Scaling our hopes down to a more reasonable level, there are three brands that seem to offer a good combination of quality and seaworthiness; Tartan, Sabre and Caliber.  They are all good, solid boats that would seem to be great for coastal cruising.  The Tartan 34-2 is probably more in our price range, but it is possible we might find a 3500 or 372 that could work.  The one Sabre that could work would be the 34 foot Mark II.  The boat that has really caught our attention, however, is the Caliber 33 (and its younger sister the 35).

This is the Caliber 33 and it is an older boat.  Fewer than 70 of them were built and it was discontinued prior to 1990.  That's what makes it affordable for us.  We are actually pretty excited about it.

The fact that it doesn't have the canoe stern opens up more space for living and storage towards the back of the boat.  To get the double quarter berth in back, for example, you would have to go to 37 feet in the Pacific Seacraft.  The 35 is an update of the 33 with about the same dimensions in the interior and a "sugar scoop" transom added at the back.  We love that transom.  It offers a place to stand as you get into or out of your dinghy. The 35, however, is probably a bit beyond us.

Practical Sailor gave the 33 a pretty good review.  I like the hull design.  I like the skeg that protects the rudder.  I really like the engine access.  In so many ways it seems like this might be the right choice for us.

My biggest concern is the evidence of water leaks around the ports and some more significant staining on and around the cabin sole.  It makes me wonder if there isn't a problem with the stanchions.  They are simply screwed into the deck and it seems like that might be the source of the leaks.  The water is certainly coming from somewhere, and I've seen the same problem on a couple of the boats.  A good survey should be able to answer the question if we get that far. 

Some people have asked what our ideal boat would be.  For me, the Pacific Seacraft 37 has pretty much been the boat of my dreams since I first began thinking about cruising.  Practical Sailor, a magazine along the lines of a "Consumer Reports" for sailors (it accepts no advertising), says this about the boat: "For an off-the-shelf serious cruiser for two people or a small family, you couldn't do much better than this boat.  The hull shape and design are pretty ideal, and the looks are classic without being dated or cute."  

That's about the highest praise you are ever going to find in Practical Sailor.  The boat looks like this:

It is not everyone's ideal.  The same canoe stern that makes it so great in a storm limits the interior space and how much you are able to store in the cockpit lockers.  It also makes climbing in from a swim or from a dinghy more of a challenge.  At the same time, because it is so well built it is also pricey.  That's the issue for us.  Pacific Seacraft didn't start using vinylester in the hull until 1989.  Anything earlier than that is prone to blisters which is a costly repair.  The problem for us is that anything after 1989 is going to cost too much.  So the search continues...  

Shortly after returning from vacation this summer I received a letter from Christian Theological Seminary.  These are the people who oversee the grants for the Lilly sabbatical endowment.  I was almost afraid to open it.  I had waited so long for this moment, and when I read it and learned that our application had been approved there was a part of me that simply couldn't believe it.  I must have read it five times, making sure I understood it correctly.  What a joy!

In the weeks that have followed, it has been a lot of fun beginning to put our plans in place: sending in deposits for the courses; putting a deposit down for a charter boat in the British Virgin Islands; making the plane reservations for the kids and their spouses.  Even now there is a part of me that just can't quite believe that this is really happening.

A huge piece of the sabbatical plan, of course, is finding the right boat.  Can you imagine how much fun it is to actually begin looking at boats?  A lot of internet searching.  Reading everything I can find about different hull designs and some specific brands.  Lots of talks with Bonnie.  We aren't planning on crossing any oceans in this boat, but we would like something that can safely handle a rough sea.  It has to be big enough for the two of us, but manageable enough for me to single-hand.  We would prefer something that is able to comfortably berth four people so that friends can join me during those times when Bonnie has to work.  We are thinking it is going to be a moderate displacement boat -- a compromise between high performance and sea-worthiness -- with a draft of approximately five feet for sailing in the Chesapeake.  And finally, the ideal boat would be old enough to be affordable, but in good enough shape to be safe.  So the search continues...