Some days it rains, some days it pours. And when we woke up today we thought it may rain. But it ended up pouring in both the literal and metaphorical sense.
All was going well as the morning progressed, it was drizzling and the forecast was for heavy rain, but it seemed to be holding off. The Surveyor was very happy with the interior and deck and could not find anything to be concerned about. A few very minor items, that were more wear and tear than seaworthy or costly issues. So far so good. The yard then very professionally manouvered Sea Otter into the lift-out area and the slings were placed. Slowly she raised out of the water......
This is where it starts to pour, both ways. Add the cold wind that had picked up and we both got the shivers. There as she came out was a bulb keel? Confusion, we had been given specifications for a 6'4" draft? Which usually means a fin keel? I was with the owners and I commented to them, 'hey it doesn't really look like 6'4" and funny that a bulb was on a keel that deep?' Apparently Geoff said something simpler to the Broker Dinah, 'Shit'
There she was a shoal draft bulb keel, that when measured was a whole 5'1"!!!! It would take to long to write what went on over the next 4 hours, but needless to say, the owners seemed to fade away. Our broker was horrified as she too thought it was a fin keel. Everyone else kept telling us, most of the boats over here are now bulb or wing keel and they are really good. Easy for them to say! Everything went on hold while Geoff and I tried to think it all over and digest whether we wanted a shoal draft 37' boat to sail home. Much nashing of teeth, heavy sighs, weighing up of specifications and head shaking happened, before we decided that everything else on the boat was better than we had expected. The surveyor had found no problems underwater either and we had a keen price, so........
We signed and we are now proud, but frayed new owners of 'Sea Otter' We've just been out to the NZ Pub here for a celebration dinner and the only place you can find vegemite over here! I just paid $10 usd for a big jar!!!! It's gotta last us till Tonga before we can find more. Geoff is happier with his 6 pack of Heineken beer price $6 usd!!
Sea Otter will sit on the hard over the weekend, where the yard will try and put a coat of antifoul on her bottom, and a new 3 blade feathering Maxiprop (an expensive luxury) the keel bolts will be tightened and hopefully if the rain holds off, we can drop her back in the water on Monday afternoon. Then we can finally MOVE ON BOARD!! Yay!
All was going well as the morning progressed, it was drizzling and the forecast was for heavy rain, but it seemed to be holding off. The Surveyor was very happy with the interior and deck and could not find anything to be concerned about. A few very minor items, that were more wear and tear than seaworthy or costly issues. So far so good. The yard then very professionally manouvered Sea Otter into the lift-out area and the slings were placed. Slowly she raised out of the water......
This is where it starts to pour, both ways. Add the cold wind that had picked up and we both got the shivers. There as she came out was a bulb keel? Confusion, we had been given specifications for a 6'4" draft? Which usually means a fin keel? I was with the owners and I commented to them, 'hey it doesn't really look like 6'4" and funny that a bulb was on a keel that deep?' Apparently Geoff said something simpler to the Broker Dinah, 'Shit'
There she was a shoal draft bulb keel, that when measured was a whole 5'1"!!!! It would take to long to write what went on over the next 4 hours, but needless to say, the owners seemed to fade away. Our broker was horrified as she too thought it was a fin keel. Everyone else kept telling us, most of the boats over here are now bulb or wing keel and they are really good. Easy for them to say! Everything went on hold while Geoff and I tried to think it all over and digest whether we wanted a shoal draft 37' boat to sail home. Much nashing of teeth, heavy sighs, weighing up of specifications and head shaking happened, before we decided that everything else on the boat was better than we had expected. The surveyor had found no problems underwater either and we had a keen price, so........
We signed and we are now proud, but frayed new owners of 'Sea Otter' We've just been out to the NZ Pub here for a celebration dinner and the only place you can find vegemite over here! I just paid $10 usd for a big jar!!!! It's gotta last us till Tonga before we can find more. Geoff is happier with his 6 pack of Heineken beer price $6 usd!!
Sea Otter will sit on the hard over the weekend, where the yard will try and put a coat of antifoul on her bottom, and a new 3 blade feathering Maxiprop (an expensive luxury) the keel bolts will be tightened and hopefully if the rain holds off, we can drop her back in the water on Monday afternoon. Then we can finally MOVE ON BOARD!! Yay!
No comments:
Post a Comment