A whole lot going on.

I think I am still in a little bit of shock, but I made an offer on one of the boats in Texas. The Allied Mistress 39 meets almost all of the basic requirements I set out for the cruising boat. I found a website that runs through these requirements in much better detail that I have outlined them to date. Check them out at http://www.callipygia600.com/callnugget/allcruising/boatfind.htm. This couple did a really great job of documenting their cruising experience. I hope I can be as diligent.

The boat will still need a lot of work even thought she is in good shape overall. The engine has 7000 hours on her and will most likely need an overhaul. The radar, gps, instruments (depth, speed, wind) no longer work, and the autopilot is old enough that spares will be almost impossible to come by. These all have to be replaced. The manual anchor windlass needs to be sandblasted and recoated, the sails need to be refurbished with some minor repair, the boat needs a total paint job to look really good, and I am sure the survey will find much more for me to do. Speaking of which, we haul her out and get her inspected and take her on a sea trial on the 19th. I haven't been great about pictures, but I am planning on loading up during the sea trial. There are too many details I can't remember from the few hours I spent on the boat.

Considering the total investment that will be made in the boat I am going to publish an online spreadsheet so that others thinking of doing this can see the "real" cost of owning and outfitting a cruising boat. While the cost scares the hell out of me, I am really excited to transition from boat hunting to boat outfitting. I threw up some details about the Allied company and boat model on my page. Click the title above or head to my homepage to check it out.