The Boat!

Yesterday, I mentioned a new exciting addition to our life and since I'm sure all my readers are dying of suspense (haha), I wanted to fill you in...we got a boat! David had actually come across this months ago at the Golconda marina and had agreed to purchase it then (when he was still under the impression he was getting better after his shoulder surgery!) but the guy we bought it from wanted to do a bit of work on it before we exchanged the dough (gulp!) for the title, so it wasn't until recently that we took our maiden voyage.

It's a 1990 27' Bayliner (Ciera Sunbridge 2755) and it's an unbelievably exciting time for us! We did regret buying it for a while, just after David's setback in mid-June, but 1) we had agreed to buy it and didn't want to go back on our deal, and 2) we felt we needed something like this in our lives (while relatively young and healthy enough to enjoy it) and as encouragement for David to get better. Mentally that is extremely important! We liked that this was already at the marina, where we planned to keep it anyway, and wouldn't have to hassle moving one there...the likelihood of finding a deal such as this again later is slim. And furthermore, this opens up a whole new world for photography! Go for the gusto, right?

So, on July 1st we took our (very short) maiden voyage! (Photo taken by the Doug The Marina Guy) 

My first ride in a boat was agonizingly terrifyingly wonderful! Having grown up in the prairie on a farm and having lived in mid-state Illinois my entire life before recently moving here, the most I was around water was sloshing in puddles after a big rain and the little creek that ran through my parents' pasture. Talk about different! Admittedly I was worried about David handling the boat (yes, he does have boating experience) but after his second surgery, his ability to use his right arm at all was severely affected...and it isn't as if I could help out if he needed me to!

 

We were caught in a bit of a rain during our journey...but who cared!?! I went down below to test out riding there...erm, did feel a bit of nausea so I went back up top! I was fine there...is that normal?

The Captain, of course, stayed put throughout! He looks quite serious there...

It was fantastic, but we still have some cleaning, sorting out, and maintenance work to do...and (for me) ***lots*** of learning to do. Having NO experience in boating myself, that kitchen area looks daunting, and very small (as does everything else)! Needless to say, we will be eating light fare or bringing something from home/restaurant for a while until I can figure out what the heck I'm doing!

With not being used to the controls or handling it before, he did so great! And *just* as we stopped, there was a *real* downpour that would have seriously drenched us, as if he timed it all on purpose perfectly.

Friday night (July 19th) we took a venture out to the marina to spend some time on the boat to get more familiar with things and figure out what we have and what we need. List begun and growing! David also enjoys fishing right there at the marina. With the temps in the 90s lately, we thought we had better test the air conditioning (along with everything else!). Even just sitting below, in the nearly surreal coolness, gently floating, reading one of our Springhouse magazines, was an experience unto itself. I couldn't believe how quiet it was...the soundproofing on the boat is incredible. I couldn't hear a thing going on outside...well, I guess the sound of the AC, that glorious AC, drowned out some of it.

As it turns out, there are several people out there that enjoy going to the marina to just hang out and party and/or go to the nearby island and shore up to cook out and party. Key word there is: party. What a great time these folks have! Such friendly and enjoyable people to be around, it's a bonus (and totally unexpected) that this kind of life is there, available. With a guy like "Fridge" who is known for coming around with a delicious plate of food to share, what is there not to like!?! David mentioned to Fridge that we would bring him some venison if he would like and his reply, "If it dies, it fries" gave us one heck of a good laugh.

Boy, have we needed people like these around us after the couple of months we have had! Actually, people like these being around is needed regardless...if more were like them, what a happy world we would have! Music, boating slip decks decorated with strings of lights, laughter and chatter...it becomes its own little world out there on the water.

Even when we moved here in October 2011, I never really expected to own a boat. It isn't as if I didn't have interest in it...and it isn't as if I ever did. As I mentioned before, my life before moving here was so different, it just never occurred to me. It's exciting to me to learn about this whole new experience of boating. While it's frightening with all there seems to be to learn (and dangerous if you don't know what you're doing!), it's also important for me to delve into the unknown. This old girl has been out of school a while and the brain cells need some invigorating! Methinks this fits the bill.

We have yet to name her though!