The Deal is Done!

For all my loyal followers who have been making do with my old posts, I have some very exciting news to share!  We've been keeping our news a secret until now, but now that the deal is done, I'm thrilled to share!!!

Tom and I put Serenity on the market through Kadey Krogen Yachts in December.  She was viewed by many until the perfect couple came to see her.  They fell in love with her last month (it was love at first sight), made an offer and the deal closed today at around 3:00 NY time.

For those of you who know how much Tom and I loved that sweet girl and the material comforts we showered on her, I know you are scratching your collective heads, thinking we really did lose our minds this time.  We did, sort of.  The absolute ONLY reason to sell Serenity was to BUY A BIGGER VERSION TO LIVE ON!!!  Sooo, we ordered what is now known as 5505, the Expedition model which has a beam of 18 feet, overall length of 60 feet, 11 3/4 inches, weighs nearly 89,000 lbs. and has captured our dreams to live aboard and see the world.  Oh, did I mention we put our home on the market at the end of March too??  We're still waiting for the perfect person(s) to come along, but have faith that the day will soon come.  Since our new boat won't be ready for a year, we're ok to wait a bit.

5505 (which we didn't feel free to discuss names for until Saturday - that will be another surprise) will be newly configured for easier access to the spacious, 360 degree view pilot house, have a walk in, full height engine room and since it is all on one level, will be easier for us to get around on when we're 100.  The idea to buy this boat was born last October after I was a guest on 5501 during the Krogen Rendezvous in Solomons, MD.  I loved the boat, though struggled a bit with the pilot house access.  During the event, a KKY partner presented plans for the newly configured Expedition series.  That was it.  I was barely in the door upon returning home when I hit poor, unsuspecting Tom with my idea.  To his credit, he didn't wave me off.  His mistake was to take me seriously.  By November, we were talking to the KKY folks and in December, Serenity was put on the market.  That's how we do things.  I not only believe in carpe diem, I live it!

Since you've all been so patient, this is a sneak peak of the 55 Expedition model as it sits in the KKY office conference room.  The outside will remain the same; only the interior will be different.

Since we plan to really travel in this boat, we are thrilled that it has twin John Deere engines.  The fuel-sipping qualities of a trawler will take us thousands of miles before we need to top off the tanks.  Pretty neat when you're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the way to Bermuda!

We flew down to Stuart this past Wednesday to begin the bittersweet process of taking our belongings off Serenity.  It took 3 full days and the help of 2 people, but I put the last load into storage 4 hours before leaving for the airport on Saturday afternoon.  As I approached this favorite landmark on the way to see Serenity, I began to feel butterflies in my stomach.

Though I wasn't second guessing our decision, I was feeling guilty for leaving Serenity after only 2 years of ownership.  But if you remember, we only owned For Us for a year before deciding to move up to Serenity, so I guess we were acting pretty much according to our norm.  Even though this was our last visit to Serenity, the sight of her warmed our hearts.

The blue sign you can see on the boat deck railing is the For Sale sign I had so much trouble looking at during our visit in March.  I (somewhat) happily took the sign down before leaving for home on Saturday.

She looks better now.

This photo is actually the last photo I took as I walked toward the car for the last time.  I had a lump in my throat the size of Rhode Island, my eyes were streaming and my heart was pounding, but I managed to walk away with only a few backward looks.  She is living up to her name - the picture of serenity sitting in slip B21.

Since Tom went to the car ahead of me, I whispered a few last words of gratitude to the boat who had been the scene of many wonderful times with good friends.  She often resonated with the laughter of friends enjoying each other's company.  Our grandson was aboard when he was just months old - Serenity sported a portable crib, swing, and a supply of diapers in addition to her always full wine cooler and pantry.  She took us safely to fun-filled adventures and always made us proud of her.  As I patted her goodbye, I asked her to do the same for her new owners, to show them what owning a boat like her would mean to them and to enable them to realize their dreams the way we had.

Fair winds and following seas sweet girl.  We will never forget you and will always carry you in our hearts with love.


Postscript:
As 5505 takes shape (she is due to go into the mold shortly), I promise to share her early (sonogram-like) pictures.  For those of you who choose to, I will take you with me on 5505's saga, from pictures in the mold, to the beginning of the interior design, to the selection of fixtures, finishes, etc.  It was fun to do that with Serenity; I'll do it again with 5505.  As the months unfold, she will soon have a name and we can all get familiar with the boat of our dreams.

Happy Reading!