Here we are, one month into our journey. Four weeks filled with boat fixes, some expected but most not. Investing in fun upgrades to Farfelu has a been a highlight of the month and an important part of making her feel like home. We have shared many fun land adventures together this month getting to know Valencia and the mainland of Spain. Not as many sailing adventures yet as we have been at the dock undertaking the above mentioned, but something we are excited to change this next month as we are finally setting of for the Balearics tomorrow!
Fun upgrades made to Farfelu
- Hanging hammock chair for comfortable reading and sunning on the deck
- Bean bag chair for portable seating
- Two paddle boards
- Floating water mat
- Two folding bikes (+ two came with the boat) = transportation for all!
- Stocked up from everyone’s favorite store, IKEA!!
- Personalized the kids berths, new bedding, etc.
- TV for family movie night
- Starlink for staying in touch
Not so fun but necessary fixes made to Farfelu
Replaced the tri-color masthead light, necessary for anchoring.
Scott was hoisted up the mast by me (thank goodness for electric winches) four times before we could check this important one of the list. His ingenuity and knowledge of electrical systems combined with his comfort of heights and rope work made this one possible and we are so excited that we can sleep on the hook now while being safe and compliant!
- Replaced bellows on pump for black water tank on forward head. This one was a shitty job and one a boat owner hops to do mess with only once! Waiting two weeks on a part to be shipped from China is not ideal but again, a necessary component of living at sea.
- Pump out standing water from boat’s lowest sump holds. Apparently when a boat overwinters in the water it takes on a fair amount of moisture through it’s exhaust through-hull fittings. As new boat owners, we didn’t like to see unknown water in the deepest darkest parts of the boat so Scott found a way to access and remove buckets upon buckets of nasty smelling old water mixed with oil.
- Pump out water from diesel fuel tank. One lesson we are learning while living on the boat is that small mistakes or making quick decisions without taking a pause to think can have big consequences. The very first time we went to fill the on board water tanks, the hose went into the diesel fuel tank. Thankfully it wasn’t that much and we were able to pump out the water that was separated from the diesel and sitting on top.
- Fix freezer compressor. It sure is nice to have cold water and keep perishables frozen if necessary. This one was easy (thanks again to the electrical mastermind we have aboard). Took a bit of diagnosing but luckily it was a loose wire that jiggled itself loose. Also we found out the freezer compressor must be primed before the pump will let itself run for 30 seconds.
- Reprogram radio with correct MMSI number, AIS, and onboard navigations systems. All up and running now so we can see our charts and other boats can see us.
- Reorganization of storage lazarets, lockers and interior spaces. Moving into a fully furnished boat with twenty years of history means a complete audit of the whole boat, removing outdated items that were old, dried up, expired, broken, or had no use for us and figuring out how we could make the storage work for our needs, a delicate balance on a floating home with limited storage. It was a huge undertaking, one that come right on the heels of sorting through and moving out of our Bozeman home but it feels good to know where everything lives now and put our own stamp on the Farfelu.
Anti-fouling
Our first lift-out service as her owners to clean the bottom of the boat and service the parts and through-hull ports bellow waterline. It’s nerve racking watching your 30 ton, 56 foot sailboat harnessed, lifted out of the water, and moved using a giant boat crane to land to be blocked and secured twenty feet off the ground. It’s something that should be done every spring, especially if the boat overwinters in the water and it was time for Farfelu.
We sailed three hours up the coast to Port Segunta to a reputable refit and repair company to lift her out and spent four nights on the dry while service was performed, which included a thorough cleaning, anti-foul paint, and replacement of the anodes. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience living aboard in an industrial boatyard but we made it through and appreciate how fast she feels through the water and we like knowing all of the important water in & out ports don’t have live crabs and mussels clogging them up.
Great post Kate, keep them coming, this will be a great journal to look back on too! Have a great time and Happy 4th, go MERICA’!
Well done you guys! What a lot of work and so interesting to hear all about it. Hope you are keeping a diary to write about the adventures–I see a book in the making! MOM