Busy in Panama

Sailing by the stern of a giant tanker just south of the canal entrance.

Selling the boat was something that I never thought very much about before a few weeks ago. At times we had ideas of holding onto her after we were settled on the east coast. Trips to the Caribbean, up and down the coast; we were going to share our love of sailing with our family onboard Liberte. It's going to have to be on another boat though.

We have sold Liberte to a great couple, Tom and Kathi. They are retired, living on a small mountain northeast of Panama City. They've owned boats before and really love sailing. They don't have any deadlines or busy schedules. They've been looking for a sailboat for a year and finally found the right one. I'm a bit jealous of them, actually.

The past week was a bit of a whirlwind. Our brother in law, Brad, flew down to lend a hand. We got the boat prepped for showing off. Liberte was spic and span, neat and stowed. As we were waiting for our first appointment to show her I wondered why the boat isn't always this neat. Luckily the week wasn't all work and we made it to Isla Taboga for an overnight and up to the Miraflores canal locks. I've never had an eye for business, so Brad's advice on selling was invaluable.

Brad's first fish on the spear.

Jerry, Amanda's father, flew in on the 7th, so we all had one Super Bowl of an evening together. Brad flew home the following day. So right now we are going through the process of accepting payment for the boat, going through her from stem to stern, introducing the Tom and Kathi to the workings of Liberte. We might have a ticket through the canal as line-handlers for a sailboat from the Netherlands. We'll know for sure whether it's a sure deal in a day or two.

Right now I know we're making the right move. We've come up with a plan for the near future and are both excited about it. But, I know that on some breezy, sunny day a few months from now I am going to ache for the chance to toss off the dock lines on my very own sailboat and go for a jaunt.