I've been lurking on the forum during the last few months since my father and I decided to pick up a 1979 43C that had been sitting in a boat yard for almost two years. We have both gotten some great information off of this forum during that time which helped us push through a few issues and helped us search out potential problems that others had already experienced.

Other than needing a thorough cleaning, the boat was in a relatively good overall condition. Engines are Detroit 6V92TA 450hp and the generator is a 10kw Lister Petter. The generator is not original and was replaced at some point in the late 90s.

Our initial boat yard punch list included:
  • Clean the entire boat including engine room and steering gear/battery access under the cockpit
  • New electronics
  • Paint all exterior decking
  • New furniture and light fixtures
  • New countertops in galley, head, and bow stateroom
  • Bottom job
  • Repair handrail near the bow
  • Replace two broken windows in salon
  • Repair damaged aft bulkhead
  • Clean and oil all interior teak paneling
  • New flooring in both staterooms and head
  • Convert double bed in master stateroom to two twin beds
  • Remove mirrors in both staterooms, repair bulkheads as necessary, and paint
  • Paint bulkheads in head
  • New sink and faucet in the head, new faucet in the galley, new refrigerator
  • Paint interior of galley cabinets
  • Wax and polish hull
  • New name on transom
I work offshore and am required to quarantine before I can get to the ship before each hitch. I needed something to pass the time while locked in a hotel room for two weeks, so creating a blog/website to document the refit and upkeep seemed like a good idea.

Check out the website if you are interested: https://thecaptainsmanual.com


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