Getting Ready to Launch!

Encore spent the winter "on the hard" at Haven Harbour Marina in Rock Hall. The requisite maintenance has been completed or will be completed in the next few days. The weather has not been cooperating this week, so I'm sure the marina has gotten a little behind on some of the detailing and painting work. With luck we will be back in the water next week, but probably won't have many opportunities to get out cruising until May. This will give us time to get the boat ready and return everything that we brought home for the winter. It was so nice not having to recommission the boat last spring. After the trip south, everything was still on the boat ready to go. There was no spring prep required. We'll have to try and remember what to do to get the boat outfitted properly.

We have spent the winter researching other boats for a possible upgrade in the fall. Our trip south last year really helped us learn what we would like to have in a cruising boat going forward and what we need to live on a boat for extended periods of time. As everyone will tell you, there is no "perfect" boat out there. You really have to deal with compromises of various types, and weigh the value of certain features. To help me with the process, I created a spreadsheet to track the specifications of each boat, but as I looked at each boat I had to add fields to account for unique features specific to certain boats, and of course, I want all those features. I have watched countless Youtube videos, read any reviews I could get my hands on and talked to various dealers. Encore is a good boat for a couple nights on the hook, but she needs to be in a marina every third night or so. We are hoping to find a boat that will allow us to be independent for a longer period of time with ample storage, sufficient capacities and the appropriate seaworthiness for extended and safe cruising. 

The field has been narrowed somewhat, but lack of available inventory with the features we want may slow the whole process. I am being patient with the process and I have faith that the boat for us will make itself known at the right time. Fortunately, we like the boat we have. She is a great boat for cruising around the Bay and we look forward to a good season with her.

We will document the process and progress in this blog as we go through the next 5 or 6 months. The ultimate goal is to be heading down south again no later than  Fall 2023. Wish us luck.