Boat pictures & projects

We have had several requests for more boat pictures and description of projects so here goes. Sorry for the delay! Callooh! Callay! like Ms. Mary Lou is a good solid boat, but the previous owner did not sail her much resulting in a lot of deferred maintenance that we are having to catch up on. Below are some pictures:

It was nice of Catalina to provide these nice beautiful shelves on both port and starboard of the salon, however not so practical when sailing heeled over resulting in all the stuff ending up flying everywhere. We solved the problem with some bungee cords and strategic placement of items. The nav station pictures some unfinished work on the the 12 V outlets. We need to replace the diesel heater for the boat and the new controls will be mounted to the left of the electrical panel mounted on the foulie closet. Because we don’t know the exact footprint of the controls, we did a temporary install of two 12 V outlets which will eventually be mounted on this same wall.

The quarterberth is actually a full cabin, however it is currently filled with our folding bikes, the dinghy, extra life jackets, extra anchors, and other crap. Thanks to the new shower and faucet fixture Erik installed, we now enjoy showers on board without having to go into the yucky marina shower. We are enjoying cooking in the galley and have even used the oven to bake cakes, brownies and pizza.

We have not had an issue with storage space on this 34 foot boat for liveaboard. We purchased plastic tubs to store the limited amount of clothing we have and other misc stuff.

A summary of projects mostly completed include the following: replace running rigging, installed new custom fabricated motor mount on rear stantion, purchased dinghy and outboard (thanks Alyn Pruitt for the dinghy advice), temporarily installed 12 v outlets, replaced faucet/shower fixture in head, re-bed two leaky fixed portlights (twice), re-wired and replaced outlet with new GFI in v berth (old one burned up), re-painted dorades, replaced hose from holding tank to pump out (yuck), replaced raw water hose on engine, fixed water leaks under galley and head sink, purchased spare propane tank, purchased new grill, fixed leaks on one movable portlight, and resealed chainplates. Projects that are in progress are: replacing traveler, fixing three other leaky portlights, re-bedding leaky hatch, ordering canvas tarp for shade and additional rain shelter, installing new topping lift, installing new reefing ties, replacing anchor light, cleaning out both fresh water tanks, replacing fresh water plumbing hoses, sterilizing the system and adding water filter at galley sink, replacing the diesel cabin heater and controls, and varnishing decorative rails. Future projects as the budget permits: installing electric windlass and new bow roller, replacing sails, installing lazy jacks and stack pack, purchasing new asymmetrical sail, replacing drop boards with gangway doors, and replacing marine head with composting head. Of course, this is all in addition to regular maintenance that needs to be performed. We went through all the manuals for the engine and boat and made a spreadsheet that details the frequency of all the required maintenance. We hope to progress through the items on this spreadsheet throughout the next year so all systems are up to date with the proper maintenance. Hopefully all this effort will ultimately lead to less breakdown and more sailing!