After a month or so of searching, we lucked out and found the perfect boat. By perfect, I mean a boat that costs $3000 and looks like it can be salvaged in six months. That’s when we hope to head out onto the open seas and begin our sea gypsy lifestyle.

She’s a 1974 Cooper Seabird 37 with a sturdy hull and a shallow draft. That’s ideal for the Great Loop, which is our tentative first adventure. Her insides leave something to be desired as she’s been sitting in a boatyard unattended for about a decade, but I’ve got a smart husband who’s going to whip her into shape in no time.

Fain has requested that we keep this whole boat thing to ourselves until it’s finished. I’d like to think it’s because he’s really excited about the prospect of our new home, but I suspect it has more to do with a fear that we’ll ask him to engage in physical labor if he takes a peek. He’s crafty that way.

Captain Jack and the Sea Shanti

Me, showing my muscle as if I intend to help with the heavy lifting XD