My New Love - A 32 Ft. O'Day Center Cockpit Sailboat

I fell in love with 'living aboard' when I lived on my youngest son's 30 ft. Catalina for about three weeks at Sun Harbor Marina in San Diego. What a wonderful little marina that is, everyone is so friendly there. When I went home to Kansas City I announced to my other three son's and my daughter "When I retire I am selling the house and buying a sailboat to live on". Of course they all thought I was crazy - and aren't we all just a wee bit? I did it; I retired in 1998, sold my house and took off for San Diego to look for my new home. I was raised until I was eleven years old in the Southern CA areas, mostly around San Diego, so it was like "going home". I had been researching (deciding) what I considered would be best for living aboard for almost two years, so the search was as much fun as it was work. I lived on the internet for most of my information; joined Women Aboard, The Newwork For Women In Boating; talked to people with boats; and read everything I could get my hands on - My decision was made, the boat was bought and I moved in - er, I mean on. Sailed two or three times a week, learning what needed to be tied down for bay sailing and other stuff that needed tied down when we went into the ocean. I went bay sailing mostly, but did venture out into the ocean, where the sea rolls and the ride is wonderful. One time out the small TV got 'dumped' onto the settee - nothing broken and I was learning. Came back from an evening at my son's home to about 3 inches of water on the cabin sole. To you landlubbers, that is the floor in the cabin. My bilge pump switch had quit working. I put the pump on manual and got rid of the water - my first 'adventure' into TGW' (Things Gone Wrong) on a boat. Installed a new switch the next day. The water had come from a fast dripping packing glan on the drive system that needed repacking. Another lesson learned. I got some charting tools and a chart and I was going to take my first off shore adventure - to Catalina - and all was going smoothly until March, when I was called to Nashville where my sister was very ill. Got her in the hospital, learned she had lung cancer and stayed with her for three years until she went through her final transition. While in Nashville for the three years, being the addict I had become, I bought another boat - and that friends, is another story.