Captains Log :1: Free Boat

It is hard for me to believe that ten years ago I was working on sail boats in a what use to be a small fishing village in Costa Rica. The plan at the time was to get a 6 pack captains license and work on boats for the rest of my life. Then I changed my mind and changed directions for a few years. I moved to Texas and opened a Vintage Clothing Store. The idea was that instead of working on other peoples boats, maybe one day I could have one of my own. Fast forward ten years. Fall in love, get married, move back and forth from San Diego to Dallas, ups and downs with business, a dog, fish, chickens, back in the waves with home grown salad mixes. And this week we got a boat.

A 25ft 73 American Sail boat. The manufacturer is a company named American. They are no longer in business but the were known for making good boats. They have a fancy step down into the keel in the cabin adding another 6 inches of head room, if you need it, when you are standing in the cabin.

We picked it up from Driscol boat yard because the price was right. The previous owner pulled it out of the water to paint the bottom. While it was out of the water it ran up quite a bill at the boat yard so the old owner skipped town and left the yard his boat. Two years later the owners of the yard want to use the space and needed to get rid of the boat. They would of like to of sold it for more that then we got it for.

The motor is a Mercury Force 50 Power out board. It is a little bit of an overkill for a sailboat this size so we are up in the air about what to do with it. I could hook it up and be able to motor anywhere I wanted. Or I could try to sale it for on Craigs List, buy a smaller motor and invest the rest into the boat. Seeing how it is a sailboat we most likely will just sale the motor.

We splashed it on Friday, and started cleaning it out. There was a lot of junk from the previous owner.

It is on a pier at the boat yard still. We have till Tuesday to move it. We are going to take over slip at Marina Cortez in San Diego Harbor on the first of the month.

We have enough work to keep us busy for quite some time, but she could be ready to sail by next weekend. It will depend on if I want to sand and paint the mast now or later.

The cabin has all the essentials for cruising or a live aboard. It has a burner, a spot for a fridge, a sink, a head, a bed and more. We are so excited about doing day trips and weekend cruises on this boat. We know that it will be a lot of time and work, however it will also be rewarding to have a boat in San Diego. We sit an watch the ocean every day from our balcony, it will be nice for us to get back out there.