Shipyard Setbacks & Small Wins | One Step Closer to Sailing Again

On the hard at Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach, Florida, Connor and the crew of Sailing Big Lost stood beneath their Vision catamaran inspecting worn zinc anodes and thin bottom paint before launching into a demanding haul-out worklist. Hauling out in the busy commercial boatyard meant contending with the rumble of mobile travel lifts and constant boat movements, but the time on the hard offered a critical maintenance window to assess the hull, renew running gear protections, and repair past dock rash before setting course across the Gulf Stream toward Freeport.

The primary haul-out agenda spanned essential antifouling work and running gear servicing, including fresh Prop Speed application on the propellers and replacing sacrificial zinc anodes on the sail drives. While the boat remained propped securely on keel stands, the crew surveyed the existing underbody paint, noting that the protective barrier had worn down to a thin layer that barely concealed the underlying laminate texture in several high-friction spots.

Hull Refinishing and Rigging Upgrades

To restore the hull envelope, the crew contracted Andrew from Best Remodels and Repairs, a trusted local contractor at Harbour Towne Marina specializing in gel coat fairing and marine finish work. Andrew prepped the bare fiberglass sections where dock contact and prior scrapes had scarred the hull, laying down primer coats to seal the substrate before rolling fresh antifouling paint. The bottom job called for two full coats of Interlux bottom paint across the entire hull, supplemented by extra application along the forward lead edges where water friction erodes coatings rapidly. The Interlux coating is formulated to deliver up to 24 months of service in warm coastal waters.

Alongside the paintwork, rigging technicians from Nance and Underwood returned aboard following a previous standing rigging survey. The riggers inspected aloft connections and swapped out several factory shackles for higher grade marine hardware, eliminating components of questionable manufacturing provenance. They also fabricated a complete spare continuous furling line for the headsail furler, adhering to a pragmatic cruising philosophy: “Better safe than sorry.”

Dock Collision Settlements and Freight Delays

Managing boatyard projects often involves navigating administrative friction alongside physical labor. Earlier in the season, Sea Tow had collided with the catamaran near the dock, gouging fiberglass surrounding the port hole. Although Sea Tow had agreed to dispatch a representative to evaluate the impact and verify costs, no surveyor materialized after a full week on site. Faced with escalating daily storage fees on the hard, the crew elected to proceed with repairs independently rather than wait indefinitely for an adjuster. An initial damage estimate totaled $1,500 for fiberglass restoration alongside substantial yard haul-out charges. When Sea Tow offered a check for 1,500 bucks, Connor chose to settle the claim directly to keep the overhaul moving forward.

Electrical charging upgrades also encountered unexpected roadblocks. Because the Vision catamaran operates without an auxiliary diesel generator, the crew sought to expand alternator charging capacity on the main propulsion engines based on advice from fellow Vision owners. They ordered two high output Balmar alternators designed to replenish the house battery bank efficiently under power. However, UPS lost the freight shipment in transit. Because tariffs and component constraints forced the manufacturer to build units strictly to order with delivery times of at least 10 days, reordering before the scheduled launch date proved impossible. Connor accepted the setback with characteristic practicality: “which isn’t that big of a deal. We can do that later.”

Customs Holds and Boatyard Coordination

The crew anticipated splashing the catamaran back into the water at the conclusion of bottom painting, but logistical stalls outside their control intervened. Their new Gori folding propeller, essential for sea trials and offshore motoring, became detained in customs clearance in Miami. Without an official agent or shipping liaison capable of accelerating customs inspections, the launch stood paralyzed. As the crew noted regarding the bureaucratic delay: “There’s not really anybody to talk to. It just gets released when it gets released.” The service technicians from Just Catamarans stood on standby to mount the propeller as soon as freight clearance cleared, having earned strong marks for their support: “They’ve been nothing but expeditious and professional the whole time we’ve been working with them.”

Concurrently, the crew acquired a Bauer Junior 2 dive compressor to mount inside the port sugar scoop, expanding their self-sufficiency for diving and underwater hull cleanings. While the initial delivery scope covered physical bolting to the deck, completing the electrical tie-in required running heavy-gauge wiring to the distribution panel and installing an exterior waterproof junction box. Coordinating these last-minute technical tasks placed additional demands on the marina service teams before splash day.

Yard operations brought additional challenges when a mobile travel lift shifted the catamaran to extricate an adjacent Fountaine Pajot. Yard operators inadvertently rigged a lifting strap directly across the topside vents, crushing the plastic louvers and forcing the crew to source replacements. Despite the grime of neighboring sanding bays coating the decks in black bottom-paint dust, Connor, his partner, and John dedicated their Saturday off to washing and waxing the fiberglass surfaces. Summing up the grit needed to endure extended haul-out delays, the crew observed: “yard life is hot and dirty and just I feel like every day something disappointing happens and costs us a lot of money. But boat life, what are you going to do except for move forward?”

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