Finding Navigator

Eight weeks ago what seemed an innocuous series of events has turned into a growing cascade of change for us.  A curve ball that was totally unexpected - seemingly outside the realm of possibility - suddenly causing changes to the fabric of our nice stable existence.  Changes possibly dramatic - but somehow changes we think welcome.   Have we hit it out of the park?  Or popped up a blooper?   Time will tell.   We think out of the park.

Half way through our Rideau Canal adventure on Taku we arrived in Ottawa.   Nine days out of Clayton, NY, having come down the St Lawrence to Montreal then up the Ottawa River to Canada's capitol, we were scheduled for a two nights stay.   Liz, in agreeing to make a 21 day cruise aboard Taku, required at least one stay at a decent hotel for the necessity of a hot shower (and a hair drier).   Of course I was glad to agree to any stipulations so long as it got me an adventure on the Taku.  Hence our reservations for two nights at the Chateau Laurier Hotel.

Parks Canada provide wonderful docking space along the canal walls just upstream from the first set of locks - right in the epicenter of the city, within sight of Parliament and a short walk to the Chateua Laurier.   As we gathered our overnight bags and started walking along the quay to the hotel we passed serveral other boats similarly moored along the canal including "Twilight" - a pretty boat from Harwich, Massachusetts.   There was a couple on deck and we briefly exchanged pleasantries with Ted and Kim.    As we walked away Liz said  "what a beautiful boat".   

Now Liz has often remarked "thats a beautiful house" as we drive through the countryside - but never has she made such an appraisal of a boat before.   Now to be sure, there are occasions where I might let one of her comments about a "beautiful house' pass without notice - but in this case I took notice.  And over cocktails at the hotel she brought the conversation back to "that boat" - and how we could do so many more things in a boat like that  Well I was floored!   Liz picturing us on a bigger boat doing bigger boating things!

Later that evening as we walked to a nearby restaurant, we bumped into Ted and Kim again on the street and exchanged pleasantries.   Before we went our respective directions, knowing Liz's reaction to their boat, I asked if they would possibly give us a tour sometime?   Of course!  So we made plans to meet them the next afternoon.  

 

As they showed us around [the interior was amazing!] they explained how they had identified the Helmsman 38 Pilothouse as their ideal boat but that none had come on the market.   They had just given up and started making other plans when "Twilight" came on the market.   They made an offer sight unseen and were happy they did.

Two weeks later, back at home in Maine I was taking care of my 'to do' list, one of which was to join the American Great Loop Cruiser's Association (AGLCA).   This came at the recommendation of both Bill and Otto, our traveling companions on the Rideau.   It only took a few clicks and then the 'New Member Experience' took me to their "Forum" - a collection of messages from membets on a variety of topics.   Out of curiosity I started scanning the subject lines - and in the first 30 or so was one whose subject caught my eye: "Is that your Helmsman 38 Pilothouse  for sale?"   Of course I was curious so I opened the message to read the reply: "yes it is".

It didn't take me long to Google 'Helmsman 38 Pilothouse for sale' and discovered the listing for "Navigator".    I showed the listing to Liz - "hey, this is a sister ship to the boat we saw in Ottawa!"

"Left alone unsupervised"

We'd been pretty busy that first week since returning from the Thousand Islands (including a wedding) and that Sunday, the day I saw the Helmsman listing, Liz went off to New Hampshire to celebrate her daughter's birthday with her.   While I had a long 'to do' list, I was also curious so while she was off, I started investigating this boat.   I even used the AGLCA Forum to send a message to the owner:  

"Saw a sister ship to yours ("Twilight") in Ottawa Ontario two weeks ago.  We were crusing the Rideau on a Tolman 24 and my wife and I got talking to the owners.  They gave us a tour.  My wife loved it.   Perhaps there is a match here.  Could we see your boat in person?"

I got a response from the owner:

xxx xxx xxxx[telephone number] Marco

So, I gave him a call.   We talked for about 15 minutes, the upshot of it was - if you are interested why don't you fly down and take a look?   Yikes.  Gulf Shores, Alabama?  But why not?

So with Liz still in New Hampshire I spent a few minutes setting up a hypothetical trip to Gulf Shores.  When we next talked I asked her whether she had any appointments in the next few days?  Why do I ask?  Well, would she like to take a little trip to look at a boat?   Before she left Katherine's house we both were holding flights to Pensacola.

Gulf Shores 

That was Tuesday.   At 5:45 am Thursday we were boarding a flight to Pensacola, FL.   Both of us excited but kind of surprised we were actually going to go check out this boat.

We've been married just over 4 years now and life has been good.   In that time we have had alot of changes. Through all of that we have had to figure out how being married - and retired - would work.   But most important:  Liz makes me happy -  and somehow I seem to make her happy.

 Among the questions we had kicked around (eg. did we ever envision owning a second home?  No) we had never considered buying a bigger boat.   So we weren't prepared for what happened.

When we came back from the Thousand Islands things just seemed to unfold.   We had a wonderful time.   We had enjoyed the beautiful waterways, enjoyed our boating companions, and had met alot of interesting people.  So when this boat - just like the boat that caught our eye in Ottawa - came on the market - we just felt like why not go take a look at it?  

Marco, Karen & Navigator

We arranged through the broker to tour the boat Friday, but the owners, Marco and Karen, knew we would arrive sometime Thursday.   We had a text from them before we landed inviting us to come straight over to the boat and meet them.   We were on the boat by 2:00 and spent 2 1/2 hrs meeting Marco and Karen & getting shown the boat.   Marco had me crawling through the engine room showing me all the systems.   Karen showed Liz all the finner appointments.

We left the boat saturated with information - overwhelmed even - but feeling very excited.   That evening we enjoyed a beachfront restaurant and sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.   We joked that we were like the couple on Beachfront Properties sitting around having a cocktail and discussing which house to choose:  House 1, House 2, or House 3?  

Have to call Ken   

I slept well.  I felt like we should make an offer.   Liz tossed and turned.   Kicking around the yin & the yang in her head.   I think she was torn between 'why not?' and 'what are we thinking?'   Breakfast discussion wasn't too productive until Liz declared that she just couldn't make this kind of decision without talking to Ken, our financial advisor.   

Fortunately Ken was in and picked up our call right away.   So we explained what our dilema was.   He asked how much?  Then he simply stated his view:  we obviously love boating; we live within our means - and he thought 'go for it'.   So 22 days after seeing "Twilight", without ever having discussed buying a bigger boat, we make an offer.

Fast Forward

Now a month later we are sitting aboard Navigator enjoying our first breakfast aboard.  Our offer was accepted by Marc and Karen.   Navigator passed the survey with flying colors, insurance bound and papers passed.    Stay tuned for what is next.