I’ve often heard the two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy your boat and then the day you sell it. Well, my second best day happened a few weeks ago, when the Hunter 25 I had spent a couple years working and sailing on finally sold. I say “finally”, but it really didn’t take too long; it only took a month after I listed her for sale.

I met the prospective buyer at the marina a couple days after he first contacted me. He looked her over and made his offer on the spot. It was practically an asking-price offer, so it didn’t take long for me to agree. He had a lake house on the north end of the lake and only asked that I keep her in the slip a couple more weeks until his own dock was finished. Oh, and one more caveat to the purchase. I had to give him a couple of sailing lessons. That was an easy decision as well, since it meant I’d get to sail her again.

He didn’t need the sailing lessons because he was a beginner, just because it’d been a long time since he’d sailed. It was more for a refresher.

We made the deal and a couple weeks later, I helped him move the old Hunter to her new home.

So was it one of the best days of my boat life? Well, It’ll be nice to not be paying slip fees on a boat I’m hardly able to use. I also a felt a little lighter since I lost have the weight of the projects I had started, but not yet finished.

Hunter 25 before/after

Hunter 25 before/after

But when I really reflect on it, sometimes those projects and “work days” were some of the best times I had on that boat. The feeling of watching the transformation from a dirty, water-logged, mildewed interior to an almost-finished, habitable vessel was quite rewarding. Not to mention all the sailing time I was able to accrue on her. I think those days were much better and more fulfilling than the day I sold her.

I’ve actually got an appointment set up later early next week for a sailing ‘lesson’ with her new owner and I’m sure it’ll be nice to sail her again. I’m hopeful the new owner will pick up where I left off and finish the remaining projects. There’s not many left and then she’ll be a fine boat to spend a weekend aboard.