So why did I do it? Insanity requires no justifications!

But, anyway, I took quite a bit of time to decide to do it. First, the Catalina 27 is a nice boat with a good history; it's well-maintained; I know the owner who's had it since it left the factory; and aside from the usual end-of-season maintenance and a few minor annoyances, it's ready to sail.

Aside from the first two items in that list, those are my reasons for not buying it. Suppose something is wrong with the boat - do I want to risk losing a long-time friend? Do I want to get back into sailing - it's been a few years, after all - with a boat I don't know? And, finally, do I really want to buy a perfectly good boat just to prepare it for winter? (OK, so there's a good two months of decent sailing weather left. Still...)

So, instead, I bought a Vancouver-built California 20. Nice little pocket cruiser, sleeps 4 (if 2 are friendly and compatible with a V-berth), perfectly acceptable for weekend cruises in an inland waterway like the Puget Sound. Stable enough for skittish family members, fast enough (cough) to be acceptable to me - well, sort of. This one needs a lot of work, but is basically sound - so I can put the time and energy I could be bottling up in frustration over work into refitting the boat without worrying about major safety issues. Along the way, I'll certainly come to know the structure and layout of every system, from electrical to hull supports to standing and running rigging, so that next spring (my deadline), I'll have a boat I know in excellent condition just ready to hit the water.

I've done this type of work on sailboats before, so I'm confident I can take on the job without too much trouble. Here's the rough work list -

1. Remove all hardware, hatches, rigging, trim, interior, etc. If it can come off with a screwdriver, wrench, or judicious application of force - remove it.
2. Scrub down all fiberglass with Simple Green. Check wood (rudder, seats, interior, some hatches) for damage, rot, wear, etc.; scrub with detergent.
3. Drop the keel. (Undo 8 stainless steel bolts of unknown antiquity and condition, bracing the keel first. Jack remaining hull up off the keel. NOTE: Keel weighs 900 pounds, made from cast iron.)
4. Use angle grinder, scraper, sandpaper to remove bottom paint, rust, etc. from keel. Use respirator during all sanding due to nasty death from poisons in bottom paint.
5. Paint keel with rust sealer; reseat to hull with new keel boats and 3M 5100 sealant.
6. Sand (random orbital sander) hull, decks to remove paint and smooth out significant dings/scratches. Start 200, move in stages to 1200 grit.
7. Fair hull; use West Systems fairing compound. Seal all holes in hull and topsides with epoxy before fairing. Seal head through-hull; no more marine toilet, replace with camping toilet.
8. Refit electronics. Plan for 12-volt system for VHF radio, charging capability for GPS, cell phone, laptop, two cabin lights, running lights, steaming lights, anchor lights for 3 sailing days. Install car audio system for cabin and cockpit. Consider solar panel option.
9. Refit interior. Epoxy light wood panels to overhead; use epoxy enamel on interior hull, cabin walls, floor. Retain cabin layout. Replace rotten/damaged wood. Paint and polyurethane all wood surfaces. Delegate cushions, curtains, etc. to wife.
10. Finish hull and decks. Sand primer layers, apply second coat of primer. Sand as needed to remove scratches, marks, imperfections. Apply third coat; sand if necessary. Apply minimum three topcoat layers of color, sanding as necessary between coats. Navy blue hull above waterline, forest green bootstripe, light green bottom paint below waterline. Snow white decks and topsides. Use nonskid paint particles for standing surfaces - floor of cockpit, etc.
11. Replace hardware on deck - cleats, light grinders/winches, blocks, lights. Use larger chainplates with backing plates.
12. Re-rig mast, standing rigging. Check over all standing and running rigging, replace any damaged pieces. Do not repair, especially standing rigging. Rig VHF antenna to masthead, prepare in-mast cabling and supports.
13. Check over sails - main, class jib, genoa, and spinnaker. NOTE: Replace/repair damaged spinnaker, check spinnaker pole for hidden damage.
14. Refloat. Step mast with Canadian dime under foot. (Rare notafurry rating of "4" to anyone who can tell me why.) Set standing rigging according to basic instructions. (2 degrees aft rake on the mast, 4.5" upward angle on spreaders.) Use split symmetrical backstays.
15. Sail away.

Since there is no "boat" icon, I used the "drink" icon, since this project will require a steady supply of alcohol. Also, I suggest on the behalf of other boating denizens of the Scooposphere that we charter CBB to create a burgee for us. I like the idea of confusing snotty Corinthians with a Cow burgee.

Note: Some may note that the original boat diary mentioned a boat big enough for the "entire" family, including the Spare Woman and her kids. This boat actually still is - for day-sailing, it'll comfortably take three adults and four kids, and for sleeping, there are four adult-sized berths which mean three adults and assorted sleeping bags of kids in the remaining berth and floor areas will be fine.