“No one can visualize a dream, hear its enchanting song, smell its alluring musk, taste its narcotic elixir, or feel its spiritual relevance, quite like a dreamer.” ~gj dürrschmidt
When I first saw her, she looked magnificent for an old gal. Though her gel coat had faded, railings had dulled, canvas had become worn for wear, she was a solid vessel and seaworthy, according to the seller, and I was naïve to believe it. There she was, moored in all her glory! I wanted her. I needed her. She would make a dream of a lifetime come true, and together we would embark upon new and exciting life journeys.
I immediately went from never owning a boat to owning two. Spiritu was a sporting Luhrs 3420 motor yacht. I needed a tender to ferry me to and from Spiritu to land, so I also purchased a small Boston Whaler but at no small price. I heard they were unsinkable, and with my lack of experience with boats and everything having to do with the water, the Whaler was a necessity. The Whaler came complete with a canvas cover, two anchors with lines, docking lines, boat hook, oars, safety equipment, Bimini top, and a new Yamaha outboard motor. However, I soon realized that the word “complete” did not apply to the motor yacht.
I purchased her “as is,” and informed that “as is” meant that, although she was an older vessel, everything on board was in working order – all, that is, except the light for the compass on the fly bridge, which I soon learned as just the tip of the iceberg. Yes, he the seller saw me coming from miles away. Much wasn't in order, and what was in order, still needed TLC. The two Crusader 454 engines ran but needed maintenance. The Westerbeke AC Generator had an intermittent start issue. The freshwater system had a few leaks. And the list steadily began to grow.
Closer inspection discovered that the Halon Fire Suppression System and the carbon monoxide alarm, had both been operationally disabled. I didn’t learn until much later that the seller had sneakily made off with the Raytheon Radar equipment and the outrigger teaser reels. I had no idea they were part of the overall vessel. Onboard electronics were the absolute basics necessary to meet Coast Guard requirements: an outdated GPS/Chart Plotter and vintage VHS radio.
As the novelty of owning and living aboard a motor yacht began to wear off, once I began reading Chapman's Guide to Seamanship and absorbed the tutorials contained in the West Marine Catalog, I realized just how much was missing and would have to be replenished before I could realistically take her out to sea. In total, I was looking at two thousand dollars to make her whole again. Until I saved up the necessary cash, she would simply remain a floating home, with an occasional jaunt straight out from the marina into the Atlantic, and back, to keep the engines operating efficiently.
Like me, the old gal has managed to age gracefully, considering our mutual years of neglect. Over the past year and a half, we have formed a close spiritual bond. The moniker Spiritu came to me one evening in the twilight’s last gleaming. It is Latin for breath, and from whence the English word spirit comes. I haven't for a moment regretted having made her mine. She's worked wonders in taking my mind off my own aches and pains while focusing on remedying her own. My goal is to get her all shiny and shipshape and take her on a cruise or three before I must leave her in the charge of family, when the time comes for my spirit to set course for its golden sunset.