Introductions

It is important to note that when we were introduced to C-Cat (now Wind Dragon II), she was currently being lived aboard by Jim and Janet who had recently completed a partial refit on her and had started on her cosmetics.

We were looking past the habitation disarray, ignoring things like color choices, mattresses, food stuffs and flooring and focusing on items like bilges, electrical, rigging, radar, instrumentation, sails, maintenance records, history reports, builder information, safety records, seaworthiness, etc.

We were not shopping for a ‘show boat’ so we were not expecting pretty paint and decor, and to be honest we were really a bit disappointed in the amount of cosmetic work that had already been accomplished because we knew several of these items would be changed again, but we were pleased with many of the features she had and we could apply our own vision to her easily.

There are pros and cons to every boat, but when you’re considering buying one that you’ll live aboard you also have to know your wants and needs. Stay within your comfort zone. Yes, comfort comes at a price, but we’ve learned that without certain comforts you won’t be happy. The hard part, is being able to tell the difference between your wants and your needs, and knowing when to compromise (if you’re able to do so).

Looking at the true value of things helps as well. When we purchased Wind Dragon she was far from being able to make a hop to the Bahamas on a whim, whereas C-Cat (now Wind Dragon II) was more than ready, able, and well enough equipped to begin cruising at any time. To us, this was the biggest game changer. This time we could actually set our sail-away date and stick to it. Less work, more play. It was a no-brainer.