This is the tale of how we went for a boat ride, and it changed everything.

9.24

Our sea trial was scheduled for 11am, but Kyle wanted to get there early and poke around. We weren’t able to explore much the first time because she was under contract.

We woke up to pouring rain and heavy thunder. We’d chosen our airBNB specifically because the boat slip was within walking distance, so, even though a kind stranger gave us a ride, we were still soaked by the time we got to the boat.

Tom told Kyle where the hidden key was so we were able to get inside the boat and out of the rain, but once inside I immediately felt queasy. The rain was letting up so I moved back to dry land – we hadn’t even left the dock and I was feeling a little seasick? That doesn’t bode well for a sea trial.

Soon Tom, our broker, arrived, and then Jeff, the listing broker, followed. After we untied the lines and took off, I started feeling much better, so it must have been the weird motion at the dock that was making me queasy.

There wasn’t much wind, but Jeff raised the sails. This boat has an electric winch which makes single-handing a breeze – it’s SO easy to sail. We don’t have much experience with catamarans so this was also a test of how we felt about the motion, which is much different than a monohull. All in all we were really pleased, there was a bit of a swell, and then we got hit by some larger wakes and saw how she handled those too. It’s been so long since I’d been out on a boat that I had forgotten how great it is. By the time we headed back toward the dock, the sun was out and it was a gorgeous day for a sea trial.

Kyle talked to Tom a bit about not being able to find a marina. Tom gave him contact info for one of his buddies up in the Charleston area, and assured him that as long as we’re paying the transient rate and not causing a scene, no marina is going to ask us to move on.

We got back to the airBNB around 1pm. Between stress-induced insomnia and feeling a bit seasick all morning, I needed a nap. Later we wandered out to a grocery store for some sandwich ingredients and ramen noodles. What does it say about us if we’re considering buying a catamaran but we’re eating ramen for dinner? Priorities, I guess.

We didn’t discuss anything boat related today, we just tried to relax and not stress out. So neither of us have said anything, but deep down, I think we know – this is our boat.