No ONE LIKES TO BE TOLD THEIR PLAN WON’T WORK. PLL ADMIT THAT MINE WAS FAR-FETCHED: I COULDN’T FIND A GOOD BOAT HERE ON THE US WEST COAST IN 2020, SO I DECIDED TO BUY ONE IN EUROPE, SAIL IT ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND CARIBBEAN, AND THEN SHIP IT TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. ONLY 5,000 MILES AT SEA. ON A BOAT I HADN’T SEEN. DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC LOCKDOWNS.
Aclose friend said, simply, Thats not going to happen.”
I found the boat online, so the internet is at least partially to blame. Yes, I neglected to filter the search results for West Coast boats only.” The reasonably priced, barely used 2012 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 caught my eye, lying lonely in a Spanish marina in Gibraltar Bay.
I can also blame my wanderlust on the pandemic isolation. I yearned for a long ocean voyage any adventure over the horizon. And, I’d done this before: My wife, Kyoko, and I had bought Keala, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44i, in France, sailed it across the Atlantic and Caribbean, and shipped it from Panama up to Vancouver. It was nearly all downwind. It would be easy to do it again. Of course, that was three years ago, when the world was open to visitors....
Perhaps we'd been a bit hasty to list Keala for sale in Seattle during the pandemic. It was snapped right up in the booming seller’s market. We wanted a family boat that was a bit larger, with a bit more space, and with gentle inclines for my father, now 96 years old. He’d taken our family cruising all over the world; it was now my turn to take my dad sailing. And a boat does make a great place to isolate, while cruising in calm and pristine areas like the San Juan Islands.
But for that, we needed a new boat. I contacted the sellers, learned how the boat had been used not much), decided it was our boat, and made an offer.
This story is from the November - December 2022 edition of Cruising World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November - December 2022 edition of Cruising World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Off Watch
A1A is not only my favorite Jimmy Buffett album, but it's one of my favorite records ever. If I were marooned on an island and could bring only five CDs with me, this would be one of them
PREPARING A VESSEL FOR SURVEY
Trying to hide a boat's problems never ends well for the seller. Follow these tips to have a successful day
THE WESTERN WAY
Instead of buying a pricey custom canvas awning for my schooner, I made my own \"covered wagon.\"
HIDDEN GEM
BUT ALL AROUND IS A PARADISE FOR SAILORS WHO LOVE TO LINGER AND EXPLORE
Last Man Standing
During the past four decades, the once-thriving business of American production sailboat manufacturing has nearly vanished, and dozens of companies and builders have fallen by the wayside. And then there's Tartan Yachts of northeast Ohio, which, in some aspects, is as vibrant as ever. Longtime Tartan stalwart Tim Jackett, a marine-industry lion in winter still making a stand, might be the central reason why
Boat of the Year 2024
With sweet, early autumn sailing conditions on Chesapeake Bay, a strong fleet of 19 contenders competed for top honors in our annual Boat of the Year competition. Once the spray had settled and the votes were tallied, the judges awarded prizes in seven categories for monohulls and multihulls. The overall winner? The surprising, innovative Jeanneau Yachts 55.
On Watch
Sometimes, a seamanship or safety issue requires sailors to give up and turn around. But other times, it's just fear taking control of a situation that can be handled
Sailor & Galley
This rich, steaming stew from the Pacific Northwest warms chilled sailors' bones and brings back a lifetime of memories.
Seamanship
George Eldridge first published the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book in 75. Its new edition, published by the sixth generation of his family, is an impressive feat of continuity
Island Time
It's impossible to rank these favorite destinations by beauty. Instead, sailors should set a waypoint based on what they want to experience