Planning and Budgeting
How to Plan and Organize a DIY Boat Restoration
A complete boat restoration can quickly become overwhelming when you’re dealing with structural repairs, plumbing, electrical systems, propulsion and interior work at the same time. In this video, I use the restoration of a 27-foot sailboat to show how I organize a DIY boat restoration, prioritize individual projects and determine the order in which the work should be completed. It’s a practical approach to creating a boat restoration plan, managing a large refit and avoiding mistakes before the work begins.
How to Plan a Boat Restoration & Refit: Lists Within Lists
Planning a boat restoration can quickly become overwhelming, especially when you’re rebuilding multiple systems at the same time. In this video, I show how I organized the complete restoration of my Albin 27 pocket trawler using a detailed project spreadsheet and step-by-step refit plan. From sequencing individual boat repairs to coordinating electrical, mechanical, structural and interior work, this approach creates a practical roadmap for managing a large DIY boat restoration from start to finish.
How to Plan a Complete DIY Boat Refit: System Components
Planning a complete boat restoration means deciding how every system will work together before the rebuild begins. In this video, I walk through the planning and design of my 1986 Albin 27 pocket trawler restoration after stripping the boat down to a bare hull. I cover sourcing marine components and planning the plumbing, electrical, propulsion, navigation and interior systems for a custom DIY trailerable trawler designed for the Great Loop, with an emphasis on simplicity, cost, practicality and long-term maintenance.
How to Plan a Marine Electrical System Before You Start Wiring
Electrical work on a boat starts long before you run the first wire. In this video, I use my 1986 Albin 27 pocket trawler restoration to show how I plan a complete marine electrical system from a bare hull, including the six critical steps that need to be worked out before installation begins. The focus is on the planning process—organizing electrical requirements, designing the system, sequencing the work and selecting components to create a safe, reliable and ABYC-compliant electrical system for long-term cruising.