After 28 years in commercial management and development with the Minkoff Company, Inc/B&R Mgmt in Bethesda, MD; Rip retired Jan 15, 2016. Rip has spent 2016 and most of 2017, so far, upgrading Lab Partners. From electronic upgrades to adding storage and from canvas/sewing projects to brightwork and waxing - he has done it all. SO, when I say "we" did something ... remember, "we" means Rip! Yes, I handed him tools or held the ends of things and, yes, he engineered sewing projects while I did most of the actual sewing, but not all - this multi-talented guy sewed, too.. Thank goodness for the Sailrite LSZ1 sail makers heavy duty sewing machine and our garage loft, we aptly call the Sail Loft.
Completed projects to make the boat more comfortable, safer and generally more fun for living aboard for a year include:
| Repainted house doors and glazed lower section |
| Installed Galvanic Isolator |
| Replaced autopilot with new Raymarine Evolution EV-200 |
| New LED lighting Throughout cabins |
| Replaced Xantrex with Magnum MS2012 True Sine Inverter/Charger |
| Helm seat brace |
| Install holding tank gauge |
| Storage in master (port aft) |
| Webasto Diesel Heater |
| Replaced Shorepower switch with 4 pole version |
| Install new 140 Amp alternator and controller |
| Replaced Radar with HD Radar |
| Install Sterling smart charger |
| Installed Vesper XB-8000 AIS transceiver and antennas |
| Replaced Norcold Fridge with Noval Kool |
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| Trimming the top rail |
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New Noval Kool Frig installed within the old opening yet,
we have 2.2 cubic feet more interior space! On a boat ... that is a lot of space. |
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| HD Radar!! |
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| Installed and ready to go back up |
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Doors repainted & new glass added ... now, including glass on the bottom panel!
Interior is so much brighter with bottom panel of glass.
Thanks for the idea Maurice & Renee of Le Marie Sophie! |
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| Central Vac installed - a MUST with a Lab aboard |
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New teak chart book box; lid lifts to access the stored charts,
while the top with fiddle rail holds the current chart displayed |
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| Teak rack is a charging station for our 2 phones and 2 tablets |
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New salon curtains; wasn't on the list until I washed the original ones & they started to shred
(this was done before the new glass was installed at bottom of doors) |
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| New master stateroom curtains made to go with the switch in bedding |
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Made a bag for the inflatable SUP ... we made bags for EVERYTHING
Bike, bike trailer, awnings, stern anchor, dinghy davit lines & more
Look who is ready to help, right there by her daddy's side |
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| Cally helped, too! |
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| New winch and sheet bag for the dinghy davit |
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| Hatch covers to block light and heat in the staterooms |
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Hidden storage for the screen from the new opening center window
This is ingenious, but hard to appreciate unless you are on the boat
it just disappears in the ceiling of the salon
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New Helm (& Co-Pilot) chairs & cushions
and the long one is Cally's cushion.
Seat slides to centerline for use or to port for clear aisle. |
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Made window screens to help block heat & filter light
from inside. You can still see out really well |
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New Life Sling bag - hope we never need this Man Overboard tool
Bag for the stern anchor; ready for quick deployment |
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Cally's Dock Box -(behind the sign) hidden inside this Sunbrella/Phifertex wrapped aluminium box
are her 2 ramps( to access docks from the boat) and her steps (to access the dinghy) |
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HUGE storage locker added into unused space in transom
access thru master stateroom |
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Tons of space for storage
Locker goes higher than you see and further to the right, also |
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| added easy access to easily reach the storage space under the settee |
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| where there is a project ... there are tools and sweat |
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| Step for salon helm chair with tool storage |
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Removable brace to hold the helm chair in place in rough seas
it was top heavy and prone to moving before |
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Picture frame is actually mounted via a TV wall bracket
It switches with the TV (left side) when we want to watch TV from the master stateroom
Otherwise TV is safer, out of harms way, off to the side; as shown |
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Knife rack so I don't cut myself when searching thru a drawer
and safe from falling on Cally if we are in heavy seas. |
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New 2-Burner Cooktop
this looks tiny, but it is good sized |
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Custom Bamboo & Teak cutting/prep board over the new cooktop
really extends the work space |
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Storage shelf added behind a closet
was completely unused space previously |
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Made awnings - shown deployed to shade the cabin from sun/heat
also provides a place to bring Cally under to be dried off before entering the cabin |
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| Awning covers the side decks shading the cabin door |
Rip had a running list of things to do ... over 125 items to do. Some items were routine maintenance, many items we decided to do along the way were never listed. Now, some of the items were parts of the whole item, or steps to take, but still ... the amount of work and the fantastic results are nothing short of amazing. So much more storage space to stow things, more things can be safely and correctly put away; everything is more organized.
