I'm sure many of you can relate to the feelings I am now experiencing. You see I am about to complete on a purchase of a beautiful Westsail 32. I say beautiful because that is a word the Marine Surveyor recently used to describe s/v Loukia, Hull # 518, now located at Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, and formerly of Nainamo, B.C. Canada.
The feeling is one of both joy and trepidation I,m at the start of a steep learning curve.
Until now and for a couple of years I have been a 'dreamer' member of WOA.
I have had in mind the purchase of a cruising sailboat to sail the waters of Eastern Australia and perhaps beyond. A lot of reading went into the selection of my shortlist on which the W32 was always at the top. Here in Australia there are not so many Westsails and each time one came on the market I followed it closely. Back in September this year I drove from my home near Brisbane to inspect one that had been listed for sale for more than two years. It is an Australian Westsail 33 and although I had read disparaging things about these as not really Westsails", I thought I'd take a look, not to buy, but just out of curiosity, to check it out. As it happened that boat was at sea.However the broker, so very casually, continued to say,that he had another one, just come in, sailed across from Mexico and on the hardstand, in his yard behind the Marina, Wow!, I was amazed, as I knew that to the best of my knowledge, throughout all of Australia at that time, there was only one other W32 up for sale. So over we went to have a look, and after climbing all over her I liked what I saw. The next day I drove back home, a trip of about 400ks and all the way I was thinking could I? would I?
I did some research on this boat, and decided to bite the bullet. The vendor had like me, been a Westsail enthusiast his global circumnavigation finished in Australia after a passage from Mexico. I very much felt sorry for him just as, at the same time, I now feel grateful to him that he accepted my offer to buy. And now I'm about to become a "fair dinkum", Westsailor.
I have a lot to learn and, with my wife Ann, together we'll learn how to sail properly, and treat both Loukia and the sea with the respect they deserve.
This time next year the last two of our children graduate and I will retire, so we will run away from home, the two of us cruising to locations as yet undecided. There are some odd jobs to be done on her most are DIY, and as yet we haven't found a suitable mooring close to home but things will work out just as did the happy purchase of one of these beautiful boats.
I know a little about the history of Loukia, we will not change her name. Maybe some members can add to my knowledge about her past. Again she was factory built, hull number 518.
Best wishes to all.
David Timbs
W32 Loukia
