Getting Ready to Live Aboard a Sailboat During Winter in Newfoundland

Now that summer is coming to a close, it’s time for us to start winterizing our homebuilt wooden sailboat for the cold weather to come. Over-wintering in Newfoundland—on a sailboat, nonetheless—is a bold move, and one that we need to prepare for. As the temps drop, condensation in the boat is becoming a bit of a problem. It’s time to close up the portholes. Armed with a piece of cedar board and small hammer, I make my way from portfolio to portfolio, removing each screen as I go. Then, it’s time for some weatherstripping. This will help with the condensation. I tackle the project along with my trusty heat gun. This will be a nice solution until we get the boat shrink-wrapped in another few weeks. Another project is laying our Code Zero out to dry, and then packing it up and storing it properly for the winter. Filling our water tanks could become an issue this winter with how cold the Newfoundland weather can be. I have an idea for how to make filling our tanks easier and more accessible…I just need to make a quick run to the hardware store for supplies. The water will get shut off at the docks soon, but since we’re so close to the marina clubhouse, we can run a hose from the building to the boat with ease. Then, my new additions to our water tanks should make filling up easier (and faster) than ever. Now that we have a better system for filling up our water tanks, winterizing our Spectra water-maker is next on the boat work list. I flush the system, following the instructions in the manual. With the harbor expected to freeze over for the winter, we won’t be making much water. Better to take the water-maker offline completely and stored properly. As if I didn’t have enough boat work on my to-do list, Robin caught diesel fuel leaking from the overflow valve on our Dickinson Newport diesel heater. Fortunately, I can stand in as a diesel tech for the day. I think something inside the valve assembly might be stuck. There are a lot of parts and springs, but we’re going to crack into it, take it apart, and get the diesel overflow to stop dripping one way or another. Eventually, we get the heater back into tip-top shape. After all this hard work, we decided to take a day off to mosey along a highly-recommended foliage drive. The drive starts in Cox’s Cove and travels along dirt roads all the way back to Corner Brook. The foliage was at peak, and the forest looked like a celebration. It was the perfect wind-down to a week of hard work winterizing Arabella. -------------------------- Episode #366 Sign up for our email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hn3Qyv Acorn to Arabella started as a wooden boat building project in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve began the journey as an amateur wooden boat builder crafting a 38' wooden sailboat in his backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and now sailing the boat—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that traditional wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project continues beyond the boat shop, as Steve and crew travel and learn to cruise aboard the handmade wooden boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva. -------------------------- If you are interested in supporting/helping here are a few ways: https://www.acorntoarabella.com/how-to-help Acorn to Arabella's wishlist: https://www.acorntoarabella.com/wishlistpriority TotalBoat supports A2A! Please consider using our Total Boat referral code. Click here, then shop: https://www.totalboat.com/acorntoarabella They'll kick 10% our way! To offer recurring support via Patreon, CLICK BELOW. Just $5 a month gets you an invite to our monthly patron-only livestream Q&A sessions! https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com FOLLOW US: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acorntoarabella/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acorntoarabella Website: http://www.acorntoarabella.com