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| SV King Cyrus in Tod Inlet July 2010 |
It’s a true story. She's affordable waterfront property.
You can go wherever your heart desires and breath in the luscious sea air and enjoy the view. I love it. Have done for the last seven years.
Asking price was $60,000 (the insured value - recent survey available) - it's now the BEST OFFER closest to.
Time to roll on. I’m more concerned about my rusting road bike on the aft deck then I am about blowing up a bumper.
Sadly – both seem to be the case. The tarp flings back on the westerley’s unraveling the bike’s protective coat and well, I just haven’t got around to pumping up the flats. Fenders that is.
She’s been a labour of love. A passion of insanity, really. I’ve put my heart and soul into her. With the help of dear Uncle Len.
It’s all his doing. My 87 year-old retired boat builder of an Uncle. Lucky for me!
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| Uncle Len brought out of retirement! |
Seven years ago I decided I needed more headroom then what I had. A 22 foot old wooden (plywood) Atkins designed sloop (sailboat with one mast).
Did some fender kicking with the local broker on the dock. Said I wanted more space, but didn’t want to shack up with a big debt. He found me “The King.”
Went to look at her on my own with the broker. Felt overwhelmed. She was in pretty sad shape. Full of junk. Rat poop. A derelict mizzen mast lay across the cabin top. I got the swift sale story. All fixable. Ha ha. If you know how I thought to myself.
So I invited Uncle Len for a visit. It’s a chippy December day. We amble inside. He stands in the galley. Takes his gloves off and peers up at me. I’ve got the creeps with all the stuff and poop inside. Wasn’t sure I wanted to gamble it again.
“You didn’t tell me she was an Angelman?”
Angelman, smangelman I think to myself. So what?
“This boat is made out of teak. Virgin teak,” he follows.
Teak, smeak I mull over to myself. What’s the diff?
“You could sail to Hawaii in this boat,” he concludes.
My ears perk up.
“Really…”
Now he’s got me thinking more seriously.
He does his fine tooth comb inspection. We depart and arrive to the transom. Broker long gone.
“She's got two of your names on her (Victoria and King),” he adds looking at me.
Later that night I lay stranded on my boat. I’m thinking early retirement. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a boat that size to graze on. It starts raining. Really hard.
I remember seeing a crack in the cabin and all of sudden find myself lifting up my aft locker and grabbing a spare tarp. I’m off to Fisherman’s Wharf where she sat to cover up the cabin.
It’s dark. I walk around the decks for the first time. Something feels oddly familiar. Kinda almost homey like.
I tussle her up and depart. Can’t stop thinking about her that night.
I decide I’ll haul her out to look at her bottom. For fun. We tow her round to Oak Bay. I am feeling pretty good at the wheel I have to say. She’s got weight. Feels like a ship of the sea.
Uncle Len declares a remarkable bottom for the age.
We do a further survey and I make an offer. A low ball.
Some hours later, much to my surprise it’s accepted. A steal really.
Over the years I’ve come to conclude, I have pretty high standards. When it comes to restoration. You have to do it right the first time or not at all.
So she’s in shape. Ready to sail away. New laundry would help. No question. First thing I did was put in a new motor. Under 500 hours on a 40 horsepower today.
I spent four years without refrigeration. She’s now got an icebox with a 12 volt. All the trimmings for electrical, new batteries, wiring, etc. New water system, pumps, hoses. Two large water tanks.
No oven though. The old one was for Barbies. The space too small for the new models. I’ve spent years with a convection oven at the dock (do all my Christmas baking) and a propane camp stove two burner. Of course the flush aft deck is perfect for barbecues in the summer. When it comes to rafting she usually ends up in the middle. The party boat.
There’s been many a dinner around the table. Eight no problem.
She’s a ketch (two masts, tall one in the front). Built in 1967. Designed by Hugh Angelman himself. After the Sea Witch designs. Maybe a Sea Spirit – her beam is 11’ 6”. She draws under five feet. With the bow sprit and davits she's 41'.
Spins on a dime. Takes the seas beautifully. And has been my home for my hat for truly seven years.
Spins on a dime. Takes the seas beautifully. And has been my home for my hat for truly seven years.
If you’re interested in seeing her or viewing more pictures you can email me at janevictoriaking@gmail.com.
In Victoria, British Columbia, Canada this old sailboat is what you call affordable waterfront property.
With character I might add!
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| Sunrise leaving Cowichan Bay February 2008 |
6 comments:
Oh my gosh Jane! This must have been a terribly difficult decision to make. Boats have spirit. it's not like selling a couch; it's like saying goodbye to a very, dear friend.
Yes. She has a magnificent spirit and will forever be in my heart. I know only another beautiful spirit will be the one to take her helm and continue to share her joy...
Many short sale realtor actually have started looking at the transaction with more seriousness and greater possibilities compared to other options like foreclosures or loan modification. Essentially, 3-hour courses for short sale realtor are not enough to give the necessary training needed to be adept at this type of real estate transaction.so being with americandestinyrealty.com for various types of interesting new's about realtor.
You know, it makes my heart ache to read that the mizzen mast that we'd paid Bent Jespersen's yard in Sidney beaucoup bucks to build for us in 1989 was rotted out by the time you "found" the Cyrus. The Cyrus had had a checkered past ( long, long story)
, to be sure, but by the time Peter Spreadbury and I turned loose of her in 2000, she was in excellent, if dated, condition: brightwork; engine; hatch, sail and skylight covers; the modified v-berth; everything comfy and tight. Sigh. Someone stole the original wheel when the Cyrus was moored in the Westview Transient Harbour in '89, so the replacement was never as grand and glorious as the original. Would give anything to win a lottery, find and buy the King Cyrus again and spend our sunset years together :)
Could you please!!!! I sold her to a chap who has left her moored in Ladysmith Harbour I can give you his information. He's trying so desperately to sell her. She's been there over a year. I have been saying to my pal who has her on her mooring buoy "I NEED TO SAVE HER!" Please could you. PLEASE! email me: janevictoriaking@gmail.com I will give his information.
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