The wettest week since Noah built the ark, or some sutchlike.
Firstly, apologies from the Jurassic era.
Not at all sure what happened to the last post about Spain. The bulk of it seems to have disappeared without a trace...
It was an interesting trip so I'll have to redo it sometime if it doesn't turn up soon.
People have made fortunes from movies of dinosaurs in the world of modern technology. I don't think the dinosaurs ever win. I sure didn't this time.
After all our efforts we appear to have been out manouvered in our negotiations to buy Bon Accord.
Maybe not out manouvered because I can't see how we could have done anythinhg differently. Just useful pawns in someone else's game.
Briefly, after submitting an offer with a comprehensive list of what the boat needs, with cost estimates, the broker became evasive and extremely difficult to contact by phone or email.
A fortnight later when we did get hold of him, the boat had been sold to an ex boatyard owner for 'a much higher amount'.
It's hard not to come to the conclusion that our offer was used to soften up the seller's expectations, and a buddy/relative, whatever, in a position to do the work at trade cost offered a little more and picked up the boat without so much as a survey. I fully expect to see her back on the market in 6 months, looking beautiful and with price tag to match.
The dogs bark but the caravan moves on...
I eventually managed to drag Sandy away from her preoccupation of sticking pins into little wax effigies with wooden clogs, and we spent the last week reviewing our boat list and contacting brokers.
Our next best options are back on the other side of the Atlantic... again!
Our travel agent will have no difficulty winning agent of the year for 2012. Actually he deserves it because he is good value. We hunt around for the best prices we can find from the online discounters, and so far he's managed to beat them every time.
At the moment we're very interested in a boat that came on the market just a couple of weeks after we flew out of California. In fact it's located in San Diego, about half an hour from where we were staying in Oceanside. Lousy timing!
We have learned in the last couple of months that the chances of finding the perfect boat are about nil. Every boat we've seen is a mix of compromises. It's just a question of which bundle you like the most.
Captain's Mistress is no different. Cute name, but how would you explain to an ageing church-going grandmother that you'd just bought the Captain's Mistress?!
Even worse, getting on the radio and bellowing "This is the Captain's Mistress...". Imagine the responses. Hoots of laughter then, "That hormone therapy really hasn't kicked in yet, has it...?"
As it happens we know a bit about the boat because it was on the market a year ago, before we had sold up enough stuff to be able to buy. It appears that the last buyer's wife finds the boat too big and intimidating for their needs. And it probably is big unless you're looking for a home. Modern light weight boats would be far more suitable and easily handled if you're just looking for fairweather coastal sailing.
But at the time it was a liquidation sale and he picked up a bargain.
Her particular bundle of compromises include being a cutter (1 mast with a big main sail and 2 headsails) as opposed to a ketch (2 masts with a slightly smaller main sail and an additional sail aft). Most boats these days are cutters. She doesn't have a bowsprit either, so doesn't have quite as much aesthetically as we'd like.
On the other hand, she has loads of her own character, and above all, she has the best layout for a home on the water of every boat we've seen so far.
Considering that life on the water is 85% at anchor, having the ideal layout makes for being happy 85% of the time. She is also very well equipped and we would have her cruise-ready in a couple of months. No more flights and cheap hotels and rental cars!
We could head down to Mexico and the Sea of Cortez and start the life we've planned.
Here are a few pictures of Captain's Mistress...
A longish shot, but from talking to the broker it appears the owner is keen to sell.
Until next time...