Progress Report:
The Butt Ugly Boat One Year Later

We've now been chipping away at the Butt Ugly Boat for a bit more than a year so I thought it would be nice to post a few photos to document our progress.

Let me say it has been hard work getting it this far. Although we could have hired a contractor to knock out the long--very long--"to do" list in a couple of months, we decided to do most of the work ourselves because we are cheap wanted the satisfaction of doing it ourselves [ahem].  Thus  we've spent almost every available weekend for the past year working on the BUB, at times with no heat in the freezing winter or AC in the broiling summer, and always with boxes and boat parts underfoot and a fine patina of teak dust on everything. Good times. The only consolation is Morley assures me nothing on this scale will have to be done again for at least ten years which, coincidentally, is about how long it will take the muscles in my arms and back to fully recover. Getting the sound of a rotary sander out of my ears will take slightly longer.

As for the parts we didn't do ourselves, props to our dock neighbors Clare and Angie who sewed all the killer drapes, pillows and bed linens; to my brother in law Jim for his beautiful work in the upholstery department; and our dear friend and Mechanic Extraordinaire Steve who somehow managed to fit his 6' 3" self into the engine room for days at a time. You guys brought it.

Anyway, on to some "then" and "now" shots:

Salon: 

What we've done: new carpet and upholstery, custom drapes and pillows, new dining table, new coffee table, two side chairs, new lamps and accessories, installed LED light strips behind window valances on both sides, added additional electrical outlet, new sound system, replaced/upgraded 12v outlets at wet bar. Left to do: replace blinds in windows, upgrade ceiling lighting, mount flat panel TV.

 

Galley:

What we've done: New faucets (galley sink and adjacent wet bar sink), repaired trash compactor, new rug and decorative accessories.  Still to do: replace microwave, new stainless top for stove, remodel island to move kitchen sink to the corner at window, install new countertop.

 

Guest Stateroom:  

What we've done: Custom bedding and pillows, down mattress cover and duvet, new accessories and lamp, installed TV with built in DVD player and radio (ceiling mounted).  Still to do: upgrade ceiling lighting, cover exposed hull with vinyl, add mirror to wall at foot of bed. Also blow out drain lines to washer/dryer so it will drain outside the boat and not into the hallway.

Sorry this one looks so dark but I took the photos on a rainy day when the boat was under cover at the dock.

 

Master Stateroom: 

What we've done: Custom bedspread, pillows and curtains, new decorative accessories and lamps, down mattress cover  Still to do: install flat panel TV, install vinyl on exposed hull, upgrade ceiling lighting. 

As above, photos taken on a rainy day when the boat was under cover at the dock. Sorry about that.

 

Office: 

What we've done: new upholstery, custom pillows and drapes, decorative accessories and lamps, high speed internet.  Left to do: replace vinyl on hull.

 

Companionway (hallway): 

What we've done:  new lighting in stairs, LED light fixtures at ceiling, new decorate accessories  Still to do:  replace wallpaper, and replace the replacement LED light fixtures at ceiling because, as it turns out, sometimes "cheap" doesn't necessarily mean "good".

 

General Improvements:  New carpet throughout; all interior teak restored; new nickel pulls and hinges on all doors and drawers (all 84 of them); three new water cooled HVAC compressors and one new thermostat; new automatic drain pump for guest sink, guest shower and the bathtub in master bath; new main electric lines and plugs; new throttles, shifters and cables (pilothouse and flybridge); new 2-way radios (pilothouse and flybridge); four new 10" fenders and fender holders; refitted windlass for controlled up/down and new foot pedal controls; three new 4D batteries; new drain pump for toilets; extensive engine tune up (including new fuel filters and fuel lines); new bimini top and enclosure for flybridge; new carpet in transom and snap down "landing pad" on swim platform for Shelby, our dog who flatly refuses to board the boat if a rug isn't there. Refinished exterior teak including bow pulpit, swim steps, ladder from cockpit to flybridge, and transom.

General things still to do:  upgrade all ceiling lighting to LED, install networked GPS systems (both flybridge and pilothouse); pull boat to have bottom painted black and while it is out of the water install a new transducer plus three superfly cool underwater lights under the swim platform which the Galley Wench cannot live another day without; replace existing blue strips on outside hull with black/gold striping; compound/polish exterior hull; and complete the refinishing of the remaining teak trim that runs along the deck.  Whew, I'm exhausted. Still.

And then, when all those things are done, we'll rechristen the boat to it's new name "Sea Harmony" complete with an uber cool graphic on the stern and along both sides of the radar arch, and on the tender (dingy)--just as soon as I get around to designing the aforementioned uber cool graphic.