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While we usually publish twice a week (on Mondays and Thursdays), we thought we would announce a little bit of news. For those curious, here is a Project Slocum update since our last post on April 1st.
Six weeks ago, we came back from our boat purchase trip to Ft Lauderdale and faced a go/no-go decision. Due to coronavirus and many states beginning to lock down, we and Bill mutually agreed to put the sale on hold.
So what has changed?
Last week
As we are packing up our belongings and making decisions about what to bring aboard, we asked Bill for some guidance on bedding and linens. In the process of providing feedback, he mentioned that there is another person interested in buying RJ Slocum.
WTF?
The other buyer wanted to move quickly, asking Bill to meet her in Florida during the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Cruisers the world over are in lockdown. So it seems, there’s little point in rushing to get on the water. But the new buyer was selling her house and ready to go.
We had always taken a cautious approach, valuing health and safety over a transaction. So we replied to Bill that we wanted to move forward with our deal. If it provided peace of mind to him, we can wire the security deposit rather than have him worry needlessly about being pressured to make a sale, even at the cost of his own health.
Upon reading our response about our decision and timing, Bill wrote:
I agree that that there’s little point in moving quickly at this point in time. I’ve been in communication with my friends overseas and most everywhere is locked down tight. Many cruisers aren’t even allowed ashore. The Caribbean is locked down. Massachusetts still hasn’t re-opened, and if you did anchor off a beach here, there’d be nothing open other than supermarkets and drug stores. So we’ll just have to wait and see how things progress.
But congratulations! At least you’re making the first move toward cruising. You can be absolutely sure I’ll do everything I can to make that dream come true for you.
Taking the plunge
When he received the reply from Bill yesterday evening, Andrew smiled, pretty excited about taking this next step. In the wee hours of the morning, I woke up and read the email Andrew had forwarded from Bill, and I started to research what information we would need to complete the transaction.
The next morning, when Andrew woke up, I told him I read the email. He asked me, “How did you feel?”
I paused, answering, “Pretty good.”
“Aren’t you excited?”
“Sure, I’m excited,” I replied flatly.
Andrew raised an eyebrow.
Why the difference in reaction?
I speculate that my unchanged mood largely stems from the fact that I had mentally accepted that this was our boat. Wiring the money, finalizing the purchase agreement, and any other steps were just that: mechanical steps in a process and nothing more. In my mind, she is already ours. The steps were a mere formality.
Andrew’s happiness over this next step seems to stem from the subconscious belief that there continued to be a series of go/no-go decisions. In his mind, anything could prevent his dream from becoming a reality. So rather than get his hopes up, he is more cautious. Every step becomes a celebration… or a potential devastation.
Glass half full or half empty
We mentioned this before when we first decided to sail around the world. On our whiteboard, we sketched out a plan. Over the course of a year, that whiteboard was a disappointing reminder to Andrew about the lack of progress we made. It wasn’t to me. I looked at the whiteboard with optimism about what steps needed to be taken for us to transform our lives.
The past day is a reminder of how Andrew and I differ in our approach to the same goal. He will celebrate each positive step. I will take each step in stride as a natural course of things.
I like the fact that we are getting better at observing ourselves and our interaction. This wards off any potential for disagreement or tension.
Now, on to the next steps… to work on the purchase agreement
Over the next few days…
On Friday, I drafted revisions to the purchase agreement and turned it over to Andrew for review over the weekend.
We spent Saturday in Malibu Creek State Park hiking and checking out potential routes to climb. On our way back home, we picked up some Godmother sandwiches with the works from Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica and then had a small picnic at the beach. People seemed to be observing social distancing, so we felt safe.
On Sunday, Andrew provided his edits and we revised the purchase agreement with his changes. This version was sent to Bill for review and comment.
Yesterday, we scraped all our pennies together and placed our security deposit on RJ Slocum. We are officially in escrow! This marks a pivotal step in becoming a boat owner.
It’s time to celebrate!
Thanks for reading!
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