Fast Forward nearly two years

So here we are almost two years into owning the boat. We have found and corrected many things that happen to a thirty year old boat that lives in such a hostile environment. I will attempt to make a short list of projects that have taken place and will keep a more detailed log of ones to come. These will be roughly in order of bow to stern. These are mostly new equipment additions. I have left out many regular maintenance chores. Our goal is to keep complicated equipment, that will break anyways, off the boat. Some items such as water heater and refrigeration are considered luxuries in boating but we choose to have some of these as this is home. Cold beer after hanging in the bilge for hours moves refrigeration a little higher on the list!


-New 200' 3/8 Anchor chain.
-Backup anchor line 150' 5/16 chain
-New bow Bi color navigation light
-New forward head with new plumbing and y valve for discharge overboard at sea and holding tank
-New ground plate installed for lightning strikes, last one was fried from lighting that hit six months before we owned her.
- Sea cocks that allow water in and out from sinks, engine etc disassembled and serviced.
-Floors finished with Varathane
-New Sink faucet in Galley
-New Freshwater plumbing
-New thru hulls in sea chest
-New hot water heater, 12 gals, can be heated from shore power or engine coolant
-New Fresh water pump
-New VHF Radio
-New AM/FM/CD/MP3
-New Furuno Weather fax, using radio freq to receive weather anywhere we are in the world
-New Seal placed on sea chest water intake
-New LED lights in several places.
-New sink Drain hose
-New engine raw water pump
-New dual Racor diesel filter 2 micron elements with new hose, valves and fittings
-New alternator regulator
-New starting battery
-Oil change every 8 months or 100 hours
-Blower vent for engine room ventilation re directed to get hot air out of engine room easier
-New shore power inlet and wire
-New shore power cable
-New LCD Tv
-New bilge pump float switch
-New aft head with new plumbing and Y valve
-New shower system installed in Aft head.

DECK AND BOAT YARD

-New Mast Head Tri color and anchor LED light
-Multiple running rigging lines replaced
-New Spreader lights
-Teak Toe rail sanded new screws countersunk with new teak plugs, cetol finish
-Cockpit teak seating removed (leaking)
-New swim ladder
-New propane grill
-Monitor windvane serviced and parts replaced.
-Blisters repaired and filled with epoxy
-Rudder new barrier coat
-New cutlass bearing installed
-Bottom paint new 2009
-Fiberglass shaping around prop shaft tube exit from the stern.
-Hydraulic steering cylinder rebuilt new fittings
-New Hydraulic relief valve for steering.
-Awlgrip paint waxed every 6 months
-New caulking around all stays.
-New lazy jacks for sail handling
-Stainless polished every 6 months
-New Yamaha 25 outboard for tender
- And when I think of the rest I will post it...

Ft Lauderdale, FL to Charleston, SC

We hired a captain to aid us in getting to Charleston... Although boating for many years, I was not comfortable taking this boat untested on the open ocean for 4 days. Amy had never sailed before. "Skip" was a great guy who we enjoyed spending time with prior to departure, Minor repairs and necessities (such as a new cd player,) were installed. West marine of Ft Lauderdale loved us that week. Changed the oil, topped off the fuel tanks, checked the rigging and to sea we went. About three hours into the trip on routine engine checks we found a leaking water pump. We decided to put into West Palm Beach for the night. So shamefully I called a mechanic because I have no idea at this point how or what needs replaced and we were paying for skip daily. Warm showers and cold beer were in order for the night. First light we were off non stop to Charleston. The sea was a bit confused with no wind so motoring it was. The lehman diesel purred for about 46 hours non stop to push us into Charleston. In that time about 2 am 75 NM off Savannah our hydraulic steering gave out and the autopilot told us quickly by alarming off course. GREAT! fluid was all over the ram that pushes the rudder and we luckily bought a quart at west marine. Amy clipped into the aft deck with emergency tiller in hand and steered us north like a pro while me and skip read the manual (the plane is going down.. learn to fly kinda book) filled and bled the system in between throwing up from not moving and bobbing around in the swells. It held all the way to Charleston. All night phosphorescence glowed in our bow wake and flying fish found there way on deck.. Skipped cooked these the next morning on approach to Charleston Harbor. Safely in her new home at Ashley Marina a new lifestyle begins....

"dude cool were getting a boat!" (captain ron)

We bought the boat in March of 2008 and sailed it up in May 2008. Upon arriving in Ft Lauderdale the boat was in the new river canal. A full keel sailboat has no business being there with an amateur "full keel driver." Luckily two of the owners friends helped us move it to a city dock one of which had about 80,000 sea miles. I have handled many powerboats, a few sailboats, one engine and two. How difficult could this full keel thing be? So let me get this straight, when backing it will back in a circle, it will not turn, and can stop about as fast as a freight train. So in these tiny canals with 120-200ft yachts everywhere that cost anywhere from 10-100 million we are maneuvering our new home through drawbridges, tight turns, and other boats. So my dock assignment is between a new 118' azimut yacht and a 100' tour boat with about 60' of docking space against a concrete wall. Multiple attempts with wind coming off the dock and current pushing us out proves horrible. Oh yea and the drawbridge directly in front of the yacht in front of us. I beg the experienced guy to get us in there. He takes the wheel and after 3 failed attempts, the yacht crew comes out and "man handles" with lines, the boat safely to the dock. I become sick on my stomach and go below...

The Whitby 42

So first why we decided on the boat we did. After looking at boats for about 2 years we came to the conclusion that a Whitby 42 was going to be the best boat for us. The Whitby 42 was a production boat built in Whitby, Ontario by the Whitby boat from 1972 to 1988. Nearly 300 were built. A very small number compared to many modern production boats. Ours is hull 183, one of the last built in Whitby Canada in 1982, the rest were built in Fort Myers, Florida. I like to think the Canadians did a slightly better job! She is named Nefertari. This was King Rameses wife and means "beautiful companion" She was featured on a magazine cover about the Whitby 42. She has had this name and been in one family for her life so we dare not change the name for fear of bad luck! When looking for boats we had a few requirements. We wanted a ketch rig (two mast, smaller one at the back) for ease of handling smaller divided sail areas. Also this rig makes for easier heavy weather sailing. A full keel (keel is about 5.5ft deep and runs along entire bottom of the boat with around 8000 lbs of lead.) Sailboats also have fin keels, this looks like a fin attached to the bottom. In short a full keel provides an excellent motion in a heavy sea, is better for when the boat goes aground, and a more "stout" boat in general. Most importantly it will not fall off! (Fin keels are bolted, ours is built as part of the hull) We wanted a center cockpit for protection it provides and the easier motion of being in the center of the boat. Down below the Whitby offers two cabins and two heads. A feature not found on many boats is the dedicated engine room. This was a huge benefit in that many sailboats you have to remove paneling and/or hang upside down to work on the engine (no worries you still need to be a contortionist). Although being a sailboat the engine is very important and can not be neglected. We can motor for 1700 miles without refueling.

Specs:

LOA 48 ft 0 in (bowsprit model)

LOD 42ft 0 in
LWL 32 ft 8 in
Beam 13 ft 0 in
Draft 5 ft
Displacement 23,500 lbs
Sail Area 875 sq ft
Power Ford Lehman 80hp

Fuel 210 gals
Water 290 gals