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Splish Splash 💦
Spring commissioning of the boat after launch is something every boater considers differently. What is important? What is critical? What don’t we know that needs to be done? What supplies and tools are needed for success? What is the definition of success? Somehow spring commissioning seems to build stress and worry about things that probably are not worth the space in my head! But everything is new and unknown with our ‘new-to-us’ sailboat so I think and research, research and think . . . Is that worry or just being extra cautious?
What should be done and who should do it?
In February 2022, our winter storage facility asked what services we wanted them to do upon launch for SV Zeke E Boy. For over the last decade, the same marina launched, commissioned and delivered the vessel to her seasonal slip nearby in Duncan Bay on Lake Huron. So we figured it would be prudent to let them do the same processes this year as previous years. Of course, next year we will be on our own further south on Lake Michigan.
Moisture in Fuel Tank
There is a lot of debate on moisture creation in diesel fuel tanks over the winter, the previous owner sided with those that fill the tank full of diesel in the fall with some biocide and stabilizer added. The other side claims the volume of air can’t actually hold enough moisture to negatively affect the system. My opinion is still being formulated – maybe I will try both since this coming fall we plan to empty, inspect and completely clean the fuel tank during winter storage 2022 – 23.
Oil Change is a must
One item that is not up for debate, old oil in an engine over the winter is detrimental. While I am not the expert on this, I have done enough research to know an oil change prior to winter storage is the standard operational maintenance procedure.
replacing fuel filters is too!
We also have a fuel filter on the engine and another fuel filter / water separator that needs replaced on regular intervals. This task is a bit messy and diesel engines can’t burn air, so making sure the system is bled completely preemptively protects us from issues on start-up as we complete these projects. If you’re following along on Zeke Life blogs, you know that I didn’t change this prior to our inaugural trip bringing SV Zeke E Boy home … oops! Well, now I did, and here’s how I did it!
It’s ALIVE – we need more power!
The next system of concern is the battery system. When we bought the boat last fall, we knew from inspection, marine survey results and the previous owner’s clarification that the batteries have lived through their useful life and are due for replacement. We inspected battery cables, traced wires that were not marked properly (yet) and did our best to get familiar with a new electrical system. Our boat is set up with two banks of (2) 6V gel batteries in series to make two 12V banks for the house system with a dedicated charger. Then, we have an “echo” charger that follows the main charger to charge the starter battery as well as another “echo” charger that does the same for the windlass anchoring system.
From what I can tell, this configuration was done to allow for the solar charger to connect to the house batteries when not on shore power or under auxiliary engine power and the two echo chargers continue to keep the starter and windlass filled up.
🆘 Please Help!
I would love to hear your feedback and comments on electrical system theology. Beyond the ABYC codes (which I do have a copy available), there are lots of ways to build an electrical / battery system to what you need. I am currently putting together an accurate ‘as-built’ diagram with every component, so that when I replace the house batteries, I will know exactly every wire in the boat and what its purpose is, or at least it will be written down so I don’t have to remember.
Critical Boat Electronics
Associated with the electrical system is also the electronics for the boat. We have a GPS, autopilot, radar, depth, and speed devices. I am still learning each device, but fortunately the previous owner provided the manuals. I learn something new each time I use and walk through the features of the device. Our autopilot does connect to the GPS to navigate to waypoints, which is very convenient.
Keeping the Comforts of Home
We have a water heater, air conditioner and separate propane cabin heater on the sailboat. We were not planning to use any of these features on our trip home, but we needed to make sure that there were no major leaks or obvious problems with these systems that we may encounter or cause issues.
Spring Commissioning is a process
So all this to say, the spring commission involves bringing all of the various systems on the boat online and ensuring their proper working functions. We found a few small leaks in the water system. The batteries were not connected properly, and a few fuses were discovered blown and needed replaced. From what we could tell nothing major was out of sorts. Things get old and break, and so far we’ve spent more time fixing than actually using or sailing the boat! After all, owning a boat – especially a used boat – involves working on the boat. It’s a good thing I love solving problems and making old things new again!
One of our favorite movie quotes is from the 2015 film The Martian, where Mark Watney played by Matt Damon said, “At some point, everything’s gonna go south on you. Everything’s going to go south and you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem… and you solve the next one… and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.” But in our case, we get to go sailing!
It’s a sailboat after all
Oh, and then there are the sails and standing rigging to tune and lines to prep. The boat is a sailboat, so that is another system that needs care and setup. Once again, we were not planning to sail in our entire trip home so we only attached the sails to make more room in the boat – plus then they would be on the boat – just in case we needed them, which we almost did!
The cleaning never ends
The last item that seems never ending is cleaning the boat. There’s cleaning the interior and organizing all of the tools and materials needed for proper boat functions. And there’s cleaning the exterior. In the future, we will share our multi-step process to remove oxidation from the gel-coat and build back up the protection for the finish. We are in the process of working on this now, and we want to make sure it works before we share it with you. Ideally, after this process, our 1996 boat will look like it is brand new, and any water drops will bead up beautifully.
Each boat owner takes boat ownership differently – just as home ownership. Most items are truly opinion matters of how each owner takes care of their boat or how their way is “the only correct” process. From my experience, these are good biases, learned from real-life trial and error.
Time to Bring Zeke E Boy Home
At the end of May 2022, we had finished our preparations and drove up to northern Michigan the day after Zeke E Boy was launched by the marina. We rented a transient slip at the same yacht club as the previous owner called Duncan Bay Yacht Club. Immediately upon arrival, we started going through each system – testing, cleaning, inspecting and doing our best to make sure things work; and identifying what doesn’t and fixing what was absolutely necessary for our journey home or what we were able to fix.
Of course, not everything got fixed before we left, there’s much more to do – after all, we bought a used boat that was 26-years old! It would be odd if we actually had everything working perfectly. Then there would be nothing to work on or plan for, or things to learn and improve upon. I think if we ever get to that point – it may be time to sell the boat!
But don’t worry, we’re far from that point, and as you’ll read on in our 3-part series of ‘Bringing SV Zeke E Boy Home’ that will be posted later this week, there were A LOT of lessons still to learn . . .
Tell us what you think
Please leave comments on your thoughts / recommendations / improvements to our Spring Commissioning process. We 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!
