While there is always work to be done on Nymeria, and I would like to say we can do it ourselves, we often end up hiring a contractor to do the work for us. I can make a lot of excuses for this, but honestly the biggest is time. Since Shannon and I still work most of the time, we struggle to make the time to do the bigger projects. We did the Teak mostly by ourselves, but that took us over 3 weeks of working everyday after work, and our full weekends. Therefore, most of the time we end up hiring a contractor. Though this isn’t always as easy as one would expect.
Recently we have decided to upgrade our head. While, technically there was nothing wrong with it, we just wanted to make it easier to use and remove some of the more common failure points. (Also remove the valve that could have sunk the boat). This process like many others starts with finding the right contractor. We are pretty picky in this area. First, I tend to only go with recommendation of other boaters, or some of the good contractors we’ve had. This leads us to several phone calls/emails/texts. Our first test is responsiveness. Most don’t even bother to respond, so they are easy to remove from the list. The ones that do, I like to have come give advice on the work that needs to be done. Often we don’t really know. They are the experts in the area, so prove that and helm me understand what I really need. This is where most contractor fail for me. If you can’t, or don’t want to take the time to explain in detail the work that will be needed, I don’t want you doing the work.
This process took us about a week, and of the 3-4 original contacts, 2 eventually showed up, and based on those conversations we made our choice. We replaced the head itself with a new electric jabsco system with a fresh water solenoid so we can use your clean water instead of seawater (that that can smell pretty bad in the holding tank). We also had a new Macerator installed so that we can dump the holding tank when we are well offshore (I know it sounds gross, but it’s literally a drop in a massive ocean). Two days of mess while the contractor was onboard, it’s all done. It would have taken us triple that time, and far more swearing and blood.
One of the other things I tell any contractor onboard is ill be standing there the whole time. I want to see and learn what is happening, and I want you to explain the reasons why “this does that” or “why to do this this way.” I do tell them I know it will take more time, but I’m paying by the hour anyway. So far I’ve learned all sorts about the electrical systems, the engine, the air conditioner, basic woodwork, and now the head system.
COVID pretty much stopped any work being done, so we have a few things backed up on the list. We have the refrigerator acting up (seems to be leaking freon slowly), we still have a new table to install in the cockpit from the woodworker that was onboard in January, and finally, we have a new autopilot being installed sometime in the next few weeks! In the end, we have our new head, and it works like a charm. Let’s hope it clears up some of the issues we had on the Harvest Moon sail last year.
