June 4th, 2025
Ahoy, shipmates!
This week was one of those glorious stretches where the boat gods finally smiled upon me. After months of wrestling with ANIMA’s gremlins, we’ve hit some major milestones that have me doing my happy dance (though my neighbors in the boatyard might call it “that weird epoxy-covered guy twitching near his sander again”). Let me break down the wins!
🛡️ Sprayhood Savior: Budget Win!
That sad, saggy sprayhood that came with the boat? Turns out it just needed some TLC from the wizards at Canvas & Sails Repair. For less than I’d spend on a decent bottle of rum, they worked their magic and now I’ve got proper sun protection!
Best part? This buys me time before I need to tackle a full dodger project. Right now, I’ll take every small victory I can get.
⚡ The Great Electronics Resurrection
After weeks of staring at wiring diagrams until my eyes crossed, I finally:
✅ Got the chartplotter networked (turns out the “mystery black wire” was, in fact, important)
✅ Solved the Case of the Dead Autopilot – spoiler: IT WAS JUST UNPLUGGED
🔌 Found the disconnected power cable buried under what I can only describe as a “previous owner’s special” wiring job
When we fired it up, that autopilot display lit up like Christmas morning! Sure, it still needs proper sea trials (currently doing its best impression of a confused Roomba), but after months of nothing? I’ll take it!
Real talk: Why was it disconnected? Did the last owner know something I don’t? Should I be worried? (Nah, probably just another classic boat mystery.)
🚀 Hull Glow-Up: From Disaster to Dreamy
Remember when my hull looked like it lost a fight with a belt sander? After:
🔨 Weeks of fiberglass patches that left me permanently smelling like resin
🧼 Enough fairing compound to sculpt a small monument
📏 Sanding sessions that turned me into the Boatyard Ghost (just a pale figure covered in dust, moaning about “just one more pass”)
…WE’RE FINALLY READY FOR PAINT!
🌊 Then SPLASH DAY CAN HAPPEN
I may have teared up a little when I stepped back and saw that smooth, fair surface. Don’t judge me – you’d cry too after that much sanding.
🛁 Head Makeover: Because Even Boats Deserve Nice Bathrooms
While waiting for epoxy to cure, I tackled the sad little head:
🚿 Replaced the worst of the damaged panels
🧵 Covered them with marine-grade leather (looks SO much better)
🚰 Fixed the sinks so they actually drain instead of creating a “bathroom waterfall” feature
Is it perfect? Oh hell no. The whole compartment needs a full gut job eventually. But for now? It’s clean, functional, and doesn’t look like a crime scene. Progress!
⚓ The Last Big Hurdle: Conquering the Windlass
Here’s the current reality:
💪 Manual anchoring is giving me Popeye arms (not the good kind)
💰 An electric windlass costs roughly “one small fortune”
🔨 Installation requires major fiberglass surgery on the bow
But here’s the magic: After everything I’ve survived this refit? I’m NOT AFRAID ANYMORE.
✅ I’ve become a fiberglass ninja
✅ Epoxy is my new best friend
✅ I know more about boat electrics than I ever wanted to
The only thing standing between me and push-button anchoring is budget. (And maybe some more swearing. Definitely more swearing.)
👇 Want Front-Row Seats to the Final Countdown?
The best is yet to come!
▶ YouTube: Watch me turn into a human sander, celebrate small wins, and probably drop something important overboard [Subscribe Here]
💙 Patreon: Help fund the final push to splash day (and get exclusive behind-the-scenes chaos) [Join Our Crew]
— ME
Currently 10% human, 90% boat dust mixed with epoxy, having aceton for breakfast
P.S. To everyone who said “just buy a finished boat”… where’s the fun in that? 😉