As I write this I am in the Mystic Marriott for the annual meeting of the Catboat Association, a group that we have been members of since 1979, a long time by any measure. The group was central to our lives for many years as we owned a number of catboats prior to graduating to larger vessels. Actually, we served on the “steering committee”, or board of the group for some ten years and loved it.
Last night Brenda and I attended a cocktail party at the winter meeting of the CBA and caught up with many old friend. Actually, “old” is appropriate as many of us are definitely getting up there in years. In particular, although still young at heart, were our friends Frank and Linda who sailed their Aleuea 38 sailboat for something like 8 years in the Caribbean and were early inspiration to us, well at least me, to plan to, at some point, make a long sailing journey. While they have “swallowed the anchor” and moved ashore, they now own a home in Tenant’s Harbor Maine.
Frank and Linda were also instrumental in getting us involved in the CBA steering committee, way back when. Frank was, at the time, the president of the group and as we got to know him, asked us to become more involved.
I still recall the first time that we got to know Frank and Linda as it was at the 1990 25th anniversary rendezvous of the CBA at Mystic Seaport where over 100 catboats gathered for a weekend of great fun. Their boat Cimba, was tied up on the outer dock at the seaport and I asked if we could come aboard and see her. Cimba was a fabulously well maintained Fenwick Williams 25′ catboat constructed of wood and painted and varnished to a standard usually seen in boats maintained by professionals. While they sold their catboat years ago to begin voyaging, here they are again with us at the Marriott at the winter meeting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CBA.
However, I digress as I was writing about moving. Did I mention that we sold our home (pending inspection, mortage approval for the new owner and all that jazz) and are scheduled to be out as of the end of March. Yikes!!! After over 20 years there, what a change that will be.
However, we are interested in living somewhere closer to the water and certainly less expensive than homes and taxes near New York. Our search over the last few months has taken us from Essex CT, through Mystic CT and as far up the coast as Wickford RI. If we can’t find something, maybe we’ll contact a home builder like this home builder in Brunswick, GA to build us a custom home near the water. So far, the homes that most appeal to us are in eastern CT and seem to be in the area from Essex to Mystic.
We have found several homes that we like very much and are now down to the wire with a few in serious contention. The biggest question is how much work I am willing to take on with a home that needs to be fixed up verses one that is in great shape and ready to live in. The “ready to go” home that we like is not near the water, if two miles from the CT River is far. The other major contender is a much older home that needs work but is sited on is sited on a pond in the village of Old Mystic. These homes are very different and it is certainly a very tough call as to which will be better for us.
to be sure but we will know more soon as we are looking at boat again this weekend.
However, it is indeed “decision time” unless we want to be homeless very soon.
One way or the other, we want to be settled with where we are going to live by fall when we head south on Pandora. No matter what happens, we will be on our way by mid September and will have a home, aboard Pandora, at least for a while.
Speaking, as I was, about our earlier sailing aboard catboats, one of our catboats, Sappho, now lives in Wickford RI and has been there for many years under the careful stewardship of her owners at a lovely marina Pleasant Street Wharf. And, no blog post should be posted without a photo so here is Brenda aboard our old catboat (yes, it’s a recent photo) taken in Wickford followed by Pandora at the same boatyard. A contrast in both boat size and style indeed.
Here’s Pandora at the same lovely marina.
Wish us luck with our house hunting.