The End of an Era

[sandy daugherty]

What makes a good Great Loop Boat?

[anglooff]

Good luck to you both in your next adventure...I am sure that the great loop will provide you with a myriad of new adventures...different but just as rewarding.

Regards

Alan

[Cheechako]

Made that decision this spring also. Bought a little 32 foot double ended fishing trawler. Minimal accomodation, But lots of deck room for the pups and a bargain in today's economy. "recent" Perkins 4-236 , shallow draft and only one step down to the cabin! I will miss the beam raches though.... I hate to see it sit for now, but 2009........ here we come!

[Pblais]

There is a whole Great Loop Web site that covers bridge clearance, draft and locks that might effect the boat you might choose.

http://www.greatloop.com

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by Pblais

There is a whole Great Loop Web site that covers bridge clearance, draft and locks that might effect the boat you might choose.

http://www.greatloop.com

Thanks Paul we have already started doing the research and started looking for the next boat.

[Pblais]

Good luck Chuck. New adventures always have a certain appeal just because they are new. With between 5,000 and 7,000 miles you ought to find something to do that's a lot of fun. This is one of those trips if you do it right you'll go pretty slow. I could see setting the record for taking the longest time to get around as being well worth the trip.

[AnchorageGuy]

That is a great idea. Except for the cold part in the north. Oh well, we can work that out.

[Pelagic]

Chuck….I noticed over the last year your growing frustration with all the new rules and regulations being mandated in Florida and other cruiser destinations.

Did that have any bearing on your decision to change tacks?

All the best…Nick

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Chuck….I noticed over the last year your growing frustration with all the new rules and regulations being mandated in Florida and other cruiser destinations.

Did that have any bearing on your decision to change tacks?

All the best…Nick

Not at all since we will most certainly be doing more coastal and inland cruising than before. Besides, I prefer to be out there stirring the pot. These issues and regulations have been around for years. They come in spurts for a while, die down then start again. Florida has been the only state we know of that has been most active over the years and mostly from the pressures of the wealthy landowners. My guess is many of those landowners will have other issues to concern them for the next couple of years but that is for another day. Our decision was strictly a change of pace. If the boat had not sold we would be off on another cruise on her again in a few months. It just worked out that way. She was on the market for 2 years in Houston before we left there. Good decision on our part. Almost ten years ago we called for a boycott of Florida both on the water and as a vacation destination for the landlubbers and it was published in several magazines. The local tourist agency got behind us and put a little pressure on some municipalities to rethink their position. The state won't go bankrupt from these suggestion but they don't like that kind of publicity either.

[easterly]

Originally Posted by sandy daugherty

What makes a good Great Loop Boat?

No mast and less than 4.5' draft

[DAdams]

Originally Posted by Chuck Baier

Our faithful Sea Trek was sold to her new owner and handed over in bristol condition. The new owner loves the boat and we hope they will get as much enjoyment as we did over the years and hope they will give her the care we did.

Hello Chuck et al,

Don and I are the lucky new owners of the amazing Sea Trek! The term "bristol condition" is an understatement if I may say so. Sea Trek and her previous owners, Chuck and Susan, are unparalleled.

Sea Trek has undergone years of upgrades with well thought-out planning. She has been lovingly cared for and will continue to be. This we promise.

A wise man on a marina dock stopped to talk to us one night a few weeks ago. I remember him saying, “Don’t give in, give up and don’t settle. You will feel it inside. You will know when you have found YOUR boat.” Twice we thought we had found it, only to realize our search wasn’t over. He was so right. Sea Trek is everything we wanted!

For two nights Don and I have sat on her deck and talked about the past 8 week, 8500 mile, and 101 boat viewing search for the "perfect for us" boat. We have reminisced about rude boat brokers, boats left in ruins, boat listings claiming to be the perfect boat, beautiful boats we have seen, great people we have met, nights spent in hotels, sunrises, sunsets and hurricane Faye (twice hit by her). Our conversations are always followed by a reassuring silence; knowing exactly what the other is thinking... "How did we get so lucky?" Then we look at each other and laugh, I do the happy dance, and we start laughing all over again.

I’m sure our neighbors in the marina think we are nuts! Who cares… we ARE nuts over our new home It's like Christmas in September. Our tree is a beautifully lit 57' mast, and the skirt is a deep blue ocean... lol... OK, so the coast of SC isn't deep blue, however, in my mind it is!!!

As I said before Don and I are the fortunate new owners of Sea Trek... in turn she is lucky to have had Chuck and Susan in her past and us in her future. We will continue to post about her new updates/upgrades and journeys. Look for Voyages of Sea Trek Chapter Three coming to a blog spot near you!

Chuck and Susan the torch has been passed and we are proud to carry it on... "To Boldly Go" and we shall...

[AnchorageGuy]

Thanks guys, We can't tell you how happy it makes us to know you will appreciate the boat as we did and will care for her as well. BTW you need to change the tag line under your name

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by DAdams

Don and I are the lucky new owners of the amazing Sea Trek! The term "bristol condition" is an understatement if I may say so. Sea Trek and her previous owners, Chuck and Susan, are unparalleled.

Congratulations on a match made in heaven. You sound so excited that I look forward eagerly to reading of your adventures.

And for Chuck - You said the boat was on the market for 2 years. Was that "active" or just happenstance - I guess the real question is, "How depressed is the boat selling market."

Of course the answer could be as simple as, "For the right boat, no problem..."

[mojo]

Sounds exciting Chuck cannot wait to read new blog

[AnchorageGuy]

Dan, Different strokes for different folks. In Houston everyone was looking for dockaminiums with five cabins three heads, sleeps 12 and can throw dinner parties for 12. That is not our boat but working for a dealer out there we sold many that fit that bill. The boat was listed with 2 brokers over that 2 year period and had lots of lookers. It was on the market for 2 weeks in Beaufort and the listing broker was in Charleston but the market here as well as elsewhere is very soft. Timing is everything and sometimes being in the right place at the right time.