We Finally Left the Boatyard… Here's What 2 Years Taught Us. Ep. 73

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 13:00:08 +0000

After two years on the hard, countless projects, and more than a few unexpected setbacks, ROAM finally leaves the boatyard.

This is the moment we've been working toward since the day we hauled out what we thought would be a simple six-month refit. Two years later, we're motoring—and sailing—away with a boat that's been transformed from the keel up.

As we shake the rust off and settle back into life under way, we're reflecting on the biggest lessons this refit taught us. Some we expected. Others we learned the hard way.

In this episode, we share what we'd do differently if we ever tackled another major sailboat refit, including:

⛵ Why trying to do everything at once can slow you down more than it help
💰Importing from China can help you save significant money, but can cost you time.
🔧 Why you should test every system as you build it instead of waiting until the end
💰 Why almost every refit takes far longer and costs far more than planned—and how to prepare for that reality
🌡️ How temperature affects paints, adhesives, epoxies, plumbing, and other materials more than you might think
🚗 The hidden costs of a long haul-out, including lodging, transportation, storage, and day-to-day living expenses
🛠️ Why buying the right tool for the job is almost always worth it—even if you sell it once the project is finished
☝Be careful and cautious is you’re hiring out work. Between boatyards and third-party contractors the pitfalls are numerous.

These aren't rules—just lessons learned from nearly two years of rebuilding our 54-foot catamaran while living the refit life every day.

Whether you're planning your own sailboat refit, restoring a cruising boat, or simply dreaming about the cruising lifestyle, we hope these experiences help you avoid a few of the mistakes we made.

Leaving the boatyard isn't the end of the journey—it's the beginning of the next chapter. There are still systems to test, bugs to work out, and plenty of adventures ahead, but for the first time in a long time, we're doing it from the water instead of the hard.

Thank you to everyone who followed along through the refit. Your encouragement, ideas, and support helped us get to this day.

⛵ One step closer to sailing.

00:00 We’re ready to go
00:11 Channel intro
00:23 Leaving the boatyard
01:05 First cruise
03:40 Lesson - Reduce your scope
04:42 Lesson - Buying from China
06:11 Wicomico Yacht Club
06:42 Lesson - Test as you go
08:06 Lesson - The right tool for the job
09:20 Heading north
10:10 Lesson - More time and more money
11:51 Annapolis
12:45 Lesson - Know your material requirements
14:21 Harness Creek
14:58 Crumbl cookies
15:45 Lesson - Hiring our work
18:57 Wrap up

☝More about us, our adventures, and how we do all this on our website.More about Roam here

⛵️https://sailingroam.com/our-sailboat/
📲 Keep up with us on social media

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/sgsailingroam
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/sailing_roam
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WE'RE GERI AND SHAWN. A couple travelers out chasing the horizon, meeting the people, and capturing it to share with you.

We’ve chosen to Roam the world by boat because, let’s face it, the most interesting path is rarely a straight line.

As we learn to let go of our American drive to finish, and embrace the meandering routes across islands, oceans, continents, and people, we hope to gain a better sense of our world and our place in it.

The path won’t always be comfortable or easy to find but, it will always #roam

#Sailing #SailboatRefit #BoatRestoration #BoatyardLife #LiveaboardLife #Catamaran #CruisingLife #DIYBoat #BoatProjects #OffGridLiving #SailingLife