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Projects On Terrapin
Our Good Old Boat

“A ship in harbor is safe,
but that is not what ships are built for.”

With a good old boat, there always seems to be a daunting list of projects.  By the time we cross one item off the project list, we’ve added a couple more.  Our approach to projects on our good old boat Terrapin; a 1974 Westsail 32, is to prioritize safety and function items and also allow time to get out on the water to enjoy sailing trips. If we waited to check too many items off our boat project list, we would never leave the dock!

Repairs, Maintenance, And Upgrade Projects on Terrapin; Our Good Old Boat

Below are some of the boat projects, large and small, that we’ve done to make Terrapin more ready and comfortable to take us on each new adventure. Little by little, we’re making our way down the project list.

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Hull and Deck:

• New solar panels
• New chainplates
• Whisker stays
• Replace backing plates on thru-hull
• Bottom job (soda blast, barrier coat, bottom paint)
• Replaced bolts on the gudgeon
• New name and logo
• Boot stripe
• Sampson post
• New forward hatch
• Vent and fan for engine room
• New life raft and cradle
• Staysail on roller furling
• All sails checked and re-stitched
• 44 lb. spade anchor
• New propane tank and system
• New auto pilot
• New bimini and shade panels

We love Terrapin’s new bottom color! We chose Seahawk Cukote paint in teal.

After climbing over our staysail one too many times, we decided to switch to roller furling to make access to anchoring easier.

There was a leak that resulted in our port samson post rotting away. Thanks to Tony’s brother Dave for making us a replacement post.

We wanted better visibility from the cockpit so skinnier solar panels were on our list of projects. A pleasant surprise benefit is we can sail with the new solar panels horizontal so we gain more power from a smaller-sized panel. Win, win!

Imagine our realization of a false sense of security when at our liferaft recertification, it started to inflate…only to deflate! The valves were broken. The cost to bring everything up to code was almost the cost of a new one, so we opted for new.

Want to try solar cooking? We love our GoSun Sport to use the sun to cook a meal or bake some treats!

Want your coffee quickly in the morning? JetBoil heats up water fast! We use our JetBoil every morning to boil the water for our french press, but they also have a JetBoil Java Kit with French Press if you want it all in one.

When our propane system leaked, we decided it was time to switch to a different setup. Before purchasing the components for a new propane system, we used our GoSun solar cooker, a Jetboil, and a Click2Cook camp stove as an interim solution. Cooking in the cockpit and on deck worked fine for two summer trips (5-6 months), but I’m very thankful to have the option to be back in the galley now!

I sleep under the forward hatch and when it would rain, I needed to wake Tony to close it. The weight and angle made it difficult for me to handle. We didn’t realize what we were missing as far as a skylight view until the new hatch was installed. Now, sometimes the moonlight illuminates our v-berth.

Cabin:

• White oak 2” ceiling
• Head; replace hoses, remount holding tank, re-vent holding tank
• Replace 2 cabin fans
• Spice rack
• New cushions
• Paint the cabin walls
• Storage bins
• Artwork
• Curtain
• sprout holder, utensil holders
• New galley sink plumbing, faucets, foot pump, & water filter

We like the light color of our new cushions, but we didn’t fully consider the result from summers in Florida – sweaty and oily crew leaves dirty and stained cushions. Oh well!

Installing 2″ white oak planks on our ceiling took much more time and effort than we anticipated. It was worth it – we love the clean and nautical look of the finished product!

For drinking water, we installed a General Ecology Nature Pure QC2 water filter. Our other new faucet, Aidack – elite folding faucet (with arc spout) rotates 180º front/back and 180º side/side making it easy to get different size dishes or pots and pans in and out of the sink as needed.

We prefer to hand steer at the tiller most of the time but thought an autopilot would come in handy on long passages. On a long day sailing through the Everglades, we were able to dance a little lindy on the bow while underway. Fun, fun!

Engine: 

• Starter
• Heat exchanger
• New alternator
• Water pump
• Rear seal
• New motor mounts
• Cutless bearing
• Exhaust elbow and riser
• Repaired leak in the port fuel tank
• Dinghy outboard motor serviced, repaired as needed

Tony will tackle many repairs and projects, but for big engine jobs we were fortunate to have “diesel Dan” willing to do the work!

Sometimes It’s The Little Projects That Have A Big Impact

Many of the small projects on a boat can have a big impact on daily routines. Having our water bottles handy in the cockpit means we stay hydrated. These water bottle holders mount easily to the rail. Easy access to spices with spice racks mounted in the galley means more flavorful food. Baskets help with having a place for everything and everything in its place. Growing sprouts in my galley with Easy Sprout Sprouter provides a nutritious addition to many meals.

And special wall hangings make Terrapin feel more like home! Our grandson Ethan whittled us a little canoe which brings a smile to our faces every day 🙂

Let’s Launch and Go Sailing!

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