Now What?

 

Our Hirsch Gulfstar 45 sailboat, s/v Gallivant is officially sold. We are going land-based, for now.

Two days ago our boat sale became official—title in the new owner's name, full payment for it deposited into our account. It felt like . . . just another day. 

Maybe it's because we haven't handed over the keys, we mused. 

S/V Gallivant leaving Fort Pierce City Marina,
with Chip Cramer, our broker as captain.

Yesterday, Wayne did the boat turnover (how all the systems work) with our broker, Chip, over a day sail from Fort Pierce to Stuart Florida—the official handing over of the keys. 

Our broker, Chip, this image pilfered from his employer's website, S&J Yachts.

It still felt like . . . just another day. Okay, in the land of hurricanes and lightning storms we are relieved we are no longer own or inhabitant a high point on the water.

Rolf waves from the bow as Gallivant heads out of the Fort Pierce marina.

Our Sunnier neighbor Rolf was ecstatic to go along for the ride from Fort Pierce to Stuart.

Fort Pierce City Marina, S/V Gallivant's former slip since ~Memorial weekend.

It's often said of boats, the two best days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Gallivant treated us well and is a beautiful boat purchased from dear friends who loved her and spared no expense on upgrades. However, we never got over our big boat anxiety and decided to quit while the boat market was hot and regroup.

My only boat now: a green sit-on-top kayak. Here I'm on a kayak trip my buddy and tour guide extraordinaire Tom of  Go Kayaking Tours put together on Florida's Crystal River. Chris and Courtney also along for the ride.

We haven't had a physical address for more than seven months since mid-2012. Sure, we've found ways to get our mail handled, by friends and rellies, deliveries direct to when and where we are, or general delivery. But outside of a few months here and there, the only home base we've shared since 2012 . . . is each other.

Me and Wayne on Flamingo Cay, the Bahamas, April 2021.

Meanwhile, we're still house- (and kitty) sitting at our friend Julene's place in Sunnier Palms (yeah, I know that sounds like a made-up name but it really is a place) Fort Pierce, Florida.

Shiva, the ragdoll kitty we're watching for Julene. Isn't she freaking adorable when she's asleep?

Shiva keeps up too busy laughing to get too anxious while we sort out our future.

Location Location

We're in Fort Pierce, Florida.  Technically, we are homeless, but with the boat sale proceeds sitting in our bank, we know we won't stay homeless for long.

Once Julene comes back, we'll finally take that trip north we planned for this summer. If luck is with us, we'll get to see the autumn leaves turn, and be back in Florida before the frost hits, only as residents instead of snowbirds. Meanwhile, until our plans firm up, we're still living out of suitcases. All the rest of our possessions fit in eight dock cart loads, and are currently in a small storage area until we settle. Stay posted and we'll update you when the news is more definitive.

I suspect before a year's passed, we'll get another boat (besides my kayak), just not as a live-aboard. Our voting and mailing address will truly be our own, and on land—a true home base to return to. And home will still remain more where we are together, than where we are in the world at that moment.

Sold—Our Gulfstar Hirsch 45 Sailboat

Sold!

Not 100% official as there's still closing paperwork, which is expected to take another 1-2 weeks.

More soon.

Location Location

We are currently house-sitting in the same town where we are selling our boat,  S/V Gallivant, in Fort Pierce. Florida. Our boat is in the City Marina, Florida at 27 27.039N 16 21.19W. 

Stupid Cat Tricks

Shiva, a 15-week old Rag Doll kitten
we're cat-sitting for in rare form.
(15-second video)

Who knew that a less than $3 laser pen from Walmart could provide hours of entertainment so funny I damned near wet my pants? 

We're currently house (and kitty)-sitting for our friend Julene in Sunnier Palms, Fort Pierce Florida, in the same park we hung out in while boat-shopping. 

Julene (seated right) and her friend Wendy (seated left) in Philly
while Wayne and I mind the fort—and Julene's kitty.

While our boat sits in the Fort Pierce City Marina docks bearing a For Sale sign, we don't want to stray too far from the area. 

S/V Gallivant, in Fort Pierce, looking for someone to take her on new adventures.

We like to give the boat a little primping and cleaning before showings, want to be on hand for any prospective buyer questions that might require us to be present, and someday soon we expect a sea trial—in fact we have an out-of-town offer and that big showtime is this coming week.

Fingers crossed all goes well with this coming weeks for our boat sale.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Besides, it's hurricane season and we're holding off stripping s/v Gallivant naked of her sails before a sea trial, even though the marina prefers it this time of year. We're close to the marina—a 20-minute drive—and would get enough notice to take them down if we're in the path of a hurricane.

We're hoping Gallivant will never need to weather anything like this, though
it is hurricane season in Florida until November.
Photo by Ray Bilcliff from Pexels

Shiva amuses us with what we call stupid cat tricks, but she's a clever furry tyke who's stolen our hearts as she graduates from biting and scratching for attention to mewling and head-bonks. 

Shiva "helping" with the mail in her best attorney-advisor mode.

We're grateful to Julene and the Sunnier gang for welcoming us (and especially John who showed us how to torment our loaner kitty with laser-light) while we figure out our what-next, which could very well be right here. Shiva-kitty wins the prize, though, for providing the purrfect here-and-now distraction to keep us from worrying about our future.

Shiva in boneless-kitty mode, in one of her precious mellower moments.

 Location Location

Harvesting pineapple from Sunnier. There's more.
The hacksaw wasn't needed as the pineapples twist right off when ripe.

We're in Fort Pierce, Florida. Instead of sailing to along the eastern seaboard this summer or to the tropics in November, we're in the tropics right here and now. Our fondest memories and some of our closest friends are a result of our cruising. I'm sure our boating days (and I will post a video when I create it of the terrific 3-day kayaking trip I took with my buddy Tom and the gang of Go Kayaking Tours) are far from over, while we prepare for this bye.