Today our two house sales closed and we overnighted all of the notarized paperwork to complete the boat sale. Just wiring of money around the country and the boat will be ours. After about 2 years of starts and stops this doesn't quite seem real yet. Next step will be to secure a berth on a freighter to get it to our area as quickly as possible - we hope to have it loaded as early as next week!!
Erin suggested that we post a kind of FAQ's blog while we wait for the boat - we will also try to get some photos up.
- Why aren't you driving the boat from Florida to Everett?
- We don't have the required experience yet and we don't have the ability to walk away from our employment for a couple of months at this time.
- Are you retiring and sailing away now?
- No. We expect to work for about 5 more years. During that time we plan to learn the systems of the boat and practice operating her in waters we are familiar with.
- Who will maintain all of the systems?
- Norman has always enjoyed working with his hands and actually looks forward to a new mechanical challenge. Clarice recognizes that if something happens to Norman at sea she will need to be able to keep the boat running so she is planning to take classes in maintaining the diesel engine, etc..
- What are you doing for shoreside transportation?
- We are keeping the VW Sportwagen and Burgman scooter (as well as bicycles). There is also a bus line serving the marina area.
- What about laundry?
- The boat comes with a washer/dryer (one machine that does both). We will also have access to laundry facilities in the marina.
- Do you have to go to shore to use the toilet and shower?
- The boat has two heads (bathrooms), both with showers. The marina provides boatside pumpout service as part of our moorage fees.
- How much does moorage costs?
- We are expecting to pay about $900/month which includes the space, 2 auto permits, TV cable, garbage service, water service, holding tank pumpout, and internet.
- How are you getting mail?
- A local marine store has PO boxes they rent out.
- What is the first big trip you have planned?
- Our goal (likely next summer), is to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. Currently we don't have the time away from work nor will our insurance cover us outside of the Salish Sea.
- Where do you work?
- Clarice works for one hospital district from home. She will have her office in the pilothouse (the dog loves this arrangement as much as Clarice does).
- Norman works at the hospital in Everett.
- We are both long time RN's.
- Who is Jarvis?
- Jarvis is our Jackhuahua (Jack Russel - Chihuahua mix) who loves boats and boating adventures but hates getting wet.
- Why not a sail boat - (free propulsion and all)?
- Free is a relative word. In a lot of reading we have done, folks who have traveled the world in boats like ours after having sailboats report that because of the very high maintenance costs of wind catching appendages, it is cheaper in the long run to operate the trawler.
- While there are some folks who don't even have an engine on their sailboats, most sailboat owners report motoring about 70% of the time.
- Trawlers don't have to tack - straight lines are much shorter.
- Sailboat cabins feel like "caves" to us (yes, we owned and enjoyed sailboats in our past) compared to the cabins of trawlers.
- Why a Nordhavn brand?
- There are about three companies making production, ocean crossing qualified, trawlers. They all compare themselves to Nordhavns. We paid a lot for that brand name but believe the quality of the boat justifies the difference in cost.
- So how far can it go and how fast?
- It moves at hull speed like a sailboat so 6 - 8 knots (hull speed boats don't ever go faster than physics allow as they move through, rather than over, the water) but is VERY efficient in doing so.
- We expect to average about 3 nautical miles per gallon of diesel and can hold about 1000 gallons.
- consider this - for the cost of 1000 gallons of diesel we can take as many people as we want AND our house to Hawaii.
Norman
