After relaxing on Sunday we dove right in to what we are looking for — sailboats. We have scoured the internet looking for the perfect boat, but it is a lot like looking for houses in the States… you just don’t know how you feel about it until you see it. So we looked at about four boats yesterday. Some were in the water, some were “on the hard” as they call it. They are stored our of the water this time of year because it is still hurricane season. Hurricane season makes for some of the hottest, most humid days for looking in not air-conditioned boxes (aka boats). We sweated our way through four boats we had looked at online, but just didn’t get that feeling like we could envision our lives in them.
So with that we all agreed we had to go see the Cal 35′ in Puerto Escandito. The port is a tiny little place about 3.5 hours north of where we are staying in La Paz, and it is what they call a “hurricane hidey hole” because it is protected this time of year. It was just stunning! Our boat brokers, Shelly and Mike offered to drive us up there to look at the boat with the man who was caring for it during the off season, Ray. For me, it was one of those times you really just know – this is it. This is the place we will spend the next undetermined amount of time living. The stunning view didn’t hurt either!
With that we decided to come back to La Paz and make an offer on the boat! The whole time we are just wondering what the life is gonna be like and what this all means, but we can’t help but follow it through. The owners counter offered and we accepted! We have been learning SO much every step of the way. Shelly hooked us up with a good friend of hers, Rob, who is a sailing lifestyle coach. He is the type of guy who shows you how to sail like a pro and how to dive, spear fish, be safe and respect the ocean. Just the type of guy we need to help us get started! All at a price, of course.
Tomorrow we will set off on a sea test of the boat, and then have a surveyor tell us everything he sees that is right and wrong with it. From there, we shall see. In the mean time, please enjoy the photos of our journey so far. : )
Plotting an Escape 