Sam Holmes Sailingvideo
Back to Malaysia to drill the first holes in my catamaran & other projects
July 13, 2025 · 36 min · 127K views
What this video covers
Sam Holmes refits a catamaran in Malaysia, focusing on electrical, mechanical, and cosmetic upgrades before a planned passage to Thailand. He installs a mini-split air conditioner by mounting the indoor unit on a custom PVC foam board bracket behind the mast support post and placing the outdoor unit in a forward hatch. After struggling with a faulty flare tool, he successfully connects the gas lines. He also services the windlass, replacing a faulty relay to restore both up and down functions, and installs new control buttons by drilling and epoxy-sealing holes in the deck. Additional tasks include splicing a Starlink cable with a 12-volt to 24-volt step-up converter, greasing the Yamaha outboard steering shaft, and replacing the boat's name on the transom. He tests a Garmin messenger device for satellite communication and clears out excess spare parts and outdated paper charts. The air conditioner draws significant power, indicating a need for additional solar capacity. Proper sealing of deck penetrations with epoxy ensures watertight integrity when mounting new hardware.
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