It occurred to me that I never mentioned that we sold the boat. Ended up selling it to the first people that looked at it, though it still managed to be about a four-month process. Initial offer was ridiculous. A month passed, another offer came along. The haggling I was fine with, but what we were haggling over made me absolutely insane. The buyer’s number one problem, and apparently something that they felt should make the boat worth like $40,000 less, was that the air-conditioning on the boat wouldn’t work at their dock in Singapore because of the differing power sources. 220v versus our 110v. I offered up like three solutions for the soon to be dock queen, all of which would give them an ice cold boat for a max of a couple thousand bucks, and a minimum of a couple hundred. Just wasting time to discuss air-conditioning drove me absolutely bonkers. I was determined not to sell the boat to them just because I found it so “un-sailorly.”
Yes, I’ve become the old, curmudgeonly, gray-beard of the high seas. I had no patience whatsoever for these newbies and their infatuation with air-conditioning. They had zero questions about the sails or the rigging, both of which were about due a replacement that would cost tens of thousands of dollars more than a 220v air-conditioner ever would.
Eventually a third offer came along, we settled on a price and they arranged the survey. The surveyor, as they always do, pointed out the most ridiculous things, and seemingly ignored all of the big ticket items. There was nothing wrong with the sails and rigging, but when a boat is exactly ten years old, you can bet that those are going to be things that need addressing very soon based on age alone. Now, maybe their surveyor warned them about this, maybe not, but it didn’t come up in survey (they shared that with us). I’m sure their insurance company will fill them in soon enough, assuming they aren’t “self-insurers” like us. Regardless, the surveyor determined that a bunch of nonsensical things needed to be replaced/repaired, they came up with a cost of a couple thousand bucks, and I didn’t even bother splitting it. Done. Where do I sign?
Somehow, getting paid took another three weeks, and over half a dozen wire transfers. At the same time we were receiving a wire from Mexico that had gone awry. Just a few hundred bucks refund on the house escrow, but I can’t imagine what our bank was thinking. In the space of a few weeks we’d had wires going to and fro with Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, and the UK. If the US ever funded them, I would totally expect the IRS to call me around the end of April next year.
Hopefully I don’t sound too harsh here. I wish the new owners all the best. I’m sure if I’d spent the last ten or fifteen years watching sailing youtube I’d probably be convinced that air-conditioning was the most important item on a boat, too. I should be happy, after all, those same videos are probably what convinced them they needed a large catamaran in the first place.
Anyway, that’s done. Which is nice. One less thing.
Ali just reminded me I never mentioned a Cruising World article from a while back, either. Cruising World: Back to the Future
The only VW I’ve ever owned was our ’58 bus, but I love wandering the streets of San Miguel and finding the “vochos” sitting all over the place. Like little working art installations.
Really, though, any walk around San Miguel feels like an art walk.
I thought maybe there is a reason this body of water is named the Gulf of Mexico, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
11 Comments on “Boat Stuff”
Pat, I have shirts in my closet that are older than you….. You are just getting “refined”. I had similar experiences when we sold our boat. One couple low-balled us 30K because the wife wanted it to be a different hull color! I have been following along for quite a few years. I just entered hospice so I won’t be around much longer. You have really made a difference in my cardiac cripple life. Thank you so much.
HA! HA! I sure hear ya on that one, Ken!
When we sold our catamaran the couple that bought it decided to haul it out for the hurricane season & felt we should pay for it to be detailed when they dropped it back in the water-to the tune of $2500! NOT!
Before them a surveyor checked the boat for another potential buyer & reported that it had a defect in the construction! When we told that to the dock master where the boat was kept, he put his boat guy right on it…..turns out it was a ripple where the paint had overlapped & he sanded it down in a few minutes-LOL! Honestly, so crazy right?
Beautiful photos Pat & we thank you again for sharing your journey with us! SMA looks lovely!
Hey Ken, Thanks for writing and for following us along all these years. We wish you and your family the best during this difficult time.
Glad to see that you guys have had closure on the sale and happily continuing with your family adventures.
Wendy and I have also made life changing decisions and returned to our favourite cruising grounds in Japan.
Whilst we aren’t ditching the boat just yet we are negotiating the purchase of a winter headquarters in Japan’s most prolific snow region so we will be limiting sailing to just fall and spring seasons.
Hope that you continue to keep writing and publishing. It has been a joy following your young family.
All the best for the future.
I buy and sell about 3 houses per year. I have a very similar experience with home inspectors . I’ve bought and sold a few bought and never dealt with a surveyor as their reputation among many sailors is sketchy , at best.
It will always be called the Gulf of Mexico in our house.
Great photos and story, thank you.
Motorcycling is the same thing; go to sell a bike, people will pick it apart.
I’ve held bikes for decades for a price to be right – after all – they are not making bikes you can repair anymore.
Thankfully, I have several of them.
Gulf of Mexico FOREVER! Resist! The photos of the artwork are gorgeous. Oh, to be able to draw more than a stick figure!
It’s official. Pat, you ((and Ali 😉) are my favorite photographers! These pictures are phenomenal. Thanks in advance for continuing to share your work with us.
Closing that chapter always feels bittersweet, but it sounds like the right moment for you. Anyone who’s sold a boat will recognize the madness in that process, surveys included. In the end, the boat found new owners and you’re free to move on to the next adventure — which really is the best part. Great to see the journey continuing, just in a different form.