I’ve been running hot all April (a poker term, meaning gettings cards and breaks going your way). Everything seemed to just line up for the purchase of my new boat. The boat was actually in better condition than I expected from the pictures posted in the for sale ad. Key components made this an easy decision, such as a working autopilot and standing rig in great condition. I finalized the purchase today and will sail the boat up to Jacksonville, FL starting on May 20th.
The New Boat – Morgan Out Island 415 Ketch
I’ve decided to name the new boat Pomaika’i (Hawai’ian word for Lucky) in honor of how easily things fell together the last 2 weeks starting with a $525 win in a poker tournament.
The Morgan Out Island is a big step up from my previous boat. Most noticeably is the additional 5′ in length which basically adds an aft cabin to the end of the boat. Pomaika’i is a center cockpit ketch rig (this adds a third sail to the back of the boat). The additional length and small amount of additional beam really adds a lot of storage room to the boat.
Also, this boat purchase puts me far ahead in the amount of work needed to get her ready for traveling. She already has a hydraulic autopilot (though I will replace the control hardware/software at some point). There is no need to completely redo the electrical system like I had planned on the Palani so just some minor upgrades to the charging system and replacing the lights with LEDs. There are 3 refrigerators on the boat already, 2 that are functional. I’ll make one of those my freezer and then change the broken one to dry storage in the galley.
The engine room on this new boat is huge. There is a side access panel in the walkway between the main salon and the aft cabin as well as drop down access from the cockpit with plenty of room to actually do work. There is a diesel generator which will make electrical capacity management much easier. On the Palani was going to go with a large amount of solar. Now I’ll go with a slightly smaller solar installation and add a wind generator to the mizzen mast. I’m planning on having a compressor for filling scuba tanks and the generator will allow me to go with an electrical compressor greatly simplifying the tank fill process. I will be able to store the compressor below decks and just use a long fill and air-intake hose where with a gas operated compressor I would have to haul it on deck each time and also have to carry gasoline around.
Most of the work will involve remodeling the insides. I’ll need to completely remodel the heads (ugg I thought I was done with the boat bathrooms), replace the flooring and paint the interior.
Here’s the pictures provided in the for sale ad:
