Can’t Go Home, So Let’s buy a Boat.

Today is when we were originally scheduled to go home. But watching the hurricane’s movements up the east coast, we had already changed our flight to Monday knowing today’s flight would be cancelled along with most every other flight going into the Northeast. By making the decision early, we were not thrown in with the masses that would be scrambling to get a seat.

Since we did not have to spend all day trying to find a flight home, we concentrated on Gallinero. Karen and I sat down and reviewed our photos and notes and all the other GB 49’s we had seen in person or we were aware of that were for sale.

Gallinero was truly one-of-a-kind.

Here’s a brief summary of the pro and cons:

First the negatives

• It's in Florida and we need to get it to the Pacific Northwest. Not an inexpensive process, and as you will see if you read the blog, not a pleasant experience.
• It has no diesel heat.  That is a mandatory item in the PNW.
• The power comes from Caterpillar 3126 engines. They have a checkered history. I need to do some research in order to feel comfortable that I understand the shortcomings and how to manage them. 
• The teak decks are worn and showing wear.

Now the positives

• It has two generators.
• It is stabilized.
• The layout effectively separates from the galley from the living area. Not something you find in most 49s.
• It has two refrigerators and two freezers.
• It has a helm seat. Also something that is absent in a lot of GB49s.
• It is relatively new. It is hull #126. A 2000 model that is the last 49 Classic ever built. The mold was retired after our boat was built. Don't know if that has much value in the future, but makes for a good story.
• Despite being a  Florida boat, the interior teak is immaculate.
• It is a two cabin boat. And the cabins are almost equal in terms of size and amenities. That's all we need and it differentiates it from the other GB  49's in the NW Explorations fleet, which are all three cabin boats. Ours will become "the perfect two couple boat" in the fleet.

We called our broker, Scott Blake of NW Explorations, shared with him our photos and our impression and our concerns and asked him for his thoughts.

We all came to the conclusion that before we could make an offer, we need to get a handle on a few things:

1. Cost and timing to ship the boat to the Pacific Northwest
2. Cost of installations of a diesel heater
3. Realistic preview of what we could expect from the Caterpillar 3126 engines

Scott sent us over a copy of their standard sale agreement. He was also going to reach out to the shipping companies to get a quote on transporting the boat to Victoria, Canada. He would also look into the cost of the diesel heater installation and would put me in touch with Mike Rusk of Tri-Country Diesel in Bellingham. Mike is a real Caterpillar guy, having worked for the manufacturer before starting his own shop.

My plan is to reach out to the seller’s broker on Monday with some of the same questions so we can get a much input as possible.

We shared with Scott our thinking about our offer price, but without answers to the questions we had, we are not prepared to make a written offer today.