Upgrades

[cmedsailor]

Upgrades, upgrades, upgrades….. It's amazing how often we see this word in all boat forums.

Let’s share our experience and talk about upgrades we have made in our boat to make them, according to us, better, faster, safer and so on. This may give ideas to each other.
To start first, 3 upgrades which my boat has (the first two made from previous owner, the 3rd from me) are the following:

Upgrade genoa winches from standard size 44 to size 48. It’s so easy to winch the genoa sheets with one hand and helm the boat with the other. At the same time upgrade the factory basic coachroof port side size 30 winch to size 40 and add a second size 40 winch to starboard.

Upgrade 800 watt electric windlass to 1000 watt, thus enabling the use of 10mm chain. 60 meters of 10mm chain on a 36ft boat (real weight 7100kg) allows me to better sleep at night!

Replace the old wheel-pilot with a proper below deck electric autopilot. You simply cannot compare the two.

The list goes on. But let’s hear others what upgrades they have made.

 

[JumbleDuck]

10" winch handles instead of 8".
2 x 60Ah house batteries instead of 1 x 60Ah.
Second fresh water tank in forecabin (refit actually, as it was there originally and so all the holes were in place)

 

[xeitosaphil]

Previous owner installed a Lofrans 1000w Windlass, ST60 instruments, wind / Tri Data / Muti, new toilet, new upholstery and a Yanmar 2GM20.

In my 5 years of ownership and bearing in mind she is now 40 years old this year, I have made some quite extensive upgrades and improvements some of which were really necessary, some not quite so?

Plotter SH 300i, Yeoman Compact, SH 1500e DCSC VHF radio, Digital Yacht AIS receiver, Fully Battened Main with Rutgerson bat cars, New Genoa, New Furlex Roller Reefing, Guard Rails and wires, all sheets and Halyards back to the cockpit with Clutches, replaced Sheetmaster winches with Lewmar ST40’s, converted a cool box into a Danfos - Fridge/ freezer, all new starting circuits and isolators for two separate battery banks, rewire of fuse board spaghetti ,Cetek M300 shore powered chargers, Adverc charging system and up rated alternator, 100w Solar Panel and regulator. New windows, refurbished Fore hatch/ Main Hatch and new Companionway Entrance Boards, and added Amidships cleats.

Total refurbishment of Main Saloon, Engine / Engine compartment and stern gear.

The boat was in such good condition basically that I thought it warranted the work and expense, as she must be close to being a classic as she was built in 1974 and there were only ever 40 built, and I must say she is a pleasure to sail .

 

[prv]

Here's what I can remember off-hand in the two years we've owned Ariam. Some big, some small, no particular order. I've omitted quite a bit of work that was simple repair or like-for-like replacement, counting only things that were improvements.

• Re-spray white hull to dark blue
• Coppercoat
• 20kg Spade anchor instead of small knockoff Bruce.
• Self-tailing halyard winches on the coachroof, displacing the original non-self-tailers to new mast pads for the genoa and cruising chute, this in turn allowing all of the mainsail control lines to come aft. New mast cleats and halyard-exits to suit.
• Replaced silly single-part-and-winch mainsheet with a tackle and jammer.
• Traveller tackles for mainsheet instead of pin-stops.
• New sails.
• Cruising chute.
• Stackpack. Further modified by me with pockets for lazy-jack falls, and stow-away straps.
• 3-blade folding prop, replacing 2-blade that didn't match the engine.
• New blinds and curtains on forepeak and aft cabin hatches (blinds off the shelf, curtains home-made).
• Replace all nav lights with LEDs and replace crappy domestic mains flex in the mast with proper tinned cabling.
• New Metz Manta VHF aerial, and 10mm high-braid-coverage cable.
• LED to illuminate the wind vane at night.
• Discreet LED deck lights under the spreaders.
• New radar cable.
• New deck port for mast cables (including GRP work around the mast foot to make a place to put it and space inside for the connections)
• New radio, cockpit remote, AIS display
• New stereo, plays from USB, iPhone, etc. Remote control and transducer speakers in cockpit. Custom switch and socket panel to control input source.
• Combined anchor ball and light rig, with the power supply running inside the braided rope.
• Deck power sockets fore and aft, 30amp capacity to run dinghy pump (also used for anchor light and searchlight)
• Cockpit switch panel to control nav lights (single rotary dial for different legal configurations), deck lights, windlass master switch, deck sockets.
• Custom GRP pods under the cockpit windscreen to take switch panel, plotter/radar, AIS display, and stereo remote
• Jon Buoy man overboard module and one new horseshoe/drogue/light, replacing slew of ugly knackered gear spread around the stern.
• 6-man liferaft (required for coding) replaced with more manageable 4-man (we never have six on board)
• Winch handle pocket (and winch handle) next to each cockpit winch.
• Complete de-spaghettification of Seatalk wiring, including moving instruments to more sensible locations (glassing up old holes) and buying a couple of new ones
• ICS Navtex, originally just as chart-table nav repeater but about to add receiver module.
• Replace wheelpilot with below-decks drive. Great improvement.
• All new cabin upholstery - by a company that usually refits buses
• Refurbish and re-gelcoat binnacle, making it waterproof where it wasn't before, and fitting sensible instruments (inc mini plotter) in sensible positions rather than the previous random bodgery.
• New sprayhood and cockpit tent
• New cooker, with decent fiddles and a grill. Oven has produced some pretty good cakes, bread, and home-made pizza.
• Mounting points for galley bum-strap.
• Replaced all brass seacocks with DZR ones
• Made a sort of coffer-dam around the log transducer, to contain the water that comes in when it's removed and replaced. Previously it used to run into a locker and a wiring conduit.
• Tie-down point and power socket for my mum's self-refrigerating coolbag.
• Stowage bracket and strap, for grab-bag, just inside the companionway.
• New toilet pump, hoses, and anti-siphon valves.
• Big new battery bank, Smartgauge, charging system, alternator booster. Fitting it involved various modifications around the battery locker and to the galley sink drains.
• New fuel supply system with changeover filters in more accessible position, suction gauge, priming pumps.
• Fuel tank inspection hatch.
• Remote engine oil filter so it can be changed easily without spillage (original position on the engine almost inaccessible, and sideways mounting guaranteed spills)
• Engine raw water filter (none fitted before)
• Sump oil pump-out connection, rather than fiddling tubes down the dipstick hole.
• Modified dipstick tube to allow oil checking without having to open an awkward access hatch (very boat-specific )
• Complete new chart table electrics/instruments panel and surrounding woodwork in solid cherry to match existing joinery.
• Nearly all 12v wiring replaced (some of the lighting circuit remains due to inaccessibility behind joinery) due to corrosion and general crappiness.
• Wireless windlass controller (with wired backup)
• New engine bay bulkhead with big double doors and automatic LED lights, instead of a silly little access panel.
• All interior lights changed to LED, some additional ones added.
• New chart table LED lighting, customisable for red/white, overall brightness, and brightness of chart.
• Yeoman plotter, attached to underneath of chart table with chart secured by special one-button clamping arrangement.
• New uprated electric bilge pump.
• Float switch inside the calorifier overflow bottle, to light an LED when it needs emptying.
• All the various electrics panels, placards etc laser-engraved to custom designs.
• Stainless steel chafe plates where the jib sheets touch the GRP edge of the aft cabin top.
• T-valve off the shower sump pump to a wandering hose, for sucking up water from various places that don't drain to the main bilge pumps.
• 12v and USB sockets next to each regularly-occupied bunk, for charging phones etc. Also in the saloon.
• Replaced deck scupper fittings and hose with larger diameter and smoother run, to prevent clogging (previously used to overflow into cockpit locker)

Pete

 

[robmcg]

Here's what I can remember off-hand in the two years we've owned Ariam. Some big, some small, no particular order. I've omitted quite a bit of work that was simple repair or like-for-like replacement, counting only things that were improvements.

• Re-spray white hull to dark blue
• Coppercoat
• 20kg Spade anchor instead of small knockoff Bruce.
• Self-tailing halyard winches on the coachroof, displacing the original non-self-tailers to new mast pads for the genoa and cruising chute, this in turn allowing all of the mainsail control lines to come aft. New mast cleats and halyard-exits to suit.
• Replaced silly single-part-and-winch mainsheet with a tackle and jammer.
• Traveller tackles for mainsheet instead of pin-stops.
• New sails.
• Cruising chute.
• Stackpack. Further modified by me with pockets for lazy-jack falls, and stow-away straps.
• 3-blade folding prop, replacing 2-blade that didn't match the engine.
• New blinds and curtains on forepeak and aft cabin hatches (blinds off the shelf, curtains home-made).
• Replace all nav lights with LEDs and replace crappy domestic mains flex in the mast with proper tinned cabling.
• New Metz Manta VHF aerial, and 10mm high-braid-coverage cable.
• LED to illuminate the wind vane at night.
• Discreet LED deck lights under the spreaders.
• New radar cable.
• New deck port for mast cables (including GRP work around the mast foot to make a place to put it and space inside for the connections)
• New radio, cockpit remote, AIS display
• New stereo, plays from USB, iPhone, etc. Remote control and transducer speakers in cockpit. Custom switch and socket panel to control input source.
• Combined anchor ball and light rig, with the power supply running inside the braided rope.
• Deck power sockets fore and aft, 30amp capacity to run dinghy pump (also used for anchor light and searchlight)
• Cockpit switch panel to control nav lights (single rotary dial for different legal configurations), deck lights, windlass master switch, deck sockets.
• Custom GRP pods under the cockpit windscreen to take switch panel, plotter/radar, AIS display, and stereo remote
• Jon Buoy man overboard module and one new horseshoe/drogue/light, replacing slew of ugly knackered gear spread around the stern.
• 6-man liferaft (required for coding) replaced with more manageable 4-man (we never have six on board)
• Winch handle pocket (and winch handle) next to each cockpit winch.
• Complete de-spaghettification of Seatalk wiring, including moving instruments to more sensible locations (glassing up old holes) and buying a couple of new ones
• ICS Navtex, originally just as chart-table nav repeater but about to add receiver module.
• Replace wheelpilot with below-decks drive. Great improvement.
• All new cabin upholstery - by a company that usually refits buses
• Refurbish and re-gelcoat binnacle, making it waterproof where it wasn't before, and fitting sensible instruments (inc mini plotter) in sensible positions rather than the previous random bodgery.
• New sprayhood and cockpit tent
• New cooker, with decent fiddles and a grill. Oven has produced some pretty good cakes, bread, and home-made pizza.
• Mounting points for galley bum-strap.
• Replaced all brass seacocks with DZR ones
• Made a sort of coffer-dam around the log transducer, to contain the water that comes in when it's removed and replaced. Previously it used to run into a locker and a wiring conduit.
• Tie-down point and power socket for my mum's self-refrigerating coolbag.
• Stowage bracket and strap, for grab-bag, just inside the companionway.
• New toilet pump, hoses, and anti-siphon valves.
• Big new battery bank, Smartgauge, charging system, alternator booster. Fitting it involved various modifications around the battery locker and to the galley sink drains.
• New fuel supply system with changeover filters in more accessible position, suction gauge, priming pumps.
• Fuel tank inspection hatch.
• Remote engine oil filter so it can be changed easily without spillage (original position on the engine almost inaccessible, and sideways mounting guaranteed spills)
• Engine raw water filter (none fitted before)
• Sump oil pump-out connection, rather than fiddling tubes down the dipstick hole.
• Modified dipstick tube to allow oil checking without having to open an awkward access hatch (very boat-specific )
• Complete new chart table electrics/instruments panel and surrounding woodwork in solid cherry to match existing joinery.
• Nearly all 12v wiring replaced (some of the lighting circuit remains due to inaccessibility behind joinery) due to corrosion and general crappiness.
• Wireless windlass controller (with wired backup)
• New engine bay bulkhead with big double doors and automatic LED lights, instead of a silly little access panel.
• All interior lights changed to LED, some additional ones added.
• New chart table LED lighting, customisable for red/white, overall brightness, and brightness of chart.
• Yeoman plotter, attached to underneath of chart table with chart secured by special one-button clamping arrangement.
• New uprated electric bilge pump.
• Float switch inside the calorifier overflow bottle, to light an LED when it needs emptying.
• All the various electrics panels, placards etc laser-engraved to custom designs.
• Stainless steel chafe plates where the jib sheets touch the GRP edge of the aft cabin top.
• T-valve off the shower sump pump to a wandering hose, for sucking up water from various places that don't drain to the main bilge pumps.
• 12v and USB sockets next to each regularly-occupied bunk, for charging phones etc. Also in the saloon.
• Replaced deck scupper fittings and hose with larger diameter and smoother run, to prevent clogging (previously used to overflow into cockpit locker)

Pete

You haven't been trying!