Boat Babble

The new sailboat

I got the boat! Helmut, the surveyor, and I drove to Port Townsend Friday morning. The survey turned up no surprises and everyone agreed the boat was sound and priced fairly. I completed the deal and the plan was for Helmut and I to sail back to Seattle that night. We bought drinks and food, loaded the boat, and left the dock around 4:30 pm. That was several hours later than we had hoped which meant working against the tidal currents and a longer trip. I had guessed about 10 hours but that turned out to be a severe underestimate.

The weather was beautiful: sunny, clear, and pleasant temperatures. There was some wind when we started but it died around 6:00 (typical for the region) and we motored. The passage was going well but progress was slow due to the currents. By 10:00 pm we had reached Point No Point and started to cut across the shipping lane. Half way across, the circumstances–not we–went south. Continue reading →

If all goes well I will be a boat owner in about 16 hours. I found the boat on Craigslist and checked it out last weekend. The seller agreed to a handshake deal contingent upon survey.

It has taken a boatload of effort along with asking for numerous favors to coordinate tomorrow’s exchange. The seller volunteered to take the boat from its home in Mats Mats Bay to Port Townsend, where the boat can be hauled out of the water. I had to contact a couple different yards to find one that could schedule lift time tomorrow. Continue reading →

My first boat--a 1976 Catalina 27

I learned to sail shortly after moving to Seattle. The Center for Wooden Boats at south Lake Union offered an excellent program that helped me feel confident operating 18 foot sailboats under sail. About a year after completing the course and after much looking, I purchased an old but well cared-for Catalina 27. I sailed the boat on Seattle’s lakes and in Puget Sound and even spent a week cruising around the San Juan Islands.

A year and a half later, when the mounting requirements of routine maintenance could no longer be put off, I sold the boat. As far as I could tell there was nothing terribly wrong with it. But there were a lot of small issues and my ignorance combined with the boat’s inherent design flaws conspired to make each task seem both murky and monumental. Continue reading →