The Boatyard - A Sailors Rite of Passage (Take the Waters) S1:E3

[@lasvegasguy5986]

This is my journey in a year or two. I am doing it later in life, 42 years old, but I am ready!

[@Willco5114]

You have great DIY skills and great senses of humor both of which will serve you well.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you!! I’m glad you enjoyed our humor 😁 ~Mandi

[@dennisreeves632]

Welcome to boat life. I'm enjoying the adventure.

[@HeidiandFranny]

That was awesome... I know of this hot and humid you speak of... I grew up in Naples... Great work on the boat! Several near disasters averted! Whoo hoo! You two are so much fun. Looking forward to your adventures!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Heidi and Franny's Garage Florida summers are no joke! Yes, so happy our boatyard days were a success... it nearly crushed us, haha. More adventures to come :) ~Mandi

[@M-Swede]

Through-hull worries are valid.

[@PrivateUsername]

I didn't see a grommet on the wire/in the hole for the antenna. You did go back and put grommets everywhere, yeah?

[@TakeTheWaters]

I could not find a grommet the size and thickness I needed, so I made a grommet with silicon, that best I could. Checked it the other day (9 months later) and it still looks great. - Brian

[@wolflange9098]

Watch three of your videos, you are an adorable couple and fast learners. My compliments on well produce videos, I know what it takes. good luck on your journeys, go and explore!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thanks so much!! We put A LOT of time and effort in to creating videos that are true to our journey and the emotions that come with it. It means a lot when people see that too. I do feel like we have learned a lot FAST - now we’re fully living this life and still learning everyday. Hope you subscribed and continue to enjoy our videos :) ~Mandi

[@jeremymitchell995]

Great job chaps and an inspiration to all young'uns out there (and us old'uns come to that).

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you!! It's tough work, but glad we're giving some inspiration to those out there :) ~Mandi

[@quickdry3]

should there be a rubber grommet where the antenna cable went through the new hole in the mast to stop it rubbing and slicing through the insulation over time? it looked like one of the other cables had them. Those thru-hulls had sure seen better days!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Probably, but I couldn’t find the right size grommet so I filled the hole with silicon making a sorta grommet so the edges we’re protected best as possible. I checked the work recently and its still looking good. - Brian

[@quickdry3]

​@@TakeTheWaters nice, instead of "sorta grommet" it's a "custom fit grommet with integrated strain relief and water ingress prevention features" - a $2000 factory option with Leopard :)

[@TakeTheWaters]

@@quickdry3 haha, indeed.

[@tonycampbell1178]

If I might suggest, when you next do an overhaul on your radio coax, use messi and paoloni compression type pl-259 connectors. Apart from only having to solder the centre conductor, they are by far a better quality fitting.

[@peterb4620]

Job well done 👍😊

[@zero_to_sailor]

Loved your sense of humour throughout ! Looking forward already to the next one !

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you. I tried to keep this one more upbeat. There’s plenty to be down about when working in sweltering heat for months but Mandi always makes me laugh. ~Brian

[@kpk5833]

Legends.

[@dennisbarber3460]

Wonderful!!

[@ylemoine1]

You should not mount two whip antennas within 2 m (6 feet) of each other as the signals will interfere with each other. Best solution is to install an antenna splitter for the AIS and VHF to share the same antenna. This will also eliminate extra weight aloft. Keep your extra antenna as a spare. The interference will be your vessel disappearing on others AIS, your boats speed and direction being transmitted incorrectly or interference on your VHF when receiving or transmitting at the same time as the AIS is transmitting or receiving. The problems will be most notable by others and more difficult to notice on your equipment. Practical Sailor has an excellent article on this topic.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you for this info. Someone else told me this as well. Definitely reconfiguring this week. Going to buy a vhf antenna thats also tuned for ais. -Brian

[@namechamps]

@@TakeTheWaters If you haven't bought it yet, you shouldn't need a new antenna. AIS is broadcast on what use to be VHF Channel 87B and 88B. It is "normal" marine VHF just two channels set aside to be used only for AIS digital messages. So any VHF antenna should be fine. Like YVes said all you need is a splitter. Your one VHF antenna on the mast, one cable down, into a splitter and both the VHF radio and AIS transceiver connected to the splitter. Some AIS transceiver have a built in splitter but if your doesn't an external splitter works just the same.

[@jasonkelly9962]

@@TakeTheWaters Marine VHF and AIS are in the same band. The antenna is a half-wave without a ground plane. When that connector goes bad on the VHF antenna get PL-259 teflon coated connectors. Us ham radio operators put em up on our towers and have few problems with corrosion. Just make sure you have a good soldered connection on the ground. Your VHF puts out 25 watts. If you just split it and share with the AIS I don't know if 25 watts will do much good for the AIS.

[@clairesorg2486]

Great video! Hard working and funny - that is a good combination. Love that Mandi is the one that has to squeeze into the tiny spaces to check for leaks.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Claire Sorg Always handy to have a petite person onboard ~Mandi

[@Boatto141]

Good work.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you!! ~Mandi

[@shortthepumplongthedump]

Whoop whoop. you guys made another video. love you guys

[@regkane-Pluvis]

Excellent, very easy to watch. keep it up.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Reg Kane Thank you!! More to come ☺️ ~Mandi

[@clayfarnet970]

Good job guys! 👍👍👍

[@TakeTheWaters]

Clay Farnet Thanks very much! ~Mandi

[@murrayhuggins5769]

This is extremely well done! Good job!

[@larrymills4223]

Fantastic Video!!!! Looking forward to more. Love the detail of the repairs

[@TakeTheWaters]

Glad you enjoyed it - Brian

[@extremelydave]

Great video, love seeing how problems get solved. I was just waiting to see that last thru-hull leaking or not..... Murphy must have ignored you that day! : )

[@TakeTheWaters]

Dave Nelson Thank goodness!! Murphy has snuck up on us a few times since then, but thankful this was not the time, haha. Glad you enjoyed the video! ~Mandi

[@brianchamber]

Hey guys, I just discovered your channel....I am enjoying the way you are telling your story....keep up the good work!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you!! We're wanting to show the truthful and real side of taking up a sailing lifestyle - the good and the bad, ups and downs, fun and not so fun. Hope you continue to enjoy the videos. Season 2 will be coming soon!! :) ~Mandi

[@michaeljohnston2806]

good stuff, thanks for the vid, can't wait to follow you on the journey

[@TakeTheWaters]

Michael Johnston Glad you’re enjoying them!! ~Mandi

[@christoffer1973]

Looking forward to follow your journey! Lovely to watch. Greeting from a Norwegian subscriber. I love your humor! Sitting and smiling ang laughing for my self(whit you) So lovely!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Christoffer1973 Lovely to hear you’re enjoying our humor!! Thanks for laughing with us :) ~Mandi

[@Verdigris.]

Best of luck guys. Like Capt Z told you you'll get there. I fear you've chosen a pretty tough learning curve by choosing such a large boat as your first.

[@danschertner]

Just started watching your vids and it is great to see a fellow Bene sailor out doing it! You guys seem more genuine than most doing this and at least you aren't doing it on a 4kt SB. A couple of observations; When hauling lines, overhand, never underhand. You use your shoulder muscles more and you will be able to pull more line at a time. Also, you have a less chance of giving yourself "Tennis Elbow". I know from experience. One other thing, if you need to tape anything, never use black E-Tape. As you probably know it is sticky as all get out, use white. You can also put white on your bulkheads and take notes on wind without marking up your boat. Great vids so far and hope you are doing awesome!

[@davep6977]

AS I mentioned in video where you were going under the tall span bridge. A good PTZ (pan tilt zoom)camera on the top of the mast would a great feature. Not only would know clearances but a visual perspective of your surrounding and the horizon. I have one up high on a tower and it's great, plus the IR lighting is so good. I can see a block away when it's pitch black like it's day time (in black and white of course) Wouldn't have miss that other then. SV3C makes some good ones. Wiring is cat-5 and dc power)

[@archietyson5362]

i guess im asking randomly but does anyone know a method to log back into an instagram account? I was dumb lost my account password. I love any tricks you can give me.

[@leightonlorenzo3507]

@Archie Tyson instablaster :)

[@archietyson5362]

@Leighton Lorenzo i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@archietyson5362]

@Leighton Lorenzo it worked and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thank you so much you really help me out !

[@leightonlorenzo3507]

@Archie Tyson No problem =)

[@justincase5272]

Hey! Ya'll makin fun of our Floridarian accents? I enjoy the fact you're honest enough in your videos to show your mistakes, such as forgetting to pull lines with your through-pulls. Hint: Get a good construction site-quality power drill with variable skip/rachet tensioner (ETA - I see you have one), along with a variety of screwdriver, hex, star, torx and other bits, and a set of sockets and a set of hex-shaft drive adapters (1/4", 3/8", 1/2" - $10 at Harbor Freight Tools) between the drill and the sockets. A good U-joint helps in those tight corners. It'll make your repairs go much quicker. I use my drill while working on my car all the time. Turning screwdrivers by hand is for the birds! And yes, maintaining your sailboat is a part-time job. Like my dad said years ago with my car, "Identify and fix things before they become problems and it'll last you a lifetime. Wait until something breaks and you'll always be playing catch-up." Thus, the continual tinkerer always has a taught ship!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thanks for the advice! Fixing the boat is absolutely a part-time job. We didn't realize how SERIOUS the boat life work is - we always thought it was just an exaggeration... but no, that boat life is real! ~Mandi

[@jiyarza]

Amazing work, I am learning a lot with a smile in my face, and that's the perfect way to learn! Thank you guys, keep it up :)

[@raiban719]

Hahahaha, Damn your'll killin me

[@carlfreeman8246]

Impressive work.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Carl Freeman Thank you! It certainly was a lot of work! ~Mandi

[@hansjensen7823]

New subscriber, your videos have a good pace, they move along just right.

[@TakeTheWaters]

So glad you enjoy the videos :) Season 2 is coming out soon, hope to see you along for the journey ~Mandi

[@TheHouseboat1]

This would be us learning how to do things, never give up you are doing 1000x more than all us couch potatoes. We had a houseboat on a lake, nice and safe until there is a storm, scares the pants off you lol.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Oh boy, those storms can be nerve wrecking!! We've since gotten out of the boatyard, and far out to sea. More on what's been going on in the upcoming season 2 we have coming out. Hope you continue to enjoy the videos and journey! ~Mandi

[@micheldawes1]

Hey guys! My first episode watched and looking forward to many more! Evidently you guys know quite a bit about what you’re doing and please forgive me if I’m teaching Grandma how to suck eggs, but just one suggestion. I’ve learned through countless failures, when using a hand tap, to only rotate clockwise a quarter turn (Yes, even in Aluminium!) before backing off to clear the swarf (i.e. filings, or pig-tails) Orherwise you run the risk of ANOTHER broken tap and we all know Murphy dictates that it’ll mean a half hour drive to the second closest hardware store, because the nearest one is out of stock! Keep up the great work and foul language and try to have fun along the way! :-)

[@TakeTheWaters]

Hey thanks for the info. Actually that was the first tap either one of us have done. Kinda exciting actually. We each did one side lol. Thanks for watching. -Brian

[@shawnperry8878]

I enjoy watching your journey, super cool. Stay safe! ✌️

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thanks Shawn.

[@drivingmsali]

Just came across your channel, Great videos and entertaining.. We also have just left the boatyard (South Georgia) and finishing up things. Its getting hot down here.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Sailing Ali-Cat Glad you’re enjoying the videos! Congrats on leaving the boat yard - it’s a good feeling! It is surely getting hot 🥵 ~Mandi

[@tracyraley4003]

I’m a new subscriber. Good job . Your boat is looking great.Keep your content flowing like that and be hear to watch. 👏🏽

[@Q-ey2jk]

Nice

[@peterinthegong9437]

Hi Guys, thanks for your videos and keep at it. I assume your using the anti corrosion paste when fitting dissimilar metals anywhere on the boat. Any SS screws or bolt or SS bracket on aluminium. The spreader lights for example. If not you will regret it. All the best .

[@micheldawes1]

@19:30; Congratulations guys! JOB WELL DONE 👍 I agree, yard periods are the worst! Definitely a very necessary evil!!! I like Beneteau very much, but ALL production ‘yacht manufacturers’ use cheap, shithouse materials on critical systems, without due regard for consequence (“It’s just another model.... Job #17 for this week.... Get it out the door...”) etc etc... Keep it up guys. Lovin’ it! :-)

[@keithb6717]

Wrong right. It should be 'Rite'. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rite_of_passage

[@jerryt4701]

Hot Florida summer? It's just June. This work would be a lot more fun in August/September weather. :)

[@TakeTheWaters]

Haha indeed. This was last summer, I’m about three videos from being caught up to where we are now. Was working full time when we filmed this and did not have time to gets the boat ready and edit videos then. Im going as fast as possible now, but some take a 100 hours to edit. We’re still filming a bunch. -Brian

[@JayPerrypersonal]

Guys you can’t run vhf and AIS on the same mast with w antennas! They must be 5m apart from each other. Just use one antenna and a splitter for the AIS. If you have 2 antennas on the same frequency (AIS uses vat frequency) every time the AIS sends your position it will cause interference with your vhf

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thanks, we actually fixed this a few weeks ago. -Brian

[@reloadncharge9907]

You guys crack me up....fun video again! What direction have you travelled since this episode? Thanks, Andrew

[@TakeTheWaters]

Reload 'n Charge! So happy you’re enjoying the vids ☺️ We’ve sailed all around, it seems. Around Florida, to the Bahamas (recent, once covid19 hit, we came back to the states), now making our way up to Chesapeake to avoid the hurricanes ~Mandi

[@dnihilist]

European CE rated thruhulls are only certified what 3 years? PO dodged a bullet if those were original. Thanks for making something different from the rest, 👍👍👍. And you speak metric!

[@TakeTheWaters]

We're not sure if they were originals or not, but they never made a note in the maintenance logs (but they did for the thru hulls replaced in th engines) - so we're thinking they are the originals. So happy you're enjoying how we're making these videos of the journey!! ~Mandi

[@JungleSkater]

Always use lots of lube... LOL yall crack me up!

[@eduardomeirelles5390]

very nice video...2 months???...wow what is your backgrounds? you look so comfortable handling all the tools...well done...

[@TakeTheWaters]

Hey thanks. My background is Network Engineering. I got my first power tool for Christmas when I was 9 or 10 years old. Remodeled my mothers basement when I was 14 years old (framing, drywall, electric, ceiling). I didn't have a dad so I figured most of it out on my own, no youtube back then lol.

[@careylogan8455]

Ditto FukTheNewCommentSystem....Rookie mistake dude!! Gittr' done mate!

[@jackmarquis3900]

Hey guys....my wife and I enjoy your videos very much! Can you tell us how we can get in touch with Captain Z?

[@TakeTheWaters]

Hi there, thank you. Z’s website is pirateforehire.com. Tell him I said hi! -Brian

[@TheMorganMonroeShow]

Nice.......

[@michaelgraham6389]

Mandi see's a face in everything.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Michael Graham Hahaha, why am I like this?! ~Mandi

[@Cliffepoos]

Sweat equity pays off. Did you seal the holes in the mast that you ran the wires through?

[@TakeTheWaters]

It absolutely does! Yes, we did seal the holes where we ran the wires, thanks for checking in on that :) ~Mandi

[@ukrainewarroom]

A camera up there would be mighty handy, especially a 360 one....

[@charlieodom9107]

Now I see why people slab reef! Also...I don't want a sailboat any more! I'll pay for diesel! Lol

[@jeffroche3265]

Great video. Love the humor. What marina did you do your work on the hard

[@TakeTheWaters]

Hey Jeff. That was the Harbortown Marina in Merritt Island.

[@howardbeer5214]

The reason the through hull fittings were finished is because they were not wired to the sacrificial anode on the hull !! They have de zinc caused by electrolysis. They need to be bonded to the anode on the hull as does the engine / shaft or the same will happen to the prop/shaft and parts on the engine

[@c5back9]

Howard Beer: true! Even still, acquire or cut a set of emergency plugs and keep them in the boat with emergency gear. If you somehow loose a through hull while at sea miles from safety, you’ll need a plug to close the hole in order to stop water ingress.

[@TakeTheWaters]

Three were bonded. One corroded because they used bronze valve and and brass nipple (the brass corroded and ruined the valve). The issue is Galvanic corrosion. I've measured 1.5 volts running through the boat systems in my marina. Really I need a 60 amp galvanic isolator, its on the list of things to buy but I have a long list and we've been on the hook lately so it kinda at the bottom of the list.

[@shaonanzhang9857]

Nice video! I always have a question on the tooling. Does the boatyard provide the tools for all the work or you rent them from some local stores?

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thanks, Shaonan! We bought most of our own tools. We figure if we use it to fix something on the boat, we better keep it onboard too. Some tools we knew we’d use just while doing an instal we borrowed. The boatyard didn’t provide any tools. -Mandi

[@shanevillis4079]

5200 on the troughhulls will be great when you go to change them next time

[@dr.carloslantigua2775]

she gave the proper torque to the bolts?

[@pierremitham2964]

Good for changing the thruhulls. The originals were completely wrong in their install!!Hopefully you replaced the thruhulls with actuall seacocks and not just ball valves on thruhulls!!

[@TakeTheWaters]

Ahh yes, i was waiting for this comment lol. I spent many months, tons of research, stress, and anxiety considering the seacock vs straight ball valves. But the problem I had is that 7 out of 12 thruhulls would be impossible to work on without lots of fiberglass work (if I used s seacock) and they are nearly impossible to access for a guy my size. 6 are inside the bathroom cabinets so I can only use one arm to do any work in there. Even Mandi cant get two arms in one of those cabinets. With that said, they are also very protected from force or being bumped which is once of the main considerations for not going to the heavy duty seacock. I would of course rather the seacocks, but it wasn’t practical. Thanks for watching. -Brian

[@pierremitham2964]

@@TakeTheWaters Guess that means you have a hull liner?

[@TakeTheWaters]

@@pierremitham2964 yes, there is a 1/2" core over the fiberglass in the bathroom cabinet section of the boat. Is that called a hull liner? The core was removed for the thru hulls there, but I'd need to remove more for a seacock, or 6 in total.

[@pierremitham2964]

@@TakeTheWaters Hull liner is different. It's like a second fiberglass moulding that is glue into the hull to form the structureal member. You can ususally see it around thruhulls. What you have is a cored hull.. but below the waterline?? that's usually not done any more. but I agree switching to proper bolted flange seacocks in your case is alot more work.

[@MarkSmithMelbourne]

great work - how did you decide what projects to do? (beginner here too)

[@TakeTheWaters]

Hey Mark, I think just using the boat for a few months helped us decide what was not working right. The biggest thing we found were the thru hulls. Our survey guy missed 5 really bad thru hulls and that was about the only critical thing that could have sank our boat. Doing the "prop speed" was after thought once the boat was in the yard, but a great addition. Only cost $150 to have it done professionally in Cape Canaveral and we've not had any growth on the prop in 9 months. Pulling the mast was a really good idea as well because we got a good inspection of the rigging and had the opportunity to rewire things. Thanks for watching - Brian

[@vincentbarkley9121]

Great video. I have a 2010 B40. My thru hulls look just as decrepit as yours. What replacement thru hulls did you choose (bronze, Marelon, Trudesign, etc.)? Why did you replace only the four thru hulls, aren't there a bunch more on the boat? Please reply. Thank you

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thanks. I used bronze groco hardware in everything except one of the nipples was brass because I couldn’t find a bronze 1/4” nipple. this one will surely corrode fast, but was my only option. The other thru hulls (7 below the water line) were in great shape as they’ve been replaced prior to us buying the boat. Some were bonded, some not, doesn’t seem to make a difference.

[@paial]

Great vídeos! One thing that you might have missed, you should not mount vhf antenas that close. For all intents and purposes, they behave like they have a short circuit on the cable between them and you run the risk of frying the reception of one of the devices while the other transmits (i.e. fry the receiver for the AiS while you speak on the VHF). I strongly suggest you only use one of those antennas. Get a ais splitter and connected both devices. (Splitter cuts, momentarily, the listening part of one device while the other is transmitting) If you want to have two separate antenas, give them vertical separation. Installing the AiS one in the spreaders, for example (mine is installed at the solar arch and works perfectly)

[@TakeTheWaters]

Thank you for the information. I really appreciate it. Im going seriously to look into it more. My ais has a splitter in it, i just thought a dedicated AIS antenna would be better than sharing a vhf antenna. we just replaced the ais black box as it was having issues, i dont think it was related as others have had the same problem, but i want to be sure. -Brian

[@TakeTheWaters]

We just fixed this configuration with a vesper ais/vhf combo antenna. Seeing ais targets 30 miles out so far. Great advice, thanks. -Brian

[@Capt.sierra]

Broward EXPENSIVE

[@robertadamsmetaldetecting6324]

Did you glue your thruhulls to bottom paint?

[@TakeTheWaters]

Yes and no, all the bronze thruhulls were glued to the gelcoat, but then the bottom paint guys painted before I installed the plastic thruhull for the speed transducer. I still chamfered the edges and sanded a bit so there is a good seal. -Brian

[@nessuno1948]

The radar is NOT a substitute of a good and proper watchkeping attitude. No excuses if you hit something because your radar is out. The Radar is an aid to navigation.

[@TakeTheWaters]

nemo Yes, we know this, and agree. We just wanted an aid to navigation that, you know, WORKED :) We’ve improved our watch-keeping techniques, and learned “constant bearing, decreasing range” since then ~Mandi

[@konferowicz1967]

How big is your boat?

[@TakeTheWaters]

Its 47 feet

[@itsmePassportBro]

With limited boat knowledge, how are you doing all this work your self... would that void your insurance if something goes wrong with your work.

[@JB-zp1xt]

8:05 do I hear a moan in the background?

[@johnohara1433]

In my experience boating is great - but there are just too many things to worry about and that can go wrong. Why can they make cars that are pretty foolproof and can go a 100,000 miles without much upkeep, but boats, whether power boats or, even more so, sailboats , require so much maintenance and so much constant attention. I guess it's all the additional systems. I love the idea of boating but the reality has been different for me - too much worry. I dont find it relaxing because I realize how precarious the whole enterprise is, how success requires the perfect alignment of too many variables, including ones like the ocean and wind over which one has no control. Maybe I'm just too chicken! So I got out of it. But I certainly enjoy your videos. More power to you both.

[@TakeTheWaters]

You’re not alone. It seems like our full time job is fixing the boat, and every once in a while we sail, and sometimes we even go a few weeks without something breaking. I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to sailing, I constantly think of the what ifs. Its a struggle but i also really enjoy it. So for now we’re still going. I feel like if we keep going it will get easier. - Brian

[@JCrook1028]

Yea, a car is a car. A boat is a house.

[@itsmePassportBro]

What is TAKE THE WATERS

[@TakeTheWaters]

Its our channel name, brand, and an old saying I suppose

[@itsmePassportBro]

TAKE TO THE WATER

[@davidnichols213]

great video lube it up

[@TakeTheWaters]

Was my favorite part of everyday lol -Brian

[@davidweeks1997]

Hey, she so small, that's not fair.

[@dirkbranderhorst2137]

Hi from aus wa

[@TakeTheWaters]

Hi there!!

[@codyjones1098]

Hi! JUst a thought get that GIRL a good looking short and top combo. FAST!