LIBERTA – A Boat To Freedom

Although many things were finished, many jobs was still left undone. Or let’s put it this way, I tired to do too many things simultaneously.

One of the biggest disappointments was failure to mount the windvane. I found a used Pacific Plus windvane and we had planned to install it before the summer’s vacation trip. Meaning was to get to test it and practice its use on the longer legs.

Well, as it tends to be, it didn’t go like in the movies. I had ordered an installation from a service company, but the guys were not able to install it. There was not enough space to install the lower parts of the device. The aft should have been opened to install the bolts and still there would have been risk of too little space. So risk for having a cut open boat when the vacation begins was to high to take, so the installation had to be cancelled. Before the next attempt a rack needs to be welded for a sturdy installation.

The chain safely belted… instead of safety, the idea was to spare my nerves as the safety belt alarm kept beeping… =)

In the spring I also bought a used anchor windlass, anchor and chain. The plan was to make a bowsprit for the anchor roller. But as the weather was super cold last spring the whole job was delayed to the last minute. And on top of that the guy I hired to do the job never came up, so the job is still undone. During the next spring this needs to be addressed well beforehand.

When I ordered the new hatches for the companionway doors, I also ordered new small side windows. I didn’t even dream of making these before the vacation, so I these will have to wait for the winter. The current windows are all shattered in the surface, so the new polycarbonate windows will bring in more light.

Also a solar panel was bought during the summer. Before our vacation I installed the wires and got those attached to the panel during the sailing trip. But as we were all the time in marinas there was no urge to get the charge controller installed, so I never got it installed… That’s also waiting for the winter.

One of the most annoying things on the summer vacation was the leaking water tank. We couldn’t find a replacement during the trip, so more three weeks we dealt with the different small canisters. After the trip I ordered a 170 liters bow tank. It’s still waiting to be installed as I’m planning to insulate the bow under the tank. During the trip it seemed that there was a lot of moisture in the bow cabin and with the insulation I’m hoping to reduce it.

During the summer I also found an almost new Simrad 3G broadband radar. Also regarding it’s installation I had to give in and put it off till the winter.

A whole lot of other stuff is waiting to be done during the winter and the next spring, but already these ones that got started are a handful… 🙂

Jussi

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