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More fiberglass sanding & patching

One learning from installing the first few panels of headliner was that it doesn’t cover imperfections as much as I hoped. To make the next panel look smoother I’d have to make the actual fiberglass smoother – remove some of the bumps, etc. As much as I hate sanding fiberglass it still seemed like a worthwhile task so I cleared out the cabin – all the books, cushions, galley items, etc. – and went on with sending off the rough bits and patching anything that looked compromised in any way and had any remote risk of leaking.

Even with the shop vac, the dust was everywhere and cleanup took forever. But I think we’ll see smoother panel in the end.

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Starboard side headliner in the saloon

Continued on with headliner install and tackled half of the saloon. Was royal pain to deal with a panel this big on my own. Came up with a system that had a support pole and clamps and ultimately allowed to get the entire panel done. Took quite a bit of time but I’m happy with the result.

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Cooking on the boat

As I’m without a car this weekend, I stocked up on groceries and ended up cooking more than I usually do. But it was fun and turned out great, despite somewhat cramped quarters.

Pasta with Alfredo sauce and shiitake mushrooms:

Steak with asparagus

Avocado toast with boiled egg and sriracha (don’t have room for a proper toaster so used the pan).

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V-birth headliner

Started working on the headliner for v-birth. My original plan was to use template material to create proper shape with all the cutouts required and then transfer it to the headliner material. That proved to be almost impossible. The template kept shifting around and the holes and edges ultimately didn’t match that well.

So I changed the approach and cut out the rough shape directly in the headliner material, then glued the part that didn’t need much adjustment (e.g. the center), and then slowly worked around the edges: drawing the lines, trimming in place, gluing. That worked much better but was a bitch to do upside down in a cramped space. Boat yoga to the max.

The final challenge was to figure out what to do with the visible edge, especially around the hatch. The foam backing, even though it’s thin, is yellow and visible on the edge and that looked kinda ugly. I tried sewing a strip of nylon on but after an hour of experimenting couldn’t get consistent results that looked good. Then I tried to glue that nylon; also without success. The final approach I settled on was to remove about 1/2″ of foam at the edge and glue that edge flash. Turned out OK.

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Companionway panels

Knocking off another item from the 2026 TODO list: companionway panels. I had them cut out awhile back but the fit was not good. Today I finalized the fit, removed the protective film, made teak trim for the top panel.

I also created a nifty storage place so the panels are out of the way while I’m on the boat. I sized the panels so the first two are smaller than the top one and they all fit together. Super happy with the result!

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Clothes hook

Turning my attention to the companionway, I went on to install a basic clothes hook. Wanted it for a long time but couldn’t figure out the right placement. Seems like this spot is perfect and has the lowest risk of causing any kind of injury underway.

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Finished cushions

Started the new year with a bang – marking off one TODO from the 2026 plan: finish cushions. First, I made the remaining v-birth cushion and small trapezoidal insert:

Then went on to make the giant quarter birth cushion:

It was kinda awesome that I ran out of material just there and then. I bought precisely as much as I needed.

Cushions – DONE!

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Wrapping up 2025 and setting goals for 2026

Well, 2025 is a wrap. That was a mixed year for me – making great progress in some areas and dealing with setbacks and blockers in others.

2 of the 3 big projects I wanted to get done in 2025 – upgrade of the propulsion system and electronics – still have some loose ends at the end of the year and will spill over into 2026. The dehumidifier is now in place so at least that undertaking is at 100%. As a cherry on top, I even managed to get started on cushions.

For 2026, the goal is to get the boat to fully sailable and livable state. The ultimate test would be to spend a few days at anchor in Sausalito.

First, I’d love to wrap-up carry overs from 2025:

  • Finish cushion covers. V-birth and quarter birth are the only remaining to make. For saloon seat backs, I want to make magnetic foam anchors so they stay in place.
  • Finalize propulsion system. Fix Lynx BMS and mock with shaft alignment to remove the remaining minor vibrations when underway.
  • Finish instruments. Plumb in GPS coordinates from VHS into N2K network and make a custom adapter for QT10 motor into N2K network. Also, rename outside temp & humidity sensors.

Beyond the wrap-up above, here is the new stuff I’d love to get done in the next 12 months:

  • Install headliner. Already have the material and adhesive.
  • Sew pillows using the vintage material that came with the boat
  • Organize galley. Add fruit net, put in dividers into drawers, get coffee grinder & other misc kitchenware. Wire fridge into 12V system.
  • Finish companionway panels. Add wood trim and lock. Refinish teak.

If all of the above gets done then my original project that started 10 years ago as a “3 months remodel” would be finished. Hard to believe 🙂