An old cliché says that cruising involves fixing your boat in a series of exotic places. Although I am no longer cruising, we are constantly fixing our boat. Another one says that a boat is a hole in the water you pour money into. It seems like there is always something wrong. I am incredibly lucky and blessed to have Captain Maddie and First Mate Erinn to fix things when they go wrong. Before I met them, I was always taking the boat to some random yard or mechanic who might or might not know what they were doing. Now I am confident that when things go wrong, they can either remedy the problem or find the right person who can.
I would also like to give a shout out to John deGoede, a captain, marine surveyor, ex-marine, former firefighter, and EMT. He just finished surveying a 15-year-old boat I am considering buying. He pointed out all the little things that needed addressing on a boat this age. All the myriad fasteners snaps attachments to the deck should be removed and re bedded. While the boat was hauled out, the owner replaced the zincs. They sacrifice themselves and corrode so the metal prop, shaft, rudder etc. won’t. He told the story of someone who failed to do that in a timely manner, and it destroyed all the metal underwater resulting in an expensive repair bill.