2 Years Later... ROAM Is Finally Back in the Water
Two years after haulout, ROAM is finally back in the water. A missing rudder bearing, a rushed launch, and one nerve-wracking lift later, she's floating.
Two years ago, ROAM came out of the water for what was supposed to be a six-month refit. This week, she went back in. What was meant to be a straightforward relaunch turned into a scramble against the tide, a missing part that took two weeks to source from France, and a nerve-wracking lift with an inexperienced crew. But she's floating.
For the first time in two years, the hulls are wet.
A missing rudder bearing, a rescheduled launch, and a nerve-wracking lift — here's what it actually took to get ROAM back in the water after two years.
What Happened
The original launch date came and went two weeks ago — the yard failed to reinstall the starboard lower rudder bearing after having they yard removed it, and after two years, it was gone for good. The only real option was ordering a replacement directly from the manufacturer in France. It took two weeks to arrive. It fit perfectly. We did it ourselves.
With the bearing in hand, launch was rescheduled — then moved up again on short notice, with the yard giving only a few hours' window around the midday high tide. The trailer lifted the boat, dangled the stern over a drainage ditch to get the clearance needed for the long rudder stocks, and the we installed both rudders. The starboard side went in on the first attempt. The port side needed the extra clearance from the ditch — a second rudder bearing had seized in position and wouldn't swivel enough without more height.
Both rudders were in within about twenty minutes of reaching the ditch. From there, the yard floated the boat just enough to wet the bottom without fully launching — a chance to check every through-hull, sail drive, and fiberglass repair for leaks before committing to open water. One damp spot turned out to be residual moisture from freshwater troubleshooting the night before, not a new leak.
Then the real launch. Slow and careful, ROAM was floating on her own hulls for first time in two years.
Multiple full bilge-to-bilge checks followed. Every through-hull replaced during the refit held. Both rebuilt sail drives stayed dry. The one issue found: the starboard keel taking on water internally. Not leaking into the boat, no immediate danger, but a repair that will have to be addressed at the next haulout — ideally somewhere warm in the Caribbean.
Why It Matters
A single overlooked part can hold up an entire two-year project at the finish line. The rudder bearing was removed by the yard and we were presented with a replacement price we declined. The did not return or reinstall it, and the whole thing simply fell through the cracks over two years of turnover and shifting priorities. Sourcing internationally from the original manufacturer was the only path forward, and international shipping doesn't move on a launch day timeline.
Crew experience matters more than it seems until the moment it doesn't. The trailer operator who handled the boat's original haulout wasn't available for this launch, and watching new operators handle a two-hour lift of your home adds a layer of stress that has nothing to do with the mechanical work itself.
Wetting the bottom before full launch is a smart intermediate check. Rather than committing fully and hoping, getting the hull wet enough to inspect through-hulls and sail drives first catches problems while the boat is still supported and controllable, not floating free with a new leak.
Two years of underwater work held. Every thru-hull, both sail drive rebuilds, every bit of fiberglass repair got tested the moment the boat touched water. That's the real verdict on the quality of the refit's most safety-critical systems, and it passed.
Related Episodes
The rudder work referenced here connects back to the haulout and teardown covered early in the refit series. The thru-hull and sail drive systems tested during this launch were installed and rebuilt throughout the engine maintenance series, including EP40, EP41, and EP43.
What Comes Next
ROAM is in the water, but the refit isn't finished — there's still work to close out before she's ready for open water cruising. The keel taking on water internally goes on the list for the next haulout. For now, the milestone stands: two years to the day after coming out, she's finally back where boats belong.
