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Splish Splash 💦
The 2023 boating season on the Great Lakes is beginning! After a mild, midwest winter, we are ready for the sailing season. In southern Lake Michigan some marinas start to open as early as April but most don’t open until May 1st. We’re getting ready to put SV Zeke E Boy in the water for our 2nd season sailing on Lake Michigan, and although we’ve been through this before, I’m still a bit nervous.
Wrap it up
Preparing for a season on the water is a journey. Boat projects are continuous and never-ending, but if all we did were projects, we would never use the boat! This winter we tackled all new toilets on the boat, new house batteries, primary charger, and wiring updates, and a new propane system with a new range. Spring is here and these projects all have a few loose ends to complete. As long as nothing goes wrong in the next few weeks, they are scheduled to be done this month (April).
Spring Commissioning Checklist 📃
So, what is needed to launch our sailboat? Here’s our current list:
Remove and recycle shrink wrap – Kara is going to lead this project with Kyle helping to get it off the boatRemove the skeleton structure that was built on the deck for the shrink wrap to attach to. We’d like to try to reuse as much as possible for next year.
Lightly sand the bottom and paint another coat of antifouling paint. We are using the same product that was already on, but changing the color from green to dark blue.
Clean and wax the hull.
Clean the deck from winter grime.
Load the six batteries onto the boat and install them in their boxes. Commission the electrical system.
Thoroughly clean the interior. Always try to clean up things better than before.
Replace the engine cooling water impeller.
Check the oil level, fuel level, cooling level and inspect the belt for any wear. Replace as needed.
Install the exterior canvas and solar panels (will keep the batteries charged while we wait to launch).
Inspect the rigging and load the sails onto the boat.
Prepare all of our docking gear – lines, fenders, boat hooks, etc.
Test the navigation systems.
Check safety equipment – first aid kit, lifejackets, fire extinguishers, flares and fog horns. Replace as needed.
Load personal items in the galley, saloon, cabins – which include food, water, equipment, clothing, bedding, pillows, etc.
This is scheduled to take two weeks to complete the preparations, we will see how it goes and share our journey.
Getting the boat ready
Once we’re ready, we will work with our boatyard to get on their schedule for launch. They are very good at getting boats in and out on time, and don’t appreciate an unprepared boater delaying their work. It is our job to help make theirs easier so they can focus on safely getting us launched.
SV Zeke E Boy weighs 22,000 lbs and any mistake would create a major problem!
Waiting for a good weather window
Weather on the Great Lakes is always top priority, attempting to challenge the weather is very dangerous. We only need four hours to motor back to our home port, so we just need to select a good day and be patient with the weather. It will be late April or early May … although the water looks amazing, it is still pretty cold, which means being out on the water will be frigid.
Time to GO!
We believe West Basin Marina, the St. Joe municipal marina, doesn’t get completely full until after Memorial Day. So we are hopeful that they will have room for us to stay if the weather doesn’t cooperate perfectly. Our plan is to scout and prepare arrangements with them early. We found working with them last year was seamless; they are organized and very helpful.
Tell us what you think
Please leave comments on your thoughts / recommendations / improvements to our Spring Commissioning process. We still have some work to do on our highly technical and very thorough checklist. 😂 There is always room to grow and learn, and we’d love to hear from you!
– Kyle from Zeke Life
Live like Zeke
You’re such a good boy!
