I have been looking for my next boat for past year plus... looking for a extended liveaboard...but would have liked a bit of performance...
I have looked at Farr 11.6/ Bene's,/North Shore 38 etc/Adams etc. made a few offers on boats that where over priced (for the market).
Anyway this Adams 40 CC came up for sale at auction.....after being for sale for a while. So I went to the auction to buy if the price was right. It was really very good...a sh..t load had been spent on it, and is was in great condition. So great! On inspection with the auctioneer, I wanted to start the engine for a run....his back was not good, so he asked if I could open the seacocks. Fine...but it a fairly small crawl space beside the engine, which also leads to the aft cabin.
Now I have bad knees... the cartilage has gone and both have osteoarthritis, which grate with a audible noise when a stand up....legacy of past sporting and outdoor exploits. So there was still a while for actual auction, and there was another yacht going up for sale.....a Islander Freeport 41 ft ketch. Not really the boat I described I wanted at the start, but we all like to look at boats - and there was a hour to go...so a bit of a tour followed. It was a 1979 vintage but baring a few upholstery issues and head lining issues very good, but noticing it was just two steps (not ladder!) from cockpit to cabin, which had 7' head room all the way from bow to the double bed aft cabin. It was fitted out by an young American couple to cruise the world...cut short by babies!
so it had NEAR:
New oversized standing rigging, New high tech running rigging
All new sails made for heavy weather cruising 120% Genoa, heavy staysail, full batten main and full batten mizzen. New harken furler for staysail.
New low friction sail slide system.
New norcold full size standing refrigerator and freezer.
New 3 burner LPG stove and oven.
New led lighting throughout.
New spectra water maker Ventura 150 makes 8 gallons per hour at 8 amps d/c.
New climma air conditioning unit for aft cabin.
New 42" Samsung led hd 3d TV.
New bose outdoor speakers on foredeck.
New stainless steel davits.
New raymarine C70 Multi function display with charter plotter and charts of South Pacific. Includes built in wifi to monitor display from phone or iPad.
New depth sounder for raymarine mfd
New raymarine HD digital Radome 48 mile radar
New xantrex freedom sw 3012 sine wave inverter/ charter with control panel.
New balmar ars-5 multistage voltage regulator.
New standard horizon explorer series gx1600 vhf radio.
New Viking 4 man life raft
New Magma barbecue.
New solar array. Four 200 watt solar panels produces 400 amp hours a day.
New 800 amp Trojan primary battery bank.
New:8' inflatable west marine tender 2.5 hp Suzuki 4 stroke outboard.
As i was walking back the 200m back to the auction, with a bit of pain in the knee due to the kneeling while on the Adams. Not much - you learn to live with it. So waiting for the auction and I realised I was stupid....the Adams was the boat I wanted, but some time in the future (hopefully a long time - but it will come!) It would be a millstone that I would struggle with.
The Freeport was not a performance boat into the wind, but downwind good, and as a cruiser you avoid the headwind when possible...it had a 105 hp donk for that! As 90%+ cruising is not actually sailing..the comfort factor especially down the track is important. (Rob Perry design)
So I am now the owner of a 41ft Islander Freeport ketch. (At a good price)
PS: you might notice with sharp eyes the reflection in the fridge.....
The past owners Blog...
sailingissexy.wordpress.com/elizabeth/
I could not help but notice the reflection in the fridge. 
Congrats on the new boat. A bit of motion of the ocean might fix up your knees.
She should hook along rigged as in the photo.
Nice boat. Should do you proud! And such a story to tell already.
As for the previous owners I cant help worrying about skin cancer with those complexions.
Thanks, Cisco and MM.
Your are right about the skin cancer......half the reason for the purchase was the good cover.
Another bit was, maybe memories of boats like Anaconda in the Hobart:
The Freeport being maybe a "Datsun" version.....it does have a Chrysler Nissan engine!
Saw one up Middle Harbour many years ago ,Perry hand some great designs . Hope you enjoy her .
jbear
Congrats Nods. To go after a boat that you want and in the emotion of a sale see another boat
and way up the pros and cons so quickly and make a definitive decision and act upon it takes
guts. Very well done.
Thanks for the replies.
What probably took me so long to find the right boat is, that I have had more traditional boats in the past - and started the search that way.....and like most things in life the younger, more shiny and faster things turn your head. (and that applies also to life's animate objects of desire!).
So spent the afternoon going over the boat for the MUST do, and LIKE to do list.
Maybe the shiny things are better!!
