Whether you already have a sailboat to reburbish or are looking to buy one, taking on a sailboat project is one of the most fulfilling tasks I’ve ever experienced. February 18, 2010 marks one year for me on my own sailboat project as I have chosen to take break up the overall project in to smaller tasks. AND I live 950 miles away from my sailboat, making frequent trips to work on the boat about every 6 weeks!
Don’t let the size of the project drag you down, break it up and prioritize. Here is the example that I was taught: Make a list of EVERYTHING you want to do to your sailboat (nevermind how lofty or small) just get them all down on paper. Then take a second sheet of paper and draw out 3 columns and 3 rows large enough to fit all of your dreamlist. I used Excel for mine.
Separate out all of the items on your list by Structural (is it structural related), Feature (is this a feature of the boat) or Finish (does this have to do with the finishing touches of the boat, like paint or cushions). Now from this list you will separate them again by priority using the colums; the first column is Immediate, next is Less Urgent and the last one is Someday.
There is one more task, go through your entire list and pull out anything that is safety related, those need to be marked in bold and done before any other task!!
This process is a living document, and has helped me have a clear view of what my goals are and how to budget for them. You could also add budgeting to each item on the list as well, use the concept as a tool and tweak it to fit your needs. Let me know how it worked for you, come back and leave a comment.
~ Emily
Ms. Emily-
My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a 28′ 81 Lancer in need of some TLC and your blog was the first thing I happened across in my search for the best way to deal with the horrid vinyl covering the walls/ceiling in the cabin. What a great blog! You have wonderful practical advice and detailed fixes which is so helpful. Our boat, too, is unnammed and I can’t wait to start thinking of names…I’d love to see more interior pics as that’s ‘my domain’ as my husband put it but I’ll dig around the site a little more. I’d love to see what you did about the cabin interior.
Happy Sailing!
Crystal