OMG...this is almost as hard as posting a personal ad.
erm...lets see...I've been living aboard a '80 Hunter 33' for 2 years now and LOVE it, but wish I sailed more, but living and working is getting in the way of sailing...oh ya, and the stuff is getting in the way too.
I started sailing in high school learning on Lasers, and then on a buddy's Hobie 18' for many years on the SF bay. That buddy died of heart disease 4 years ago at age 40, prompting me to buy and name my first boat in his memory. It was a trailer sailer, a Newport 16 fixed keel that I got free after posting a wanted ad on Craig's List. Ya...free...right. $950.00 later it was ready to sail after a crash course in fiberglass repair, sail repair and trailer repair. I sailed her 2X and then my landlord announced that my apartment building was gonna be sold and that no doubt my rent, that I could barely afford, was going to increase. I recalled an old dream of living on a sailboat. So I sold "Miss Magoo" (Magoo was my buddy's nick name...who I miss terribly) and began searching the web for a home, and knocking on my bank's door for a loan, and after my bank gave me a note "verifying" I had a loan available I found my boat...then the bank told me I didn't actually qualify for the loan they promised me after I had already made an offer on my Hunter 33...this happened while the Hunter was sitting on the hard waiting for her bottom job after I had her hauled for a survey. OMG...hassle hassle hassle but I found a yacht loan company that made me a better loan and the extra time sitting on the hard "only" cost me an additional $500.00 thanks to my F^$%ing Cr@&&y A$$ bank.
But, all is well. I did the bottom job, repairing the only 6 blisters on her basically clean bottom before putting on 3+ coats of high quality bottom
paint (actually ended up being 5 coats on all leading edges). The few times I've sailed Trilogy have been wonderful, esp a terrific sail with friends during SF Fleet week '06 which included an
anchor out night during which I actually got a couple hours of sleep, as well as the most hectic day of sailing I've ever personally experienced amidst what seemed like 1000's of boats jockeying for position to watch the Blue Angels perform rather than watching the position of all the other boats on collision courses...fun times.
I live with my 2 cats in a lovely marina on the Carquinez Straights, and I'm working towards paying off my loans and then outfitting Trilogy with cruising gear with a goal of heading for first Baja, Mexico and then possibly points beyond.
I've enjoyed reading this site, and I'm learning alot thanks to many of you old and not so old salts.
Thanks esp to Giu and his "how to"
videos...the Heaving To video esp....wow did that demystify that technique for me.
Cheers and fair winds.
Matt.
Tayana 52 Ketch
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