It is now nearly the end of winter in New England, I am finally finishing more tasks than I am adding.  This winter, I kept the boat inside a heatable shed, completed some long-pending projects, and pursued several areas of decay in the hull and deck.

• I converted the electric distribution panel from a hodgepodge of Marinetics panels to a single, unified, custom-designed Blue Seas panel, which swings out to allow maintenance on its breakers and meters.  All of the loads on the panel have been tested  to the extent they can be before stepping masts and launching the boat.
• I have replaced the RD218 analog radar, from Raymarine, with a digital one, RD 418HD, and the analog chartplotter with a lovely new one, Raymarine A95.
• I have replaced the NMEA 0183 bus, with its multiplexor and complicated connections, with a SeaTalk(ng) bus, and replaced the sensors for wind, depth and speed.  I have removed the three Datamarine sensor displays, and installed a Raymarine i70 multi-function display in the compass binnacle.  
• Some rot was found near the stem; Wade Smith, from T&S,  repaired it with several dutchmen.
• During the summer, I found some deck leaks into the cabin.  The cabin roof top developed a split between planks, which eventually opened, from the fiberglass deck covering to the Monel partner reinforcement plate under the deck.  Geoff, from T&S, removed the deck covering, and found that the galvanized nails securing the planks had given way near the mast partners.  The deck was repaired with a large plywood dutchman and recovered with fiberglass.
• There was also some evidence of water intrusion between the cabin and the deck.  T&S routed a seam at the base of the cabin wall into which they payed 3M Number 4200 caulk.  They also payed similar seams above and below the cabin eyebrows.
• Wade Smith, from T&S, rebuilt the icebox to make it more efficient.
• It became clear that the opening portlights on both port and starboard sides were leaking, so I removed them for rebedding when the finishing of the cabin sides is complete.
• The frames around the fixed cabin windows were made of lead and their paint was spalling away. Upon careful inspection, we could see some of their nails were being exposed by the erosion of weather and sanding; several checks were developing in the wood around the window; and the bedding compound behind the lead had deteriorated.  Removing the lead for repair broke it and exposed the fact that the window glazing was broken as well.  T&S suggested replacing the lead with commercial colored silicon caulking compound, selected to match the cabin sides.  We selected tempered laminated glass for the new windows in the forward and after cabins.
• Splines were inserted into eight checks around the frames of the cabin windows.
• The exterior walls of the cabin have been stripped and are being refinished.
• T&S removed, welded and reinstalled the genoa tracks damaged in the Classic Yacht Regatta.
• The toe rails, sheer strake and deck are being repainted.
• Joel, from T&S,  installed a filter in the vent tube for the retention tank, and replumbed it to a hollow cleat in the foredeck.
• I replaced the engine alternator with a larger capacity unit, to meet the power needs of the static inverter and refrigeration system.
• I also replaced the shore-power battery charger with a larger one and installed its remote control in the Navigator's station..
• I installed a relay to transfer cabin AC from the inverter to shore power when available.
• I installed another relay to combine the two batteries when the alternator is charging them.
• I designed and installed a self-test matrix to verify engine alarm operation.