Preparation for Leaving Your Boat Unattended
KANDARIK hauled out for 9 months in Praia Da Vittoria, Terceira, Azores. Note the Spanish Windlass of lines around the jack stands in case of earthquakes. Yes, we cleaned the bottom and repainted with anti fouling before we launched the next spring.
Several times over the years we have been far from our home, and yearned to spend Christmas or Thanksgiving with our family in Florida. This became a very important part of our voyaging, to keep the home fires burning!
In order to leave KANDARIK somewhere safe and secure, we would try to plan a place where we could leave her, on the hard, without any worry. After all, KANDARIK is as much a family member as those we want to be with at our home.
With this in mind, we were very careful in finding the right place to depart for these times when we would not be near KANDARIK for sometimes weeks at a time, once for over 9 months!
Luckily, we chose some perfect places, near airports, protected harbors, good people, and of course a place where KANDARIK would be safe without our watchful eyes!
After the first time, which was kind of traumatic for us leaving our precious boat, we made a list of things to remember to do to prepare KANDARIK for her alone.
This list was very helpful for remembering all the little necessary things that would help protect and keep our boat in good condition when she was on her own.
Here is that list, and you can probably give me some more good ideas for the next time. I hope this helps to secure your boat and be able to return to your fresh and happy floating home.
PREPARATION FOR LEAVING YOUR BOAT UNATTENDED By Pam Wall
Leave on all dorade vents with screens if possible
Turn off fuel system for your stove
Fill all diesel tanks to top
Empty water tanks, leave inspection ports open
Open all cabinets
Open all floorboards
Dog all hatches
Have mildew disks in all cabins
Put jars of Kanberra Gel full up in all cabins
Cover ports and hatches with UV protective covers inside the boat
Cover all varnish on deck if possible
Take all halyards to top of mast, leave one for retrieval
Put fall of halyards in something to protect them from the sun, under dinghy if possible
Take off all possible masthead instruments
Clear deck of all that you can and stow below deck
Make sure everything stowed below is very dry with no salt on it
Take down all sails, flake, and stow below
Close all thru hulls
Turn off all electrical current if possible
Leave batteries fully charged if AGM’s or Gel Cells
Wet batteries will require a trickle charger like solar panels
Leave all cushions on an angle so air can circulate around them
Take off any food that will spoil, leave any dry food in Zip Lock bags
Make sure bilge is clean and sweet
Take off and stow all dodgers and bimini top
Tie anything off that may move in the wind
If possible run fresh water through the engine, mist engine air intakes before turning off for the last time with Fogging Spray
Cover winches with winch covers if possible
Cover hatches from outside if possible
Make sure boat is shored up so deck and cockpit scuppers drain properly
Clean out and leave open refrigerator
Lock rudder or tie off tiller
Take off any carpets from cabin sole
Leave a bunch of roach motels in various areas
Clean out head thoroughly flush with fresh water and head cleaner last flush
Leave holding tank clean and empty and sweet
Lash dinghy on deck
Leave key or combination with someone responsible with your phone number
Make sure there are NO deck leaks through mast, hatches, stantions, etc
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