My sailing partner and I drove from Louisiana to the Oregon coast during the end of May and after some nasty surprises (hello 3 inches of water over the floorboards inside the cabin) and the death of the door (again, if you've been following the saga) we cleaned it up and moved back in.
Now, part of it is that I'm simply a little bigger. Part of it is having another person on board full time. But the Emuna was just a little too small at that point and we had to sort out what to do before the weather changed again and we were really going to have issues.
So reluctantly we put out the word we were on the market for a bigger boat.
That was several weeks ago, and we were really beginning to get concerned that it just wasn't going to happen and trying to plot how to tackle the rebuild while living in the middle of it again. So it was really a surprise to us as much as everyone else that we bought a 28' Newport II a couple of days ago.
More below the dooblydoo.
While only 3 feet longer than my other boat, the different is tremendous. We have a few things here and there but they are so minor comparatively speaking that they almost don't matter.
Let's face it - one of these things is not like the other.
Aside from the functioning sails and size difference - the interior of the Newport has been kept very clean and original. 18HP diesel engine, working head, lots of storage, some electronics, sails, even a roller furler system and a freaking autopilot. It has most of what we need and puts us in a much better position for our goals and just living in general.
We bought that and moved on 2 days ago. Yesterday we got a dinghy to go with, already inflated and attached to our bow here in our slip.
This has been a time of just insane and sudden changes. Getting back home and sharing my space after being at my parents. Getting Nigel all vetted out and back to his happy self. Trying to keep up with my meds and not be too overwhelmed just by change in general. Getting the usual things set up - address, tags and titles and boring ordinary things that just take time. Now to find myself in a position where I have something I'm truly proud of and ridiculously comfortable in it's like I don't know what to do with myself.
People are nicer now that I have a bigger, nicer boat. I've stumbled into respectability and changed neighbourhoods by moving over a dock. We've had company, both curious types and well wishers - but there's room for them and I don't feel defensive about it. Even my parents are thrilled - this is officially a "real boat" to them and they are happy.
There have been some bummer moments too - like when we discovered this morning that we inadvertently unplugged the fridge on the little boat - about 2 days ago. But the freezer is defrosted, that was on our list of things to do. So there are trade offs. And now of course I have to figure out what to do with the other boat.
But at the moment I'm sitting at my table in my spacious salon cabin feeling like I won the lottery.