It's done!  We signed the "Acceptance" form last night that commits both us and the seller to moving forward.  The formal closing won't be until next week, but for all intents and purposes we are now the proud owners of our very first boat, "Heartsong."  Wow!  I've been dreaming about this moment for about as long as I can remember.

The picture above was taken as I was walking down the dock and seeing the boat in the water for the first time.  I had driven down for the survey and here my sense of excitement is growing as I'm getting closer.  Part of a survey includes getting the boat out and testing all the systems, so I'm going to be seeing her sail for the first time, as well. 

Our surveyor was Tarn Kelsey of Kelsey Marine Surveys.  He did a great job, taking a lot of time to not only share what he was seeing, but also to explain the various systems as we went through them. 

It was incredibly helpful.  Best of all, his initial report was that the boat seemed to be in really good shape given its age (23 years).  The hull, the deck, the sails -- all the major stuff looked good.  There were some problems with the engine, but those are being addressed even as I write. My biggest concern going in was that the sails would be messed up.  We hadn't been able to see them before this.  I was thrilled to see how good they looked.

I wish I could have gotten a picture with both sails up, but right after the genoa was unfurled I was invited to take the helm.  In 8 knots of wind (not much!) the boat was moving at just over 4 knots (impressive!).  I'm used to much heavier boats in this size, and I was amazed to see how nimble and responsive she was -- even in reverse which is a pretty big deal when you are trying to maneuver into a small slip.  These were the very qualities that we had been looking for when we chose this boat over the Pacific Seacraft in the first place.  It was encouraging to see them confirmed.    

Our broker, Dave van den Arend with Crusader Yacht Sales, did a wonderful job working with us.  The whole process of buying a boat was new to us, and at times it was a bit overwhelming.  Dave worked incredibly hard, calmly guided us through each step, and made some great connections for us along the way.  I would recommend him in a heartbeat.

So now, after years of exploration, we are committed to a boat.  I can hardly wait.