A new era begins as one ends

It’s the end of an era.  SKIRON has been sold.   

I’ve absolutely loved being the owner and operator of this fabulous vessel.  The very day I took ownership I was humbled and a little overwhelmed as she was a complex vessel, had sailed, basically, around all parts of the world, and I recognized she needed time and attention.  

The last days of ownership are a little bittersweet.  On one hand, one has to move on to new adventures (stay tuned!) and there’s the need to sell in order to move on. On the other, this vessel has been a blessing in many ways.  I’ve learned a great deal about upkeep, maintenance, renovations, boat systems, etc.  Also, Skiron made me a real sailor in every way imaginable.  Procedures and practices, approaches to safety, sail trim, navigation, passage making and more were all honed on the deck and interior of this mighty 37 ft vessel.  Further, I’ve taught my partner Ruby to sail on SKIRON.  I’ve shared plenty of outings with friends.  Some of the best sailing friends one could imagine have spent time on the vessel.  I’ve logged seemingly countless (but counted) days of sea time to meet the requirements for a Mariner’s (Captain’s) license from the USCG.  I’ve met so many superb individuals who work in their areas of expertise to service the vessel when needed.  Most of them have become friends.  Last but certainly not least, ownership has enabled me to establish a great relationship with the former owners of the vessel (then Lindisfarne), Annika and Bjorn, who have been kind and generous with their insights, advice and  recommendations from the time I purchased the vessel and now all the way up to the sale.   SKIRON has created a multitude of opportunities for me to grow in many ways and for that I’m grateful.  

The process of selling the vessel was revealing as to the types of folks interested in buying a sailboat.  There were the expected “hull kickers” who had no interest whatsoever but needed comparisons.   There were people who, based on what I heard, maybe didn’t really know what type of a vessel they should purchase.  There were a few, one in particular, who seemed to recognize the vessel for what it was, seemed to really desire it, but didn’t want to pay anywhere close to asking or negotiated price.  Another was considering living aboard.  Yet another potentially serious buyer was interested in cruising.  

When negotiations with a serious buyer fell through, I wrote six friends and asked them to help me find a buyer knowing these gentlemen belong to different sailing clubs, have sailing friends I’ve never met, as perhaps a net should be cast in those waters, so to speak.  One of them, an individual who knows the vessel and follows this blog, someone I’ve known for 16 years, indicated he would jump at the chance of ownership of this Forgus 37.   We did a sea trial perhaps a day later and then he made arrangements to purchase the vessel.  I couldn’t be more delighted that he is the new owner.  I had always hoped to find someone who would share my passion for sailing and also this particular vessel.   I know she is going to be in good and capable hands.  Here’s hoping his journey with the vessel will be as enjoyable, fun-filled, meaningful, and as educational as has been mine. 

What’s next? I’m not entirely sure. I have considered teaching at one of the local sailing schools. I’m sure that would build sea time towards maintenance of my Mariner’s certificate. It would not, however, satisfy all of the desires I have related to sailboats and being on the water. I still desire to teach but……I’ve been looking at sailing vessels. One thing I’ll say is that there is NOTHING available like SKIRON for the money. You’d have to pay almost double to get that package today in a used vessel and three times more to even start looking at similarly equipped new vessels. I’ve always loved Nautor Swans, especially the older classics, and have been studying them. My first offer ever on a sailboat was on a Swan that ultimately didn’t pass my inspection. So, perhaps I’ll be fortunate to find a decent boat this next time. I plan to change the name of the blog once I acquire another vessel. The existing content will remain on the site as it’s somewhat informative and is a record of a fraction of my experiences.