And now back to boats

There's been an old “classic plastic” sailboat on Craigslist that I've had an eye one. I've looked at a hundreds of boats on-line. Checked out their ratings, build quality, specs, history, designers and all that. Once in a great while I've gone to the sailing forums, but it's not the best place to get information. Too many of those people on forums are out and out mean. They have their views and everyone else is an idiot -not very helpful.

My lovely wife and I talked it over. We decided to send and e-mail to the boat owner to see if the boat is still available. We will be going north for a couple/few weeks to take care of the last of dad's business. It would be nice to have a boat waiting for us when we get back to Florida. If that doesn't work out we'll most likely just come back south and get serious about boat shopping.

The price is right and I would not be surprised if the boat is no longer on the market. The rigging and sails are fairly new so that's a huge thing. Perhaps the reason it's been listed for a long time is that the motor that's included is small and under powered according to the conventional wisdom. The owner sailed the boat without any engine at all for years. Since we are all about sailing it's tempting to get a boat that sails well -fast and easy to handle. Motors are for puttering around busy anchorages and marinas -not for making passages.

There is another newer and nicer boat that caught our attention, but we'd have to go into debt a bit to pay for it. We've saved up enough money to buy the other boat, so we hope it's still around.

I'm uncomfortable with the whole idea of having a bucket list -a list of things to do before you die. The whole checklist nature of it turned me off. What happens if you check off everything? Do you then have to lie down and die? Have you ever talked to people do those crazy tours? See eight European countries in six days! Blah! That's checklist mentality.

My “bucket list” isn't really a list. Have more adventures. Life is unpredictable.

-Sixbears