The adventures of Lorilee, Part I
These next few posts are sort of a “retroactive” blog. Before Alex invited me to PBS, I was writing my story on a legal pad. So here it is:
Written December 21st, 2014, Orange County Airport, California
So I made an offer on a boat last night. Lorilee is a 1975 Westsail 32, and she is gorgeous. She definitely has signs of her age, but all in all she is solid, dry (mostly), and she is a Westsail! I have had my eye on Westsails ever since I opted for a monohull. They’re slow, heavy, solid, and comfortable. All excellent qualities for a voyaging sailboat. And I finally found one within my budget.
Let me back up a bit. So things have been happening faster than I had originally planned. My original “plan” was to get out of debt, save, buy my boat, and leave. Well, I decided a while back that it would be in my best interest to get a boat now rather than later. I can learn her systems, her sails, and her character now. By doing this, I have given myself three or four years to prepare and learn the boat. I could have started with a cheaper boat, but I want to learn everything about my boat. I have the financial means to do it, so why not?
Since I made the decision to pull the plug about six months ago, the thought hasn’t left my mind. For years now, I have felt the need to escape “progress”. People suffocate me. Society suffocates me. I lived in the city for a couple of years, and I simply couldn’t handle it; traffic everywhere, people everywhere, bludgeoned by advertising, and choked by noise pollution. I couldn’t even see the stars at night. I moved back to my hometown in the Texas countryside two years ago – which has helped some – but I still have the intense burning to leave. Every day I wake up with the gnawing idea that I’m destined for more — that this cannot be “it”. I need to be close to nature and self-dependent; but most of all, I need to be free. I long for something greater. Something different. I am young, healthy, and am in the best physical shape of my life. There is no better time to do this than now.
Alex’s writings have been a complete inspiration to me. An inspiration to UNPLUG from this busy-body beehive that we call “society”. As I’ve said before, I have always felt detached from those around me. As if I don’t belong here. Alex’s philosophy spoke to me. Live simply and slowly. Sail far. Be free.
So upon my return from the trip to free Eleanor of the frozen North, I made an offer on a Westsail 28 named Zosha. I was awestruck. The 28 provided so much comfort and space for her size, and she was for sale at an amazing price! I immediately made an offer. The seller conditionally accepted the offer, but he had already given first right of refusal to a gentleman from Florida. Well, keeping his word, the owner sold the boat to him. While I was very disappointed, I totally understood. I would have done the same.
So I put out of my head the notion of a buying a boat right now. I wanted to focus on getting into a more financially stable position, and continue selling more of the crap from my house. That was until this week…
A few days ago, Alex sent me a listing for Lorilee on Craigslist. The price was definitely right, but she was berthed in Long Beach, California (I’m near Houston, TX). After some exchanges with the seller, I bought a flight and booked a room. I was going to do this!
She was beautiful. Grinning from ear to ear, I spent four hours onboard with the owner, inspecting every inch, asking every question that could come to mind. She needs love, but she has character and soul. The boat was finished by the seller’s father, and so the joinery and woodwork is very good. And the hull is as solid as a rock. The seller invited me back for dinner that night, so I had a couple of hours to think. I made my way over to the beach and put my feet in the Pacific Ocean for the very first time — but it won’t be the last.
Upon returning to Lorilee, the seller and her boyfriend had ordered a pizza and we watched Captain Ron (how appropriate, right?). After the movie ended, I made them an offer. Now, the seller had already received a couple of other offers, but she said the prospective buyers “weren’t right” and turned them down. I suppose that after having a boat your entire life – especially one with as much love and character as this one – you want to ensure she goes to a good home. She accepted my offer.
So here I am in the Orange County Airport, battling delays, flight changes, and expensive food — all with a smile on my face. I am beginning a new chapter of my life, and though I have quite a large learning curve ahead of me, I couldn’t be happier.
– Ryan