My offer was accepted and I scheduled a general surveyor and an engine surveyor for inspections at the end of March. Buying a boat is much more like buying a home than buying a vehicle – inspections, financing, insurance, titling, and a closing date.
I traveled to Norfolk on a Sunday and got settled into my hotel. The seller was to arrive that Tuesday but I could not wait and headed to the marina that evening to meet my girl for the first time.
Although I had been soaking in as much information as I could during the past year, I still felt so far from feeling like I knew what the hell I was doing. The seller arrived on Tuesday and welcomed me into her little water home. She was a wealth of information and shared her knowledge generously with me. She literally opened every drawer and meticulously went through each spare part. We changed an oil filter and went through the engine anatomy together. She showed me all her maintenance records and shared the tips she had learned during her year doing the Loop solo. I even slept on the boat that night. I am so incredibly fortunate to have found this little boat with such a wonderful owner when I did!
Survey day arrived. Carlton from Grizzard Repair was there to conduct a detailed inspection of the engine and its mechanics. Captain Frank Lanier was there to inspect everything else. They both arrived at 8am and got to work. Both men were absolutely tremendous. When I scheduled the surveys, I had a bit of sticker shock but quickly appreciated the level of professionalism and depth of knowledge that these two have in their field. They quickly assessed my boating experience (or lack of) and my understanding of mechanics. Both respectfully explained what they were doing every step of the way without condescension or mansplaining. Not only that, there were several instances where they said something like “This looks good now, but these often fail so if you see ABC, do XYZ…” and “Call me anytime if you have questions”. I now know what all (or almost all) of the parts are in these pictures and what they do!!
Midway through, it was time for a seatrial and then on to Cobb’s Marina for a haul out and inspection of the hull and mechanics below the water line. My first ride! Her rumble makes me miss my Harley a little.
Can you spot a couple things wrong in the pictures below?
After the haul out, we went back to the marina where they finished. Unlike a home inspection that takes an hour or so, they were both with me until 4:00. EIGHT HOURS OF SURVEYING!!! This day was worth EVERY PENNY. 10/10 recommend x2. They both seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs and sharing their knowledge. Frank even sent me a copy of his super cool book, Jack Tar and the Baboon Watch: A Guide to Curious Nautical Knowledge for Landlubbers and Sea Lawyers Alike. They can never understand how much that meant to me. I had so much fun that day learning and trying to retain as much knowledge as I could. Absolutely fantastic experience!
”To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe.
To support the adventure or to track The ‘Nati Nomad’s progress, visit greatloop.thenatinomad.com.
