See, here's the problem; I'm just like my mother was - I want it and I want it NOW! Saving another $30,000 would have taken another 2 years, and that was just too long to wait to go sailing. So, we went back to our room at White Sands Motel to talk about what to do next.
We spent the next day shopping and sightseeing, and that afternoon we figured we'd check the internet and see what as there - nothing. Oh well, end of the line, I guess. Bill called later that evening and said he wanted to show me a boat that I might be interested in and could I meet him in the morning for coffee at Marchan's (the motel restaurant).
The next morning, after coffee, Bill took me around the corner to an apartment building in "the fingers"- an area of the bay consisting of 4 or 5 parallel channels. and as we walked around to the back there was a slip in the channel. In the slip was tied "the wrong boat!".
Grey Bird was a 1981 36' Hunter......aft cockpit - wrong!........sloop rig - wrong!........forward v-berth - wrong! And she was not really as big as I wanted. She was every thing I DIDN'T want; but as I looked her over, inside and out, I saw a lot of potential. What really got me was the cut of her bow and the overall lines of her decks - totally clean! There were no dorade vents, no protrusions on the decks - nothing but a clean aerodynamic shape. She was clean inside, too, although the upholstery was a bit ragged. Everything seemed to work okay, so I asked Bill what the selling price was, and he said $25,000.....but offer $19,000. Well, okay, lets see what happens.
In the office at Anchor Marina, he phoned the owner of the boat and made the offer, of which the owner immediately refused - so it was thanks and good bye. Bill and I talked for a short while and, during the course of the conversation, he revealed that the owner and his wife were going through a divorce and that was the reason he had to sell the boat. It was quite seaworthy - nothing to do with boat problems. While we were talking, about 5 or 6 minutes later, the phone rang and it was the owner . . . accepting my offer!
I told Bill that before I submitted a formal offer, I'd better get Carol's approval. So, we drove back to the motel, picked up Carol and went back to the boat. Now, Carol didn't know zip about sailboats, but she did know clean and good size so her review didn't take long.
I submitted the formal offer pending sea trials, which was to take place the next day - except Bill couldn't be there, but he did arrange for the marina owner, Mark, to go out with me. The next day was cloudy and a little rainy. Mark was complaining about the bad weather, but I insisted on the trials, so off we went.
We headed out the channel and east along the Queen Isabella bridge. I wanted to raise the mainsail to check the rigging. This really upset Mark, so on this, I relented. Hey, the engine started and ran great, the steering felt tight and responsive, and the depth sounder worked well. Mark was pissin' and moanin' about the weather the whole time, so as we neared the end of the bridge, we turned back to the marina and called it a good sea trial.
The wife of Grey Bird's owner signed the papers over the next day. so after that, I wrote out the checks to the soon-to-be former owner of the Grey Bird, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Bill's commission, and, of course, the sales tax.
Carol and I now owned a sailboat named Grey Bird !! (That name had to go!}
