S/V Fika

at Monterey by Wade and Stacie

The journey to readiness

A year and a half of refit work on Fika, from the lithium bank and all-electric galley to rebuilding the bottom of the boat.

Wade grinding old bottom paint and fiberglass off Fika's hull in the boatyard

For the past year and a half we’ve been preparing Fika for an around-the-world voyage. When we first stepped aboard we knew she had good bones, but like any well-loved boat she needed serious upgrades and repairs before extended cruising. Here’s what we’ve done so far.

Power: battery bank, solar, and Victron

We completely overhauled Fika’s electrical system, starting with an 800 Ah Battle Born lithium bank for life off the grid. Three 415 W solar panels keep it charged, and a full Victron system handles monitoring and charging.

Two Battle Born lithium batteries, part of the 800 Ah house bank The Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger mounted aboard, status lights on

An all-electric galley and a freezer

One of the biggest changes was converting the galley to all-electric cooking: a microwave, an induction cooktop, and a Cuisinart air fryer, toaster, and oven combo. A Weber Q1200 handles grilling at anchor. We also rebuilt the fridge with a new evaporator plate and condenser, and added a dedicated freezer for longer passages.

Rebuilding the bottom and replacing the shaft seal

The most demanding project was rebuilding the bottom of the boat, from grinding down the fiberglass to reinforcing the hull. Alongside it we replaced the shaft seal.

Perkins 4.236

As of this post the Perkins 4.236 was midway through a major rebuild. Valley Fabrication in Salinas cleaned, inspected, and welded the motor mounts, and did excellent work.

Fresh water

We added a new galley faucet and made upgrades to water flow and filtration throughout the boat.

Electronics and lighting

We pulled out all of the old electronics to clear the way for a modern navigation and communication system, and converted every light aboard, inside and out, to LED.

Rigging and safety

We replaced sections of the running rigging and added padeyes in the cockpit so we have solid harness points in rough weather.

What’s next

Still to come: finishing the engine, installing the new electronics, and sea trials. We’re excited to share the move from refit to full-time cruising.