THE BOAT

It wasn’t quite spelt out properly in my opening paragraphs, but I should emphasis that I plan to live in the boat that I am about to purchase, full time, all the time. There is no cottage, apartment or trailer just up the road to escape to when days and nights get wet, cold and windy.

I have now seen a boat that seems to have the space I need, at least within the budget I had set. In fact it was way below the budget and I will, in future times of boat distress, wonder why I didn’t listen to all the knowledgeable boating people who said “don’t buy a boat that isn’t seaworthy”, but the price was irresistible.

My lack of knowledge about boats is astounding. When told that “the outdrive’s sacrificial anodes are depleted, I said “Great”, thinking that ending anything that is sacrificial must be good. Wrong answer.

My theory on this purchase is that if you get it cheap enough (believe me, I did) then you can afford to spend the bucks to upgrade it and end up with an old boat with new bits. And that’s what I have done. I will have, by next week, a new 2 burner propane stove top, which replaced an old electric/alcohol one, a new propane system with a safety system that also looks after the BBQ on the aft deck.

In addition, the electrical has had a complete check up, with two new golf cart 6 volt batteries, a new three bank charger, a plug installed to facilitate an electric space heater at floor level and other assorted upgrades.

Without getting technical, (because I haven’t a clue what exactly was done) the leg needed work to the tune of $2,000 and the seller picked up half the cost. There were three different types of inspections prior to making the final decision, so the offer was conditional upon my being satisfied with the results. The process was detailed and educational. e.g. the eight cylinders were put through a compression test and all read between 150 and 160 somethings, which, I am told, is good. See, I am learning lots.

The style of this 1986 quirky, questionable vessel is known as a sunbridge cruiser. This is a boat with an open helm situated on the main deck and with a full galley, head, and staterooms forward and below decks (read, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms you landlubbers) This provides good outdoor seating while underway and this one has a camper canvas which can enclose the open helm area, thus expanding the number of spring, fall and, optimistically, some winter, months.

There is a v berth, which can be curtained off from the main living area, and can sleep two, and there is an aft cabin with a good size berth (stateroom/bedroom) which will be my sleeping area of choice. The head is small with a hand held shower which means you get wet, turn it off, lather up and turn it on again, As I have yet to experience any of this, I have a feeling you will be subjected to future “more than you need to know” stories of my head.

By the way, my boat is called “Second Choice”. It is bad luck, they say, to change a boat’s name. I may take that chance. The poor wee boat must have an awful complex with a name like that. Maybe I’ll tell it that my first choice was the Royal Yacht “Britannia”.

There will be lots more about THE BOAT in future missives.

Meanwhile, I decided last week to change from a desktop to a laptop. A laptop makes sense on a boat of 28 feet, with a 10 foot beam. I knew that before I left Toronto but was most reluctant to part with my old friend Dell, having spent more time in that wizard’s company than with all my friends combined.

This notebook takes up no space, has practically no wires, can accommodate my charts when cruising the seas, has a good sound system, and lets me use Skype without headsets and microphone. Sorry Dell, but Acer here is now my new pal.

Oh, Canada.

Obviously Ontario and British Columbia are in the same country, yet I had to change my health card, my telephone number, my driver’s license, my car insurance, and my vehicle plates. I now have bright new B.C. license plates, giving me the feeling that I have, very much, arrived. Talking of which, a friend said ‘Gee, Ontario license plates have a lot of numbers” Ontario is generally 4 letters and 3 numbers whereas B.C. is 3 letters and 3 numbers. This from a guy whose address is 1818-10175, 157Th St.!!

Presently my address is simply General Delivery, Madeira Park, B.C. V0N 2H0. This puts government agencies and banks etc into a tizzy. “Sir” they say,”we need an actual address, this is not sufficient”.
I reply that the Post Office is my address, as I am to be living on a boat.
“Cool, but we must have a civic address” they reply.

“How more civic can a Post Office be ?” I state, reminding myself to, indeed, be cool.

“Life is very short and there’s no time for fussin’ and fighting my friends”     Lennon & McCartney

We can and did work it out.

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