G
Gary Wyngarden
To begin with, this was all Phil and Bly's fault. THEY dragged me against my will to the Boats Afloat show in Seattle in January where I was introduced to the Nauticat 43. A 1984 Sparkman and Stephens designed ketch, it was beautifully restored to probably better than new condition. Teak decks, gorgeous wood down below, an awesome owner's cabin, an inside helm as well as an outside helm, a raised settee next to the inside helm. A boat built like a tank that could go anywhere in the world in most any weather.All for the modest asking price of $264,000. I rationalized. Yes, Shibumi is a beautiful boat, but she's really not a blue water boat, and it sure would be nice to have an inside helm for the trip to Glacier Bay. Eventually we may go long distance cruising, and I should get to know our long distance cruising boat now. The Nauticat has all kinds of charm and romance.Then I started to think about my boating budget. Shibumi is entirely paid for and my boating costs run five to ten thousand a year depending on maintenance requirements and what toys I'm buying. She is in great shape and terrific for everything from singlehanded day sailing to long coastal cruises to exciting places in our area. She's easy to handle and maintain and it's no financial burden to keep her in top condition.With the Nauticat, a significant boat loan would have to be taken on and paid off and I figure our annual boating costs would skyrocket to more than $30,000 a year. We couldn't go anywhere for now in the Nauticat that Shibumi can't already take us because of time availability. Luxury requires complexity which begets system failures and maintenance headaches which can interfere with cruising enjoyment.Shibumi is named for a philosphy of life that in part you experience by "passing through knowledge and arriving at simplicity." It's a good reminder of what our sailing is all about.Fever's broken/ crisis past.Gary WyngardenS/V Shibumi H335