Today is a Paperwork Day

The paperwork is starting to come in from the title company and the selling broker’s assistant. Applications for registration, the state of Washington tax ID, U.S. Coast Guard Documentation and more. And the most important, we wire transferred the rest of the money into the escrow account. I also got a copy of a typical policy from the company that will cover the boat while in transit aboard YachtPath. I sent that one off to my main insurance company to review and make certain the coverage is complete.

Everyone continues to be helpful in guiding us through the process. It reminds me of the first time I bought a house. It was a bit intimidating because it was all unknown. Buying a boat is similar, but the paperwork is just different.

After getting three of the documents notarized, they went their separate ways in two Fed Ex envelopes.

It looks like the closing should occur Tuesday, just 5 days from now.

Time to Celebrate

It's been a couple of days since the survey. 

We received the survey report from Malcolm and Charlie. Based on those reports and what we observed first hand, we have been doing some calculations as to the cost to address what we found. 

Our next step is to put together a counteroffer to reduce the price. Based on the advice of our broker, Scott Blake, we did not go after every little thing, just those items that would be considered something different from how the boat was represented. After all, it is an 11-year old boat and some normal wear and tear is to be expected. 

Our spreadsheet lists everything. One column is what we presented to the seller for consideration and the other will be our punch-list if the boat becomes ours. 

We have been back and forth with the owner a couple of times and today we have completed the deal. 

​Karen and Bob looking like new boat owners.

So, now it's off to dinner to cerebrate and then pack to return home.  We're heading back to Pennsylvania and Scott is going to meet another client to look at a Grand Banks 46 a little further north in Florida.

Now the real work begins. We need to get get Gallinero, soon to be christened OceanFlyer, to the West Coast. 

There are incorporation papers to complete in the State of Washington, registration of the boat with the U.S. Coast Guard and all matter of details to address. 

For now, it's a little salt air, drinks and a good dinner. 

​Scott and Bob cerebrating a completed deal.

The Survey

The goal of this phase of boat-buying is to get independent opinions about the state of the boat and its mechanical components as well as experiencing the vessel, first hand, on the water.

Scott, Karen and I arrived at the slip at 8:30am, the appointed time. The seller's broker was onboard along with the captain. The marine surveyor was well along in his process and the marine diesel mechanic was in the engine room. I don't know whether this was a particularly early-rising team, or just smart Floridians who were trying to beat the heat by getting an early start. That was fine with us, because there is not much to do from our end in the early stages of the process.

Charlie, our Caterpillar expert, is deep into it when we arrive

As time passed, we began to shadow the surveyor as he explained what he was finding and sharing his insights of 30 years of poking into the bowels of vessels. Malcolm was a fountain of knowledge that sprung forth in a Welsh accent that was both charming and (at times) a little hard to translate. In some of the words he used,  you could still hear the echoes of his birthplace. Nevertheless, both Karen and I thoroughly enjoyed learning as much about boat as possible from Malcolm.

Captain Ronnie was also a great resource, not only for us, but for the whole team. "When were the seals for the Naiad stabilizers last serviced?”, we asked, "Two years ago,"' came the reply from Ronnie with authority and a copy of the receipt. And so it went: question; answer; confirmation.

Malcolm and Captain Ronnie review various systems at the upper helm

Malcolm and Charlie, the marine mechanic, obviously knew each other, and had done joint surveys in the past. They worked so well together, it was a ballet of each staying out of the other’s way while still making progress, and then coordinating activities and helping one another accomplish their respective responsibilities. It was a joy to watch. It also gave you the feeling that no stone would be left unturned.

The "mechanical brain trust", Charlie and Malcolm recording engine parameters underway

The haul out was scheduled for 10:30 am. I was looking forward to this, as it would give us all a good look at the hull and running gear on the boat. You don’t read much about the haul out process except when it goes awry. It seems each year there are a few photos and an occasional video of a boat slipping out of the sling and either falling back into the water or making a hard landing on the boatyard's terra firma. Never a good thing.

Putting a little extra "pink" cushioning to protect the hull. It's a tight fight.

Up, Up and Away

Karen was very anxious, and when the load of the boat was beginning to be fully held by the slings, these slings let out a loud and groaning protest. I looked at the cadre of experienced people we had surrounding us and, given that none were looking panicked or fleeing in terror, I assumed a calm and relaxed demeanor that masked my initial alarm. Karen, however, turned her back to the lifting and covered her ears.

This phase belonged to Malcolm. From his toolkit came a small hammer with a tuning fork shape on one end. Malcolm proceeded to attack most everything with the hammer. Nothing was spared. The hull, the props, the rest of the running gear all fell under the tapping hammer of Malcolm as he listened intently to the sound from each tap.

We again shadowed Malcolm as he explained what he was looking for with his eyes, his ears and even his nose. I doubt I will remember it all, but it was a good first day of class in "Under the Waterline 101".

Malcolm shows Karen the finer points of propellers

Overall, all was well. The zincs on the bow thruster were shot, but Ronnie had some spares on board, so we paid the yard to change them along with changing the zincs on the prop shafts, just for good measure.

New zincs go on the bow thruster

Haul out then complete, it was time for the sea trial. There are a number of tests that need to be accomplished under way at various speeds. The mechanic and the surveyor worked together to accumulate a wide range of engine data at various speeds. Other systems such as the autopilot, its link to the navigation plotters and the trim tabs were verified. Captain Ronnie was at the helm, calmly following specific power setting instructions while keeping the boat firmly in the narrow channel.

Having done the engine checks in calm water, we headed out to the ocean to check the operation of the stabilizers. As were made our way out the channel, Ronnie reported that he lost control of the starboard engine which was being controlled by the Glenndenning synchronizer. Both Malcolm and Charlie jumped into action to see if they could determine the cause and rectify the problem. They were able to return control of starboard engine to the captain and determined that the problem was most likely the result of something in the engine room getting bumped when the house batteries were replaced earlier in the week. Again, the experts were not very concerned and Ronnie said he would have the yard rectify the problem right away, so we just added it to the list of items needing attention.

The ocean cooperated and presented us with a blanket of troubled water with good churn and disorganized waves. The stabilizers performed well. I asked Ronnie to slow the boat to 8 knots, where it is more of a challenge for the stabilizers because of the reduced flow over the fins. Again, no problems, and everyone was happy when we said we were satisfied and it was time to return to calm water. Except, that is, for Karen, who was loving the turbulence.

Tucked in back a t the slip, we sat down first with Malcolm and then Charlie to verbally review their findings. Though we’ll be getting a formal written report, this gives us a welcome opportunity to debrief in person and ask questions.

With the mission accomplished, it was back to the hotel for a shower and then out to dinner at the funky Osceola Café in Stuart to celebrate the completion of this step in the process.

The Big Day is Close

I'm heading down to Florida to attend the survey, mechanical inspection and sea trial of Gallinero. To be precise, Fort Pierce is my destination, Harbortown Marina, E-dock, Slip 12.

There we'll meet up with the two brokers, the captain, the surveyor and the diesel mechanic. This is all new to Karen and me. We're so happy that our broker, Scott Bake of NW Explorations is able to attend to help bring some experience and clarity to the process.

About to land at West Palm Beach as the sun sets

Karen is already in Florida working on a project for one of our clients, so I’m traveling alone. She’s going to drive down from Orlando tomorrow morning and meet us at the marina. Scott is flying to West Palm Beach, as I am, but he lands two hours later than I do, so all told we’ll have three rental cars between the three of us. If this deal does not go though, at least the rental car companies will make some money on this adventure.

I budgeted $5,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for this phase of the purchase process. We’ll incur these expenses whether the sales goes through or not. This is an important cost of buying a boat that most people forget to include when they calculate the initial cost of a boat.

I‘m optimistic that all will go well, but I’m also prepared to walk away if the boat does not live up to how it is represented.

More Grand Banks 49s in Seattle

Even though we have an accepted offer on Gallinero, the haul out and survey is not scheduled until September 22nd. There is always the possibility that the survey wil uncover something that would cause us to back away from the deal.

Therefore, just to keep the options open in the event of a failed deal,  we are off to Seattle to look at a couple more of 49 Grand Banks. 

Vintage is hull #105. What is most intriguing is that she has a galley down configuration. We loved the galley down on the 46s we have chartered, so this has a lot of initial interest for us. 

View fullsize

 Vintage's open saloon.

In the end, the fact that she did not have stabilizers nor a bow thruster took her out of the running.  Click here for more information about Vintage.

Next, we went to another marina in Seattle to  take a look at North Star. She is an older boat, hull #95.

View fullsize

 North Star with a side galley. A popular configuration for a Grand Banks 49.

In the end, her age and overall condition were the determining factors in us passing her by. Click here for more information about North Star.

We Have a Deal!

The seller came back with a counter offer that was acceptable to us. Next step is to set up the sea trial and survey. If the sea trial and survey go well, we'll close the deal. Because of our travel plans, we cannot do the survey until September 22nd. So we'll have to sit back and relax until then.

Dinner plans for tonight now include a little finer bottle of wine to commemorate this major hurdle.

We Make an Offer

After talking with the CAT mechanic in Florida and talking it over with Karen, we sent off our offer. I feel good that we have done our homework and we have a good idea of what this boat is worth to us and what it will sell for. Now we'll see if the seller is thinking the same.

Putting It All Together

I spent about an hour on the phone with a Caterpillar mechanic, Charlie Smithwick. Charlie has his own business in Florida. One nice thing about South Florida is that there are a lot of boats, so there is a large database of experiences to draw from. Charlie maintains a lot of boats with 3126’s and he is very knowledgeable about their strengths and weaknesses.

Charlie’s take is that if run “properly”, the engine is solid. He spent some time defining “properly” for me and sent me a bunch of information of on this engine. If we move forward, I will contract with Charlie to do the mechanical survey on the boat so I can leverage his expertise.

View fullsize

The Port 3126 on Gallinero

Working the Numbers

Steve Fithian, the seller’s broker, reached out to YachtPath on our behalf and got them to reduce the initial quote from $44,847.00 to $35,877.00 based on what YachtPath called an “Advance Booking Discount”. This is starting to get into the range we expected. I’ll go back to push some more once we can commit. After all, we still do not own the boat.

I spent most of the day researching the 3126 Caterpillar issues. I now have a good handle on the issue. It appears that problems do exist but are not universal. Now I’m trying to sort out the differences to see where Gallinero might fall into the range of possibilities. I’m also going to be talking to a Caterpillar mechanic in Florida that has a lot of experience with these engines.

Our safety net on this isssue is the survey. We now know what to look for and if the visual inspection and the results of the oil analysis are negative or suspicious, we can always walk away. Our only exposure at that point is our travel costs and the cost of the haul out and survey. I’ve budgeted $5,000 for costs if we walk away based on the survey.

Tracking Down the Dollars

We made it home yesterday with no problems. The plane was packed as was the airport. There are still lots of stranded passengers waiting to get a seat after their flights were cancelled due to the effects of the hurricane.

Yachtpath sent us a contract for shipping Gallinero from Port Everglades in Florida to Victoria, Canada. It came is at $44,487.00, far in excess of the $30,000 we had been told to budget. I immediately reached out to both brokers to see if they could apply some pressure from their end for a more reasonable quote.

I also talked with Mike Rusk, the Caterpillar expert in Bellingham, WA. Mike is not a fan of the 3126 engines that are on Gallinero. Apparently they have had a lot of problems with the turbo chargers. This engine was designed in response to meet new emission standards. In order to reduce gasses that are released in the exhaust, the company added the turbochargers for more complete combustion.

Unfortunately, this turned out be a weak spot with failures allowing sea water to infiltrate the engine. Mike gave me some worse case dollars if we have a problem in the future. Mike would run the other way. I need to get another opinion on this issue before we decide what to do.

The initial estimates for the diesel heater are coming in about where we expected. So we’ll plug $30,000 into our purchase offer worksheet.

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. 

And Now for Something Completely Different

Gallinero is a very different boat. She is only 4 years younger than Grand Time. It’s a 2000 model, and as we would later find out, it is the last Grand Banks 49 Classic ever built.

The boat is moored at the Quail Valley River Club  in Vero Beach. It’s a gated condo marina community. The scene is very South Florida with white stucco buildings, palm trees and right next to her slip, a pool. It is very lovely if you like that sort of thing. To us it is just hot, humid and the pool was full of screaming kids. But we are on a mission.

Gallinero sitting at the marina making a good first impression

Condensation on the nice cold windows

The broker, Steve Fithian, was already aboard. He had arrived earlier to turn on the air-conditioning and stage the boat. The windows were completely blocked by the condensation, but we did not complain.

The first thing that struck us as we entered the boat was the overall condition. The teak interior looked new. You’re always told that one of the problems with Florida boats is the sun exacts a heavy toll on the teak, both inside and out. The boat has blinds on all the windows and they always remained closed when not underway. That seems to have made all the difference in keeping the interior teak looking good.

Unique Galley Layout

This is a galley up 49, but unlike any other we have seen. She has a u-shaped galley with a forward facing double sink. The starboard door is at the helm, while the port door is just behind the U Shaped Galley.

The neat effect of all this is that the saloon seems quite separated from the galley with an excellent traffic flow.  The layout addressed a negative of many 49's where the galley and the saloon seem almost one in the same.

Spacious Saloon

Forward Berth

What was most unique about this boat, and the reason we wanted to see her, was that she was a two cabin boat. In the space forward that normally houses two cabins and a full head, this boat has a single spacious VIP cabin and a generous head. There is room left over for a desk and a walk-in cedar closet.

Forward head and desk

This was a perfect two couple boat. Something that we felt would distinguish her in the NW Explorations charter fleet as well as a layout that would be perfect for our cruising style.

Karen and I once again began our picture taking and boat exploration, but this time at a much slower pace. First, because the temperature aboard was pleasant compared to yesterday’s adventure aboard Grand Time, but second and most importantly, because this boat was very intriguing to us. We have no timetable as to when we will purchase a boat and the fact that Gallinero is a Florida boat lying on the “Wrong Coast” is almost a deal breaker, but there is something about this boat we like.

Turns out that the owner of the boat has not used it much in the last four years, which is a red flag – but Gallinero has a captain. The captain regularly runs the engines, generators and other systems and keeps the boat clean and ship shape. The TLC really shows. And the comparison is not just versus Grand Time,  which was at the other end of the scale, but also in the absolute compared to most any Grand Banks we have been on.

The captain has kept a log of both the travels of Gallinero and the maintenance. This is something we have not seen on most boats and it really gives you some valuable insight into the boat’s history. It feels comfortable to us both as airplane pilots, because we are used to a well-kept maintenance log book. Click here for more information on Gallinero.

We wrapped up our personal survey, said goodbye to Steve and found a place for lunch near the beach where we had steamed shrimp. Then we went back to the hotel to do some hard thinking.

First Up

After landing at West Palm Beach we got a rental car and drove to our first showing in Stuart. Grand Time is a 1996 GB49 that we suspected would not meet our criteria, but we were interested in seeing her layout. The layout of her galley and saloon is one we prefer. And she has a helm seat. We have lots of time on Alaskan Dream, a 49 in the NE Explorations fleet, and the one thing we would most like to change on her is the addition of a permanent helm seat.

Grand Time was on the hard for hurricane season at the Hinckley Yachts yard in Stuart.  That provides a good look below the water line, but it also means you need to climb a 10 foot ladder to board. The boat did not show well, and looks in need of serious TLC. The boat is apparently used as a “floating condo” in season. Lots of kids have made their mark and it appears no mariner has taken pride in maintaining this vessel.

Karen and I looked at and photographed every nook and cranny of the boat. We did this so we would have a complete record of the boat in case she remained a candidate. Further this allows us to record ideas of things we liked that we would look for in another boat.

Grand Time did have a couple of very interesting features. Her engine room was divided into an engine and a separate laundry/utility room. This is something I have never seen on a Grand Banks 49 before or since. She also had a wet locker next to the port saloon door. Again, a feature we would love to have on our boat, but have never seen on a Grand Banks.

It was a typical hot and humid day in Florida in August. By that I mean the native Floridians were complaining about the heat. Poor Karen and I were dying. We divided our time between being in the blazing sun and exploring inside the uncooled boat without a wisp of air movement. It was more comfortable in the blazing sun.

Picture taking and exploration complete, Karen and I gave each other the nod, we said goodbye to the broker and off we went to the hotel for a shower.

After checking into the Marriott in Stuart, we both enjoyed a cold shower before a nice meal at a restaurant called 11 Maple Street in Jensen Florida.

Tomorrow we see a completely different Grand Banks 49 in Vero Beach. 

Grand Time on the hard

Off to Florida to Look at Two Boats

Today we depart Philadelphia for West Palm Beach just as hurricane Irene sets her sights on the East Coast. Our return is scheduled for Sunday, but we fully expect that flight will get cancelled.
The two Grand Banks 49's we plan to see are Gallinero and Grand Time.

For Sale

We received this email from our broker, Scott Blake.  We had seen this boat for sale online about five years ago. Then it was listed for $1.1 million. Out of our budget then and now. But at this price, it was worth checking out.

Let's Look at Some Boats

​Our goal has always been to buy a boat and spend 6 months a years cruising the inside passage from Seattle to Alaska and back. But what boat to buy?

After nine years of chartering boats in the Pacific Northwest and stepping aboard almost every trawler-like vessel from all the major manufacturers, we have narrowed our choice to a Grand Banks 49 Classic.​

Why this model?​

• It's a great size for us. We like the extra room over a GB46 and the extra weight makes for a great ride.
• The price/value proposition is in our budget. Our "dream boat", the Krogen 58, is out of our budget right now.
• Since we can't "live the dream" right now, we are going to put the boat into a charter fleet to help ease into the transition to 6-months on board. Since our preferred charter company, NW Explorations, has an exclusive Grand Banks fleet, that helps reinforce the choice.

We are in no hurry. We set our time-frame at three years so we don't feel pressured to purchase the wrong boat. We want to get on board as many GB 49's as we can in order to determine the parameters that are important to us.​

Every boat is a compromise, so it's best if you know your own mind as to what is most important and what you can overlook.​ Some of the major variables for us are:

• Galley Up or Down
• Three Cabins or Two
• Age and Overall Condition
• Location
• Amount of work that needs to be done to get it ready to charter in the NW.
• Helm Seat or Not
• Saloon & Galley Layout

So we called our broker, Scott Blake, and set him upon the task of finding us a wide range of Grand Banks 49's to look at. Our only limitation is that the boats had to be in North America.​