Many of our new readers might need a little clarification as to who we are and where we came from. I hope a little background helps get people up to speed. I wanted to give you all a chance to see where our heads are at, at least at this point in our lives. So below I give a quick synopsis of our cruising experience and the choices we have made that have led up to now and our happiness at finding Felicity.
Okay so our first boat was a 424 Pearson S/V San San and what a great 1st boat for me. It was one that needed very little in the way of mechanics or upgrades. Essentially, ready to go, GR packed us up and took us on the shakedown trip of a life time from Peanut Island, Lake Worth Area straight to The Abacos, Bahamas. I was so nervous I was seasick the whole way. Nothing cures the ails and exhaustion of the sea like waking up to the crystal clear aquamarine waters that are the Bahamas. When I say the boat had everything I mean it had a reefer (boater terms for refrigeration), generator, hot water heater, vaccu-flush toilet, the list goes on. It definatley made life easier to adjust from land to sea. However, after a year of glorious salling through the Eastern Caribbean and some minimal teak restorations we had obligations to "take care of" back home. Property. Not to mention that cultural calling to be a part of society and give Gia an education with other children.
Well during our 2 year stint on land we worked our butts off, dreamed of sailing away, and got rid of the property. We never wanted those chains on us again. We were resolved to be seafarers for life!
Our 2nd boat, the one we just couldn't wait to get into was a "REAL" project boat. The boat was an 1977 Ericson 36C, red soon to be renamed S/V San San. We carried the name over because to us, it meant home. We tried to make acronyms out of it; Sail All Night, etc but to no avail. San San was recently sunk, briefly for a few hours while tied to the dock in brackish water. When we got a showing the bulkheads were covered with mold. There was no head, the oven was rusted to bits and generally speaking it looked like trash. Yet, GR and I were smitten, we could see through all the crap down to the bones of this good, old boat and envisioned the beauty we could create in her. We got right to work, made the offer and purchased her officially the end of February 2009. We had plans to whip her into shape and move aboard by October that same year. After a bottom job, completely re-plumbing and re-wiring the boat we splashed (put back into the water). The yard was 2 hours from home and some nights were spent curled up among the dust, mold, paint & epoxy fumes. Yet, looking back I would do it all over again.
Fast forward to the point when we decided to put San San up for sale in Guatemala; she sold and we were faced with the decision to buy another boat. There are so many options out there. One boat in particular caught our eye, a 50' Ted Hood, classic designed yawl with a flush deck and 2 completely separate double cabins, so 4 in all. Located in Guatemala, so the move would have been pretty smooth. It was a major project boat. I was okay with that, although I was a little afraid of how much we would be able to do in a third world country. We loved it, but again this was not meant to be. The boat was struck by lightening, it was hit so hard that the hull got so hot that the paint bubbled off the hull, and some of the front deck opened up, it was covered in black soot. We began to look further away then our "backyard". Our search led us to Felicity, in North Carolina.
Felicity, a 50' Hatteras, I was kind of shocked when GR was pointing her out to me. I mean, we have talked about houseboats to do the Great Loop, and catamarans and RV's we really ARE up for anything but I was surprised. Felicity was a "project" but it sure didn't appear that way, I mean not like the project we had with San San. After living aboard Felicity for 5 months I can count the amount of projects we have HAD to do on one hand. Everything was in general working order, nothing imperative to our living standards or health or government regulations was imperative. My favorite thing is that while we are living and working our butts off saving money to complete the major projects we need to do, I am able to live aboard with no real inconvenience.
Frankly, the start up of a new boat is definitely something to take into consideration. I often think about how great San San was, we had touched every single part and knew her inside and out. We were at a great part in our time together because there was very little work to be done. Yet, we were a little bored. We longed for a project. We work very, very well together and we get antsy if we aren't collaborating on an assignment. So Project Motor Boat was born. We got the crazy idea to test the waters with a power boat. I mean why not? GR and I have worked on Mega-Yachts and know several companies and manufacturers of products that we'd love to play around with on Felicity. Hopefully, our Project Boat will not dissappoint and as you follow along you too, will get a feel for what life aboard a "project boat" is really like. Who knows you may even long for a project of your own.
Wishing you your own felicity,
Jessica, GR & Gia
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