The survey on the boat happened on the 19th. We've been crazy busy since then. The good news is the boat surveyed for $15,000.00 more than we offered. At least we know we aren't overpaying. She is in above average shape and there are zero problems with the hulls.
There were a few soft spots in need of repair. These are places where winches were added and not bedded properly, so some water got under the fiberglass. It's common and an easy repair. There is a soft spot near the windlass and under the mast. These are extremely common in an Island Spirit, and not nearly as bad as most her age. These repairs are a bit more complicated (since the mast has to be removed and re-stepped), but not excessive. She has crash bulkheads up front that are sealed. These are meant to protect the boat from getting water inside should you hit something. They are designed to take the hit and protect the rest of the boat. However, Island Spirits are commonly known to have that area get water inside from another source. Since it is sealed, the water can't get out and just sits there, eventually effecting performance. While she has no damage to those areas, one of the bulkheads does have a little water in it. So we will have to cut access ports into the bulkheads and drain the water. This is extremely common on this model, and everyone ends up having to put in the access ports eventually. It's an easy fix, but one that must be done. The good part is you'll have the access ports for future monitoring, so it's a one time fix.
She is running with original rigging and sails. While they are in great shape, fifteen year old sails and rigging will be prone to failure. She is a UK boat, and the rules are different over there than here. So she only has one holding tank for one head (toilet for those not used to boat terms). The other head simply flows overboard. This is a must fix in the United States. So we will have to add a holding tank to the second head (the spot for it is there, we just have to add the tank). She has 220V AC running through the boat when she's on shore power (again, because she a UK boat), and 12V DC on batteries (standard). There are three different receptacles in the boat as well (South African, UK, and American 110V). There is also no dedicated panel for the AC versus the DC, it's just all run on one panel. It all works just fine, but we might want to make some improvements.
We would like to add some stuff to her. We want to change the heads for electric flush instead of the current manual flush. We will need to have 12V DC electrical run to the heads. So while the electrician is doing that, we are going to have the electrical upgraded so that all of the AC plugs are UK (we'll use adapters as needed). We will also have him put in a dedicated panel for the AC. Keeping everything 220 versus changing it to 110 will be cheaper, and we know we'll be able to plug into shore power everywhere (including other countries). So, we have some fiberglass, plumbing, and electrical work to be done before we move onto her. We are also considering going ahead and updating the rigging for sure, and possibly the sails depending on cost. She's also due for a polish and wax. Her bottom paint is good for another six months, but we are considering just having that done now so as not to have to deal with it later.
We close this Friday the 29th. We got them to come down a little on our original offer because of the repairs. The acceptance letter has been received and signed. So now we are scrambling to find boat yards to do repair work, and accommodations nearby. We could technically move onto her right away, and do the repairs while living aboard, but repairs will move faster if she's empty (and we don't want to live in a boat yard for a week).
So now, it's time to pack again. We've been in this vacation home for six weeks, and are more than ready to move on. By this weekend we'll be sitting in a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, making trips to watch our new boat get her work done. With any luck we can spend Valentine's day sitting on the deck, sipping some wine, and watching the sun go down while surrounded by the ocean.
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