Were We Ready?

The idea of leaving shore life for an extended journey at sea engendered myriads of personal "dissections" for both of us. Never was there ever any doubt that we would embark in that direction; however, a reverberating question hovered over us. "Were we ready?"

Over the previous winter, preparations began to finalize our requirements for a liveaboard lifestyle on a small vessel for a number of years. One does not come to this easily. Hours and hours were spent stocking supplies, packing and repacking totes, and revisiting lists to identify items that could be eliminated. Trust me, it is a task in itself for a woman to let go of shoes at the best of times let alone discard simply because of the lack of space!  Keith, however, persisted with his gentle reminder, "If it does not fit in a pack sack, it does not belong."  In fact, that phrase became our point of reference for all personal items. As a result, I have a hanging locker to house my items; Keith has been awarded a corner in the V-berth; (partly due to his original attitude about that pack sack) and all remaining space on the vessel is dedicated to the boat and her operation.

Once we both had confidently overcome our own confrontations, we knew the sailboat must be as "ready" as possible to meet her challenges also. All the seasoned sailors we had talked to or read about re-iterated that there was always something that remained to be done on a vessel. It has been said that should one wait for all those unfinished project's completion, the boat may never leave the harbour.  All the while, Bridlewilde sat patiently on the hard in Gold River Marina,  Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia awaiting some activity.  She was built a "blue water" boat and a boat remains healthiest in the water. But she too needed some attention before she was to see the water again.  Necessities were identified and with safety as our priority,  absolute projects were outlined to be completed.

Spring in Nova Scotia in 2016 arrived late. It had been Keith's  intent to move onto the boat permanently on the hard by the end of April in order to begin his projects.  However, when snow still remained atop her then,  April turned into early June before it was warm enough to start any work.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Keith has become a gifted sailor.  That is an understatement. The man is just gifted! When he purchased the boat in freshwater Lake Ontario, he saw her potential. However, she did need upgrade work to attack a sea.  It is one thing to decide  to sail a vessel out into an ocean; that commitment is monumental in itself, the retrofitting work is an even larger endeavour.  Truly, this man did not carry twenty years of shipbuilding experience in his back pocket as a resource.  However, one must know this captain--he has a will, a desire to learn, an overwhelming drive, boundless passion for all he encompasses and a heart that would not allow for anything but success.  He is gifted but above all, he is amazing!

Following is Keith's list of the projects.  He spent hours of research on, oversaw, mastered and completed these tasks from June until the end of September in order for Bridlewilde to splash into Mahone Bay, ready, to become our home on the sea.

LIST OF UPGRADES COMPLETED 2016

• Installed new electrical windlass
• Installed 250’ new anchor rode and galvanized chain Grade 40
• New DST 800 Thruhull and plexiglass shield installed for visibility and access in cabin locker
• 2 new Flexible water tanks – 80 gallons – housing lockers insulated with protective rubberized shield
• Installed manual sea water pump and tap at galley sink
• Installed new folding water nozzle and tap at galley sink                                                        Installed all new pumps and plumbing appartatus including new hoses for water system
• Repositioned galley sink to new galley position –  old location rebuilt to new interior locker for storage
• Removed chart locker for reconstruction and repositioning of new galley location
• Installed new gimballed 2 burner propane stove and piping hoses required for propane tanks
• Installed new locker for propane tank in galley
• Reconstructed floor in galley and reconstructed new framing in galley
• New storage locker under sink in galley constructed and installed
• Purchased and installed new Monitor Wind Vane for navigation
• Engine room rebuilt and expanded for installation of  lockers for storage of tools and equipment
• 2 new teak Durad venting boxes installed
• New battery housing frame constructed to house 3 new deep cycle marine batteries for house bank
• Framework expanded to house dedicated starting battery
• Designed, built and installed new cockpit table and half circle helm seat
• Built and installed new refrigerator frame
• 10 new zinc anodes installed (26 pounds total) and bolting welded to hull to accept anodes
• 6 new access hatches in cockpit constructed
• Raymarine Radome unit purchased with Questus radar mounting frame and installed
• 12” screen Raymarine navigation electronic system purchased with Canada charting - installed at helm
• Auxillary 7” screen StandardHorizon electronic navigation system with CMap Canada/US charts installed
• New US/Bahamas Navionics electronic charts purchased and installed on Raymarine equipment
• New hardwood flooring designed, constructed and installed in cockpit floor
• New dodger and  stainless steel framework purchased and installed (this construction addition was designed, engineered and built by a professional however Craig Nokes had not previously installed on a steel vessel.  All installation drill holes and mounts were performed and installed by Keith)
• New 1000 watt Eliminator Inverter installed
• 2 new solar lights and solar panels installed and wired – 1 in cabin, 1 in V-berth
• New mast lights installed – Steaming lights and deck lights
• New halyards and topping lift restrung and installed on mast
• Designed and installed new stainless steel bimini at helm – (engineering of stainless tubing built by professional welder)
• Applied anti fouling paint coats to hull
• Repaired any slight blistering evidence
• New rudder drainage screw installed (screw engineered and built by professional)
• New engine room venting purchased and installed
• Painted complete interior of hull from companionway to stern twice, including engine room
• Connected tandem battery units and reconfigured starting battery placement housing
• Extended stainless steel steering column by 6 inches
• New check valve attachment on bilge pump installed
• Installed new plexiglass cover for stern light
• Retrofitted and installed propane locker on deck
• 2 new blocks installed on mast
• Deck and Cockpit area repainted
•  Re-adjusted lifelines for additional security including installation of new nuts
•  Hand sanded all interior windows
• Installed new motor mounts behind engine – (had Purpleheart hardwood blocks built by professional boatyard)
• Installed, wrapped and ran all wiring for transducer, anchor lift windlass, and solar lighting
• Installed raising and lowering electrical switches for windlass
• Had dinghy inspected by professional and interior re rubberized for extra strength
• Built storage area in bilge to house and cool wine, beer, bottled water, soda and other drinks
• Replaced couplings and fittings on head to eliminate any odour possibility
• Overhauled 3.5HP outboard motor for dinghy
• Hired professional to attach all electrical wiring connections to panel in cabin
• Removed davits, previous cockpit table, manual windlass, whale bilge pump, fisherman’s anchor for repurposing by other sailors (thanks kijiji)
• Installed new shelving and collection unit in anchor locker to receive rode and chain
• Mounted compass on bulkhead
• Purchased and installed new Simrad depth sounder on bulkhead
• All woodwork that was installed was refinished stained and polished

This list was not completed in this order and I am sure I have missed many smaller projects (for example – searching for the right tools and gear to complete these tasks, the endless cleanup required and the fact that most of this work was in done inside a vessel in a space smaller than the man doing the work.) At any rate by October 2^nd , 2016 this extensive list of projects was completed by Keith alone. I could not be on this vessel without this man …….and I know few men who could do this.  He is truly amazing!

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V berth water tank construction - waterproofing hatches for tanks

Engine room work

Access to engine room from cockpit



Water tank hatches -both starboard and port sides under V-berth