Leaks

Besides of making the boat as energy efficient as possible, it is also of utter importance that the boat is leak free.. we didn't have this problem on our previous boat thank god, but this Duende leaks, not to say from everywhere because that would make Alex more stressed than he already is, but almost. You see how the gelcoat/fiberglass is cracked around the winch? It is certainly leaking from there. You see the rusty areas around the fittings of the cleat that is wrongly mounted? It's leaking from there. And the sprayhood mounting? It's leaking from there as well. And not to mention the rest of the fittings on deck, the rudder shaft (!), by the anchor locker, the cockpit teak.... yeah go ahead and name it, it's probably leaking from it too. Now most of these defects are leaking only very subtly and it's not like it's pouring in water, but still it's a major job considering from how many places it leaks. As Alex still is busy with a couple of other important jobs on other boats, we haven't had the time to begin this process completely, hoping to get started end of the month. I'm sure I will get back to you on this subject later this spring. Until then I'll be sleeping with my rain clothes on. lol 

No, but really, I haven't even begun to tell you all the many issues this boat has and if I would I'm sure most of you would say: why the hell did you change from Caos to this boat? But for us this gives great fulfillment, it's the type of project which we could never get started with on our last boat. Hallberg Rassy's are great as they are, not much modification needed or wanted. Of course we could have continued with the few remaining cosmetic upgrades of Caos to make her absolutely perfect (like replacing the old teak etc), but after almost two years aboard Caos we decided that we wanted to move on, get some more space and we figured that this old, but beautiful Duende would make us happier in the long run. It's like when you're getting a house, either you buy a safe and well equipped home and don't have to bother with much, or you get yourself a rundown house with beautiful potential if you only dare to dream beyond the dusty surface. Many of you would probably choose something in between, more closer to the first option, and we do acknowledge that what we got here is quite extreme (meaning the overall condition of this boat), but this is what we felt was the best for us, and also what suited our budget for the moment. It will probably take a couple of years before Duende's in the ultimate condition we wish to see her, but time we will have more than enough of when we're out of here and out on the seas again.

And here's our yacht from a distance, beautiful when you don't get to see the flaws from up close...

and from behind..