The End of an Era

[AnchorageGuy]

As of noon today for the first time in17 years we no longer have a boat. Our faithful Sea Trek was sold to her new owner and handed over in bristol condition. We are homeless and have a great deal of mixed emotions. It all happened so fast we still have not fully come to grips with the situation. 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. Don't know what we will do now but we will take a couple of days to recover.

[BluesTraveler]

Hello Chuck and Susan,
I have followed your travel blog for the past year. Many times sitting at my desk,thousands of miles away from you folks, envious of your experiences and dreaming/awaiting the completion of my Mariner Ketch so I can join the ranks of the cruising population. I have appreciated the effort you and Susan have put into sharing your experiences and wisdom with "armchair sailors" such as myself. I can't count the times I have been frustrated over a work related issues; the remedy was to log into SeaTrek site and put myself behind your wheel (if only in my imagination) and enjoy (in the virtual world) the trips you have been on. In fact, I have been to several of the locations you mention in your blog such as Belize and can relate. Several adventurers in my office would ask me about your location and travels.

Hopefully, the new owners will keep you posted as they enjoy similar experiences, if not, yours will be my memory for a long time as I'm sure they will be in yours.

The best of peace and enjoyment in your new, upcoming adventure, you have been a real inspiration to us all.

Steve...Blues Traveler Hull #55

[Soft Air]

Are you getting a Trawler Chuck?

I imagine how it feels.

JC

[Morgan Paul]

We are homeless and have a great deal of mixed emotions.

So whats the story ? Are you living in a homeless shelter or in motel 6 ?

Good luck with your future plans.

[David M]

I'm curious and I am sure others are as well. Why did you sell her?

[rebel heart]

I can't even imagine selling our boat. Oh my gosh. Good luck with the adjustment!

[Ex-Calif]

Chuck - You are also one of the board's more prolific photo posters. I just browsed your images and started to get a little chocked up over all those memories you've built.

Your blogis great and the chapter on cruising with a working class budget is an inspiration.

Hope the boat sale was voluntary and that the next chapter is just as rewarding...

[AnchorageGuy]

We decided is was time for a change. If you can believe it, all of the islands are starting to look the same and all of the beaches have the same palm trees. But we are not ready to be dirt dwellers just yet and we really do enjoy coastal cruising. We plan to switch gears and would like to do inland lakes and rivers with plans to do the great loop and that is not practical on a heavy displacement deep draft sailboat. So the search is now on for a comfortable cruising trawler to keep the lifestyle alive and give us a change of scenery. This will give us the opportunity to do things like the great loop and also get back to the Bahamas and some other familiar cruising grounds when the mood strikes us. We are both sad to loose our good friend and excited about new adventures. We still have some great stuff to post on Sea Trek's site, so look for it to be updated soon, and look we forward to starting a new site when the new boat is found. We are sitting tonight in a hotel room for the first time in a long time without the boat. We do have a sailboat to deliver from Beaufort, SC to Beaufort, NC in a couple of weeks so we won't be totally off the water. Just like the sudden sale of the boat, we have learned over the years that nothing happens by accident or coincidence so we will just sit back and see how all of this plays out.

[David M]

Chuck...Its a new chapter in the book. I wish you and your better half all the best.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Chuck,
Even after 20+ years being without my Mariner I still miss her dearly. I hope you find a suitable replacement but know in your heart there will always be a soft spot for your beautiful ketch.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[maxingout]

I consider my catamaran to be an awesome trawler when I am motoring. It moves comfortably through the water, it's extremely maneuverable when I use two engines, and because the engines are only 28 hp, it is fairly economical.

Our Privilege 39 is only 21 feet wide, and many smaller catamarans have even less beam.

It's only a thought. A smaller catamaran might work for you.

I also like land cruising in expeditionary vehicles. Australia has a road around it's perimeter that is around 30,000 kilometers long, and there are thousands of interesting places to visit if you have an expeditionary vehicle. Land cruising is similar in many ways to ocean cruising depending on how you go about making it happen. I place a land cruise in Australia right up at the top of my list of the last great adventures on planet earth.

Good luck in your new life.

[Southern Star]

Congratulations Chuck and Susan! I truly mean that. You have once again proven your incredible strength in not only choosing to move on to a new (and at this point, uncertain) adventure, but by jumping in with both feet.

True explorers are not held back by inertia, or by fear of the unknown. They are not married to their possessions. Here's to the new worlds you are about to discover!

Brad

[AnchorageGuy]

We truly thank you all for your kind comments and regards.

[Talbot]

You should consider the french canals, and a journey up the rhine.

The French canal maximum beam is more than the beam on a Prout Snowgoose catamaran (deliberately).

However, to enter these canals you do need to have passed a CEVNI licence.

[CaptHead]

Chuck, I recommend Grand Banks as a great trawler and they are still in business which means the resale value is strong. In some casea they go up and don't depreciate. Can't say that about most others.

Mine is very comfortable and economical too. When I am on the bridge I don't hear the engines just feel them. It isn't sailing but damn close.

I stay upright too.