The Launch

We're finally in the water. Extracted from the mud of the storage yard and sitting proudly in slip B7 with our newly painted hull, our sails in place and our new name and hailing port displayed on the stern.
There was defnitely that sigh of relief, she floats and she doesn't leak, so we're ready to push off in the moring and head cross to the US Virgins in pursuit of some packages containing some wonderful new instruments. Oh No more work! the rewarding kind that doesn't leave the muscles so sore. I can hardly wait.

The Change

Today was busy. The vinyl for our new name arrived by courier today so its out with the old and in with the new.

The sailing vessel "Furthur" is no longer.

As Gord says now she feels like "our" boat.

We have our summer wings and now have our winter wings.

And " Ocean Wings" is born

Rain, Rain go Away, come again some other day

Well today was to be launch day, worked and worked to get everything ready. the weatherman had other ideas and with a huge thunderstorm raging around us, we're in the hotel doing paperwork instead.  Does hurricane season follow the old saying of " In like a lamb, out like a lion"  if so we hope its it's last hurrah as we're ready for some of that famous caribbean weather with sunshine and steady breezes.   Maybe tomorrow??

Getting Her Ready

The fall has arrived and we've been planning all summer for our return to the BVI's and a little/ or a lot of work before we set sail and see the caribbean.
As luck would have it a friend , that we met last year in Nanny Cay, offered his assistance in getting the boat ready. And since Sue was still tied to home for all of November and couldn't accompany Gord it was an offer we couldn't refuse.
Gord and Irek are now in Tortola , blue as can be, covered in dust from sanding and bottom painting.
Meanwhile Sue is at home, packing up some necessary supplies and taking almost daily calls with additions to the growing list.  the shipping company will be "rubbing their hands with glee"

Finding Our Dream

Welcome to the Travels of Ocean Wings, a 56' Whitby ketch.We discovered our boat while browsing online after much agonizing over do we or don't we commit to such a large purchase while going into our retirement years.But we saw her sitting at anchor in the BVI's with a lot of the features that we had wanted and best of all a motivated Seller.So we travelled to Tortola and took the leap of faith.

First Impressions

Our first view of her as we walked the dock , was " O my she's way to big. At 56 ft long she took all the slip and more. She looked a little neglected, as she had not been loved in months and months and had recently just come out of the storage yard.However her lines were awesome and there was a great fully enclosed dodger that looked almost new. Sails with a flaking system and a not bad paint job on the hull.

We were starting to get excited!! She was pretty close to what we had hoped for.Tapping us on the shoulder as we stood there in the dusk dreaming, was a young couple that turned out to be the captain Bill and his girlfriend Stacie that were here to show us thru the boat the next morning. They had assumed by the puppy dog look on our faces and the drool dripping down our chin that we must be the prospective buyers. 

They were fabulous. They invited us to join the on the boat- much to the rokers chagrin- we moved aboard and went island hopping with them for almost 2 weeks.  It convinced us that although there were a bunch of necessay repairs and upgrades, it really was a great boat, sailed well and would be just the one to start our adventure on.

We were hooked and started the buying process.
Bill and Stacie headed home, were hoping that they will come back one of these days and sail with us on the new improved  " Furthur"  now rechristened as " Ocean Wings"

" What Have We Done"

We're now Boat owners and we're happy, excited, scared and slightly crazy. Why Crazy?? Well, because we've spent our retirement money on a large floating, fiberglass home and we've just learned what Boat stands for: "Bring Out Another Thousand". Of course there are a multitude of things that need fixing, cleaning, polishing and outright replacing.
But, this new floating home will take us travelling to see some of this great big, beautiful world that is best experienced from a clear, turquoise bay ringed with white sand beaches and palm trees, that can only accessible by boat, no roads, runways, of other footprints in the sand. Avoiding the expense of hotels and airfares and taking our amenities with us, like "personal" pillows!
We've owned her for 8 weeks now and have already placed our personal stamp on her with curtains, hatch covers and winch covers as well as addressing many of her mechanical challenges.
We've tucked her on the hard (ground) for the coming hurricane saeason and will truly start our adventure aboard her in November, when we return to get her ship shape and ready to explore and welcome our friends and family onboard. After all, Fun and Adventure are so much better when shared.