A long day, at the end of a long journey. Cale Mathers, our hull and systems surveyor, spent the best part of that day examining the boat in and out, in the water and out, at the dock and in the Bay.
Travis Thomas, our mechanical surveyor, also came to the boat to check the cutlass bearings, the propeller, and the shaft.
Randy once more drove us into the Bay for a final test, and I took the opportunity to check how the boat behaved forward and backward, or turning port or starboard.
Back to the dock, the verdict is unanimous: this is a sound boat, well maintained, with very few issues, and nothing that would keep us from going cruising tomorrow. For us, it’s more than that: Sandpiper is very close to our dream boat. We’re going to buy her not because we are fed up with hunting for a suitable boat, but because her specifications, her condition, and the price we are going to pay all fit our plans.
There are still a few points to negociate, money to be transferred, official papers to process… But this is going to be our boat. There is a long learning curve ahead, and quite a bit of work before we’re settled down and ready to go cruising. But for now, we’re tired and happy.
For our faithful readers, we can now post some pictures. Enjoy while it lasts: in a few days, this boat will become Brittany Belle!
For additional photos, see Nelly’s post.