See Course Change I and Course Change II if you haven’t already——->
Flying to Puerto Vallarta from Aruba at the tail end of the tourist season is not great. Let’s put it that way. From Aruba I flew to Atlanta, where my plane landed close to midnight. Because my next flight was international and didn’t leave for eight hours I couldn’t check in to go through to the International departures gate area yet. Nothing in the airport was open, and even if I could get inside, my airport lounge was closed until morning. I could have gone through the hassle of going to a hotel and gotten four hours of sleep, but instead I found a chair, listened to the floor waxing machine drone on, and watched a movie or two until six, when they finally opened things up.
Twenty-six hours after leaving Aruba I touched down in Puerto Vallarta and immediately felt like I was home. The airport arrivals area had gotten a minor upgrade, but the hustle and bustle outside was the same. I jumped in my rental car and was on the road out of town in just a few minutes. At first it looked as if nothing had changed, but out on the edge of the city, in a field that had always flooded every year, was now a fancy golf course hosting the PGA Tour Mexico Open in just a few days. It was clear from the acres and acres of freshly made parking lots that the place was going to be pure madness. Across the river was some other monstrosity that I’d not seen before, including a gondola stretching across the highway. Apparently this is some sort of fake Disneyworld type development. Aside from that, PV looks exactly like I left it.
Guarding an empty parking lot days before the golf crowds are expected does not look like much fun.
Continuing on, I pulled into Paradise Village. We spent quite a bit of time at this marina in the summers when the kids were babies, back in the Bumfuzzle monohull days. I wandered down the dock and finally put eyes on the boat, a Nautitech 40 Open.
I know you savvy googlers will find the boat, but I hate posting pics of a boat before Ali has gotten her hands on it, and I’ve had a chance to clear the decks of useless gear, so for now all I’m posting are a couple of outside pics with the name edited out.
The boat looked great. I’m still getting used to how big catamarans have become. This is only a 40-footer, which by today’s standards is a small cat, but the height of the hulls, while standing next to it on the dock, still blew me away. It’s also 23′ wide.
The owners had left a few days earlier, but had kindly offered to let me stay on the boat. So I climbed aboard and started digging around.
This boat is a little different boat than I would have probably considered if we were just planning to sit around in the Bahamas or bum around Mexico indefinitely. The Nautitech isn’t as much of a catamaran condominium as Lagoons and Leopards. It’s actually designed to sail well, which sounds kind of funny coming from a guy who famously doesn’t know how to sail very well, and never cared much for learning to do so. But, I like the idea of having a boat that has strong sailing performance, because damned if I don’t remember just how long those ocean crossings can get. I sure wouldn’t mind shaving a few days off of those this time around. Not to mention those top deck steering station add-ons that are on all the boats these days make us cringe.
The surveyor showed up first thing the next morning, along with her apprentice. I fired up the engines, threw off the lines, and immediately crashed into the megayacht behind us. No, I’m kidding, I pulled away clean, and motored out into Banderas Bay for the first time in years. The haulout was scheduled for 9:30, so we started the day with that. An hour after leaving the dock, I slipped the boat into the slings at the La Cruz marina, the boat came out, and we just kept going through it from top to bottom.
This particular boat was bought by the original owner with literally every single option available. About $200,000 worth. So I was happy to look around and find myself pretty much unable to find anything that I would need to add. There is 800 watts of solar, which I wouldn’t mind bumping up to ~1200, and I might make the lithium battery switch before we take off, but other than that, the outfitting is complete.
It’s early, I’ve only slept a couple of hours in the last three days, and I’m the captain of a new ship.
The haulout didn’t go quite as expected. Unfortunately, there was a problem with one of the props. What the owner had thought was just loose zincs, was actually a worn gear. The prop was wiggling pretty loosely in our hands. The gear, a $2,000 part, needed replacing, along with a couple of other things to keep from happening again. Not a major job, or a very big problem in the grand scheme of things, but we all agreed that putting the boat back in the water and driving it with the current gear would be a mistake that could damage the engine itself. The part would take a couple of weeks to get, so… the boat stayed on the hard, I found a hotel, and thought about what we wanted to do.
Looking down the street towards PV Centro, I could see the buildings Ali and I would find shade from on the beach when she was nine months pregnant, and the hospital where the kids were born. I must be getting more nostalgic as I age. Just this view brings back so many good memories for me. And as a bonus, when I checked into the hotel I had booked, they told me they had overbooked it and they had moved me to this room at a hotel a couple blocks away. No big deal, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask if they would credit me back some of my rewards points for the inconvenience, and a few days later I found they had given me the entire stay for free.
Overnight, I made another offer, the seller countered, and we agreed on a new number. $355k and it was a done deal. Considering the current catamaran market, I feel like we got a great deal. Asking was $398k, and a seller that had the time and patience could probably have gotten that. Will we get $355k back in a few years? No. Not unless the market bubble can keep on stretching. I doubt it can, but, one never knows. Boat builders have one major problem when demand spikes like it has, and that is the fact that ramping up boat production in any meaningful way is virtually impossible. A friend ordered a Seawind catamaran and won’t see it for four years! If demand keeps rising, there is little chance of supply rising to meet it, which leaves the used boat market as the only option. I only mention this because boat prices are the hot topic for boat sellers and buyers right now (especially catamarans). As someone who doesn’t plan to be involved in the market for a few years, it’s of little consequence either way.
Anyway, it took about two more weeks for all the paperwork to get straightened out, but as of now the money is gone, and we are the proud new owners of a 2015 Nautitech 40 Open.
From PV I flew up to visit my mom for a few days in Arizona. I didn’t really take any pictures while there, but occasionally Ali and the kids will request proof of what I’m up to. They also demand that I take my mom’s dog for a walk when I’m there. I’m not a hug fan of ridiculous tiny fluffy dogs, so walking them all by myself is something I’d prefer to just lie about doing.
Seems like the right amount of pork chops for me and a 70-something-year-old woman who eats like a bird.
And then I was back in Aruba, checking into the country with nothing but a backpack over my shoulder. Ali was so busy packing up that she probably preferred I just stay gone and out of the way for another week.
38 Comments on “Course Change Part III”
Is this the most you’ve paid for a vehicle thus far? I can’t remember how much Your first cat was.
First cat was $156k
Congratulations on the new boat!
That’s very close to what we will be shopping for in a year or so. The less I need to do to it the better and I sure as heck am not going to wait 4 years for a new boat to be built.
Congratulations on the new boat. It looks great, and I’m sure this new Bumfuzzle will become a lovely and comfortable home.
Congratulations Guys. It is fantastic news that you will be back on the cruising routes of the world soon.
Hopefully we may be able to catch up with you all somewhere some day sooner than later. That is if we can ever leave Korea. We have just returned to Spirt of Sobraon and still not able to leave. There is hope that the border to Japan will open sometime late this year so that we can head off.
Look forward to your following your new adventures and seeing the kids thrive in their new environment.
All our love
Garry and Wendy.
Congratulations! Coming full circle from the beginning and back on
a sailing cat! The just do it attitude is so very inspirational.. can not wait to follow the new adventures on two hulls..
OMG!!! I’m so excited for the kids….but that first haul across the Pacific might not be fun for either of you!? HUGS! WELL WISHES!!
What’s not fun about an adventure as big as sailing across the Pacific Ocean, as far from land as you are likely to ever be in your entire life? Crossing the equator, going from being a Pollywog to a Shellback! The feeling of accomplishment when you spot that island in the distance. It’ll be great.
Even I (who have no desire to spend a single night on a boat), think its going to be great fun for your family. You guys have the right spirit for this and the kids are the perfect age for this. Old enough to understand any difficult parts, to help and not need to be watched every minute.
And as my family says, it will either be a great time or a great story.
Congratulations! That is one slick hotrod of a catamaran. I’ll bet it’ll be a great boat. Enjoy and safe travels.
Congratulations….your new ride looks huge…..See you in La Cruz!!! Be safe.
Congratulations! I will have to try to catch up with you when you arrive in Sydney. Will take you and the kids diving off my boat.
EXCITING Times! It IS wonderfully nostalgic to visit places that hold meaningful memories! Goodonyas!
Looking forward to the adventure albeit through proxy! Ha
Congrats Pat and Ali! She looks beautiful.
Your blog posts are always a good read! Your transparency is so refreshing and your adventurous spirit is inspiring. 😃
Congrats on your new home!
In the spirit of of all those that said you were going to die the first time you went sailing, you don’t know how to sail, you are foolish for sailing around the world, you are making a bad choice.
Nah! The boat looks awesome, your skill level is there just as it was the first time, and I envy you for everyone one of your adventures. Congratulations to you all. The kids will have a great time!
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see Ali work her magic!
Congratulations on the new boat!
You may not get back what you paid for it when you sell it kime you would a dirt house, but you can’t sail a dirt house around the world.
As always, I’m looking forward to the further adventures of the Bumfuzzles.
Fair winds.
*like you would
Congrats buddy! I might have to bounce down to hang in the Cat with y’all this go round.
You bring the blackberry!
She looks like a beautiful boat.
Congratulations to the whole family.
Onward!
Consider getting bean bags for the boat. Great place to read/lounge for adults. If memory serves me right the company we ordered from was E Sea Rider
https://e-searider.com/
I don’t have any stake in the copy it we had ours for three years before we sold the boat and knew many other charter boats had them and were popular AND held up excellently! They came with loops we tied a line to do they wouldn’t fly off with big gusts. For passages we tied them on the lifelines at the sugar scoop.
Pat, was that a Canadian flag on one of the spreaders and does her name start with S….?
Glad you are off on another adventure! Sounds like a wicked good boat.
So exciting! Congratulations.
Congratulations on your new purchase once again? As always enjoy seeing the pics and great adventures! Hope to meet you in PV for Pizza at the marina..
This is epic, Pat! Congratulations!! 🙂
Nothing drums up excitement like change. The long passages will be way more fun this time around with the extra crew.
In this market, I think you got a good deal. Considering it’s in an area you love makes it a great deal! Congrats Pat!
Terrific! So glad to hear you liked the boat and the survey went pretty well.
Have you been able to find a buyer for the Grand Banks? Will you and the family move onto the new boat before the Grand Banks is sold?
Looking forward to more pics of the inside of the new catamaran and more photos of the exterior.
Excited to hear about your new Cat adventures! Spectacular 👍
Congratulations. Your kids are the luckiest.
I like how you keep things fresh,well done am sure your kids are going to have a ball
I am so excited for your children and you, who will have a second go around. I had always hoped that this would be the next step. Perfect timing.
This is so great for your kids. When other kids are relating what happened at the mall, yours will be saying, “I met this guy in New Guinea and…Congrats on the beautiful new Cat!
I have dreamed of a circumnavigation all my adult life. Now at age 67 with an elderly parent to care for, I feel it slipping away. I am so excited to follow along vicariously, and circle the planet through your kid’s eyes!
Congratulations on the new boat. My wife and I sail a 2018 Open 40. Bought it new and had it in the BVI under charter for four years. Now preparing it for long term cruising next year. Absolutely love the boat. It is, for us, the right compromise of comfort and sailing ability. Feel free to reach out with any questions. There is also a great Nautitech owners facebook group.
All the best. S/V Wavelength
A 2015 Nautitech Open 40 for 355k?
I’d say you got a damn good deal.