I found these old pictures of Splendid which were taken just a few weeks after I bought her. What a different boat she is now!
Splendid was the first boat I looked at after returning to the United States from Japan. I heard about her from a friend, and heard she was rotting in a yard (The Glades) in the middle of Florida. The Glades is the cheapest place to put a boat and many, many, many, boats go there to die. It reminds me of the airplane graveyard but for boats. The Glades is basically a cow pasture with a travel lift, far, far away from the sea.
When I first walked through the fenced storage area it was a bit sad, so many nice boats laid to rest. Why do these people pay every month was the question that was going through my mind. My answer was they were just holding on to a vanishing dream.
Splendid sat crooked on her jacks, most of her weight on the forward starboard side, the hull was cracked from the stress, she looked in pain. She smiled and said “Hi, I’m Splendid, please don’t let me rot here another year, I’ve been here nearly 8, I wish to sail the sea again”!
She looked proud even though she was beaten up. I looked inside…, mold, rot, & neglect, however the owner did a very smart thing, there was a bronze plug on the bottom of the keel, it was removed and the rainwater could travel through the boat and trickle outside. Splendid was in bad shape and when it rained she leaked everywhere. I poked at some bulkhead and my finger penetrated through. I knew she was my boat and immediately started negotiating. I liked her lines, layout, and she had a solid hull. She looked spritely, comfortable, and something that I could turn into a home to retire on. I knew what i was looking at and knew that this would be no easy task, but the price was right.
I bought Splendid without a survey, financing, or a sea trial. She was a good little ship that needed a break and a captain that would look after her and bring her back from near death. My intention was to put her in the water and immediately sail here to Panama to turn her into the boat that would tend to the rest of my life travels & adventures in exchange for some love & elbow grease.
I had her moved from the graveyard to the work area. Some old men laughed at me, “So you bought that old Cheoy leaky” The offered me a beer and a chair. “Make yourself at home, you’ll be here a while”, they snickered. Sorry guys I’m getting splashed Thursday after next and sailing to Panama. “WHAT, Are you mad, you don’t know what your doing boy, it’s not safe”! They shook their heads at me over the next few weeks as I worked from sunup to sundown. I replaced half of the through-hulls, pulled the shaft & prop for balancing, replaced the cutlass bearing, fixed the cracked hull, and did a bottom job with the help of some friends. I splashed Thursday after 
next and was proudly the spectacle of the Glades :) I’m sure those old men thought I was as dumb as a Florida fence post.
Into the river and through the locks we go, Panama and beyond please!
Rivers are tricky things to navigate as you only have two choices, upstream or downstream. Rivers are jokesters and bring you places you don’t necessarily want to go, its strange to sail a boat so far from the sea, its just unnatural! Downstream brought me to the love of a woman and a bit more off course than I knew.
In 2012 I simply vow to be Alex Dorsey and heed my own words to sail far & live slowly.
You know the story of the scorpion and the frog? The scorpion was sitting on a rock when the rain came and brought a flood. With the rising water the scorpion asked a passing frog for a ride to shore. The frog said “but you’ll sting me”. The scorpion replied “no I wont, I just don’t want to die.”. The kindly frog brought the scorpion for the ride and half way to shore the scorpion stung the frog in the back. The frog asked “Why would you, now we will both die”? “ I’m sorry, I’m a scorpion, it’s just my nature”.
We are what we are. I’m not a family man or business man. I’m a solo-sailor, and that makes me soooo happy. My path is on Splendid with the world at my finger tips. Love will come and go as will friends. I’m a gypsy, a traveler, a nut, a hypocrite, a minimalist, and a philosopher, not to mention a bad speller :) But what’s important is at the end of the day I’m happy to have a hole in my pocket and this old boat to call home going into this new year.
I’ve come far with my repairs. The decks are done and awaiting nonskid. The cracked and damaged cabin houses are solid, dry, and white. There are no leeks, and Splendid is happy, proud, and almost ready. All the chain plates (12) have been pulled, inspected, and fitted with new bolts (many were broken).
In my imitate future my goals are to get her stanchions back on and get the non-skid done. These are the only two things I must do before my guest in a month and the San Blas. 
I have a million other projects to attend to but they are almost all cosmetic or luxury items. I can breathe easier now that my beautiful girl isn’t going to get wet & rot. There are two lists on Splendid, must do, and want too. My must do list is getting shorter :)
I got pulled over by the National police the other day on the motorcycle. They really busted my ass and detained me for a few hours. I’m sure they were waiting for a bribe. I did a really stupid thing and lost my temper when one of them hinted to such. “I’m sorry but corruption is bad for Panama and I love Panama, you will not get a cent from me!” I shouted this pointing my finger at the UZI carrying officer and instantly knew I was F’d!
Surprisingly they let me return home with my motorcycle. They didn’t let me pass the checkpoint to the city but I made it out of there with my bike, Passport, & license. I really, really don’t like to be harassed. This was the first time ever outside of the United States.
I looked into getting a new sticker and it involves buying insurance as of 2012, and a few other expenses that will set me back a few hundred. It’s back on the bus for now :( I’m going to store the bike at a friends house.
Anyway guys, I’m off for a swim. I know I’ve been quiet lately but I’ve been hyper-focused on work.
I vow to do a lot of sailing this year wherever I am, probably not as much as the more than 10,000 miles in 2007, but a few!
Peace, love, & coconuts.
I am a Gypsy-Drifter! Gypsy Drifter was going to be the name for Splendid but I couldn’t change it as it has history.
Sail far and Live slowly.
– Alex