We Have A Boat

18 months of dreaming, 16 months of planning, 12 months of shopping, and 2 months of purchasing.

Excitement and Trepidation

"We have a major milestone today... would you like confirmation in writing?" Jean asked our broker, Pete, regarding the purchase of Sea Fire. Yesterday was the last where we could opt out of the sale with our full deposit intact. Pete laughed, "getting it in writing would probably be a good idea." After 2 months of chasing this boat, we were finally moving forward in a meaningful way.

We went about our day and told no one. Errands were run, tasks completed, and the news just hung there. Certainly there was excitement, but the road has been tedious and filled with frustrations. It's felt like 3 cm forward and 2 cm back for months, where every time we have felt the sale was happening, there was another major item to complete before moving forward. I would classify yesterday's feeling as "OK, but is it real?" As the day wore on it started to 'sink' in (cue terrible boat jokes), and calling my parents alongside celebrating with a bottle of Prosecco brought some reality and the beginnings of excitement. It was real: the marine title was changed to our names and final paperwork was in progress.

Do We Panic Now?

AAAAHHH! Pack the house, book the flights, what tools do we need, what clothes to bring, cancel subscriptions, tell everyone, and I still have Christmas presents to buy! The list already seems never ending, and we know it will only grow as we go along. One thing we have learned from sailing blogs is that the "Boat List" is never complete, and we will need to have peace with that.

The to-do list looms, with many of its items time sensitive. And yet... I am dreaming of the adventure.

Next Big Steps

Sea Fire is currently in New York at the previous owner's home dock. Pete (our magician of a broker) is moving it tomorrow to the boat yard in Connecticut for required maintenance. We will fly out to move on board in the first week of January. Most of January will be spent cleaning, outfitting, and refitting (fixing and upgrading).

Perhaps its strange, but this stage is incredibly appealing to me. Deep cleaning, fixing systems, learning the boat, and making it our home. It's all part of the journey.

Pete will join us on board at the end of January, where we wait for a weather window and sail to Bermuda. On our own with the boat, we will enjoy the warmer weather for a few weeks, resting, planning and preparing for the journey to the Bahamas.

Conclusion

The to-do list is daunting and even with the upcoming excitement, stress is a constant in our home. There is incredible pressure to do everything right, with the feeling that if its not done right and RIGHT NOW, our trip will fail.

Remembering to take it in stride, trust that we are capable, and see how far we have come definitely helps put it all in context - alongside remembering that it's all part of the adventure, the beginning of our journey to become skilled, practical, and fun sailors.