Tag: repair

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Check Out the Fancy New Thru Hulls

Boat refit video #10 | This is the first project I started when I got to the boat is finally completed. And what an important project is was: Thru Hulls.

After over a month waiting for shipping/customs (which I think had something to do with the boat “yacht-in-transit” paperwork not being used for over 4 years) I received a box filled with these little plastic parts. Upon inspection they were very well made, and very strong. I was like a kid on Christmas day, lining them all up on the table to take this shot! LOL 😆

Overall the install wasn’t difficult, I think just about anybody could do this DIY-style. Getting the old thru-hulls out was way more difficult than putting the new ones in. They are strong, corrosion-resistant, come with labels, and are such an improvement over the 27 year old fittings that were in the boat.

I’m a happy boy after finishing this job, and won’t have to worry about one of these things failing 1000nm out to sea, or not being able to close one.

Totally stoked to have Trudesign fittings. Hope you like the video! Big props to Paul, my new editor, I think he did a great job with this one.

Much love!
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Windows Are In! No More Leaks!

Boat refit video #9 | James here with the next installment of the Oyster refit: The Windows.

Joined by the Dutch father-son team of Max and Vas, and with our helper Hein we tackle the enormous job of rebedding the salon windows. If you’ll remember in the last video we had taken them out, now it’s time to put them back in. 🙂

But before we place them back into the boat they must be stripped, prepped and painted so we’ll never ever ever ever ever have to do this job again.

Hilarity ensues as we try to get this right. Please stay tuned to see what happens.

Much love to everyone!
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Everything Is Leaking…

Boat refit video #8 | So there are some serious leaking issues going on with the new Oyster…

Seems to me that as soon as I stepped onboard and “broke the seal” so-to-say, every single window, hatch, and port light is now just pissing water whenever it rains (It’s the rainy season here, it’s raining alot!).

In this episode follow me as I removed the salon windows to prep them for re-bedding. We also remove and replace a couple hatches (yes, also leaking) and get to go to a little BBQ at the boatyard.

Hope you like this episode. I like having a dry boat!

Much love!
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

The Hardest Job I’ve Ever Done on a Sailboat

Boat refit video #7 | Lots going on in Zingaroland. I go into detail in the intro of this episode, then show you guys exactly how I replaced the rudder bearings and bushings.

It was a huge job, and this video covers a couple weeks working on this (among other things).

Much love!
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Buying a Used Sailboat – Here’s What You Can Expect

Livestream upload | For the last month I’ve been tearing this 48′ Oyster sailboat apart, getting ready to sail it back to Florida and start the real work.

My Covid escape plan is going well, but I need to be in Florida before January 15, and right now there is a TON of work left to do.

Come for a tour …
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Dropping the Rudder and Fixing the Damage

Boat refit video #6 | This is one of the harder things I’ve ever done with a sailboat. Maintenance put off too long by the last owner, and it’s up to me to replace all of the things that have gone bad from non-use.

The guys I hired to help with the thru hulls really did a number on them. Some of them look like they exploded from the outside in. I’m going to need to really work to get everything back to a clean, solid foundation for the new TruDesign thru hulls.

After we go through how to fix that problem, we start on the rudder. After much prodding and smacking, we finally break the shoe free of the epoxy holding it on. Man, what a job. Check out the video to see more.

Much love from Curacao
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Get Away From the Boat With That Sawsall!

Boat refit video #4 | Removing the 27 year old thru hulls is a PITA. It took three of us two full days. …Um, ok, in truth it took me two full days to call the pros and have them do it in 3 hours 😉

They bring a sawsall to attack the hull!!! I’m definitely not comfortable with this. Watch to see more.

All 16 thru hulls were fiberglassed into the boat, which made removal SO tough. We had to cut away all the glass, then cut the thru hull, then beat the hell out of it with a hammer to get everything out. But after a long, hot day of work the satisfaction of turning my $ 200,000 boat into a sieve was glorious!

Now if I could just get customs to release the thru hulls so I can install them…

Much love
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Don’t Buy a Used Sailboat Without Watching This Video!

Boat refit video #3. We’re going through the thru hulls on this video. All 16 (!) of them. James takes off a few of the valves to show you guys what to look for, and get’s a nasty surprise at the end. That’s the way it goes when you get a boat cheap that has been sitting. To be expected. You KNOW it’s not going to bring ME down.

At the end of the video is an extended version of the phone call I made to Scott Sheen – he won the week on the boat from the Kickstarter drawing last week. I’m very exited to welcome him to the boat. I’ll be cutting this down a bit for youtube.

Well, gotta get back to work, this boat isn’t going to fix itself!

James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

Junkyard Find! Can This Boat Be Saved?

This dinghy looks like trash. It’s been sitting for three years, it’s ripped on the side, flat, and dirty as all heck. Do you think it’s possible to bring it back to life? Or should I scrap it and start over?? This and more on this episode of Sailing Zingaro.

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

First Impressions of the New Oyster Yacht

The first days aboard a new 50′ Sailboat are a bit overwhelming! The teak decks, the mosquitos, the batteries, the water… Will I be able to tackle ALL these things before I have to travel? Where will the money come from? How long will it take? Do I have the skills? Where will I get the parts?

So this is a conglomeration video of a bunch of posts I made to the Saloon (the official Sailing Zingaro WhatsApp group). It’s a bit more raw than what you’re used to, but it really gives you a feel for the emotions I was going through real time in the last week.

The boat is coming along. 6 thru hulls need replaced, new batteries, buff the boot stripe so I can do the rest in the water, tune up the engine and test, and get the rudder moving smoothly. That’s about it before I can splash here and get her back to where she belongs. 😉

I’m temporarily changing the format of the videos until I get crew to help me out. They will be a bit more raw and uncut in a V-LOG style. That will allow me to put MORE content out while I refit the boat.

Wish me luck! Much love!
James

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Boat Work Season 2 - New Boat

After 10 Months: This Is the New Boat!

Nearly one year after shipwrecking off the coast of Hawaii, Sailing Zingaro crowdfunded a magnificent Oyster 485 worth $200,000.

Join us for a tour of this vessel, and we’ll show you what it’s like to buy a boat that has been sitting for a LONG time.

Made possible by Patrons/Kickstarter – Welcome to our new journey, my friends. Thank you, to everyone who made this possible, and all those who continue supporting this channel.

Much love
-James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Diving Deep into the Beauty of Easter Island – Ep. 71

What makes this place so special? And why not everybody comes here?

Anakena – Our Favorite Anchorage

We start this story in the magical land of Anakena. This place has proven to be (and still holds the title) the best anchorage we’ve ever been to. Yes, I said it. Favorite anchorage of all time. Please don’t tell anyone.

“But, James,” you ask, “aren’t all of the anchorages on Easter Island dangerous and rolly?”

When it’s right, it’s right, and brother/sister when this anchorage is calm it is absolutely an amazing place to hang your hook.

If you look closely in the drone shots you can see a very small piece of bright blue water around the boats: that’s the sand. Everything else is coral. Wall-to-wall beautiful coral, with the underwater topography of lava channels, caves, lava tubes, etc. Add that to the 600-900 year old statues towering above and you get this one-of-a-kind location.

While we had the pleasure of staying here, we had a patron come down for a visit and bring us a new autopilot! Thanks Rick!! You rock brother! By the time we got him back to the boat it was time to scoot around to the eastern anchorage of Tongariki.

15 Moai in Tongariki

Tongariki is one of the coolest places on Rapa Nui. With it’s 15 Moai it also holds the title of the most statues in any one location. The scenery here is equally amazing, as you’ll see. The volcano you see behind the statue is the quarry they are made from. We’ll dive into that on a different occasion.

Then it was on to fixing the autopilot… They say cruising is “fixing your boat in exotic locations” and we definitely put that into practice. But, at the end of the day, after many hours of consulting, drawing, and planning – we’ve got a solid plan to get our autopilot back up and running better than ever!

Hope you love this one!

Much love
Kim & James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Sailing to Easter Island (part 3) – Ep. 67

In this video we’re slowly but steadily making our way to the remote Easter Island, we’re dealing with the autopilot and the very moody weather underway. It’s interesting how quickly the conditions can change.

One Minute you’re sailing along nicely and the next you are being chased by a storm and soon after you lose the wind altogether and drift for a whole night.

All that to say that on one passage, you come across many, very different oceans. But see for yourselves in our latest and  l o n g e s t  episode.

Much love from the Zingaro Crew, we hope You enjoy this video!

James & Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Sailing to Easter Island (pt. 2 ) | Sailing Zingaro Ep. 66

In this episode we find out exactly, what happens when you lose your autopilot 500nm out to sea on the way to the most remote inhabited island in the world.

In a phrase: You keep going!

But that doesn’t mean that we needed to hand steer the whole time. Please watch to find out what we did, and how far we made it towards this amazing place called Easter Island.

Hope you enjoy!

James & Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

From Ecuador to Easter Island – Ep. 65

We’re BACK AT IT! In this episode we provision and start our 2500 nautical mile sail. We leave Ecuador bound for Easter Island (Rapa Nui)!

This will be, by far, the longest passage we’ve ever undertaken. We meet a cable ship and lose our autopilot 450nm out to sea!

Check out this cool episode, hope you love it.

Thank you all for helping keep this dream alive!

Much love,

James & Kim

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

How to Live on a Cruising Sailboat. Happily. – Ep. 64

I made this Episode more documentary style and longer than usual. It’s about how to stay sane while sailing around the world and why having fun should be on your to do list!

Only Beer and Bikinis?

The boat will not, I repeat, WILL NOT give you a break from work. Trust me on this one. When you sail around the world, whether solo or in a team, you have to remember to take time out of your schedule to enjoy the reasons you went on this exceptional journey in the first place. It is just as much your duty to keep the boat afloat & safe as it is to keep yourself mentally sound.

This is why in this fabulous video, we as a travel couple are documenting what a healthy working-life-balance looks like when cruising. We don’t always manage to balance work and fun this well. This week we spend in Ecuador sailing around with Ryan was everything we strive for everyday we’re out there.

Lots of Love from Hawai’i
Kim & James

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Random

Zingaro is Wrecked – Photos of the Damage

Real time update | After five days of recovery, we finally found the courage to go back to the marina in Kailua Kona (Hawai’i) and have a sober look at Zingaro. Without the adrenaline the boat looks horrible: Our floating home has broken in two pieces.

Seeing the damage now in the daylight, it amazes me that we were able to get the boat into harbor. Tying the boat together with Dyneema made all the difference and I am super proud to say that we did everything we could to save her, but our plan for the future is uncertain at this point.

Here’s the OFFICIAL story of how our sailboat split in HALF, and how we saved her …

Here’s the livestream talking about the accident that caused catastrophic damage to Zingaro: Recorded version of our live broadcast … (Action starts at 4:30)

Much love
James & Kim

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Random

Zingaro Arrived in Kona (Hawai’i)

Real time update | The boat is in a disastrous shape. All the cross stringers in the starboard hull are broken, bridgedeck is ripped to centerline, most bulkheads are broken. Basically the starboard hull ripped off.

But we were able to save Zingaro. Coast Guard was following us to port, handed us 15 gal diesel last night, we motored with one engine to Honokohau Harbor.

I can’t believe we made it. It was very frightening: Huge waves, water coming in, repairs broke many times, starboard prop shaft snapped.

Most importantly we’re safe!

We haven’t thought far enough to decide what to do. At first we want to get off the boat for a few days. We’re totally exhausted, but in good spirits. This will be the start of a new adventure.

James

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Episodes - Season 1 Videos

Cruising is Working on Your Boat in Exotic Places – Ep. 56

Here is an episode about when we arrived in Ecuador. That was already a year ago! Whoa, how time flies! We had tons of work to do on the boat and Ecuador was really a great place to do that. Not too hot to work during the day and a low cost of living (we ate out on a daily basis because we were too tired to cook!).

The only problem was getting parts, because the cruising scene is basically non-existent there. 5200? Can’t find that. New anchor rode? Gotta turn the whole country inside-out to find it! A new 5hp two stroke outboard? Forget it!

It took a lot of running around for us to get things done, but luckily we don’t get frustrated too quickly 😀 and, very important, we speak Spanish! Ecuadorians are very helpful and relaxed people that will take their time to help You, but barely anybody we met spoke English. You can always do the hands and feet dance, but speaking their language makes communication way more efficient 🙂

Anyways, working is part of this life and that’s ok. As long as You don’t forget to have a little fun as well!

Lots of love
Kim

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Boat Work Videos

Three Boat Hacks You Need to Know! | Sailing Zingaro – LVB Series

Living La Vida Broka (LVB) is back! This time, Zingaro is sending out three boat hacks, that I learned along the way.

These are things I didn’t know about when I started, that I wish someone had told me. Tips to save money and time on your boat. Learned during my circumnavigation, I’m passing the knowledge to You.

Hope you enjoy!
James

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