While cruising in the summer of 2015 a decision was made that the current Yacht we owned was not going to be sufficient for our “dream trip”. It was long talks and hard conversations between us to come up with this decision. We would need to sell our beloved 46′ Grand Banks, “Sapphire”.
So how did we come to that decision?
As we imagined the trip and how we wanted to experience it and the upgrades we would have to make, it was just too overwhelming. We would have to sink too much time and money into her that we would not get back. We were sad, because when we purchased her it was our expectations that she would be the boat we take on our trip; but time teaches you things, if your careful enough to listen and we heard loud and clear. We just had to accept it.
What we did was create a list of things we thought we needed and cost estimates on them. Then we used the list to help us find our new adventure boat.
Here is a list of key items we wanted on our Motor Vessel:
- Stabilizers – reduces the roll, side to side
- Large fuel tanks/1000 mile range
- Ability to go 15 knots top speed (17 mph)
- Auto Pilot
- Bow thruster – pushes boat sideways for easy docking
- Walk-around decks – easy access & docking
- Aft Master State-room – comfortable
- Nice Guest State rooms – for visitors
- Comfortable living space
- Air Conditioning
We put Sapphire up for sale and started our hunt. Selling and buying boats are claimed to be the best days in an owners life. I would agree, but I also love the process and excitement of the hunt. We sold Sapphire in early 2016 in 7 months and lived the whole boating season without a boat. It was very painful to watch our friends and yacht club members go off and enjoy their time. We did make a run at a couple of Yachts, that for one reason or the other didn’t work out. (this is similar to buying a house and a car in one). You have the vessel surveyed to assure that you are aware of what you are getting yourself into, but you also have the engines surveyed. Repairs cost can sink your budget if a lot of repair or replacement is needed, making the purchase a risk.
In late 2016/early 2017 we were working on the purchase of a vessel that resided in Alameda CA called “Sheer Luck”. We purchased her in February 2017, after many trips and surveys were completed. Dan then made many trips to California to work on items from the survey that needed fixing. Then we were waiting out the weather conditions and planning for the trip up the Pacific Ocean to Oregon.
Our plan was to take our first cruise in the Bay-Area testing her out and have Dan’s buddies join him in Mid-May for the trip home. We learned a lot with our first trip and found 
more items to fix. When I headed home to go back to work, Dan’s friends joined him for the trip up the coast. They loaded the boat with more food, water, fuel for the trip and headed out. They (Dan, Ken Williams, Doug Hahn, Marv Windred, and Brian Tom) headed out and traveled for about 9 hours when the weather and waves got worse, they had to head back to Alameda and make a new plan. It was disappointing, not only for the guys, but we now needed to wait for a better weather window. Dan eventually came home and waited for a weather window, watching every day @ buoyweather.com, & windy.com. On June 20th there was a 4-5 day break in the weather and crew gathered and headed out to CA. (Dan, Ken Williams, Kirk Lance, Clark Nelson). A different group of guys this time.
They made it safe this time. It took them 71 hours non-stop to go from Alameda, CA to Portland, Oregon. On Monday June 26 they arrive at the Columbia River Yacht Club and this picture was taken with the happy crew and Sheer Luck. She is currently a foreign flagged vessel, from Kingstown, St Vincent. We are in the process of changing her to a US registered vessel with her name to soon be “Angelique”
