Sailing SV Cordelia · video

What this video covers

Steve and Annette are refitting their Venus Ketch in Río Dulce, Guatemala, four weeks before a planned blue-water departure, with lithium battery parts still two weeks out.Watch Rather than wait idle, they work through a backlog of smaller jobs to preserve time for the electrical install.0:10 The worst job is a long-neglected portlight in the saloon: Steve grinds out the hardened, leaking rubber seal, uses masking-tape-and-superglue spacers as thickness guides while backfilling with filler, then routers and paints before fitting the new glass.3:38 Annette wire-brushes, rust-treats, and spray-paints two propane gas canisters, overshooting the intended paint area due to unclear instructions — a recurring friction point between the two.8:59 Steve repairs damaged interior veneer using salvaged wood rather than replacement sheet.12:08 A helper named Oscar sands companionway components while Annette varnishes teak drawers, saloon table, and cockpit trim in 35-degree heat, disappointed that clear varnish pulls the teak darker than expected.14:14 Steve services the Honda generator, fills diesel tanks and four jerry cans with petrol, fits the headsail, and climbs the mast for a full rig check, finding no broken strands.16:55 By the end, the lithium install looks likely to be deferred until after the voyage rather than rushed before a three-month offshore passage.19:08

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