Out of the storm and into the sun.

First of all, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the support of our friends and loved ones during the last two weeks that saw the passing of Simon's father. We are blessed to know so many wonderful and compassionate people.

Simon and I have seen some hard times, but we've decided that we are now ready for some good times. Accordingly, this last week, we undertook a mad search for our first yacht. We went through hundreds of ads. We developed a budget. We learned about ferro concrete boats (more on that later). We looked at charts and weather and work opportunities for Simon. And all this effort has culminated in (drumroll, please): Sharinda.

I think you need a photo reel.



She's a real gem! She's a 12 ton 38' Hillyard yacht made of oak and mahogany. We got her for a song and she just buzzes with the personality that we wanted in our first sea-going home together.

And Hallelujah, too! Getting her has been an amazing testament to the power of the universe to align and create good things when you feel most like you are going to fail. The fact that no one snapped this beauty out from underneath us is a near-miracle. Getting her scheduled for haul-out and survey next week on spring tides (she is currently up a river and can only be moved once every two weeks when the water is high enough) is a definite miracle. Every surveyor in the land was booked for a month. The boat yard's cranes were all occupied. But, divine providence intervened and both had cancellations. So, she's out of the water on Monday, back in the water on Tuesday, and we're sailing her on Wednesday.

She's currently in Woodbridge, which is just a few miles north of Ipswich, the current home of the Polar Bear II. (Alas, the Polar Bear II has been purchased. But that doesn't mean we won't see her again some day... or better yet, get our own customized Nauticat 44 and name her Polar Bear.)

And, no, we aren't going to rename Sharinda. We don't know what her name means (it appears to be a South Asian or North African female name), but it suits her as it is unique and feminine but strong.

Our first sailing adventure, commencing Wednesday the 9th, will be moving her down the River Deben, through the North Sea and up the Thames. In the meantime, we are on a boat kit shopping spree to get her ready for the Atlantic in spring.