Despite the unusually strong winds we’ve been experiencing these past few weeks, there’s a calm that settles over Maine harbors by mid-October.
The moorings are mostly empty, many docks are out, and the boats that we sailed through another summer have been hauled out and tucked away for winter. And there are boat owners standing in front of a project list that seems to have grown considerably since Labor Day. That would be us.
Beyond that one might think sailing stories would be over for the year.
Not so fast.
Andrew has made it to Norway. That Hallberg 33 Mistral has sold. So have the Norseman 447 and the Nordica 20. Three very different boats, three new owners, and three more opportunities for somebody to discover what life afloat is all about.
And around here, the annual ritual of fixing everything we should have fixed in May is just getting started - and now we have two boats in the stable to manage. We just need the warm weather to hang on a few more weeks.
Some Sailors Actually Go Sailing
Andrew’s arrival in Norway is the epitome of why we got into this business in the first place. If you don’t recall who Andrew is, here’s the skinny: He flew to the US from Norway last Feb, looked at a bunch of boats in Maine and New Hampshire, and finally settled on his perfect boat, a Cape Dory 36. He spent the spring readying her for sailing across the North Atlantic to home. By late June he slipped out of Camden Harbor, ME, and headed east with two intrepid volunteer crew members. While we don’t have all the details, through thick and thin, Andrew, his crew (albeit a different crew from the one he started with), and his boat made it back to Norway a few weeks ago.
We spend a lot of time talking about boats. Their engines, their rigs, their hulls, their leaks, their peculiarities, and the unidentifiable noises they make. Is a boat worth saving? What will it cost to get it out on the water? How long will it take to make it seaworthy? And we spend countless hours debating the relative merits of boats built in different decades.
All of that matters. A boat that isn’t safe or reliable isn’t much of a ticket to adventure.
But at some point, the work has to lead somewhere.
So, yes, Andrew bought a $40,000 sailboat and made it to Norway. He didn’t have a big budget. In fact, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he had pulled in on account of a battery fire, his budget got a lot smaller after he was robbed in the middle of the night while on the dock.
Think about that for a minute. While plenty of us were worrying about maintenance schedules and wondering whether we really needed to replace that piece of equipment just yet, Andrew was out there putting miles under the keel and making a dream happen. And getting robbed. But that’s all part of it, right?!
So, that’s the thing about boats. They can become an endless collection of projects, or they can take us places we might otherwise never see. Or take us home.
Preferably, they do both. Just not always at the same time.
We’re planning to catch up with Andrew soon to hear all about his adventure—what went right, what went wrong, what surprised him, and what it really takes to sail across the Atlantic and make landfall in Norway. Beyond what I’ve shared here, I know for certain he’s got a few more stories worth publishing.
Stay tuned. This is one conversation you won’t want to miss.
Congratulations, Andrew. You’ve reminded us what all this boat foolishness is really about.
Three Boats, Three New Chapters
Meanwhile, the used-boat market has been doing what it does best: connecting people with boats that might just change their lives. There has been a lot of chatter about the demise of the sailboat market. Some of it is true, some of it is not, and some of it is the endless ebb and flow of a fickle market. But boats are moving - including these three that we recently profiled. And that’s encouraging.
The Hallberg 33 Mistral has found a new home. So have the Norseman 447 and the Nordica 20.
They’re three very different propositions. One sailor’s idea of the perfect boat might be another sailor’s idea of a floating apartment building. Some want a capable offshore cruiser. Others want a smaller, simpler boat that gets them out on the water without requiring a second mortgage or a full-time maintenance crew.
There’s room for all of them.
And that’s the thing we love about the older-boat market. You don’t have to start with a blank check. You can find a boat with a history, a bit of character and soul, and the potential to take you somewhere new.
Of course, the trick is finding the right boat. That’s why, on our show, we poke around, ask questions, and try to show you what you’re really getting.
As we have said before, when the right boat meets the right person, something wonderful happens. A boat that’s been sitting in a boat yard, a slip or on a mooring becomes somebody’s next adventure.
And that’s the best part.
The boats are out there. The buyers are out there. Sometimes they just need a little help - and time - finding each other.
And if BoatFools can play even a small part in making that happen, we’re doing exactly what we set out to do: getting more people sailing and keeping good old sailboats out of landfills.
Why We Keep Doing This
There’s a reason we spend so much time looking at old boats.
It’s not because they’re perfect. They’re not. Some are tired, some need more work than they’re worth, but all of them are beautiful in their own way. And plenty of them have decades of life left in them. No one knows for sure how long some of these boats will last. A well-built fiberglass boat doesn’t care how old the upholstery is or whether the nav station has room for a modern tablet. And a good design doesn’t suddenly become a bad one because the calendar has advanced another year. And we’d argue that some of these older designs are way better than the modern ones…
That’s encouraging news for those of us who believe sailing shouldn’t be reserved for people who can afford a brand-new yacht. The used-boat market offers an extraordinary range of possibilities, from little pocket cruisers to serious offshore beasts.
You don’t need the newest boat in the harbor. You don’t even need a new boat. You just need the right boat for the sailing you want to do, a realistic understanding of its condition, and enough money left over to actually use it.
Preferably, with a little left over for diesel and maybe a little gift for your significant other who thinks you’re nuts.
And remember, be like Andrew. Don’t wait for it to be perfect. That day may never come.
Fair winds,
Tris & the BoatFools Crew
Real boats. Real people. Real fun.
Sailboats for the rest of us.
Speaking of Significant Others…
To my special crew member who helps make all of this possible: My wife, Erin. Today is our anniversary and I am reminded that without her support and no small amount of laughing and eye-rolling at my expense, none of this would be possible. Erin not only supported our dream of buying a boat, she somehow went along with us buying a second one. On top of that, she helped us make our charter season the success it was. She puts up with the boats, the projects, the long days, the crazy ideas, and a husband who seems constitutionally incapable of sitting still. BoatFools Sailing has been called “slightly dangerous enablers of dreams.” But Erin is the one who empowers mine, and for that I am eternally grateful. You are my one and only home port.
A BOAT TO GO SEE
If you’re in the PNW and are in the market for a true beauty, please go see this boat! This Javelin 38 was one of a handful made and is an absolute stunner. Her price just dropped to $39k. Here’s the LINK to our remote video tour of her.
