My checklist of things that need to be done in the spring to get our CS34 sailboat ready for the water.

  1. Hull
  2. Electrical
  3. Fresh water system
  4. Head
  5. Engine and drive train
  6. Steering
  7. Interior
  8. Deck equipment
  9. Mast and Boom

Hull and Deck

  1. Remove sandbags and then boat cover.
  2. Dismantle boat cover frame.
  3. Reuse foam from frame to close up any holes wasps or birds may decide to build in.
  4. Check for any damage, cracks, nicks and repair.
  5. Inspect Gori folding prop. Very light coating of waterproof marine grease on gears, wipe away excess.
  6. Check cutlass bearing. Rotate prop shaft and check for any play in any direction. Should be smooth and not rattle with shaking. Check freedom of the propeller shaft in the bearings and alignment of the propeller shaft with the engine. Alignment should not be .002″ to 0.004″ out at four points in one position.
  7. Inspect all sea cocks, thru-hulls exhaust and vents. Clean and lubricate sea cocks with lithium spray grease. After cleaning, ensure they are all closed.
  8. Remove, clean and replace speed sensor (silicone grease o-rings).
  9. Clean anchor locker, check both anchor locker drains.
  10. Check anchor, chain and nylon rode. Ensure all connections are secured. Bitter end of nylon rode attached.
  11. Open all port-lights and clean rubber gasket, check o-rings on dogs. Important to do this before washing deck to ensure no water leaks inside.
  12. Clean deck and hull with de-waxer. Wash again with detergent to remove de-waxer.
  13. Check rudder for movement. Clean out drain hole to ensure all water has been cleared. Re-fill hole with a dab of silicone.
  14. Lightly sand bottom paint with 220 grit sandpaper. Wash and then repaint with Interlux Micron CSC-CA with Interlux Solvent 216 Special Thinner.
  15. Use painter’s tape to protect all rubber/plastic bits to protect during waxing. Wax and buff (consider a polish or buffing compound)

Electrical

  1. Check voltage and water levels in batteries
  2. Replace batteries connections and ensure correctly wired.
  3. Check Victron MPPT solar charge controller and charge batteries.
    • install any updates
    • confirm charging settings for batteries
  4. Check Victron BMV to ensure shunt working and voltage reading correct for both house and engine banks. Install any updates.
  5. Check bilge and water pumps.
  6. Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
  7. Check interior lights.
  8. Check navigation lights.
  9. Clean VHF Connector on deck and on mast.

Before we had solar to charge batteries:

  • Check shore power cable and connectors and connect using extension cord. This will provide 110v to outlets in boat and will also provide power to the battery charger. Ensure water heater turned off, this could be too much power draw for an extension cord.

Fresh water system

Drain all antifreeze from the system and then fill tanks with a few gallons of fresh water. Test and run the following systems both fresh and hot water (make sure hot water heater is still turned off). Check condition of water and drain pipes at same time. Don’t forget to open, and re-close drain seacocks.

  1. kitchen sink taps and drain
  2. bathroom sink taps and drain
  3. bathroom shower taps and sump pump
  4. sugar scoop shower taps

After all water drained from tanks, consider checking tank condition using inspection ports in both starboard and port water tanks.

Add a few gallons of fresh water again and wait until boat is launched to completely fill tanks. Consider adding fresh water tank treatment to slosh around while waiting for lift in.

  1. Inspect all pipes and air vent on transom. Note: Air vent can get plugged on transom by spiders. Pipe has a low spot in Starboard locker under access panel. Check that it has not clogged. If it clogs, the holding tent will not be able to vent excess air and will expand like a balloon.
  2. Replace joker valve
  3. Test with fresh water

Consider filling and emptying the head a few times (with fresh water) to ensure it’s working smoothly and no leaks. And if there is a leak, now you are dealing with a cleaner mess.

Steering

  1. Check all bolts on steering pedestal to ensure nothing is loose
  2. Move wheel from one full stop to the other to ensure smooth with solid stop at each extreme.
  3. Check rudder for damage and ensure no wiggle or play in shaft
  4. Check steering linkage cable and rudder post bell crank under cockpit
  5. Check emergency tiller operation
  6. Check autopilot belt. Confirm electrical connection is clean and tightened.

Interior

  1. Check propane locker, check propane locker drain, check propane lines.
    • Load propane tanks and test for pressure drops.
    • Test shut off valve solenoid and propane sniffer.
      • Note: starting stove the first time takes time to bleed out old propane from the lines.
  2. Check drain in fridge and ice box.
  3. Clean bilge, remove any water from under sink
  4. Clean and oil all teak.
    • Clean with something like Murphy’s Oil Soap. Or Wessex – Teak cleaner and renovator. Gently scrub across the wood grain. Some suggest 3m pad, others Spic n’ Span. These sound harsh to me.
    • For rough, damaged teak, it can be lightly sanded after cleaning. Only consider this for solid pieces, not veneered panels. Mask off any adjacent fiberglass to avoid scratches. Don’t sand uncleaned teak.
    • Apply teak oil. Saw article saying this lasts 1-3 months. A product called Semco could last 6-8 months.
  5. Install bug screens on portlights.
  6. Replace all cushions and bedding.
  7. Replace all books, paperwork and safety gear.
  8. Replenish galley
  9. Replenish head.

Deck equipment

  1. Replace anchor, chain and rode in bow locker
  2. Replace 110V shore power line in starboard locker.
  3. Replace water hose in stern locker
  4. Replace bumpers in starboard locker
  5. Replace dock lines in port locker
  6. Run lines through davits.
  7. Replace safety gear on deck, e.g. rings and floating rope.
  8. Replace flares and safety gear in stern locker.
  9. Replace life jackets and gear in starboard locker and aft cabin locker.

Mast and Boom

  1. Service wind sensor and re-attach to top of mast.
  2. Check VHF antenna and cable. Clean connector at base of mast.
  3. Check anchor light, mast lights and electrical cables.
  4. Check condition of all shrouds.
  5. Check all entrances and pulleys (shivs) at top of the mast.
  6. Check and consider replacing rigging tape on mast and spars.
  7. Clean and lubricate sail track.
  8. Re-run all lines through the mast and wrap securely around base of mast.
  9. Reattach lazy jack lines and secure to mast.
  10. Ensure all electrical cables running through mast are bundled and ready to be threaded into cabin. I like to wrap into two bundles with a single strand of 110v solid core power cable (or a coat hanger). This makes it easier to quickly feed the lines into the boat through the mast base.
  11. Consider bringing a 12v battery to check lights before stepping mast.
  12. Check lines and hardware on boom.

Engine and drivetrain

  1. Check cooling system and clean raw water intake strainer/filter
  2. Pump out excess transmission fluid, usually fill to top in the fall to prevent corrosion over winter.
  3. Replace water pump rubber impeller.
  4. Check belt condition and tension (1/2″ of deflection)
  5. Check engine mount bolts and rubber pads.
  6. Check all exhaust hose and clamps
  7. Check all electrical wiring, terminals, controls and switches. Confirm grounding wire on engine block is secure.
  8. Check all fuel lines and clamps.
  9. Check, drain any water or residue in in fuel filters
  10. Check fuel level and fuel tank inspection port
  11. Check engine bay blower and vent pipes
  12. Check and lubricate transmission cable connection.
  13. Check and lubricate throttle cable connection
  14. Check and lubricate engine shut off lever.

Prepare for launch

Right before the boat is lifted to the water you will make things easier for yourself and others if you:

  1. Ensure boat keys are ready to go to start engine.
  2. Engine raw water seacock is open. Keep all other seacocks closed for now. Speed sensor or plug is in place. Some people prefer using the temporary plug to ensure speed sensor does not get damaged by lift straps.
  3. Confirm batteries are fully charged and properly switched on to start engine.
  4. Diesel fuel ready to go, tank valve open, fuel lines purged of air.
  5. Fenders attached and flipped up on deck.
  6. Dock lines ready to go and secured to life lines.
  7. Dock poles easily accessible.
  8. Life jacket available.
  9. Any clutter, tools, equipment all cleared from deck and cockpit.

After boat is in water

Ensure water is staying on the outside of the hull. And then once you are safely in your slip, do the following…

Engine

  1. Check primary fuel filter (Raycor) in starboard locker. Drain any water, if any, from bottom or if it’s time to replace fuel filters:
    • Replace primary Raycor fuel filter.
    • Replace secondary fuel filter on side of engine.
    • Use pump on top of Raycor to ensure no air in system. Pump until you hear diesel return line dumping fuel back into the tank.
  2. Check oil levels.
  3. Open engine raw water seacock.
  4. Start and warm up engine.
    • Check transmission, forward, reverse lightly at the dock.
  5. When engine is warm. Drain engine oil using oil change hose at bottom of engine attached to oil pump, replace oil filter and refill oil.
  6. Check stuffing gland, tighten just enough to stop excessive leakage along the shaft. Later when in gear, check temperature to ensure it’s not overheating (too tight).

Running and Standing Rigging

  1. Check tension and setup of all shrouds. Tension should be similar and mast straight. Rig will be tuned later.
  2. Run all lines from mast and furler to cockpit
  3. Install boom and run all lines to cockpit
  4. Install vang and run line to cockpit
  5. Install happy pack sail cover with lazy jack lines. Ensuring the lines at the aft of the boom do not run inside the zipper opening!
  6. Hoist and then fold mainsail on boom.
  7. Install reefing lines.
    • With lazy jacks loose, install 1st and 2nd reef lines. Double figure-8 knot at mast and loop around boom with bowline at aft side of boom.
    • Remember first reef is the furthest aft and ensure line does not go through zipper opening. (don’t ask why I need to remind myself of this)
  8. Hoist and then furl genoa
  9. Tune the rig.
    • This is my favourite guide: Seldon’s Hints and Advice on rigging and tuning of your Seldon mast (PDF)
    • Lots of opinions here. I start by ensuring everything is still straight. Measuring mast with main halyard stretched to the rail on one side and comparing to the other using similar tension.
    • I use vice grips with padding to attach to top of turning block and a large wrench (not a screwdriver) to turn the block.
    • Tighten backstay, cap shrouds, lower, intermediate. In that order. Get or borrow a tension gauge to get a better idea how tight these should be. Guide above helps with suggested tensions. I don’t want to say what I do here because it’s probably different for your boat.
    • Go out for a sail, if leeward side is flopping. Barely tighten to stop flopping. Count your turns. Change tacks and apply same number of turns to other side.
    • After you are happy with tuning. Lock off the blocks with rings, or pins and protect sails from any sharp’ish edges with rigging tape.

Electrical

  1. Re-connect electrical wires to mast (see pic below).
    • Check steaming light, deck light and anchor light.
  2. Re-install chartplotter and instruments on the binnacle. Re-connect sea-talk connectors in NavPod to chart plotter and Raymarine displays. Confirm everything working before screwing pod back together.
  3. Check VHF and AIS.

Other

  1. Setup dodger cover and straps to hold frame
  2. Setup bimini cover and straps to hold frame
  3. Inflate dinghy and lift onto davits. Attach motor to rail.
  4. Fill water tanks.

Extra information

Wiring from mast to compression post