Almost Walked Away - Day 1

WE arrived in Rock Hall early on Friday morning - well 0930, but that means we had to leave home at 06.  Anyway, called the broker, Ed Rosenthal of Reynolds Yachts, and he said he'd be down to the boat as soon as he finished with a walkin.  We boarded Vibrant, opened the hatch and I had Ron, my newfound sailing friend and crew, break out the dink and inflate it to check for leaks while Eva and I started poking around in the storage bins.    The previous owner had done a great job of orgainzing.  Every locker was filled with plastic bins so there were NO stray items just thrown in the bottoms.  And there were spare parts galore.

The weather was unseasonably cool for July 2nd but as the morning wore on it began to heat up.  Ed showed up and we began another fore to aft exploration and explanation of all the systems.  Here's the seacocks for the head, here's how the head works, another exploration of all the lockers, full explanation of the electrical panel and engine compartment.  Then out on deck.  Because of the problems we had setting the jenny on the survey I decided to set the sail while in the slip.  Thus began a two hour struggle with the sail that almost culminated with me walking away from the deal.

The roller furling jenny bound immediately when we hauled on the sheet.  We had binoculars and it appeared the sail wasn't two blocked but the luff was properly set so we thought it might be the swivel.  We decided to lower the sail to inspect the head swivels, but that entailed unwrapping the sail from the headstay.  Head swivel appeared to be serviceable, raise the sail, reset the outhaul, try to unfurl the jenny, failure.  Three more times...  If Ron hadn't been there, there is no way Eva and I could have done this.

Ed sat in the cockpit and observed.  Finally I joined him there and we quietly discussed the problem.  I told him I was frustrated and disappointed to the point of walking away.  He quietly explained that I hadn't mentioned making the sail right in my final demands for the sale and that I'd be walking away from the deposit. He suggested Eva and I go to lunch and talk things over.

We did.  Decided to go back and give it one more try.  Back on board we decided to find some way to extend the tack of the sail four or five inches to get the head higher.  Searched the bins and lockers until we found a suitable extender, raised the sail one last time, hauled on the sheet and...whala!...success, the sail set almost like magic.  OK, but can we do it again, and again, and again.  Looks like we solved the problem.

Ed and Eva and I signed the papers and VIBRANT was ours.  Eva asked if I can turn the A/C on.  We have to replace a strainer that the, now previous owner, had supplied.  Ed pitches right in and an hour later and a trip to the chandler later we have the strainer in place, prime the system, flick the switch and the A/C kicks in.

Now it's almost four o'clock and Ed asks if I want to go for a short sail.  Sure, but we check the tide and with the wind out of the north there isn't enough water under the keel.  Crap!

So the day ends with a glad handshake with Ed and my thanks to him for his patience and especially his help in getting the A/C up and running.  Remember, that was after the sale had closed and he could have taken his bill of sale and walked away, but he stayed to make sure we were as satisfied as he could make us given all that had transpired.

If you have a boat to sell in Rock Hall, Ed's your man.  Thanks Ed.