I've been thoroughly preoccupied with Yamaha sailboats for 22 years. I was hooked since the day a friend of mine took me out on his tall-rigged 33 back in 1995 (The Irish Whiskey. Now sailing as the Pino).
I spotted a Yamaha 33 on Flickr in 2009 and immediately fell in love with her.
I'd give the Flickr page a glance now and then over the years to get a quick fix, and dream of the day when I would own such a fine vessel myself.
I commenced my search for a sailboat in February, 2016. The process was as pleasant as having one's anal hairs plucked. In February of this year, I spotted a Yamaha 33 called "Liming" for sale in Sidney, B.C. I had initially been warded off by her tiller, her price, and by the fact that she had been on the market for quite some time. However, after a year-long fruitless search, desperation was setting in, and I made the journey to see her from Vancouver.
Sadly, the Liming was very tired, and she also needed an extensive refit, as the owner had raced her hard over the years, and she was showing some signs of considerable neglect.
I placed an offer on her that was commensurate with her age and state of repair. The owner reacted like he had just been sodomized.
Just as I was on the verge of quitting the whole enterprise completely, the Empress appeared for sale on Craigslist.
When I went to have a look at her, all of my youthful illusions were dashed immediately. She had passed through the none-too-gentle hands of several owners since 2009, and was looking the worse for wear.
It took a month and a half of negotiation, but I managed to get her for a very good price.
Inspired by Amesey's blog on his Yamaha, I decided to make a contribution of my own.
Sadly, it is incomplete, as I was hoping to chronicle her repairs in greater detail. However, by week two of her refit, I was beginning to question my sanity, and couldn't be arsed to take the time to pull out my phone to snap a few pictures when I was sweating and cursing.
I will, however, be adding more pictures as I progress with my refit.
I spotted a Yamaha 33 on Flickr in 2009 and immediately fell in love with her.
I'd give the Flickr page a glance now and then over the years to get a quick fix, and dream of the day when I would own such a fine vessel myself.
I commenced my search for a sailboat in February, 2016. The process was as pleasant as having one's anal hairs plucked. In February of this year, I spotted a Yamaha 33 called "Liming" for sale in Sidney, B.C. I had initially been warded off by her tiller, her price, and by the fact that she had been on the market for quite some time. However, after a year-long fruitless search, desperation was setting in, and I made the journey to see her from Vancouver.
Sadly, the Liming was very tired, and she also needed an extensive refit, as the owner had raced her hard over the years, and she was showing some signs of considerable neglect.
I placed an offer on her that was commensurate with her age and state of repair. The owner reacted like he had just been sodomized.
Just as I was on the verge of quitting the whole enterprise completely, the Empress appeared for sale on Craigslist.
When I went to have a look at her, all of my youthful illusions were dashed immediately. She had passed through the none-too-gentle hands of several owners since 2009, and was looking the worse for wear.
It took a month and a half of negotiation, but I managed to get her for a very good price.
Inspired by Amesey's blog on his Yamaha, I decided to make a contribution of my own.
Sadly, it is incomplete, as I was hoping to chronicle her repairs in greater detail. However, by week two of her refit, I was beginning to question my sanity, and couldn't be arsed to take the time to pull out my phone to snap a few pictures when I was sweating and cursing.
I will, however, be adding more pictures as I progress with my refit.
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