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Last night, the Bride and I (probably need to start calling her the First Mate), attended the Acceptance Committee meeting at the Capital Yacht Club to participate in an interview that would lead to our acceptance as full active members.

While no decision was relayed to us, and we won’t know officially until the next Board Meeting on April 20, the interview meeting went pretty well from our observations.  At the end we felt good about how things went.

On the other aspects, our closing/settlement date for the Condo sale will happen not later than May 6, and could actually be sooner.  We will then close on the yacht within 24 hours following that action.

We hope to have all the yacht papers in place, signed off and notarized and the last step would be to transfer the final fund payment to the escrow account.  Then the work begins to make this yacht ours, and reflect our tastes.

I also purchased my new IPAD Pro 12.9 tablet which we will use as the navigation/GPS/charting system for the boat.  I have loaded the navigation software onto the IPAD and will be experimenting with it over the next few weeks.

More as it happens.

Today, Wednesday, March 30 is the day we will meet and be interviewed by the Admission/Acceptance Committee at the Capital Yacht Club.  To say I am anxious is the pinnacle of understatements.  This interview and the Committee’s acceptance is critical to our having a convenient, comfortable and secure berth for the Misty Lady and Charlotte’s commute to her office.

We are scheduled to meet the committee members at 7:00 pm this evening at the CYC club house.  We are hopeful that all will go well and our acceptance will be granted.  Becoming a member of this yacht club, which is over 125 years old, will ensure that we and our yacht have a good home, with caring, helpful and knowledgeable people, good resources and a plethora of close by sites for visitation.  I suspect that Char and I will get in a lot of steps walking over to the Mall, visiting the memorials and the Smithsonian Museums.  But it all comes down to good happenings today.

Also, today is the day that our buyer will have his home inspection process which is the first major process toward the eventual closing and settlement for our condominium apartment.

Wish us lots of Luck today, folks.  A lot rides on today being a good one.

Thursday, March 3, 2016 – At the Anchor Bay East Marina. Dundalk, Maryland

I arrived at the marina at 8:45am for the start of the survey and sea trial activity scheduled for 9:00.  Yeah, I know I am sort of weird that way, always have to be ahead of schedule rather than behind….  A long drive from the Eclipse to the marina at Dundalk!  Be glad when she is relocated down to the Washington, DC waterfront!

The Surveyor, Ken, the Owner, Ron and the Broker, Walt all were there on time.  We decided to do the “haul out” and hull inspection first off.  “Haul Out” is when the boat is lifted out of the water by a huge piece of equipment called a Travel Lift.  We droved the yacht into the special slip and the Travel Lift operator began by lifting the straps to touch the bottom.  Remember folks, this yacht weighs more than 55,000 pounds!  What a machine that Travel Lift is.  The Ron, Ken and I all disembarked from the yacht and the operator began the process of lifting her out of the water.  When she was high enough to clear the edge of the dock, he moved further into the shipyard area so that Ken the surveyor could walk under her and perform his inspections.

During the inspection of the hull, the “zincs” were found to need replacing.  Zincs are also referred to as “suicidal zincs” because the give up their volume to protect the other metal aspects of the yacht from the attacks of electrolytes and other nasty things that are naturally occurring in the water.  Zincs were replaced on several areas of critical need around the aft end of the vessel.

Once the surveyor (sort of like a home inspector on steroids, except he is a certified marine engineer), completed the hull inspection, he gave me the word that she was sound and in excellent shape.  He used a couple of instruments to look at the hull for water intrusion, weak spots, etc. YES!!!

We returned the boat to the water and motored it back out of that area to begin the sea trial.  I was very impressed with Ron (the owner ) turned that huge boat around inside her own length using the engines only.  One forward, one reverse and she simply spun around on her stern.

We pointed her toward the Bay and headed out.  First up were two bridges that we would need to pass.  Walt took the spotter station and discovered that even though the boat would clear (the Bridge is the highest point), it turned out that the three antennas were too high and we had to lower them to a horizontal position.  This would have to be done once more when we returned.

Passing the second bridge the owner began to increase the speed of the yacht.  Vessels this size to not accelerate rapidly (thank Goodness).  After a few minutes we discovered that the starboard (right) engine was heating up past the normal.  It appeared that either one of the lines providing cooling water, or the impeller (that moves the water through the engine) was not working properly.  We headed back to the slip and continued with the rest of the inspection. The owner would have the starboard engine checked out and repair the reason for the overheating (not an engine problem, just an accessory thing).  We would schedule another sea trial prior to the final transaction activity.  This was actually a benefit, because now both my son, Cliff and my wife Charlotte would be available to make the sea trial trip.  The rest of the inspection items were checked off and samples of the engine oil and transmission oil were taken for analysis.  The survey report will be provided electronically, except for the sea trial, within 24 hours.  Ken’s general observation was that this Bluewater Yacht was very stable, mechanically (except for the starboard thing) very good shape, and only small nits were identified.  We expected those so no big deal.

We hope to schedule the second sea trial sometime next week if all parties can be available.  Hoping for Fair Winds and Calm Seas.

Tomorrow morning, I will drive up to Dundalk, MD (Baltimore area) to the marina where the yacht is berthed currently.  I will meet with the certified Surveyor and the Yacht Broker.  At 9:00 am we will start the process.  The surveyor will check and test every component on the yacht, from the bow to the stern and everywhere in between.  The yacht will be hauled (moved out of the water by a huge tractor with slings) and the survey will check the external hull, the fittings that are “through the hull”, the drive shafts, and the props for damage or faults.

Then once all of these things have been accomplished, the survey will move to the sea trial process.  The yacht will be moved back into the water and we will start the engines moving outward of the marina and into the Chesapeake Bay.  The sea trial can take as much a several hours but should only be about three to four.  Following the sea trial we will return to the marina, dock the yacht in her assigned slip and return her to the current owners.  I will then write a check to the surveyor and to the shipyard for the haul out services.

Within 24 hours the surveyor will provide me with a detailed certification of the existing condition of the yacht.  If all goes well no problem and we move forward with the acquisition, if not, the option to correct will be given to the owners or I will have the option of choosing to effect the corrections myself.  Adjustments of the purchase price may result.

But, we have faith that the yacht will come through all of the certification, evaluation and sea trial testing with flying colors.  See what an optimist I am?

More following the activity tomorrow, Thursday March 3, 2016.  Stay tuned.

We have made a total lifestyle change commitment.  We made a firm offer to purchase a power yacht and become live aboard people.  This is something I have dreamed about for decades and in the coming weeks we will realize that dream.

The photo above is a picture of our new water borne home.  She is a 54 foot Blue Water aft cabin yacht.  She has three cabins (bedrooms), three heads (bathrooms) and a salon (living room).  She boasts a full galley (kitchen and dining room), and a command bridge.  She has a 16.5-foot beam (width) and draws 4 feet of water.  Her name, following the renaming ceremony will be the Misty Lady.

Of course there are several steps necessary to get to that stage of being the relaxed, laid back folks who live permanently aboard a floating home.  We first had to make the offer and have the existing owner accept.  CHECKED!

Then we have to have a survey and sea trial for the boat and that is scheduled for Thursday March 3, 2016.  Will start the inspection at 9:00am and the process will continue through out the day, until around 5 or so in the evening.  Once the survey is completed, the inspector will prepare a report for us and it will list any areas to be resolved.  The report will further provide us with a statement of the components on the yacht that are in fine shape.  My son, Cliff and I will be involved with the inspection and will also be making measurements, taking photos and listening/watching the areas covered by the inspector and his assistant.

On March 7 our condo will go on the market and we are hoping that it sells quickly.  The funds from that sale will also go toward the purchase and activities concerning the yacht.

Most importantly, I have presented myself for membership in the Capital Yacht Club located on the Washington, DC water front.  This is where we hope to berth the yacht.

The yacht’s current name is Roving Retreat II and our plan is to change her name to the Misty Lady.  Changing the name of a marine vessel is not a simple task.  For one thing, one must hold a “Renaming Ceremony” where we toast the vessel, give a tribute to the GOD of the water, seas, rivers, lakes.  This ceremony must be attended by friends and supporters.  They must cheer the new owner (me) and tell the god of the sea that we have given a great ceremony with good food and drink.  We must pour at least a half bottle of champagne over the pulpit (anchor spit) with the contents flowing into the water for the benefit of Poseidon/Neptune and to beg his favor for fair winds and good seas.  Once the renaming ceremony has been completed, the new name of the yacht can be uncovered (it should already be painted on the stern and covered until after the ceremony beseeching has been accomplished.

What fun huh?

From this point forward, I will strive to provide an update on a regular basis of the progress toward the acquisition and decorating, along with a description of the voyage from the Dundalk area (next to Baltimore, MD) down the Bay to the Potomac and then up that river to our berthing at the Capital Yacht Club.

Wish us luck in all these endeavors.  We are going to need it.