Just like with a house, on a boat you have cleaning, maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. The big difference is: if you don’t do your maintenance on time here, your house sinks 😉.
So, every now and then we need to do some repairs or buy things, because living on salt water on a moving vessel means things need replacing. Or an upgrade, because we find better gear!
I’ve written before about the upgrades we’ve done or the maintenance we’ve carried out over the years.
If you take good care of your ship, your ship will take good care of you.
We’ve definitely experienced that, so I’d like to take you through the maintenance and upgrades we’ve recently completed.
We’ve also noticed that these four words always seem to cost a bit extra: Babies, Brides, Burials & Boats. Some sailors also joke that the word BOAT stands for: Bring Out Another Thousand!
10 recent upgrades and maintenance
1. Cleaning and painting the hull
We bought our catamaran new in 2019. Every three years, you want to haul the boat out of the water to check the hull: pressure-wash it, check for damage to the keel and rudder, and see if the antifouling paint is still strong enough to prevent algae, barnacles, and mussels from growing.
Usually, the latter isn’t the case. So after hauling the boat in July 2022 in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, we wanted to do it again in August this year to apply new antifouling.
Timing matters, because many boats do this work in autumn, winter, and spring. Summer is quieter — and since we sail year-round, we can choose a time when the yard isn’t packed with boats and the specialists have time for us.
Last time, in July 2022, we were lifted with a crane and slings (see left photo). This time, in Greece in August 2025, we were brought ashore with a trailer and tractor, see the picture on the right:
The boat was pressure-washed and then a fresh coat of antifouling paint was applied.
2. Prop Speed
Here you can see the boat on the yard.
It’s also a great chance to walk around your hull and check for any damage, and to decide whether any other maintenance or upgrades should be done now — because you’re not going to haul out again in a few months (it’s expensive and a big logistical effort).
We were asked if we wanted Prop Speed: a coating on our propellers that creates a smoother surface, helping us gain a bit more speed. We said yes — so they cleaned, sanded, and coated the propellers.
A fellow Dutch catamaran owner came by and said: “Wow, I want golden propellers too!”.
3. Starlink
I haven’t officially listed this upgrade before, but since April 2024 we’ve had Starlink on board — and we’re so happy with it!
When we left the Netherlands on May 1, 2021, we worked in 14 countries using SIM cards for our onboard router.
It worked, but there were two limitations:
- You had to be within reach of cell towers. Usually fine in harbours or near islands — you could often spot the masts and get coverage up to 10 km offshore.
- You usually didn’t get unlimited usage. Most plans were €40/month for 40GB or €100/month for 100GB. With my online trainings using 8GB per day (and more when 20 people had video on), that went quickly.
In April 2024, while in Croatia, we saw a good Starlink offer and heard positive stories from other sailors — so we ordered it.
Starlink uses satellites to deliver high-speed internet, even on moving boats or campervans. As long as your dish on the roof can “see” the satellites, it works anywhere. We paid € 250 for the hardware and € 59 per month (including 21% VAT) for unlimited internet. That meant Netflix and YouTube without draining SIM card data, and no more hunting for SIM providers in each country.
Unfortunately, Starlink also caught the “pass-on-the-inflation bug” — after six months the monthly rate jumped to € 72, and now it’s € 89. With no real alternative, and given our hardware investment and the great performance, we stayed. But over 50% price increase in under 18 months feels absurd.
4. New lead-acid batteries
Our Lagoon catamaran came standard with grey lead-acid batteries for things like fridges, lighting, and navigation. Not enough for full-time living, so we added lithium batteries to power things like the microwave.
Lead-acid batteries last around 4–5 years before performance drops. That time had come, so we replaced them (now blue ones). They serve as backup when our lithium storage runs low — since more lithium capacity is far more expensive.
5. Teak wood varnish
The boat came with teak decking in 2019. It looks and feels nicer than white fibreglass. We kept maintenance minimal: no varnish, just cleaning with salty seawater, letting it naturally weather to grey.
After 6 years, the sun and salt had caused some fine grooves. We wanted to protect it — but with low-maintenance protection, not a varnish that needs scraping and recoating yearly.
Another sailor recommended Teakwonder: a three-step process (cleaner, brightener, brown-coloured varnish). It takes just two hours and only needs redoing once a year. The colour stays even, fades gradually, and is easy to clean. We also treated our cockpit table with it.
6. Dinghy cover
Our dinghy is stored under a rack with five solar panels, so mostly protected. But trips to shore still get it dirty, and occasional sun exposure can damage the outer layer of material.
We ordered a dinghy cover from a sailmaker — very happy with it. We cut and finished two holes so the hoisting system could pass through.
7. Waspenator
Sometimes the smallest upgrades make you happiest. My aunt had the solution for wasps visiting when we anchor near trees: the Waspenator.
It’s a fake wasp nest made of fabric, filled with newspaper. It works by triggering wasps’ territorial instincts — if a scout sees another nest, it usually avoids the area to prevent conflict.
We’ve seen them turn right around! We have two on board. Works best within 5–6 metres, but not if there’s already an active nest nearby.
8. Collapsible bucket
We found this flexible rubber bucket (sometimes made of silicone or TPE) that folds down flat when not in use. It has a solid base and handle, so you can carry it full without it sagging. Space is precious on a boat, so compact, multi-use gear is a win.
9. Air conditioning
When we left on May 1, 2021, we sailed through cooler northern waters for 2.5 years — no air con needed. But entering the Mediterranean, it got hotter, especially from July 2023 in Croatia. In Montenegro, at 36°C, sleeping was tough despite open hatches and ceiling fans.
Installing a built-in system is pricey and energy-hungry, but we found a portable unit in a Montenegrin appliance store for €350. It’s on wheels, easy to move between the saloon and cabin, and uses 1.4 kW/hour. With 10 kW/day available from our full battery bank, even an hour of cooling is a treat.
10. WD-40 and PTFE
Finally, a shout-out to WD-40 and PTFE lubricants! These have saved us countless times from saltwater-induced rust or seized lines.
We use WD-40 on the e-bike chain to de-rust, or as light lube for the anchor, hinges, locks, or bolts.
But since WD-40 isn’t a long-term lubricant, PTFE is sometimes better — forming a dry, slick layer that repels dirt and dust. We’ve used it on stuck blocks, winches, hinges, and zippers on sail or sprayhood covers.
With all this maintenance and these upgrades, we can happily hoist the sails again and sail on worry-free… until the next maintenance job comes around 😉.
