In 2011, me and my husband were leaving for a environmental research/circumnavigation. He is an engineer, so we looked after the best, proven, solid and sound boat that our money could bought.
We found Sea Lion in a little bay at the D.R.
We are the third owner, the previous couple that lived aboard (18 years) left North Carolina for a summer cruise. They got down to BVI, and up the islands till the D.R. They felt in love with the country, and never left. In 2008, the owner passed away, so Jeannete, her wife, had to put Sea Lion on the market. She couldn't keep up with the boat alone.
We bought the boat in 2011. Unfortunately, we lost our sponsor, and had to come back to Brazil at the beginning of 2013. We hired a friend to bring Sea Lion back to Luperon, where we have some friends that could take care of her. She is on the hard, at Tropical Marina - Luperon - D.R.
Things we did in Sea Lion:
First thing, we scraped the hull till the fiberglass, and did a complete bottom job. Left her drying for a month, than three coats of epoxy barrier.
After that, took the boat from D.R. to Miami (took us 6 days, through the Old Bahama Channel, than Gulf Stream).
In Miami we completely refitted her, by ourselves. We wound't trust nobody to do this kind of job in a boat that was leaving for a circumnavigation.
Spent 7 months on the refit:
Spent 7 months on the refit:
- Changed all the rigging (NEW), not just the wires, but all the toggles, turnbuckles, pins, everything;
- Built and installed NEW SS chainplates;
- NEW cutlass bearing for the shaft;
-
Replaced the old Perkins 4108 with a ISUZU 50hp (Westerbeke), kept the
very reliable Borg Warner transmission, way better than the aluminum
ones.
- Re-wired 70% of the boat;
- NEW bilge pumps;
- NEW toilet;
-
NEW set o sails (full batten Main plus a spare + storm jib + staysail).
Kept the 110% Jib from North Sails, in very good condition.
- NEW 6 Trojan batteries;
- NEW Monitor Wind Vane.
- Bilge painted.
We have a bunch of spare parts for the engine, wind-vane, rigging, SS parts, gears, complete set of tools...
Brand New electronics:
- NEW ICON SSB Radio;
- NEW VHS Radio;
- NEW Garmin GPS;
- NEW sound system;
- NEW West Marine 10' hard botton Dinghy with a 9.9 Mercury;
She
also has a double solar panel and a wind generator. There's 3 anchors
on her, a Fortress, a CQR and a Danforth, all of then chain + rope (been
aboard trough force 1 Isaac in Islamorada (keys), just with the three
anchors).
Sea Lion is almost a full keel. She has a skeg that helps steering and protects the rudder.
She
is well built boat, very easy to balance and seaworthy. The hull to the
deck joint is all fiberglassed, so there's no leaks at all. She's a
very dry boat. The mast/keel joint is rust free and there's no soft
spots on the deck.
Sea Lion is an american vessel, registered in North Carolina.
We spent all our money, time and love on her.
We
didn't have money for cosmetics, so We took care of what was necessary
to safely cruise, but she needs a new paint job, and some varnish. But
there's nothing to do structurally. The only thing left to do, is
replace a couple of seacocks that We would do at Panama. But We can
guarantee, there's no 1979 boat in the shape of Sea Lion.
The boat has a V-bert cabin and two sofas in the living room that can be converted into two twin widowers, leaving two people in each.
She is our little baby, so we want to keep the tradition of the next owner go love her, be engaged and as all previous owners have dedicated themselves, with the certainty that our boat hold making dreams and sailing the seas of the world. I hope you are one of them!
