Haul Out 2013

Here's the haul out during the survey on the Beneteau 393.  Finally time to start adding more cool pics to the blog!

 Here she is after she was navigated thru the marina to the lift - apparently the Banana River is a little low right now and her 6'2" draft was not helpful.  She's stuck in the mud.  

They finally got her un-stuck and lifted.

 Then rolled her over to the inspection sight so the hull, keel, rudder, prop etc could be inspected.

Good idea of her size in these pics of us walking below her.  Our last boat was 18'... and didn't have a mast.

 Our first sail!  She didn't sink.  I'll take that as a good sign.

We finally signed and returned the Acceptance of Vessel form last night.  Now we're just waiting until the closing date and she's officially ours!  (what have we done?)

Final Signatures...

Can't. Seem. To. Find. Pen...

Urg.

Survey is great!  Financing is approved!  (had to verify that survey was all good before they committed fully)  Insurance is lined up!  Now we just need to sign this Acceptance of Vessel form.  This is the form that says we want the boat AND (more critically) that from this point on, if we change our minds we don't get any of the 10% down that is sitting in an escrow account.  It also happens to be the form that has the repairs that we want done by the seller.  It's the final bargaining step.  Practically the FINAL final step.  Practically.  I just need to sign it.  And so does Mark.  Then we email it and *POOF* several thousand dollars are no longer ours...  Just like that.  And I know - it's just the beginning.  People seem to find no end to telling us allll about the giant hole of a money pit that boats are.

So what's the problem?  I am a serial saver.  Some people hoard cats.  Some people hoard food.  I hoard cash.  It's not a bad thing, just ask my husband.  I'm not a spender.  But I AM a traveler!  And what does spending this money do?  It frees us up to traveltraveltravel!  Yay!  It's like a floating trailer.  We get tired of one watery trailer park, we just pull anchor and find another one.  Easy-peasy.

*For the record, I don't really like peas, but I like easy.  Well, I like black eyed peas, I suppose.  Just not green peas.  Easy-blackeyedpeasy!


Here I go.  I'm going to sign it.



No.  No, I'm not.  I'm waiting on him to get home so we can commit together.  Then neither is more to blame than the other... ;)

Does this boat make me look fat?

This pic is from a few weeks ago when I headed down to see the 393 for the first time.

Patience is a virtue, and I, my friends, am not virtuous. I've mellowed over the years, sure.  But Officially Patient?  I think not.  We had the survey/sea trial on Friday.  All went well - you know, if you don't count the dock fire, the drained batteries, the crazed windows, the cracks in the fiberglass under the floor, the seacocks that are not currently up to code, the screw that practically cut my pinkie finger off, yadda yadda yadda... ;)  It's Sunday.  We still haven't seen the report.  I suppose I can let it go - it IS Father's Day and a weekend after all.

Here we are - parked right next to a Lagoon 380!  One of our favorite cats - and what we were originally shopping for.

So how about that Survey?  As I said, I don't have the official report, but per our surveyor "it's really not too bad."  That's a relief.  (I sure hope his report is more detailed than that...)  But what about all that crap I listed in the 2nd paragraph?!?

1. There's a screw in the lock on the interior side of the door in the fwd head that's not put in correctly.  It's kind of in at an angle.  When I grabbed the door to see if the lock worked, it immediately sliced my pinkie open.  Guess I need to take a screw driver on the next visit and whip that sucker into shape.  There's not been a real estate remodel that's not gotten at least a little bit of blood out of me, so why should our boat be any different?  (ps, how does that first sentence translate?  The inside of the door in the bathroom in the master bedroom...  Silly boat-speak.)
2. Seacocks.  Apparently there are some regulations that have not been met underneath the head sinks. Too many connections = too many chances for water on board.  This will be remedied.
3. Cracks in the fiberglass.  It's a fiberglass boat.  It flexes.  M. was a composite guru in a former life and has no issues with what he saw.  (neither did the surveyor)  He can repair/reinforce the area, and it will be better than new.  
4. Crazed windows.  The windows on boats are Lexan and we've yet to be on a boat that didn't at least have a couple of windows that were full of crazing/tiny internal cracks.  The surveyor was fairly insistent that at least a few of them be replaced.  I'm all for new hatches.  I like to actually be able to see out my windows...  According to the surveyor, the issue comes in when a rogue wave crashes into the side of your boat and the cracked/weakened windows give - resulting in a really wet interior.  Not ideal on a boat.
5. Drained batteries.  Not a big deal, really.  The boat was not plugged in when we got there for the survey.  They did charge during the sea trial, and per the surveyor, they were fine.  (waiting on the report to verify that)
6. Dock Fire.  Yes, fire.  Saved the best for last.  The power cord that leads from the dock to the boat (there's one for regular power and one for A/C - this one was for A/C) had a cut in it.  Fortunately, the cut - and resulting sparks/flames/virtual EXPLOSION! (I exaggerate) - was in the part of the cord still on the dock.  The cord is hardwired to the A/C vs plugged into the stern (back of the boat, for you non-boat-peeps).  The damaged portion of the cord was cut off and we were able to carry on with the inspection.  However, that entire cord will be replaced before closing at the end of the month. 

Oopsie.  Just a little scorch mark.

We took the wieners to see the boat Saturday, before we headed back to Savannah.  You can see Molly peeking around from the cockpit.  Neither of them were too thrilled with the boat, but Molly did eventually venture out onto the deck and check things out.  We did not go below - the boat was locked and we just wanted a short introduction for the dogs.  We haven't figured out just how the tiny legged dachshunds are going to get up and down yet. I'm sure there will be a post on that - as soon as my genius craftsman/husband decides how he wants to go about it.  

The further we drove up A1A, the longer our to-do list got.  I hear that's pretty standard for boat owners - the never ending upgrades/adjustment/tweaks.  We even did some on our power boat.  But it's all about making her a home.  And we can't wait to get started!

Happy Father's Day everybody!

Jinx! (Part 1 of The Top Secret Steps of Buying a Boat)

I know, I know.  I don't technically own the boat yet, and I could be tempting the fates by assuming all will go thru, blah blahsidy blah.  I'm not a Tempting of the Fates kinda girl.  I'm more of a Ask the Universe for What You Want and Boom! It'll Happen kinda girl.  Anyway, I have been reading sailing blogs for a couple of years and often get frustrated when the writer chooses not to share all the details of that time between picking a boat and closing on the sucker (I get it - I just want to read about it!).  How am I supposed to learn anything if people don't blog about it!?!  (um, that's kind of a joke - see, I know I can learn things from places other than sailing blogs...) So here I am, documenting the purchase of a boat - good or bad you need to know the nitty gritty details, right?

Here's the low down:  (Keep in mind that we're starting from ground zero here - we don't even know how to sail yet!  This is just what we've learned up to this point)

1. Figure out what you really NEED in a boat - then find the smallest, most affordable version you can handle. It took us 2 years to travel from wanting a motor yacht to a trawler to a catamaran to this monohull...
2. Find that boat! As soon as we knew exactly what we were looking for, it showed up.  Thanks Universe :)
3. Make an offer (- good rule of thumb seems to be 10% less than listing price, but that may be something I've learned in haggling in general)
4. Put 10% of agreed upon price down via an escrow account with the Broker.  We went back and forth a couple of times before we agreed on a price (this 10% is to be wired to the account in most cases, and completely refundable to you if you change your mind at any time before signing the Acceptance of Vessel form)
5. Arrange for a survey/sea trial - find a surveyor that is certified with SAMS or NAMS in case the insurance/financing requires this.  Try to get referrals!  
6. Schedule a haul out at near by marina that coincides with Surveyor's schedule (Duh, they need to coincide, but I had to be told this.  Sometimes common sense is not so common.)
7. Apparently the broker/seller handles the hiring of a Captain to move the boat for haul out/sea trial
8. Arrange financing (if necessary) This will take a few weeks to close - just like a mortgage.  They will need a copy of the survey in order to close the deal.
9. Arrange insurance (they will also need a copy of your survey)
10. Arrange a slip for your new boat at a local marina!

We've completed almost all 10 of these items so far.  Just a few more details to be handled and then the waiting part kicks in.  Our survey/sea trial is scheduled in a couple of weeks, then closing is a couple of weeks after that.  Then we have to get our new floating home home!  We are still looking for a Captain for this, but have a couple of options lined up, I think.

I'll be doing another post after closing to list the rest of the steps - after I learn them ;)  In the meantime, I DO have photos and videos that I'm hanging onto for later posts.  Be patient - it'll happen!

Holy Crap, Batman.

We just bought a boat!

After a counter offer (or 2... I'm a haggler!) we have an agreed upon price!  Weeeeeeeeeee!

Time for a quickie!

The boat we looked at on Sunday is a no-go.  It was in good shape for a previous charter, but it was completely stripped.  Practically no equipment: no ac, no generator, no solar panels (that's just the big stuff - not even a measly spoon!)  Completely empty.  And there was water in the bilge.  And a main window panel over the salon leaks.  And the guy (broker) was kinda, I dunno...  Something just wasn't right.  We really liked the way it looked - even wrote a check for the deposit, but by the end my stomach was in knots and I took the check back.  We spent the 6 hr drive  home wondering if we did the right thing.

I went to bed and just tried to focus on having a clear answer in the morning.  And guess what?  I did.

I remembered that there was another boat listed in a very similar price range and it's just 3 years older.  Also a charter in a previous life.  By now it was Monday, Memorial Day, and we knew we were not driving (5hrs 1 way) to see it that day.  I made arrangements to drive down by myself the next day, after teaching my 7:30am Pilates class.  Turns out she's great!  Has almost all the equipment we want.

I submitted an offer last night and am just waiting on the answer!  Fingers and toes are crossed!  I'll give you guys the full run down as soon as we know it's a done deal.  :)

Is THIS it!?

We are off again.  Heading to Ft. Lauderdale over the holiday weekend to look at a gorgeous 39' Beneteau.   The price is right, it's newer than most we've looked at, it has the required swim/SCUBA deck on the back, a decent sized master berth  AND  it's still available!  Send out the good vibes!

I will take pics this time - and hopefully even a video!  For now, here's a photo of a random Beneteau 393 that I've stolen from the internet:

And from what I can tell, this is roughly the layout:

Still learning...

It's been ages since we posted, but there's really no news.  We've spent the months researching boats and deciding the best path for us.  Still trying to figure out if we want to buy our own boat right out of the gate (dock?), or perhaps to work on a boat for that hands-on experience that we both crave.  I'm leaning toward working on someone's boat for a while - even if only for a short, temporary time frame.  I'm pretty darn sure the learning curve is going to be steep and priceless.

On the positive side we've been chatting with some locals about sailing lessons.  Neither has a boat, but they've got extensive knowledge in sailing.  We'll figure out those pesky boat details when the time comes.  Just to know we've got convenient/intelligent brains to pick is a relief!

We're also educating ourselves on potential income generators.  Sure would suck to finally get out to sea only to realize we're eating rice and fish for eons.  We don't expect to be as cushy-cozy as we are now, but look forward to the excitement of the changes, regardless.

I'm back to working on my Culinary degree and find myself mentally making modifications to recipes and taking note of cooking techniques that will work well on boats.  It's becoming a constant subconscious exercise in our daily lives to compare everything we do to how we can do it on a boat.  I think that's a good start ;)

Thanks for checking in.  Feel free to ask questions, follow the blog or offer some advice.  We're trying to soak up as much info as we can while we fulfill our land obligations!

We're still here!

Not much going on boat-wise in the past week or so.  We looked at the Lagoon, and loved it.  We're continuing to shop - new boats are being added to Yachtworld every week.  I'm continuing to bombard my broker with random questions (What does Not Available for Sale in the US really mean...?)

So we're still here, alive and kickin' and looking for "our boat".  I'd love to hear from you.  Feel free to follow us via any of the methods posted along the right side of the page.  I'd hate for you to miss an update when something REALLY happens!  ;)

Lagoon 380 = Perfection!

Well, maybe Perfection is a bit strong.  But I have to say, if I happened across a Lagoon 380 that needed a good home, I'd certainly be happy to adopt it!

We were able to board a 2008 (?) Lagoon 380 this past Thursday - here in Savannah, of all places.  She was great!  Lots of room, clean lines, not a lot of clutter - but plenty of amenities, and certainly liveaboardable/charterable (yes, I make up words.  You'll get used to it, even if SpellCheck never does).  We happened to be on the Owner's version (my favorite) but I'm sure the Charter layout would work as well.  If you're unfamiliar with Owner vs Charter - well, we were too until we started all this catamaran shopping.  The Charter version has 4 berths (bedrooms) - one in each end of both hulls.  And a head (bathroom...) between the two berths, to be shared.  So - 4 bedroom, 2 bath in traditional real estate lingo.  The Owner's layout, however, has 3 berths and 2 heads.  One hull has an identical layout to the Charter version, but the other hull has a larger berth on one end and a much larger head at the other - with some sort of desk/dressing table/couch etc in the middle.  I'll post a layout from a Lagoon 380 so you can see what I'm talking about.

So where does this leave us?  To be honest, Lagoon 380's in the Owner's layout are actually fairly hard to find.  And pretty pricey.  Our price range keeps going up and up and up...  Time to figure out how to juggle our real estate in order to land on a solid $$ amount - a realistic $$ amount, so that we can REALLY get in there and start shopping!  All in due time, I'm sure.  But I have to say, being on that Lagoon last week certainly made me itch to get out on the water!

Penalties at the 40' line

We're still boat searching.  It has slowed down considerably - and as we continue to narrow our window on brand and model, the key question has become length.  

Here's where I need some help.  We're shooting for a 38' + size, but I've read snippets here and there about increased fees for docking, customs etc.  But that's just it - only snippets.  Hints at higher costs, but no concrete evidence.  So I'm on the prowl for information.  Is it true that something magical happens after 39' and that we should be charged accordingly?  Should I stick to searches for 38' and 39' catamarans?  Or is it just more boating folklore floating around on the web?

If it's true - that certainly narrows my searches and helps me focus.  If it's just another tall tale of the seas, well, I'd entertain the possibility of another few feet!

 Cat haulout   Image from Cruiser's Forum 

*The longer the boat is, the wider it is - the longer and wider it it, the more it costs to haul out of the water!  And once you hit a certain (TBD by more research) width, it seriously limits your choices of marinas throughout the world.

One Step Closer...

While it may not seem like a huge step, it is a significant (potentially life saving) step for us.

We headed up to Chattanooga for the weekend - he went camping/mtn biking with the boys and I stayed with a friend and her husband and got my craft on.  It was a great weekend all around.  On the way home we decided we'd stop in Macon to check out Divers Supply.

Diver's Supply is a  giant  SCUBA supply store - boasting that it's the biggest in the area.  (They laughingly admitted they were the ONLY scuba store in the area when we called 'em on it.)  We really just planned to poke around and see if there were any good deals going on.  We've been diving for 19 years on gear picked up (very used) at a pawn shop.  Since we've had it for 2 decades, and it was broken in when we got it - I have no idea how old it actually is.  Most of it is still in great working condition - and as our lives depend on it when we're diving, that's a good thing.  Unfortunately, last summer my BC sprung a leak.  A BC is a buoyancy compensator - and is basically the vest that you see divers wearing.  The air tank attaches to the back, and the regulator (that crucial hose that sends air to your mouth) is tied in as well.  The BC is inflatable and helps you maintain neutral buoyancy while under water.  Needless to say, when your BC has a leak, there's a problem.

This little beauty is mine.

Just so happens Diver's Supply is a ScubaPro dealer - and we've had our eyes on some ScubaPro gear for quite some time.  And after this weekend's little shopping spree, I can now lay my eyes on that gear anytime I want.  Yes - we grabbed 2 complete sets of new gear, and we're thrilled!  I can't wait to use it - I may even put it all on and go jump in the pool just to try it out.  Our next big dive trip is not scheduled until December and I really don't think I'll be waiting that long to test it all out.  The only thing we're missing is dive computers.  We'll add those soon - but we needed to put in some more research on that subject.

So glad to have the new gear - and I can only hope that this gear holds up as well as the pawn shop sets did.  Because it's ScubaPro - I'm pretty sure we'll easily get decades of use!

Secret Diving

A lot of people don't realize you can actually SCUBA dive out of Savannah.  I know - there's a giant shelf out there.  It keeps the water shallow  (and just happens to protect us from hurricanes).  We also have a few rivers feeding into the ocean, creating healthy estuaries along the shore.  This water is chock full of all kinds of things - and if you go out just far enough, you can see it!
I had an event to go to yesterday, but that didn't keep Honey Pie from going out.  Not only do we have diving off shore - we have wreck diving!  So the gang settled in for the 2 hour ride to the wrecks.  They headed out in what were reported to be 1' seas.

Too bad the weather forecast was completely off.  Somehow the weather man missed the giant band of storms heading in from the SE.  Seas were closer to 4' to 6'.  Some of the gang is already prone to sea sickness, so you can imagine a 25' boat in 5' chop for 2 hours was not what they were hoping for.

The first stop was a bust - but they rallied and headed to the next wreck.  The good thing about diving in chop is that as soon as you descend it calms down.  Bye bye seasickness, hello freaky sea creatures!   Thankfully H.P. is a camera fiend underwater and we've got several to share.

I think it's time to buy one of those fish identifying books!

Where IS she?!?

Holy Bujeezus.  I am not a shopper.  I know our boat is out there, and she'll show up when it's time.  That's just how this crazy Universe works.  But shopping for her is getting old.  Maybe it's time for a sunshine break!  

Happy happy Friday everybody!

Saloon or Salon?

Hey guys!

Not a lot going on boat-wise this week.  I've got a little birdie offering to get me on a Lagoon 380 for a peek.  This one is not for sale, but I'd certainly like to see the layout.  We're at that crucial point where we're trying to decide if a 38' is big enough, or if we should suck it up and go for a 40'.

We're strongly leaning toward casual chartering/liveaboard.  Not a "oh crap we've gotta fill the calendar" sort of chartering - more of a "hey, my friend says you do tours" sort of way.  Laid back 1/2 day, full day, or dinner tours - with MackDaddy food, of course.

If that plan holds, we would like to have a little more space in the Salon.  Or is it saloon?  I see it both ways, and I've gotta say it drives me nuts.  Either way, it's technically the dining/hang out area inside the boat.    Of course, the maximum number of paying guests at any one time is 6, so maybe the right 38' would work.

See - I told you there's not much going on this week.

I think I'll take advantage of the short news day to let you know that I love comments (feel free to chime in below!) and it would be great if you would follow this blog.  There are at least 4 ways to keep up with updates - just scroll along the right and left columns here and choose whichever one works for you.  I'd hate for you to miss something important - you know, when we start getting a little more adventurous and junk.

Thanks for reading!

Paddle.Paddle.Paddle.

No boat news since we went to view the FJ Athena on Sunday.  Still shopping/researching/biding our time.

In the meantime, we spent the last 2 evenings on the SUP's (stand up paddle boards) and saying hello to the dolphins as they swim by enjoying their high tide dinners.  Gotta get your water fix however you can.

Here's a video from January - enjoy!

Update on the FB Athena 38'

We headed an hour and 1/2 south to view a Fountain Pajot Athena 38' cat yesterday afternoon.  We know we like FP's and we are pretty sure we're happy with 38' but we'd never seen the Athena - FP's 38 footer.  There's one for sale by owner and we wanted to check her out.

The owners are great.  They gave us all kinds of information and were very patient with our profound lack of sailing knowledge.  And the boat is beautiful.  The layout is consistent with other sized FP's we've seen and all of the upgrades they've done are fabulous.  Very strong focus on energy conservation - thus right up our alley (waterway?).

The downside is that it's a 1995, so she's pushing 20 years old.  And she's priced around the cost of a boat that's 10 years newer.  We're having to weigh the upgrades and improvements against the age/design etc.  It's a tough call, but I think we're going to continue our search.  We're not ruling her out, but we certainly need to see what else is out there.  We'd both still love to get on a 38' Lagoon.

It's all about balance.

We've come up with the name!  I'd like to say it took hours of creativity and brainstorming.  And it did - but that's not really where the name came from.  It showed up like all things do - it just popped into my brain when I was driving home, not thinking about the name of our (currently non-existent) boat.  I was watching the sun and just enjoying the scenery when BAM! it wormed it's way into my noggin and stuck.  I texted Honey Pie (he's going to enjoy this nickname when he starts participating in the blog.  Really, he is...)  and he thought it was great, too.  It's a balance of fun, cheese, marketability and meaning.

So what's the name?  The name of our boat is (drum roll) Sol Searcher.  See - a play on words, easy to remember and pretty darn literal, as well.
          *If you clicked on a previous link to Blogger - you may not've noticed that you were redirected to       www.SolSearcherAdventures dot com!  If you ended up on this site directly - thanks for finding us!

I knew when I was driving home and could see a logo in my brain, that I had it.  The only thing I didn't have was the SolSearcher website.  Seems someone already beat me to that one (they're a document delivery something or other, if you're curious.)  It's a shame that the cool name was taken by a document service, not a boat - but at least I haven't found another boat with that name.  Yet.

Obviously we spent another evening (or 3) brainstorming variations of the name - in hopes that we could come up with one we liked that was similar AND had an available website.  Eventually this got really old and I came at it from a different angle.  And Voila!  Sol Searcher Adventures.  That's exactly what this is - a log of our sunny adventures to come on the boat that is also still in the works.  :)

Speaking of the boat that is on our horizon - we're off to Brunswick tomorrow to check out a 38' FP Athena.  If you've read past posts, you may know that I currently have a large crush on the Fountain Pajot's.  We've been on a larger FP - and she was gorgeous, just too big.  We've been on a great sized boat that was 38', just not an FP.  Finally we will be putting the two together to see if this is really the brand/size we're looking for.  Heading out today - just after lunch.

Now we just have to decide if we're ready for this to be THE boat.  What if she's Sol Searcher and we're not ready to buy?  Or what if she's not, and we ARE ready to buy?  And so the journey continues.

Can we or can't we?

There's been a law in Georgia for about the last 20 years that you cannot live on your boat.  Not officially, anyway.  Lot's of people find ways around this law, just like any other law.  As we're often sticklers for following the rules (even stupid rules) we never really pursued living on a boat in Savannah.  We love Savannah, and have always wanted to live on a boat - but obviously the two were not compatible.  Until now (or 8 months ago).  Rumor has it that a law was passed and took effect in January 2012 that allows boaters to officially live on their boats.

I decided to Google that law for two reasons:
1.  I never understood why a state would FORBID a boater to live on the water, and I want the backstory.
2. Still a stickler for rule following, I want to be sure I don't go buy a boat only to find out that I can't really live on it.  (That would seriously suck.)

So here's what Mrs. Google has shared with me today:

http://www.gpb.org/news/2012/02/20/bill-would-legalize-living-on-boats

I still don't have an answer.  And I have a hard time believing that a law was passed purely based on improper disposal of waste.

Here's an exert from another article:
The law’s original intent when it was passed in the early 1990s as an amendment to the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act was to address a 
problem of people living aboard makeshift rafts and stilt houses on the Altamaha River and discharging untreated sewage overboard.

 I mean, really people.  If waste disposal is an issue - fine those found to be breaking waste disposal laws.  Don't forbid people from living on a boat.  Surely there is some other (perhaps, gasp, $$ based) reason for prohibiting liveaboards?

I love Savannah.  It's a gorgeous place.  We've spent 14 years here - almost more time than I've spent anywhere else.  We have loads of friends.  We have loads of access to water.  But I want to be IN water.  ON water.  SURROUNDED by water.  I promise promise promise I will dispose of my waste properly (ew).

Is it just another pretty face?

I am currently in love with the Fountaine Pajot cats.  I have officially decided that when I cash my lottery ticket I'm buying this one:

She's a 2012, located in France (I guess when we sail her back we'll have a perfect opportunity to learn how to - well, sail!)  She has a perfect layout for two people - with room for guests. (Not so roomy that those guests won't want to leave eventually - a method I put into practice even when buying my land-based homes...)

Sure we can afford one of the huge 56er's with our 200+ million dollar winnings, but I'll always be a frugal/responsible/waste-not-want-not kinda girl.  So the 43' Orana is perfect.  Roomy - but not cumbersome.  Sleek, modern lines - but not stuffy.  Well built - and with a fancy French name so I can be pretentious when I want to be.

Now I just need to do a little research on how she actually runs/sails/maneuvers - check out some reviews, etc.  You know - be the responsible buyer and not just go for the pretty face.  Oh, and buy that winning lottery ticket!