Sub-Freezing Refit Life | Boat Work When Winter Hits Hard Ep. 65 #refit
It’s the middle of winter, we’re still on the hard, and a sub-freezing cold snap has settled in—so this episode of our sailing refit looks a little different. When temperatures drop below freezing, outdoor projects grind to a halt, but refit life doesn’t stop. In this video, we show what winter boat work really looks like when you’re living between a boatyard and an apartment and doing everything you can to keep moving forward.
With the help of two space heaters, Shawn heads out to the boat to tackle interior refit projects that can be done despite the cold. He works on electrical wiring, continues building the fuel polisher system, connects plumbing to the fresh water tanks, and installs pumps in the bilge—slow, careful progress in tight spaces while trying to stay warm enough to function.
Meanwhile, Geri stays back at the apartment—she’s far less cold-tolerant, and skipping the boat during this deep freeze is honestly saving her sanity. Being warm, rested, and functional means she can take care of herself and stay energized for what’s ahead, instead of just enduring the cold.
If you’re refitting a sailboat in cold climates, living through winter on the hard, or just curious what boat life looks like when sailing season is still months away, this episode captures the quiet, unglamorous, but necessary side of the journey. Every small task completed now brings us one step closer to launch day and getting back on the water.
This video is part of our ongoing sailing and refit series, documenting the real challenges of rebuilding and preparing a cruising sailboat—one cold winter day at a time.
00:00 Snow
00:26 Intro
00:43 Channel intro
01:00 Handling the cold snap
01:57 Wiring AC panels
5:23 Wire/Cable management
06:45 Bilge pumps
07:44 Shower panels
08:25 Sink drains
08:55 Toilet controls
09:37 Hot water tank and pressure tanks
11:08 Coolant hoses
11:47 Fuel polisher
13:30 Frankenfilter
14:48 Geri’s projects
17:50 Wrap up
18:57 Like, Subscribe, Emoji, Bye
19:16 End Card
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WE'RE GERI AND SHAWN. A couple travelers out chasing the horizon, meeting the people, and capturing it to share with you.
We’ve chosen to Roam the world by boat because, let’s face it, the most interesting path is rarely a straight line.
As we learn to let go of our American drive to finish, and embrace the meandering routes across islands, oceans, continents, and people, we hope to gain a better sense of our world and our place in it.
The path won’t always be comfortable or easy to find but, it will always #roam
#SailingLife #BoatRefit #SailboatMaintenance #CruisingLife #DIYBoatProjects #SailingCouple #SailboatRestoration #LiveaboardLife
© Sailing Roam 2026
Sailing Roam
👋 Hi, we’re Geri 👩🏻⚕️(a retired nurse) and Shawn 🤓 (a not retired technologist). We’ve gone on the greatest adventure of our lives instead of living the comfortable and predictable suburban world we left behind. Living aboard Roam, our cruising catamaran, we explore and immerse ourselves in new cultures, do boat repairs in exotic places, and get up to all kinds of shenanigans. Roam isn’t just the name of our boat, it’s kind of a philosophy. We’re not taking the shortest routes or using a formula to sail around the world. We’re not in a hurry either. We’re meeting the people, seeing the places and getting distracted by things we find interesting along the way. We’re unconventional and we’re living the best life we can imagine! Join us as we turn our 11-year old catamaran into our perfect adventure platform and see what’s over the next horizon. We can’t wait to meet you wherever you are! Clamptite Tools link: https://clamptitetools.com/?sld=syroam 10% discount: gerischaffer10
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