Another couple of days of steady progress aboard La Sirena, with a lot of the work now focused on getting the boat’s systems checked, tested and ready for cruising rather than just making things look pretty.
The Seaward water heater is getting a small but worthwhile upgrade. The existing drain valve will be removed and replaced with an anode, giving the water heater some additional protection from corrosion. Another one of those jobs that isn’t exciting, but hopefully pays off down the road.
The shower bilge pump needs replacing, and I’ve decided to go with a 500 GPH pump. It’s a straightforward replacement and will get another little piece of the boat’s plumbing and drainage systems back where I want it.
I also replaced the engine room light, and it’s now working properly. It’s amazing how useful something as simple as having a decent light in the engine room is when you’re trying to work on things down there. No more trying to diagnose an engine problem with one hand while holding a flashlight in the other!
The CoolBlue refrigerator is still working well, but the thermostat needs replacing. I’ll source a replacement from Amazon and get that taken care of. The refrigerator has been a bit of a project, so I’m happy that the actual cooling system is doing its job — now it’s just a matter of getting the controls sorted out properly.
I’ve also made some progress with the bilge pumps. Both pumps have power and operate correctly in manual mode. The next step is to put some water in the bilge and test them properly in automatic mode. That’s an important test before relaunch — knowing that the pumps work manually is good, but knowing the float switches will actually turn them on when nobody is aboard is much more important.
The fuel polishing system is still outstanding. I haven’t yet confirmed power to the pump, so that’s going onto the list for further investigation. I’ll check the power supply and wiring and work from there.
A Few New Pieces of Gear
A few useful items have also arrived this week as I continue building up the equipment La Sirena will carry.
So far I’ve received:
- Stay Afloat emergency leak repair material
- Sirius distress beacon
- Electrical tester
- Air horn
It’s starting to feel like I’m slowly assembling the collection of equipment that hopefully spends most of its life sitting unused — but will be very glad to have it if something goes wrong.
Bottom Work
I’ve also painted the propeller with Barnacle Barrier, so that’s another job checked off.
And the bottom painting has begun.
I’ve got a gallon of Pettit Odyssey antifouling paint ready to start on the bottom. I’ll get the first layer on and concentrate on getting it smooth and properly applied before ordering another gallon to finish the job.
There are still plenty of things on the list, but I’m getting increasingly focused on the jobs that actually matter for getting La Sirena back in the water and ready to go.
And Then There’s Birnie…
Of course, no La Sirena update would be complete without mentioning Birnie.
He’s still very unsettled aboard the boat and absolutely hates the normal collection of boat alarms, chirps and noises. Anything unexpected seems to send him into a panic, at which point he immediately comes looking for me.
So he’s continuing to perform his duties as my 24/7 on-site consultant, staying as close to me as possible and making sure I’m doing everything correctly.
He may not be contributing much to the mechanical work, but he is providing excellent supervision.
The list is getting shorter, the boat is getting more organized, and I’m getting closer to the point where La Sirena can stop being a project and start being a cruising boat.