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Sailboat Refit – WAS IT WORTH IT? | Sailing Florence Ep.199
14 February 2025 · 26 min · 86K views
What this video covers
The owners of the 40-year-old sailboat Florence completed an eight-month refit before sailing 2,000 miles around Britain.Watch Key upgrades included installing a Profile NEX 2.5 continuous line furler for the staysail, which allows for cockpit-based sail handling and improved safety.2:51 The crew replaced original Treadmaster deck grip with KiwiGrip, noting improved comfort and security, though the surface feels slimy when wet and barefoot.12:24 An electrical system overhaul replaced lead-acid batteries with a 460Ah Mastervolt lithium bank, paired with an increased 400-watt solar array.21:26 New B&G instruments, including a dual-scanner radar and wind-trend plotting, replaced the legacy navigation suite.15:40 The crew also installed a diesel heater and added insulation to reduce condensation in the galley and storage areas.18:06 While the upgrades significantly improved liveability and performance, the owners identified the compressed eight-month project timeline as a major stressor.25:12 The refit successfully modernized the vessel's systems, shifting the self-steering gear to a backup role in favor of the electric autopilot.15:24
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