Ever since I was a kid, I had a dream that someday (someday) I would live aboard a sailboat and sail around the continent. As my partner and I started dreaming together, we got into the habit of watching sailing videos on YouTube. One sailor repeated the advice that the best time to sail is now: if you are thinking about it, don’t wait until the perfect opportunity comes along to sail on the perfect boat. Just get out there and enjoy the wind.
I idly made a comment about this dream and this advice to a friend, simply making conversation with someone whom I knew to be a sailor. To my surprise, a few days later they contacted me letting me know that they had an older sailboat they were thinking about selling. They’d give me a good deal. Now, in all seriousness, we had not been looking at the market at all. We were still in the dreaming phase. But since a friend offered for us to look at the boat, we figured it couldn’t hurt.
Long story short, it was an offer we couldn’t refuse. Even though the timing was not what we expected (I’m about a year out from finishing school, and my partner is also in the midst of orchestrating a career change), the boat was a fantastic entry into sailing—and potentially living aboard. The price was affordable, and the condition of the boat was just right for our ability to take on a project.
So, in June, we jumped in and became boat owners! Altair, a Tartan 34C, had been sitting on the hard for a few years undergoing significant maintenance. The previous owners re-cored the deck and began a major cabin refit. Sails and rigging were in good condition, so with the new deck there were really only two major projects to get her ship shape and in the water. The first (and critical one) was that the rudder had some water infiltration and needed repairs. The second was to finish what was started with refitting the cabin, which involved all new electrical systems and finishing out the teak trim.
The goal was to get her in the water before the end of the season. Projects ahoy!
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