Updated on September 21st, 2022When we first started planning for our DIY watermaker our two biggest concerns were price and space. There were only a few requirements: it needed to be electric and run off 12 volts, it needed to fit on our Alberg 30 in a pretty small locker, and it needed to be […]
Boat DIY
Installing Solar on a Boat
When we first purchased Acadia, it only had 200 watts of solar panels installed. This was basically enough to run our refrigeration and freezers and not much else unless we were motoring and charging via our 120amp alternator. We knew this wasn’t going to work out well for us in the Bahamas, where we planned […]
Tips for a DIY Bottom Paint Job
Updated on June 18th, 2021Less than two weeks before we were due to sell our house, we decided to try and finish the biggest project that stood between us and launching the boat: our bottom paint job. At the end of April, the boatyard opened back up for the first time in two months! Hooray! […]
Making New Chainplates
Updated on October 13th, 2020The chainplates on our Alberg 30 were original. They were covered in 55 years of paint and sealant and were leaking like crazy. They were also starting to show enough signs of wear that it was making us uncomfortable. Since we are getting all new standing rigging this year we decided […]
Winterizing a Boat
Updated on September 29th, 2020I hate winterizing the boat. Boat haul day may just be the most depressing day of the year. It means the days are getting shorter, colder, and decidedly more boring. It also means that unless we dole out large amounts of cash to a charter company, or magically find friends in […]