It is annual maintenance time for Anui and crew and as often happens we are dealing with more than expected on all fronts!

One of the catches with owning a big, wide catamaran is that they are not many places along the coast where we can haul out. We came out at The Boat Works this week, on Ellie the Sea Lift. We were reminded of how swift, professional and trustworthy the team is here and why it is our shipyard of choice. With vessels of Anui’s size and the added care needed for boats with a wrap, the Sea Lift is such a practical and stress-free way to go and the facilities at The Boat Works are second to none. There really is no competition. We gladly pay the premium for peace of mind.

This year we are not in the open “live-aboard” yard but in a semi enclosed shed, a requirement when you carry out paint work. There is a slot in the roof which allows Anui to be sheltered without the need to drop the mast and rigging. Pricey but it means we can be more protected. Shipyards are dusty places at best, and we don’t want anti-foul or sanding dust from other boats to settle on Anui as it is painted, nor do we want to risk any overspray to drift from us onto other vessels. An advantage is also that the boat is out of the sun and heat for some of the day, which makes it a little more comfortable in the 30^oC temperature we are already experiencing at this time of year.

Work on the boat

The contractors were all ready to go as soon as we were propped up in the shed. It has been a hive of activity. Our shipwright Ryan from 143 Boat Building, Dino, Geoff, Tim & Jess, the painting team from Millenium Marine, Trent & Brad the motor mechanics from AHI Marine… all hit the road running. It is going like clockwork. The engines have been serviced, the huge amount of prep work for painting has started.

As usual you have a to-do list but it never stops at that, and you end up adding to it. For instance we found electrolysis on our props, which was not there when we left Gladstone, and two of our eight lithium batteries appeared not to be connected to the battery bank, again a recent fault. So we had to line up SigTech Electrical to diagnose the problem and fix it.

It turns out that both the AC and DC power needed to be earthed to a plate in the water. The boat was not properly earthed which SigTech have now addressed by running a wire from the engines to our HF radio grounding plate. As part of their process they also recommended a galvanic insulator, a gadget designed to block electrolysis causing current that travels between vessels at a marina when plugged in to shore power.

So now we have adequate protection and hopefully won’t be going through anodes at a high rate of knots or destroying props or even rudder shafts! We wonder how many other boats are actually properly earthed or how many owners realise there is a silent destroyer on board?

As for the batteries, all wiring was checked and correct; the terminals just need to be cleaned which is on Wade’s task list.

Another surprise was with the dinghy engine. While servicing the motor Jim at Slades Paradise Point Marine found a leaking Welsh plug (what? 😵‍💫 don’t ask) which needed replacing … more work, more money down the bottomless pit! Anui should be renamed SV Costalot!

Work on the Crew

While all this is going on, we are doing maintenance on the crew too. Thankfully Bengie’s condition has improved. The appetite stimulants the vet prescribed are doing the trick. She is eating well now, is a lot more chatty and active, disappearing down the ladder in the morning to visit her surroundings. And she amuses the tradies with her loud vocalisations! “This is my boat, who the hell are you?” “Hey, are you listening? Watcha doing?” “Oi, got any food? I’m starving!”… that sort of thing!

As for the humans, the years in the sun are taking their toll, and we both have bits on the face and back that need to be biopsied and/or burnt off. We will have a few more battle scars next week!

Apart from that, our main concern is around the outcome of Chris’s pelvic ultrasound. Unfortunately it has identified abnormalities which require further investigations. Whether it is benign or not, what needs to happen next and when is all up in the air. We have been referred urgently to a specialist but are in limbo for a while longer.

You can guess how much fun this all is! Thanks to our friends on Roobi, Bossa Nova and Thor for the moral support. Don’t you love getting older?