Well here I sit watching the latest round of evening storms fade from the evening sky and trying to get my head around the idea that we bought a yacht. Looking back on these musings I see it was barely 9 months ago when we first even thought about getting a “starter boat,” (less then 30 feet, more than 20 feet). I have to say if 30 years ago someone had given me a list of all the things Deb and I would do, buying and working toward living on a sailboat is the one thing on that list I might have believed. On the one hand it seems like something that has happened really fast; but on the other it seems like a thing that has been a long time coming.
But right now I’m still a bit stunned. We bought a yacht. It is a little yacht mind you, just about 30 feet from stem to stern if one counts the cool looking bow sprit. It is a tick over 24 feet long at the water line, draws 3 feet 6, is 9 feet 6 wide at the widest part, and is known as “Nomad.” (I love the name.) It seems pretty modest as yachts go, not real fast (with a 24 foot LWL hull speed works out to around 6.5 knots, or 7.5 mph) and with a simple sail plan I suspect even that speed isn’t something we will see every day. But that is okay since fast is not the point
Several of the folks at the marina where we found Nomad, (and where we will be keeping her) told us that we had an “ocean going” boat. I am a bit pleased by that, even if I’m not sure I believe it. Still little Nomad looks like a sailboat should look and I have to admit I was a bit taken by her the first time we climbed aboard. Small stout little windows to keep the waves outside the hull, lots of wires and ropes running everywhere, brass, teak, bow sprit (I did mention that is a pretty cool looking part, right?) in fact I’m a bit concerned that, even with the class, I’m not sure I know what all that stuff is supposed to do. That’s okay though, virtually everyone we have met at the marina has volunteered to sail it with us and “show us the ropes.”
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