Daytona Project List, Post 25-48

Jimmy Lee
Nov 30
5 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Utopia will be sitting still for several weeks in Daytona Beach as we tackle various projects, both on and off the boat. This post is a view into why you have to stop your boat from time to time to take care of various items.

Boat Projects

Being in a marina makes life a bit easier when you have work to do on the boat. Having access to services, a vehicle and materials can be invaluable. Therefore, without further ado, here is a list of projects we aim to tackle and hopefully finish during our time in Daytona.

Diesel Engine

We have a 54 HP Yanmar 4JH4E that has about 5,800 hours. We have not had any issues with it during our journeys except there has been a slight disappearance of coolant that is a bit concerning. Regardless, it is due for service on its fuel injectors and heat exchanger, so we are doing it while we know we don’t need to move. It’s something that I could probably tackle if I had unlimited time and liked the punishment, but I decided to go ahead pay for the service.

Our Diesel getting disassembled (note wood plug where heat exchanger was)

Through research I found a licensed Yanmar technician and he has already come and taken the items that needed service off of the engine. Now that he has had the heat exchanger for a few days it appears to be on its last legs so we will be doing a total replacement on that (not surprising since it is original). The heat exchanger was about 20 years old so it sits in the range of its normal lifespan but I can’t help to think I probably could have done more preventative maintenance to extend its life (i.e. more frequent O-ring replacement, more frequent coolant changes, etc.).

In addition, we will probably have the raw water pump and the starter replaced or rebuilt. Hopefully this won’t drain the cruising kitty too much.

Outboard Engine

While I was at it, I went ahead and gave the outboard to the mechanic and just have him do a service on the engine. This is also something I could do but due to convenience I went ahead and had him do the work also.

Port Hatches

Our two largest hatches on the boat are in the master berth and the salon. Due to the need to have ventilation with bug protection and the ability to block out sunlight we have sunscreens by Oceanaire that came originally with the boat (approaching 20 years old). These screens are at the end of their life, and the bug protection has failed (screen will not cover the hatch). Repairing this really was not an option so we elected to replace both hatch screens. I am going to do this myself and it actually does not look too difficult except for some wood trim (with bungs) that need to be removed and reinstalled. This is something I can do but it might take me a bit of time. The new hatches have been delivered so I will start this project shortly and get it done before we leave Daytona.

One of the old hatch screens to be replaced.

This is probably my most time intensive project.

General Maintenance

During our time here we plan to

Change the oil for the engine and the transmission.
Put new coolant in the system since we are having engine work done to the heat exchanger.
Change the fuel filter (primary and secondary) and replace all the filters on the water maker (since I have already pickled it for our time in Daytona). This is just normal annual or bi-annual maintenance, but I like to wait for us to not be moving so I can get it all done.
Install new air conditioning filters. Since our AC filter is not a standard size we need to cut filters from time to time to install.

LED Lighting

Our friends on Quest II installed some LED lighting in their boat, and I liked the look of it. They had some leftover material that they gave me, so I went ahead (after getting the rest of the needed items) and started installing them. They are going to make a great addition to the boat, and they use a lot less power than the pendant lighting that they will replace.

Deep Cleaning of Boat (Inside and Out)

Believe it or not, we do clean the boat while we are underway. Having said this, we like to do a really deep cleaning of everything while we are at a marina for extended period of time. Normally, we do a professional detail (compound/wax) of the deck and hull once a year. Since we might have more time, I might tackle this myself if I can source out a buffer and find a spot to store it.

Patch tears in Enclosure

One of the enclosure doors that need a repair

Our enclosure has been reaching the end of its life for some time. We are thinking of possibly replacing the whole thing when we get to Guatemala this summer due to a much lower price point. This means helping the existing one limp along for a little more time.

I thought it was going to hold up well, but once the cold weather hit, two big slits appeared in the Eisenglass. We had always been careful not to roll the plastic when cold (since doing so below say 50 F will crack it). Nevertheless, cracks did appear. Sondra will be tackling this one. I am not sure it will look awesome, but the goal is to make it to Guatemala. Too bad they don’t make clear duct tape.

Reattach Brow to Galley Port light

While underway, I inadvertently dislodged the port light brow (the visor abover the port light). To remedy this, I will clean the area around the port and apply adhesives to reattach the brow. The process is expected to be straightforward.

Toilet Seat

The aft head toilet seat is broken; a replacement has been ordered and will be installed soon.

Outboard Mount

We store our dinghy outboard on the starboard stern rail on a wood mount. This mount has a severe case of wood rot, and we are not sure it will last too long. We ordered a new mount and will install it while in Daytona.

Utopia Labels

While in Annapolis we had a bunch of Caliber labels made that will go in the place of the old Caliber labels all over the boat. The original ones are getting pretty dull, so we wanted to freshen them up.

Miscellaneous

I am sure some other projects will pop up during our time in Daytona. If anything does, I will update it in my post in a few weeks when we go over, what actually got accomplished.

Travel Plans

Doctor’s appointment in Tallahassee and Family Visits

Opportunity to visit family and friends and take care of those pesky doctor appointments. We will probably be away from the boat at least 4 of the 11 weeks we plan on being in Daytona.

Work related conference in Daytona Beach

One reason we are staying until the beginning of February is that Sondra has a work related conference in Daytona. She will be introduting the keynote speaker (Jerome Rand) who completed a non-stop circumnaviation and now does speaking engagements. We realized it is more economical to pay for extra time in the marina instead of renting a car and hotel to return to Daytona. Also, the convenience factor is high since we can see her conference building from the marina.

So that's it. In a few weeks I will do a follow up post on what projects we have accomplished and if there were any challenges encountered.