and attention, meaning the forepeak (and that fitting) is WAY more accessible than usual. We’re planning on hiring the yard to do the fiberglass work, including the grinding preparation, but have yet to talk to the yard about this plan, so we don’t even know if they can do the work on our timeline. If they can’t do it, we’ll likely pivot to quickly do it ourselves on days when the weather is cool enough to be in the required Tyvek suits. 

What’s the big deal with this? The bowsprit. Huh? What does a long piece of wood have to do with fiberglass and stainless steel? It’s currently sitting on timbers on the ground, beautifully finished, taking up real estate that we could easily use for something else that needs refinishing. We’d love to get the bowsprit back on the boat, both to get it off the ground but also to free up some space. It’s fixed in place by the bitts. The bitts can’t go back into the boat until the fiberglass work is done. The fiberglass work can’t be done until the new fitting is built. And OMG we better remember to put the fitting in before we do that fiberglass work!

Meanwhile, I’ve put 3 coats of BilgeKote on all the forepeak surfaces so at least they’re curing to a hard finish state while we’re figuring all this out. Thank goodness we thought of doing that before we put everything back on  . . . Although once the fiberglass work is done, I’ll have to hit that part of the boat with paint. Before the bitts go in. Before the sprit goes back on.

Order of events. They matter.