Introducing ourselves and our boat.

[thesaltytar]

Hello everyone!

I am a long time lurker and have been dreaming about owning a little boat for adventuring for a long time. I actually started out sailing tallships with the idea that it would be useful to know if I wanted to sail around the world, which is a supporting reason why I became a marine engineer (Alaska fisheries), also, but still hadn't made it to sailing for pleasure save for a few brief tastes. You know how it goes; life happens.

It was in the middle of a too-ambitious restoration project I met my now fiancee. She stuck with me but the boat didn't. I sold the project vessel and we agreed to scale it back a bit. I still wanted a schooner but something more manageable for me to restore and single-hand if necessary than the 57' on deck project we just wrapped up.

To spare you the boring details we found and purchased a small wooden schooner tucked away in a greenhouse in someone's back yard in Rockland, Maine, from a very nice family. Make no mistake this was also a project boat and, well, the girlfriend was a little put off by the lack of amenities or, more pointedly, the composting head (it was a bucket with a toilet lid and a trowel). Over the next year we flew to Maine and worked on the boat for a month to get her near ready; that is, I installed a head.

We didn't have fancy things like radar, running water, or a stove, but we did have new sails, no motor (it died immediately; long story that ended with using a 2 hp on an inflatable as a little yawl boat to push us on and off docks that required it) an epirb and liferaft, a camp stove, so feeling equipped enough we left Maine October of '21 and made our way to our home in Savannah, Georgia. We arrived sometime December. Our cat came with us and was a great little shipmate, rounding out the crew and really mastering keeping rats away while also doing a bang-up job heading the conflict resolution department (our cat is a very good listener). We also got running water (and an engine) in Newport along the way, so that was nice.

Neither cat nor lady had any sailing experienced but both proved to be good hands (paws?) and we are putting on some finishing touches (amenities) for taking on more cruising trips down the coast and to the Caribbean.

I tell you all of this because introducing Advent, our boat (36' Bud McIntosh, 1956), is at least as important as introducing myself, after all Advent really does most of the work.

Full disclosure we intend to form a business around the vessel but will do so respectfully without "peddling" here on the forum; if it is acceptable I would like to ask you good folks your opinions from time to time about what you would individually, and as a community, find helpful, or want to see more of. Maybe I can do something.

Cheers everyone!

[Tetepare]

You are a glutton for punishment! Best of luck to you.

[TrentePieds]

Classic story - "Start big and move down!" :-)!

I love schooners and galeases and topsl ketches and kragejoller and Brixham trawlers and pilot cutters and anything else that floats and is unmanageable but beautiful.

So I wish Advent, you, your Lady and your kitty all the best :-)!

Cheers!

TrentePieds

[Rumrace]

Sweet ! I think you have tall sail blood the boat looks lovely. Most of us boaters are not as brave as you and buy prepackaged plastic imitations of boats. ( guilty)
I just love you’re sails and lines of the boat

[Adelie]

Welcome.

[thesaltytar]

Thank you everyone!

[Celestialsailor]

I have restored a lot of sailboats. It can be very rewarding. here to wishing you the adventure of your life!