That’s the name of the game for us with this boat-buying business: Hurry Up and Wait. We still have our hooks set in the Lagoon 440 down in Martinique. When we first looked at the contract, we were taken aback by the speed of the timeline considering everything that needed to be done before the transaction was finalized.
According to our original contract, the “Accept/Reject” date was March 3rd, with closing and transfer of ownership to happen by March 10th. That schedule gave us only 3 ½ weeks to: find a licensed surveyor (and one available), schedule the survey inspection along with a haul out at a local Martinique boat yard, wire the money for the deposit (within three days of contract), find and book flights to Martinique, find accommodations for Jason while on the island, get paperwork from Martinique allowing Jason on the island for the “business of buying a boat”, and secure an RV site for the boys and I while Jason is gone so I won’t have to move the RV alone. I’m sure there are more requirements that we need to meet as this timeline ticks by, but I’m overwhelmed about what’s on our plate right now, so we’ll focus on what’s on the table.
Our hometown bank was less than helpful when it came to a wire transfer. We were informed on Friday, February 4th, at end-of-business that our offer was accepted, but we did not receive the signed contract back until late Monday afternoon, Feb. 7th - the first of several delays in this process. We had three days from then to wire the deposit. Thankfully, we’re three hours ahead of Oregon while we're here in Florida. I contacted our bank first thing Tuesday morning.
Their response said there are forms to fill out and send back along with a copy of my driver’s license. You may recall that I lost my license with my purse when we were in Mexico a couple weeks ago – and the new one hasn’t come in yet. As luck would have it, I had previously emailed a copy of my license for a job requirement, so that hurdle was taken care of. I digitally filled out and signed the form. I sent off everything back to the bank Tuesday afternoon. Bank did not respond until the following day - they had refused to accept my digitally signed form. Jason and I searched around for a local store about 30 minutes away so they could print the document, I physically signed it, and then they faxed it to the bank all before 10:30am. Bank called and asked some absurd confirming questions about the transfer late Wednesday afternoon, then said it was beyond the cutoff time to process a wire transfer (it was 2pm their time. Oy vey.) FINALLY, the wire transfer was completed on Thursday. A day late according to the contract, but still accepted. Sidenote: we have since found another bank that is more accommodating to us as travelers.
Ok, deposit accepted. Next up was finding a surveyor. I spoke on that in my last blog, and after a LOT of searching, emailing, and calling, Jason found our surveyor. Survey, according to the contract, was to be completed the week of February 21st. Jacques, our surveyor, said he was available every day that week, accept it would not be possible to access the boatyard on Mondays. Perfect, our timeline was back on track. Nope, we’re stalled out again. After days of waiting for a confirmed date for the survey and haul out, Terry, our broker, lets us know that the owner’s captain of the boat is not available at all during the week of the 21st.
Hmmm, why put in the contract to have something (a VERY important something I might add!) completed at a certain time when you weren’t actually available to get it done? Weird. Nothing we could do about it except change the course of the contract and move on. In the midst of waiting for a date on the survey, Jason has been checking flights to Martinique. There were a few flights that could work, but depending on the survey, Jason may be there for a few extra days based on the flight times. As of 10:30am this morning, we have a confirmed date on the survey: Monday, February 28th! And now Jason can officially find flights. All the flights that were running during the original survey week are not available during the new survey week. We found it strange that no flights were available – until Jason did some digging.
Guess when they celebrate Carnival in Martinique? Yep, February 24th-March 2nd. Cross your fingers that Jason finds the right flights, we receive the proper travelling paperwork from Martinique, and we find a place for Jason to stay while he’s down there (maybe on the boat itself!?) all in the next 2½ days. Lord, help us.
A fun pause in our stressful week of waiting was the massive Miami Boat show! We put our Wanda the Winnebago into dry storage at the same KOA we’ve been staying at and set out to spend a couple nights in a dog-friendly hotel closer to the boat show in Miami. The hotel wasn’t great, but efficient enough for us to get some A/C and a decent shower. The boat show was spread out over three separate locations, with free transit or water taxis between each site. There was so much to see! Our first stop was at the catamaran alley.
Oh man, if money and time weren’t an issue, I would sign up for those flawlessly beautiful boats we had the privilege of walking on. Wowza! The space, the hidden luxuries, and the layouts of the inside and outside spaces left all of us thinking about living in a water castle like those. I took only ONE PICTURE of the inside of one of the boats we walked on. I took the picture not because it was beautiful, or to show the space the boat offered, or for the amenities, or the finishes of the boat. Nope, I took the picture for the practicality of it. Bunkbeds. The boat had bunkbeds in one of the cabins!
I saw the room, and immediately tried to figure out how we can change out one of the queen bedrooms in the Lagoon 440 to a bunk room for Barrett and Cord. That would be so awesome! There may be a way, but it’s going to take some doing, and, I suppose, we need to actually own the boat before I start in on the demolition. Details.
We also walked through the Miami Convention Center where most of the vendors had set up shop. It was overwhelming with so much to see and all the people pushing through the aisles. By the end of our walk-through, we were completely spent, but came home with some new boating hats and sun shirts. All in all, the boat show was a great pick-me-up for our family. We needed to be reminded about the fun and excitement we have ahead of us. I think if we were to attend again, Jason and I would go by ourselves for one day to speak with more of the vendors, and then take boys another day to show them the “fun stuff” and walk on the boats. There is just so much to see, it’s hard to get through it all – especially with three really sweaty, tired boys.
Sunday morning we were set to leave the hotel and head back to the KOA in Moore Haven. Ol’ big dog Sage decided to give us a little surprise in the shape of a very swollen front leg.
It didn’t seem to hurt her. She walked fine and wasn’t whimpering. She has some callouses on her elbows from her years of lounging and laying around that had opened up over the last week due to her getting up and down on the RV hard floors and/or concrete pads outside. Heaven forbid she takes us up on the rugs and dog beds we have for her to comfortably lay on. Silly dog. Anyway, with the swollen leg, we were thinking an infection had gotten into her elbows, or worse – bugs have burrowed into her through the open wound. Of course, it was Sunday, so we couldn’t get her to a vet until the next day and we set off for the KOA to set up camp again. We thought we were going to lose Sage that night. When it was time to set up the boys’ beds, Sage wouldn’t move. Not just a lazy, I-don’t-want-to-move attitude she usually gives us. This time, she wasn’t moving – never lifted her head, didn’t stretch when we scratched her belly, her breathing was slow and unsteady. Jason and I gave each other a look and we were both sure that we were giving Sage her last loves that night. The boys caught on to our concern, and the tears flowed. We were all crying and taking turns laying with Sage on the floor. Despite us knowing that we are already on borrowed time with her, none of us were prepared to say goodbye to our Sagey girl. Then, as she has countless times before in the last two years, Sage popped up the next morning, bounding out of the RV ready for her breakfast! We were all so relieved to wake up and have her still with us. We got her into the vet later that morning and I’m happy to report she is pumped full of antibiotics for her infection and has a 40-day supply of anti-inflammatory pain killers that is keeping her extra comfortable as she heals!
We are settled in at the Moore Haven KOA until after Jason gets back from Martinique some time next week and further decisions will need tackled. Boys have settled into a regular routine of scheduling meet-ups with other kids for some time at the playground, or in the clubhouse with video games and ping pong. It's been lovely and warm the last few days, but we haven't jumped in the pool for over a week now. I keep asking about going to the pool as the boys come home hot and dripping, but they say there's too many people there. Apparently, they require a certain amount of pool space to really enjoy it. What a bunch of pool snobs.
So, here’s to Jason’s happenstance run-in with Carnival, to daydreaming on luxurious yachts, and to our personal Energizer Bunny, Sage.
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