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Shearwater is a 1989 Ericson 38-200 (click here for specs). I got a good deal on it because it needed work, but the rigging and engine were operational so I was able to sail it away. I have a five year plan for fixes and improvements, but I’m not planning to let that interfere with sailing time. Life is too short. Most of the fixing and improvements will be done in the spring, fall, and even some in the winter.
Shearwater is located between New York and Boston so our sailing season is limited, but Long Island Sound has some very good sailing and destinations. If you are thinking about a sailboat but can’t yet quit your job and sail away then this channel might interest you. See what kind of fun there is to be had for weekenders and vacationers.
My goal is to release a video weekly that is between ten and twenty minutes in length. The videos are basically chronological in nature. I am not particularly talented at boat maintenance so don’t do what I do, I’m just showing you what I did. I’ve been sailing since childhood so I’m fairly good at that. And occasionally I’ll let you know what it all costs.
Thank you
Episode #10. The Admiral (my father) pitches in to help with the bilge pump tubing and the leak around the mast. My daughter completes the boat name lettering project, and her husband begins the most unpleasant task of preparing the bottom for paint. He sure is a good sport. We didn’t start any new projects, […]
Read MoreEpisode #9. This week Kelley tells us about the lettering for the boat name. We put some water in the fresh water tank and test the plumbing again. I reassure myself that new batteries are in fact required. Why is there no strainer on the raw water intake for the engine? The local boat store […]
Read MoreEpisode #8. Some through-hull fittings above the waterline in a tight space will need inspection. I drive and talk about the DMV. Why can’t I find the leak? Manual bilge pump rebuild is a success, it actually works. Testing the height of my staging and poking at the loose paint on the bottom.
Read MoreEpisode #7. A few projects are taken off the very long list but some new ones are added. We look at the fuel tank and water heater. We have a brief tour of the engine. And I’m so glad the boom is back on board, makes me start to believe we’ll be sailing before too […]
Read MoreEpisode #6. On our first day on the new boat after buying it last August, we noticed how wet the cabin sole was near and in the head. It turns out that the hot water feed to the sink was leaking. To get at it we had to remove the sink, and while we had […]
Read MoreEpisode #5. A new cast member explains how the most vulnerable floorboard pieces is re-imagined. It turns out the problem with the primary electric bilge pump has something to do with the run of the tubing, the pump itself may be fine. Bringing a broken dodger window to be fixed.
Read MoreEpisode #4. I talk longer than I should about what to consider when making a budget…
Read MoreEpisode #3. Big plans turned to small plans when I tweaked my back just after arriving at my boat. I change light bulbs and then do a lot of talking, more like show-and-tell…
Read MoreEpisode #2. After reviewing what I presented in episode #1, I decided some photos of time on the water might be good for the viewer’s imagination.
Read MoreEpisode #1, we have to start somewhere… In this video I show you around Shearwater while it is on land and the cabin is not at all tidy. I also drone on about it. At this point I owned the boat for half a year. It was purchased in August 2019 and we sailed it […]
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