Finding Family

Since the experience of letting our Wind Dragon go was such a traumatic one we were obviously hesitant to commit either way as to whether we would buy another boat in the future, and when asked we weren’t really open to discussing even the possibility that we may just entertain the thought of owning another at some point, and yet the words no and never, also were words which weren’t used whenever we answered inquiries into our future plans.

Between us, we didn’t discuss owning another boat again until Covid took hold hard during the summer months of 2020, and even then the subject was only brought up because we both realized that the only way we would feel able to travel safely again anytime soon, would have to be on our own vessel. It wasn’t even a question of whether or not we would buy one, we just simply began discussing options.

Of course this time around we were 10 years older and not nearly as nimble as we were when we purchased Wind Dragon, and because we had enjoyed Wind Dragon regularly for almost a full decade whether in the water or on stilts in the yard, we no longer romanticized the idea of cozy monohull spaces and tiny living; we wanted more room, larger windows, steps instead of ladders, and helms protected from the weather! Yes, we were moving toward the dark side (motor yachts).

After 9 tedious months of daily searching through multiple sales listings, I was tinkering with Facebook Marketplace (of all places) to extend my search into new areas when I found the sale post which had just published a few hours prior for an older model sailing catamaran that was in mid-refit, and a lot of the big ticket items had already been taken care of. She had space, windows, steps, a protected helm, and best of all we would still be able to harness the wind and travel by sail!

William called the number provided and we were delighted to talk with Jim who spoke with us at length over the phone; he was very knowledgeable and straight forward, happy to answer questions and share everything he knew of her history, maintenance, and especially the recent refit with many upgrades that he and his wife had been completing on her. She still needed some work but she was priced within budget, and we could complete her refit to our personal specifications.

We knew this was an opportunity we had to explore seriously and the boat market was hot. We had already experienced having previous yachts of interest snatched up quickly by other buyers arriving first with cash to seal the deal, so we were aware that there was no time to spare. We jumped in the car and headed to Palmetto FL the very next morning, the first Saturday in May – Derby Day – 11 years from the day we had found Wind Dragon.

We spent an entire day talking to Jim and his wife Janet; touring and inspecting the boat thoroughly, taking lots of pictures, discussing what had been done, what still needed to be done, and pondering possibilities of what could be done. We chatted about histories, both in regards to the boat and ourselves, lifestyle plans that had and hadn’t come to fruition for each of us, and the winds of change. As much as I wanted to resist a fast offer, it felt right. This particular Catalac 10M (hull #9 of 45) had undergone a lot of work, and although there was still cosmetic work to do as well as a few major things we planned to do/add to her for our comfort, technically she was ready to go and could leave the dock on a sail to the Caribbean any day.

We made a cash offer which was accepted on the spot, and since it was late we made arrangements to complete final payment and paperwork transfers virtually because we needed to drive back to North Carolina. An unplanned stop just a couple of hours away turned into an unexpected overnight when the exhaustion of the day completely overcame us and we literally fell asleep on a friend’s couch. The next morning we decided to just return to Palmetto and complete all paperwork and exchanges to make everything official in-person (which would greatly expedite the registration process), and then we would spend the rest of the day driving home.

While filling out Coast Guard paperwork William and I locked eyes over the space for vessel name. We had talked about names for a motor vessel, but we hadn’t discussed naming another sailboat. Obviously the name Wind Dragon was back in play, but with the idea that the original monohull Wind Dragon is still named as such, and this particular Wind Dragon has two hulls, the second, a sibling, was born. Her hailing port would be Wilmington, NC however her target home slip/marina would be in Georgetown, SC.

The circumstances surrounding this purchase were much different from when we purchased Wind Dragon, and we’d like to take a second to acknowledge and address this because we are very well aware that some of you are reading this and shaking your heads, wondering about boat surveys and sea trials and such, and you are absolutely correct! We completely agree that is how a boat purchase should be properly completed and that process had been our plan all along, however before we even got into the car to drive to Florida, we were fully aware that there would be no pre-purchase survey on this catamaran should we choose to make an offer. Just the impacts from the current Covid pandemic alone meant that surveyors were nearly impossible to schedule and bookings were back-logged sometimes months when you could get them, in addition to many other factors and considerations which could result in a lost opportunity.

We were actually quite well prepared for a purchase when or if it happened and had already made the necessary arrangements for insurance and a new marina home slip, so we were able to easily put those pre-made plans in motion and focus on planning our next moves. What we couldn’t pre-plan for prior to purchase were the logistics of moving whatever vessel we purchased; the target timeframe for the move (when it had to leave it’s current spot and how long it would take to get to it’s new spot), as well as a myriad of other concerns and necessities for that journey because those would depend on what type and size of boat we bought, where it was located, what was on it or came with it, and what we had or needed to buy. Now that we had those answers, the real fun could begin.

We had a very, very long trip ahead of us, and soon we would be leaving the dock …