In June 2021, we headed to a boatyard in Faro as the first step in a major refit. We've since fallen behind with our blogs as physical work drained our bodies of energy and our mind of words. This is an attempt to get back on track. We look at the factors involved in choosing a suitable boatyard, the different types of boat lift, and whether you want to DIY the work or not. Mixed in with this are our own experiences as we have Emerald lifted out and embark on a long list of boat jobs.

Maintenance is an unavoidable aspect of boat ownership and the non-glamorous side of living on a sailboat. There's a cruiser quote that says:
"Cruising is fixing things in exotic locations"

We've certainly done plenty of that over the years, from general maintenance to emergency repairs performed against a backdrop of blue sea and golden, sandy beaches. One of our first experiences of this was in our first summer in the Med, when a failed hose resulted in an engine that wouldn't start. Back then, the cliffs of San Vito Lo Capo provided a scenic backdrop whilst we impatiently waited for the engine to cool enough to work on it.

It was in 2012-13 that we completed our last major refit on Emerald. That put us in a good position for several years of light maintenance and small repair jobs whilst we traveled around the Mediterranean. In 2016 in Croatia, we lifted out again and refreshed the antifoul. However, time and 10,000 nm have since taken their toll on Emerald.

We now had an expanding list of maintenance jobs that we could only do whilst out of the water.

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