The end of October brought the Thor 23 Majestic RV aboard and in late February a 1996 Catalina was added.
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| The total rig extends over 50 feet in length when you include the trailer tongue and boat overhang aft beyond the trailer. |
For details about the motor home, Click Here.
The Catalina 250 is now named Irish Rover, reflecting my Irish heritage and love of Ireland, her people and most things Irish. Rover recalls the plans I have for trailering the boat to a variety of wonderful venues for many new sailing adventures.
There was a lot of work done to convert Irish Rover from a daysailer to a small cruising sailboat I can safely trailer multiple thousands of miles.
I installed a rear camera on the boat's aft rail so I can see behind the boat and trailer while driving and maneuvering on the roads. In addition, the trailer needed new brakes, rebuilt bunks & guide boards, new ball hitch, new wiring and a full inspection of the bearings to confirm it is ready for a long summer trip.
As the mast must be stepped at every sailing venue, I confirmed that two people can raise and lower the mast unaided. Two support spars were added to better stabilize the mast and keep it from swaying in the breeze until fully upright. A mast support that fits the tabernacle was built for use while trailering.
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| Irish Rover, ready to splash |
To make Irish Rover more amenable for living aboard and cruising (even for just a few nights at a time) we:
- Made the water tank easier to fill by adding a siphon pump
- Added a 300W Inverter
- Installed Bimini that can be lowered when trailering
- Installed 12v fans in the V-berth
- Replaced the broken compass
- Corrected a jam cleat improperly located on the rudder
- Mounted the whisker pole on the lifelines for travel on both the highway and water
- Adjusted & marked the wheel center line
- Added a bolt for the emergency tiller
- Provided wing nuts, bolts and lock washers for mast base
- LEDs replaced old lamps for the anchor, steaming, bow and stern lights
- Installed GPS/chartplotter in cockpit
- Added solar panels & MPPT controllers
- Added a second house battery (3 batteries, total)
- Enabled recharging of batteries from engine
- Added new breaker panel with two 12v outlets
- Added 2nd electric cooler/freezer
- Repaired the aft berth steering access
- New, inflatable dinghy and new Torqeedo battery for motor
Gear and features already installed when I bought Irish Rover:
- Water ballast so trailer load is lighter
- 9.9 Honda four-stroke outboard engine
- Wheel steering
- Autopilot
- Main, jib and drifter sails
- Electric cooler (NOT a freezer)
- Propane grill
- Butane cooker
- Boat cover
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