A Year of Storms and Repairs — Stormtrooper’s 2026 Maintenance Log

Hi! Long time no see. I’m still alive. ^^;

A lot has happened in 2026, which is why this blog has been quiet for such a long time. Over the past few months, we’ve also had quite a few unexpected expenses, so unfortunately, we’ve had to postpone our plans for offshore cruising.

For this post, though, I’m going to focus on the maintenance work and upgrades we’ve done on Stormtrooper throughout 2026. Last year’s maintenance log turned out to be incredibly useful. Whenever we need to check what paint we used or how we did a particular job, we can simply go back and look it up. So I really want to keep this habit going.

In January, Cyclone Koji brought strong winds and rough seas to Airlie Beach and destroyed around 18 boats. At the time, our duckboard was badly damaged, so fortunately, we had already moved Stormtrooper into Coral Sea Marina about a week before the cyclone arrived. That meant we escaped the worst of Koji.

From late January until May, as planned, we hauled Stormtrooper out and kept her at Edge’s Boatyard for maintenance.

2026 started much the same way as last year. We had at least two months of almost continuous rain, so most of the work we managed to complete this year was indoors. Some of the other jobs had to wait and were gradually completed after we left the boatyard.

Work completed while at the boatyard:

• Inspected the hull and checked the condition of the paint

• Checked the condition of the aluminium anodes

• Cleaned and repainted the bottom of the hull (not completed because of the endless rain)

• Painting: cabin floors, toilet and bathroom

• Cleaned the anchor locker and replaced part of the anchor chain

• Built a sliding storage platform for tools — a project I’d had in mind for four years

• Installed a shoe cabinet

• Sanded and painted the pilothouse floor

• Created a new clothes storage area — mine! (੭ ᐕ)

• Repaired the rear deck

As you can probably tell, almost everything we completed at the boatyard this year was an indoor project. In fact, quite a few of these jobs were only added to the list because the weather stopped us from working outside.

Work completed after leaving the boatyard:

• Welded and repaired the stern railing

• Installed a watermaker

• Tidied and rerouted wiring in the bedroom

• Cut and laid carpet

• Had new sofa cushions custom-made

• Installed new solar panels

One of the best things about keeping a record of everything we’ve completed is that when you look back, you realise you’ve actually accomplished quite a lot. It makes it a little easier not to be too hard on yourself when things don’t go according to plan.

Last year, our biggest nightmare was electrolysis corrosion on the hull. Fortunately, the repairs we did last year have held up extremely well! Not only were the holes successfully repaired, but the coating we applied has also performed very well.

After the boat went back into the water, we dived underneath to check the condition of the hull. Over the past six months, barnacles and algae have grown much more slowly than they used to, and we haven’t seen any obvious problems with the coating peeling away.

Another major experiment last year was our decision to use aluminium anodes. Chris had found some positive reports online about tests involving aluminium anodes, but almost everyone reacted in one of two ways whenever we mentioned using them: either they were sceptical, or they had never even heard of using aluminium as an option.

We’re very happy to say that the aluminium anodes we installed last year have held up extremely well! There was plenty of marine growth attached to their surfaces, which is pretty normal, but all of the anodes were still intact. We’re very happy with our decision.

Last year, while trying to find out whether there were any electrical leaks inside the boat that could have contributed to the electrolysis corrosion on the hull, we opened up the entire galley floor for inspection. That was also when Chris mentioned that he wanted to repaint the floor. It was originally blue and had started looking rather old and dirty.

So while we were waiting for the rain to stop, we decided to repaint the cabin floors, including the guest cabin and galley. Later, we decided we might as well give the toilet and shower a proper clean and repaint those too.

Whenever we anchor in muddy areas, the chain inevitably brings mud and sand back into the anchor locker. Since we were parked somewhere with easy access to both water and electricity, we figured we might as well take advantage of it.

We washed out the anchor locker with fresh water, and I took the opportunity to reorganise everything stored inside. Chris noticed that some sections of the anchor chain had become badly rusted, so we went to Marlin Marine, bought some new chain and replaced the worst sections.

On both sides of our pilothouse, there are raised platforms that were originally designed as seating. Behind each platform is a long sleeping space called a tunnel bed. We use one side to store Chris’s tools and spare parts, while the other side is mostly used for miscellaneous storage.

Because these spaces were originally designed as beds, they are long, narrow and deep. Anything stored at the very back is extremely difficult to reach, which means a lot of the space ends up being wasted.

Ever since I moved onto the boat, I’ve wanted to modify these areas by installing sliding drawers or shelves, so we could easily reach things stored all the way at the back. This year, I finally worked up enough courage to modify one side.

However, because I later decided to install a shoe cabinet in the same area, my original plan for a sliding shelf changed into a simple sliding platform, basically like a large tray that can be pulled in and out. It’s perfect for storing small tools or smaller storage boxes.

Over the past four years, I’ve bought a few different pairs of shoes for the occasional events and outings we attend. Most of them aren’t exactly practical boat shoes, so I used to keep them in the boot of our car.

Chris regularly teased me about how much space my shoes were taking up back there, so I started thinking about whether we could install a shoe cabinet in the pilothouse. That would solve two problems at once: I wouldn’t have to keep my shoes in the car anymore, and all the sandals and thongs we actually wear on the boat wouldn’t be scattered everywhere.

After taking some measurements, I found a shoe cabinet online that was almost exactly the right size. According to my calculations, if I cut the legs off, it should fit perfectly into the space where the original seat had been. So I boldly launched myself into yet another boat modification project!

Of course, installing it wasn’t quite as easy as I imagined — mostly because almost nothing inside a boat is actually at a perfect 90-degree angle. But with plenty of adjusting as I went, I eventually managed to fit the shoe cabinet neatly into the pilothouse!

Before installing the shoe cabinet, we had to remove the original seating structure. That gave us a good look at the flooring underneath, and we realised that the old floor covering was badly worn and damaged in several places. We decided to remove it.

Once we started pulling it up, we discovered another layer of carpet underneath, and parts of that carpet had rust stains. So we decided to remove that layer too, properly clean the pilothouse floor, treat the rust and repaint everything.

Another project created by all that time spent waiting for the rain to stop.

Previously, some of my clothes were stored in the main bedroom, while the rest were kept in storage boxes in the guest cabin. I cleaned and painted the space behind the stairs and turned it into a small storage area. I also installed a clothes rail so I could hang the things I wear regularly, while seasonal clothes and things I rarely wear could stay packed away in storage boxes on the shelves beside it.

It wasn’t a huge modification, but it worked incredibly well. Personally, I absolutely love it. Hehe.

Our rear deck is made of aluminium. Earlier this year, while we were docking at a jetty, the left side of the duckboard was crushed under pressure, causing different levels of damage to the supports on both sides.

Chris doesn’t weld aluminium, but luckily, one of our boating friends in town is an excellent welder.

Chris explained what we needed to Rob, and Rob took the duckboard away. Only about two days later, he had already repaired it and brought it back! Not only did he solve a major headache for us, but he also got it done far faster than we ever expected.

Originally, the deck was rigidly attached to the boat.

This time, we decided not to reinstall the two upper supports. Instead, we replaced them with chains so the rear deck could move. This means that in bad weather, we can fold the deck up and secure it, preventing it from repeatedly hitting the water and becoming damaged again.

Like most sailing boats, we normally use the davits at the stern to suspend our tender above the water. We also use an additional rope to secure the tender to the stern railing and help distribute the load.

Over time, corrosion gradually weakened the railing, and eventually the starboard side broke away at the base. We didn’t particularly like the idea of accidentally leaning against it one day, having the whole thing snap off and ending up in the water. So Chris simply ripped the damaged railing out.

After cleaning up the connection points, he welded in new steel plates, ground everything smooth and repainted it.

And eventually, Chris got the railing back in place! So far, it’s still holding very solidly.

Whenever we talked about our plans for offshore cruising, a watermaker was always one of the items on our wish list.

Then one day, I happened to see a second-hand SK SC400 watermaker being sold on Marketplace, so we decided to take a gamble on it. And surprisingly, according to Jonathan, the gentleman selling it, we may have been extremely lucky.

The watermaker had originally been installed on a very expensive yacht. Apparently, the owner didn’t like the fact that some of the paint on the front of the unit had started peeling, so he decided to replace it. The machine may have been used fewer than five times, and the reverse-osmosis membranes had already been pickled and sealed for storage. It can produce approximately 151 litres of fresh water per hour.

We’ve now installed the watermaker, although we haven’t actually tested it yet. The plan is to commission it after next year’s cyclone season and finally see how well it works.

The ceiling in our bedroom used to have electrical wires hanging all over the place.

Mostly for aesthetic reasons — mine, specifically — we spent a few otherwise unplanned weekends removing the ceiling panels and hiding many of those wires above the ceiling. At the same time, we removed some old, unused wires that had already been cut and were no longer connected to anything.

This year, I also made the bold decision to remove an old wooden box that had originally housed an HF radio.

By the time Chris bought Stormtrooper, the radio itself had already been removed. The wooden box, however, was still hanging directly above the bed. It made getting in and out of bed awkward for Chris, and it also meant he couldn’t properly sit upright while in bed.

Removing the box also meant we had to relocate the Raymarine display, which in turn required us to reorganise some of the wiring.

Since we’re planning to redo the ceiling and eventually rewire the entire boat anyway, we’ve left some of the copper pipes exposed for now. We’ll deal with those later.

After repainting all the cabin floors, we decided to try installing carpet.

Although I generally prefer lighter colors for interior design, floors on a boat get dirty far too easily, so in the end we chose a darker carpet.

Our sofa cushions had been naked for a very long time — their old covers were badly damaged. We originally planned to have new covers made by a local business in town, but after waiting and waiting, we never heard back from them.

Last year, we discovered that Clark Rubber in Mackay could make custom cushions.

So on July 17 this year, we loaded the cushions into the car and drove them to Clark Rubber. The staff measured everything for us, and we chose the fabric in store.

About three weeks later, we received a call saying they were finished and ready to collect. We are extremely happy with how they turned out!

The canopy over the boat was originally made from canvas, but it had holes everywhere.

Our cat, Smelly Cat, was responsible for quite a few of them, while years of UV exposure helped finish the job.

So we started thinking about how we could redesign the roof.

At the end of June, Chris spotted a new type of bifacial solar panel at Bunnings for only $121 each. We decided to buy two and install them above the boat, replacing the old canvas canopy with solar panels.

The weather this winter was incredibly unstable. It seemed to be either raining or blowing a gale. By mid-August, we finally had all the parts we needed to build the solar panel frame, and we successfully installed the panels above the stern.

We also want to thank our good friend Brad here in town, who gave us a huge amount of useful advice and helped us with many of the parts we needed for the installation.

Taking the time to look back at everything we managed to complete in 2026 has been really nice. Sometimes it’s only when you stop and look back that you realise how far you’ve actually come.

There are still quite a few jobs we completed that I haven’t mentioned here. But while putting this post together, I discovered that adding nearly 50 photos to a single article was already pushing this editing system close to a breakdown. So I think I’ll stop while I’m ahead.

This November, we’ll be hauling Stormtrooper out again and keeping her at the boatyard, where we expect to work on her until around April or May next year.

Chris and I have already made our own lists of repairs, upgrades and modifications we want to tackle.

To be fair, the lists are long enough that I’m not entirely convinced we’ll manage to finish everything during the next haul-out. But however much we manage to complete, we’re looking forward to slowly turning Stormtrooper into the boat we both want her to be, and hopefully, letting her take us farther and farther from home.