Ruby Gates’ Learning Curves Aboard ‘Makani’
I’ve sailed thousands of miles since I bought Makani back in 2021. She has endured a hurricane at anchor; violent squalls with lightning; heavy seas; thousands of miles of Pacific swells; aggressive, battering wind; busted rigging; failed electrical components; failed transmission; tattered sails — I could go on.
I keep a list of my repairs. At this writing, Makani has needed more than 30 significant repairs, or newly installed equipment, totaling around $44,000 over the four-and-a-half years I’ve owned the boat.
Salt water is punishing; constant motion eventually wears things out; and even non-use can take its toll. In 2024, I left the boat in Tahiti for three months during cyclone season. She was protected and attended to. Nevertheless, the rain and humidity did such a number on her that when I got back, I had to replace my autopilot controller, fix new leaks in the portholes, and deal with massive mildew — even though I had prepared her for the hot and humid conditions.
This year [2025], I had several issues, including replacing a thru-hull fitting, hunting down an electrolysis issue, replacing my watermaker solenoid, painting the bottom (again), and teaching myself how to repair damage to the fiberglass, incurred during an unfortunate encounter with a cement dock in Samoa. Moreover, the farther west I sail, the more Makani shows her wear and tear, and the more expensive parts become since I’m nowhere near a supplier for anything. I have massive amounts of spare parts, but rarely the one I need. The frustration and exasperation multiply when I have another repair to make before I’m done with the present one. Or I’m at sea with days to go before making landfall.
Repairs aside, just adhering to a maintenance schedule can get overwhelming, Back in the early days of my singlehanding, when these things seemed insurmountable, I often cried in frustration and felt like giving up.
Not so much anymore. These days, I often remind myself — no, congratulate myself on — how much I’ve learned to do on my own. Aspects of repairs I had no idea how to do four years ago now seem easy.
