We replaced the original icebox with an Engel MT27 fridge-freezer, a tight fit requiring 3D-printed PETG spacers. Read about the unit selection, install notes, and power consumption.
I designed and printed a custom PETG-CF electrical panel to consolidate 23 Blue Sea circuit breakers, three toggle switches, and a Victron BMV-712 into a single unit, replacing the original fuse panel and two scattered sub-panels.
The trash used to be a loose bucket under the stairs. A small plastic bin was cut, heat-welded to shape, and mounted inside the under-sink door on two metal brackets so it disappears when closed.
Queen of Hearts runs a Victron Energy 2000W Isolation Transformer rather than a galvanic isolator, fully isolating the boat's AC system and DC negative from shore power. When a second marina's higher dock voltage caused the Multiplus to reject shore power, an 8-cable swap inside the unit changed it from boost to buck.
We replaced our corroded Whale Gusher 10 manual bilge pump with a Whale Gusher Titan. Read about the comparison, installation notes, and measurements.
Check out the livestream from our bowsprit on hurryupbird.com
The aft cabin sliding hatch started leaking. The polycarbonate panel had cracked near the corners and the sealant had worn away. New 3/8" polycarbonate, sanded to a frosted finish, bedded with 4200 and screwed back into the cleaned-up teak frame.
The foredeck scuppers drain midship through the interior of the boat before exiting the hull, a run that leaks over time. The original hose was deteriorated, the deck bedding had failed, and the brass connector angle created a low point in the line. Cutting the connector shorter eliminated the low point, new hose and 4200 finished the job.
A layered automatic bilge system: a Jabsco diaphragm pump with a Water Witch solid-state sensor at the bilge low point for routine dewatering, and an Attwood Sahara MK2 S1200 mounted higher for high-water emergencies. The convenience pump triggers a Cortex relay for push notification alerts.
Installing a Lewmar H2 horizontal windlass, Rocna Vulcan anchor, and 100 feet of G4 chain. The original bowsprit was too narrow for the windlass footprint, so new teak support boards widened the platform and hid the cables at the same time.
Adding wind instruments for the first time, choosing the Maretron WSO200 ultrasonic station: no moving parts, NMEA 2000 native, wind speed and direction plus air temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity in one unit. Includes a custom bent stainless pole mount and NMEA 2000 backbone run through the mast.
Replacing the composting toilet with a Lavac Popular, Tek-Tanks 40L holding tank, new Groco thruhulls, and a teak sole. A full replumb of the head with a system I was familiar with from previous boats.
Replacing the old standalone depth sounder with an Airmar DST810 bronze thruhull: depth, speed through water, and water temperature on NMEA 2000. Data feeds the Furuno FI-50s, Garmin GMI 20, and Navionics on mobile via the Cortex.
The Nor'Sea 27 is a well-regarded small bluewater cruising sailboat designed by Lyle Hess and built primarily by Heritage Marine in the late 1970s and 1980s. It has a reputation for being a capable offshore vessel, with several examples having completed circumnavigations.
