sleaper
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
- Messages
- 41
- Location
- New Zealand
- Vessel Name
- MV Takapu 2
- Vessel Make
- ex HMNZS Patrol Craft 94'
I feel like I have been reading more than posting for the longest time.
To see information about our boat so this all makes sense visit www.mvtakapu.com
Throughout the southern hemispheres winter (I am based in New Zealand) a lot has been happening.
We moved of MV Takapu for good after living aboard for 3 and a half years. The time came where our 2 year old just needed more running around space and with COVID we really did need a house on dirt. So we purchased a house on beautiful Waiheke Island 40 minutes by fast ferry from Auckland.
We put the boat on the market and said goodbye to our beautiful trawler; somewhat done with this phase of our lives and planning to maybe revisit things in a few years.
HOWEVER. When its in your blood you do not just give in and give up.
INSTEAD. We hired crew and began spending enormous amounts of money on fixing all the things we did not like about the boat.
The first big job was the engine room and workshop. These spaces look like new now. It took the workers months to get these spaces cleaned, rust removed, painted, new lighting ... we even painted the engines and acid washed the flooring. We now have a beautiful space you could eat from and this makes me very proud and removes a lot of stress from my life.
$50,000 spent.
We then moved onto the electrical system. Some of you will follow that we spent money hauling out our old 9kw northern lights and replacing it with a 27kw Cummins Onan genset. This was plumbed in with a new wet exhaust and included a new DC sub board and a brand new 3 phase distribution system which included the best Victron Quattros we could get (450 AMPs of charging) and massive electrical output.
$120,000 spent.
We still had to manually switch power over though from shore power to generator manually and start and manage the power entirely manually.
So - we had the team come back and spent another 3 weeks running new shore power cable directly into the quattro's alongside the generator input and this gave us a redundant shore power connection on a completely different circuit. Now our 41 year old boat is completely automated in every way using the latest cx colour controllers from victron and keeps the batteries topped off on and off grid and this is all automatic based on state of charge and circuit loads. We also put in AC/DC lighting for our shore power.
$40,000 spent.
PAINT !!!! We have not painted the hull. BUT we have completed the rust work on 340 rust spots on the boat. These were all worked on by a crew of 10 people over a period of 10 days. Once completed a entirely new and fresh deck paint was completed.
Price : $25,000. Well spent.
Add in a bunch of jobs like making our water maker reliable, replacing our pump out pumps, filters for fresh water being upgraded, all valves for firefighting and sea water being replaced or overhauled and you have another.
$50,000 spent.
Now. We are on the boat. Yes - actually have been holidaying on it for the last few weeks with zero issues, not a single bit of gear breaking down, no water ingress in bilges and I have been totally relaxed as power and all systems just work.
TENDER:
We purchased a 7.1M sealegs for ease of boating. This was one of our biggest hates and caused us a lot of safety concerns. Living on the boat and not being able to be safe getting ashore .. in all weather with the kids. This was a must for us.
We love it so much we have just ordered a Strata 800C from Smuggler marine here in New Zealand
Price: $300,000.
All prices in New Zealand Dollars.
All in all - I can confidently say that things are looking bright for the future.
We plan now to haul the boat and complete an entire $500k refit on the interior and deck spaces. We love this boat so much and cannot see ourselves selling her although we will not be living on her full time for the foreseeable future we will be going on some great trips.
Moving forward we will have a full time engineer who continues to replenish and upgrade the vessel.
Few jobs left:
1. Water tank and grey / black tank sensors.
2. Lithium Battery upgrade
3. Solar install
4. Interior upgrade / refit.
5. Hull Repaint.
To see information about our boat so this all makes sense visit www.mvtakapu.com
Throughout the southern hemispheres winter (I am based in New Zealand) a lot has been happening.
We moved of MV Takapu for good after living aboard for 3 and a half years. The time came where our 2 year old just needed more running around space and with COVID we really did need a house on dirt. So we purchased a house on beautiful Waiheke Island 40 minutes by fast ferry from Auckland.
We put the boat on the market and said goodbye to our beautiful trawler; somewhat done with this phase of our lives and planning to maybe revisit things in a few years.
HOWEVER. When its in your blood you do not just give in and give up.
INSTEAD. We hired crew and began spending enormous amounts of money on fixing all the things we did not like about the boat.
The first big job was the engine room and workshop. These spaces look like new now. It took the workers months to get these spaces cleaned, rust removed, painted, new lighting ... we even painted the engines and acid washed the flooring. We now have a beautiful space you could eat from and this makes me very proud and removes a lot of stress from my life.
$50,000 spent.
We then moved onto the electrical system. Some of you will follow that we spent money hauling out our old 9kw northern lights and replacing it with a 27kw Cummins Onan genset. This was plumbed in with a new wet exhaust and included a new DC sub board and a brand new 3 phase distribution system which included the best Victron Quattros we could get (450 AMPs of charging) and massive electrical output.
$120,000 spent.
We still had to manually switch power over though from shore power to generator manually and start and manage the power entirely manually.
So - we had the team come back and spent another 3 weeks running new shore power cable directly into the quattro's alongside the generator input and this gave us a redundant shore power connection on a completely different circuit. Now our 41 year old boat is completely automated in every way using the latest cx colour controllers from victron and keeps the batteries topped off on and off grid and this is all automatic based on state of charge and circuit loads. We also put in AC/DC lighting for our shore power.
$40,000 spent.
PAINT !!!! We have not painted the hull. BUT we have completed the rust work on 340 rust spots on the boat. These were all worked on by a crew of 10 people over a period of 10 days. Once completed a entirely new and fresh deck paint was completed.
Price : $25,000. Well spent.
Add in a bunch of jobs like making our water maker reliable, replacing our pump out pumps, filters for fresh water being upgraded, all valves for firefighting and sea water being replaced or overhauled and you have another.
$50,000 spent.
Now. We are on the boat. Yes - actually have been holidaying on it for the last few weeks with zero issues, not a single bit of gear breaking down, no water ingress in bilges and I have been totally relaxed as power and all systems just work.
TENDER:
We purchased a 7.1M sealegs for ease of boating. This was one of our biggest hates and caused us a lot of safety concerns. Living on the boat and not being able to be safe getting ashore .. in all weather with the kids. This was a must for us.
We love it so much we have just ordered a Strata 800C from Smuggler marine here in New Zealand
Price: $300,000.
All prices in New Zealand Dollars.
All in all - I can confidently say that things are looking bright for the future.
We plan now to haul the boat and complete an entire $500k refit on the interior and deck spaces. We love this boat so much and cannot see ourselves selling her although we will not be living on her full time for the foreseeable future we will be going on some great trips.
Moving forward we will have a full time engineer who continues to replenish and upgrade the vessel.
Few jobs left:
1. Water tank and grey / black tank sensors.
2. Lithium Battery upgrade
3. Solar install
4. Interior upgrade / refit.
5. Hull Repaint.
Last edited:
