Winter 2008/09 Improvements -- Before and After

I didn't like how the mainsheet routing cluttered the cockpit (it ran to both gunwales), so I fabricated a bench and mounted the sheeves & cleat centrally. This addition also makes a nice place to sit and see over the bow:

Aft view of cockpit before improvements:

There was no electrical system to speak of, so I started from scratch. I built a battery box that fit into the V-berth. The negative bus bar is seen here -- unseen is the Mains switch in the next locker. The portable charger fits in, too:

I located the fuse panel on the most accessible bulkhead, and made a box to cover and protect the wiring. All wiring is marine grade #14 or better, all connections heat shrinked and labeled:

Electrical wiring before improvements:

Anchoring securely is a must, so I constructed a beefy "bowsprit" to roll out my 22lb Danforth. I sawed a hole in the foredeck and stuffed the resulting anchor locker with over 20ft of chain and close to 200ft of rode:

Foredeck before improvements:

I reworked the all the "plumbing". Freshwater is now pumped from a jug directly under the sink (rather than a jug under V-berth). I added a seacock to the drain line emptying into dropkeel case (not visible here). And I installed an automatic bilge pump:

Plumbing before improvements:

I made several improvements at the stern. These include the new Garelick outboard bracket, stainless and aluminum fabrications for rudder mount, and bilge pump discharge. After this photo was taken, I also attached a depthsounder transducer and modified the rudder hinge pin:

Stern before improvements: