MJ Sailing

MJ Sailing After 35,000 miles at sea, - having remodeled an aluminum boat and sailed to the Arctic, we're going back into the work yard. https://www.youtube.com/mjsailing

This time we're going to build a 45 ft catamaran, from the ground up!!

This cabinet may not look like much yet, but it will eventually power almost every system on our catamaran.In our latest...
04/13/2026

This cabinet may not look like much yet, but it will eventually power almost every system on our catamaran.
In our latest video, Matt starts installing the breakers that will control everything from lighting and navigation electronics to pumps and onboard systems. It’s one more step toward bringing the electrical system to life. ⚡

This cabinet may not look like much yet, but it will eventually power almost every system on our catamaran.In our latest...
04/13/2026

This cabinet may not look like much yet, but it will eventually power almost every system on our catamaran.
In our latest video, Matt starts installing the breakers that will control everything from lighting and navigation electronics to pumps and onboard systems. It’s one more step toward bringing the electrical system to life. ⚡

https://youtu.be/6cAZiLJNv_Q

A big milestone in the catamaran build this week…We finally have the Victron components that will power the boat, and th...
03/30/2026

A big milestone in the catamaran build this week…

We finally have the Victron components that will power the boat, and the electrical install is officially beginning. Matt converts our hanging locker into an inverter space while Jessica starts the painstaking process of laying out the cabin overhead supports.

A big thanks to Dakota Lithium Batteries for making this possible!

Watch the new episode here ⬇️
https://youtu.be/OW3FWBPd8_c

It's really feeling like spring here this weekend!!I was able to take out the foam from our aft berth as I mark the over...
03/21/2026

It's really feeling like spring here this weekend!!

I was able to take out the foam from our aft berth as I mark the overhead to get it ready for support blocks. It will probably only last for today and tomorrow, but I'll take what I can get!!

03/20/2026

A few weeks back we made a run into Annapolis for a pretty exciting milestone in the catamaran build — picking up all of our Victron equipment.

This is the backbone of the boat’s electrical system and the first step toward installing the hybrid electric setup. Our friend Ryan, CEO of Dakota Lithium, met up with us to hand everything off. Later on Dakota Lithium will also be supplying the 48V battery bank.

One step closer to bringing this boat to life.
lithium

Guess what?! We're FINALLY moving on to exciting installs!! Our wire is now on order and should be here in a few weeks, ...
03/18/2026

Guess what?! We're FINALLY moving on to exciting installs!!
Our wire is now on order and should be here in a few weeks, but not too long ago we drove into Annapolis to pick up our items through our good friend Ryan. His company will also be supplying our .lithium batteries, but we don't need those for a little longer.

Unfortunately we have turned our one and only hanging locker into an electronics cabinet, but this was by far the best layout for everything.

In the first image Matt is making sure everything is aligned and drilling holes for the mounts. Then we gave the cabinet a good sand down and a fresh white coat of paint with Wet Edge.

Now everything can start to get permanently mounted and soon we'll have wires to run through here.

It's actually happening!! Woo hoo!!

01/17/2026

I set out to “just prep a cabinet”… and somehow it turned into a full sand/fair/prime/paint production 😂
Also yes… I accidentally used Alexseal inside a cabinet. Zero regrets.

Anyone else overbuild things like this or is it just me?

01/08/2026

White on white on white!!

At least, that's what this looks like. But after having sprayed our Cloud White paint from Alexseal in the shower last year, we left the shower pan for a later date to come back to.

Instead of having to spray, I wanted to try rolling the paint on to see how it would compare. I knew that runs could be an issue, so to keep from having to go heavy on my coats I used our white primer and tried to make sure there was no print through of fairing compound during my last sand.

Well, one coat of white paint on top of white primer, with a white background - it's a little hard to see the difference at the moment, but it is there!!

Time to let this first coat cure overnight, then do a scuff sand tomorrow and one more coat. Wish me luck!

Manifesting sunshine and warm weather… and daydreaming about slow mornings on the Caribbean Sea. 🌊☀️Until that reality c...
01/07/2026

Manifesting sunshine and warm weather… and daydreaming about slow mornings on the Caribbean Sea. 🌊☀️
Until that reality catches up, I’m settling for moments like this—lounging on the deck in my inflatable captain’s chair from Further Customs.
It took almost no time to inflate, and I can already picture this becoming a permanent fixture on our foredeck once cruising life begins. Plus, they should be super easy to stow in our forward lockers!
For now, I’ll take the sunshine where I can get it and keep dreaming of the day we're finally bobbing around at anchor. ⚓

12/07/2025

When winter shows up, the build doesn’t slow down—it just gets… creative.

With the cockpit shrink-wrapped, a single zippered doorway as our gateway to the cold, and our diesel heater pushing warm air wherever we need it, we’re keeping this project moving one day at a time. Today’s mission: getting our 600-pound diesel electric hybrid engine lifted just a few inches so we can prep the mounts beneath and lock everything in with fast-setting methacrylate.

Working through winter is always an adventure. Do you push through the cold too? Or have a story from your own winter projects? Tell us below.

Six months of sitting under our boat… and now it has finally moved.This 600-lb diesel-electric engine has been waiting f...
12/03/2025

Six months of sitting under our boat… and now it has finally moved.
This 600-lb diesel-electric engine has been waiting for its moment, but lifting it 6–7 feet up into the cockpit was way beyond what Matt and I could do on our own.

So when our yard neighbor Colby hired a telehandler for his own engine install, he let us sneak in a lift while it was there. Absolute lifesaver.

What you see in these photos is a huge step forward for us:
the engine is now in the cockpit—meaning from here on out, we can move it the rest of the way into the engine bed ourselves. After months of walking past it on the ground, it feels surreal to finally have it where it belongs.

Boatbuilding may test your patience… but on days like this, it rewards you too.

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Annapolis, MD
21401-21405, 21409, 21411-21412

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