At some point in the last two years Jeff and I realized that we are full time cruisers. Our original plan had been to sail Whiskey Jack from Australia to South East Asia and see if we wanted to continue. In Thailand we were keen to keep cruising and so we followed our friends across the Indian Ocean. Lockdown in the Maldives had us reassessing our future and we had no urge or reason to return to ‘normal’ life - this is now normal. We did, however, need to take a break. If Whiskey Jack is to be our home for another few years she needs some serious upgrades and besides, we were ready for some first world luxuries.

We have now been in Cape Town for almost a year. How we got here and how we stayed are a story for another post.

The boat has undergone a major refit. It would be easier to list the systems that we haven’t repaired or replaced.

She has new extended sugar scoops, an improved hardtop bimini, repaired gelcoat, new gearboxes, new throttle, new water guages, upgraded Lithium batteries and lots more solar power (including stainless supports and dive tank holders).

Rigging has been checked and upgraded and we re-galvinized our anchor chain.

Cosmetically we have replaced the sail cover and upgraded all the cushions. We had a new interior table made that suits our space better. We also sprayed all the cabinet doors and had custom shelves made around the fridges. We replaced the salon flooring, upgraded the galley counters and replaced the cabin matresses.

Jeff has checked, maintained or replaced every pump on the boat. All the plumbing has been checked and/or redone as has the electrical. Some friends brought parts from the US and so the stove has been overhauled.

We have a few more jobs to do but for the most part this boat will be ready to cross the Atlantic Ocean in March and keep us cruising in comfort for the next few years.