Every year in the spring the David B gets to go to the boat spa, otherwise known as the boatyard. We feel that it’s an important maintenance task that keeps the boat in good shape. This year our tasks were pretty standard – bottom paint, clean the prop, and change the sacrificial anodes. We also had a once every four years survey.
We had originally scheduled our haulout for March 23, but Washington state was going into lockdown that same day. The yard we haul at wasn’t sure what their rules would be and if they would be able to put us back in the water once we were done. We rescheduled for April 13 and we were able to get everything done yesterday. It was the fastest haulout we’ve ever done mostly because we scaled back how much we wanted to paint while we were out of the water. While Jeffrey and the surveyor checked systems, planks, and fasteners, Christine painted the topsides, and the yard employees did the hard work below the waterline.
It was a quick turn around and there’s still a little left to paint, but the David B is back in the water and ready to go. We’re just waiting until it’s safe.
Winter is always a busy time on the boat. It’s when we do maintenance, make upgrades, and take on projects. Unlike last year when we built the new pilothouse, this year is a little more mellow. Our biggest project this winter is to do an engine overhaul, which means we’re removing the heads, cylinder liners, and pistons. We’ll check the piston rings, change the gaskets, and fix a water leak in the cooling system. In addition to the big stuff, all the small parts will be cleaned and checked before we reassemble the engine, and Jeffrey will be adding new sensors, so we can monitor the engine more effectively.